Engine noise and potential options

That looks very good. I wouldn't pull any more, but what I would do is grab each connecting rod on the crank and try very hard to rock it back and forth and up and down. If you find one that moves, you've found your culprit.
Also, as someone said above, try to see the piston skirts while you have the pan down, check em all out. Did you find anything in the oil pan?
How much of the timing chain can you see with the pan down? Good Idea to check that too since you're this far in anyway.
 
hardtailpan said:
That looks very good. I wouldn't pull any more, but what I would do is grab each connecting rod on the crank and try very hard to rock it back and forth and up and down. If you find one that moves, you've found your culprit.
Also, as someone said above, try to see the piston skirts while you have the pan down, check em all out. Did you find anything in the oil pan?
How much of the timing chain can you see with the pan down? Good Idea to check that too since you're this far in anyway.
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I appreciate it, I've now checked all but one which currently has the oil pump in the way. They all look that good. I get some fore and aft clinking with each rod, but doesn't seem that any of them have any play up and down or side to side.

Nothing in the oil pan. Main bearings are static and shouldn't make any knocking noises that I'm aware of regardless of what shape they're in.

I'm kinda at a loss here. Looking up into the block and thinking through the engines rotation nothing really jumps out at me as being a possible culprit besides the rod bearings or maybe the piston wrist pins but that seems unlikely.
 
Much like the recent cooling system debacle, I'm leaning towards button it up and drive the damn thing until something actually goes wrong. If it's a real problem it will make itself known.

I noticed today that the trans is leaking a touch of ATF from what I believe is the tail shaft housing again. I'm not going to fix that either.

I guess I'll go get a tube of gasket maker and go put the oil pan back on.
 
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Yeah, they'll move a bit side to side on the crank, there's a spec to check that but its not something i'd be too concerned with as long as they aren't moving perpendicular to the crank. I'm not sure how much of the timing chain you can see at this point, but it might be worth pulling the timing cover to take a peek since you're getting deep anyway

I haven't pulled the valve cover on a 4.0, but with other motors you can pull the cover and put clips on the rocker arms which keeps (most) of the oil from being sprayed everywhere when you run it without the valve cover. You can then use a screwdriver or stethiscope to check for sounds when its running.

Main bearings can make noise, but its more of a deep rumbling sound and not clearly in tune with the motor reciprocation.
 
Bigmac said:
Much like the recent cooling system debacle, I'm leaning towards button it up and drive the damn thing until something actually goes wrong. If it's a real problem it will make itself known.

I noticed today that the trans is leaking a touch of ATF from what I believe is the tail shaft housing again. I'm not going to fix that either.

I guess I'll go get a tube of gasket maker and go put the oil pan back on.
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Mine rattles like a marbles in a can when I first start it up. I'm sure its piston slap but i'm not going to fix it. If it blows I'll do the hemi swap I've been planning, if it keeps running, I'll keep driving it. Whatever.
 
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Bigmac said:
I'm not sure about any of it. How can I check the lifters for any problems?
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Honestly I'm not sure how to check them. A stethoscope might reveal noise at the passenger side of the engine at about the height of the hole for the OPDA and you might be able to narrow it down to a cylinder. Maybe pull the valve cover and feel for loose pushrods?
 
hardtailpan said:
Yeah, they'll move a bit side to side on the crank, there's a spec to check that but its not something i'd be too concerned with as long as they aren't moving perpendicular to the crank. I'm not sure how much of the timing chain you can see at this point, but it might be worth pulling the timing cover to take a peek since you're getting deep anyway

I haven't pulled the valve cover on a 4.0, but with other motors you can pull the cover and put clips on the rocker arms which keeps (most) of the oil from being sprayed everywhere when you run it without the valve cover. You can then use a screwdriver or stethiscope to check for sounds when its running.

Main bearings can make noise, but its more of a deep rumbling sound and not clearly in tune with the motor reciprocation.
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I just replaced the timing chain during said "cooling system debacle"

This is going to sound really stupid but can I pull the timing cover without pulling the water pump? I know the timing chain is good but...

About a week after I put it all back together I found the tensioner pad on my work bench. (Excuse me while I take a knee and punch myself in the face). I was hoping I could install it from the bottom while I had the oil pan off but no dice. It is on the other side.

I know that's not the noise, which was preexisting. If I have to pull the water pump to get it in there it's another thing I'm going to ignore.
 
Bigmac said:
I just replaced the timing chain during said "cooling system debacle"

This is going to sound really stupid but can I pull the timing cover without pulling the water pump? I know the timing chain is good but...

About a week after I put it all back together I found the tensioner pad on my work bench. (Excuse me while I take a knee and punch myself in the face). I was hoping I could install it from the bottom while I had the oil pan off but no dice. It is on the other side.

I know that's not the noise, which was preexisting. If I have to pull the water pump to get it in there it's another thing I'm going to ignore.
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LOL, I don't know if you can pull the cover w/o pulling the water pump. I've got a '02 4.0 sitting on an engine stand in my shop so I can go have a look. I'm a bit hung over so that's kind of a long walk for me today, but I'll try to get out there soon :)
 
hardtailpan said:
LOL, I don't know if you can pull the cover w/o pulling the water pump. I've got a '02 4.0 sitting on an engine stand in my shop so I can go have a look. I'm a bit hung over so that's kind of a long walk for me today, but I'll try to get out there soon :)
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I would really appreciate that, will make the difference between buttoning it up today or attempting the timing cover. Might take a thin wall 10mm socket between the 2 but more likely just shy of possible...
 
Bigmac said:
I would really appreciate that, will make the difference between buttoning it up today or attempting the timing cover. Might take a thin wall 10mm socket between the 2 but more likely just shy of possible...
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OK< I just walked out. I'll post a pic in a minute, but yes, you should have no problem pulling the timing cover w/o pulling the water pump. You will have to pull the pulley off of the water pump from what I can see tho. It looks like removing the tensioner assembly would make things easier as well, but not required.
 
Bigmac said:
I would really appreciate that, will make the difference between buttoning it up today or attempting the timing cover. Might take a thin wall 10mm socket between the 2 but more likely just shy of possible...
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Let me know if you need a different angle or need to see something else.
Edit: Damn those came out small! Let me know if you can blow em' up good enough or I can do something else...

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1691354166467.png
 
Bigmac said:
Damn I really appreciate that. Looks like a possibility... I think that fan pulley might be hiding one last bolt but it looks possible if you pulled the fan pulley.
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Always glad to help....
Yeah, that's the issue, the fan pulley is hiding a bolt. You could get to it with a box end wrench, but i don't know if you could finagle the pump with impeller out from behind that pulley. Maybe, but for 4 bolts to remove the pulley, I'd just pull it.
Let us know what you decide, and what you find.

EDIT: Oh and if you mean there's another bolt that I didn't take a pic of? No, its the one on the edge of the pulley. I couldn't really take a pic behind that pulley, but I shined the flashlight back there, I didn't see a timing cover bolt hiding back there. You could always google a pic of a timing cover and compare it the pic I sent to see if there's a bolt there, but I didn't see one.
 
hardtailpan said:
Always glad to help....
Yeah, that's the issue, the fan pulley is hiding a bolt. You could get to it with a box end wrench, but i don't know if you could finagle the pump with impeller out from behind that pulley. Maybe, but for 4 bolts to remove the pulley, I'd just pull it.
Let us know what you decide, and what you find.

EDIT: Oh and if you mean there's another bolt that I didn't take a pic of? No, its the one on the edge of the pulley. I couldn't really take a pic behind that pulley, but I shined the flashlight back there, I didn't see a timing cover bolt hiding back there. You could always google a pic of a timing cover and compare it the pic I sent to see if there's a bolt there, but I didn't see one.
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Yes I mean that I thought there was 1 more bolt behind the pulley. I think the water pump might be one of the only things in my life I've ever sealed that didn't leak afterwards so didn't want to pull it if I didn't have to.

I'm kidding of course but it sure feels like I've got about a 50 percent success rate sometimes, which is nuts because I hate doing shit twice and I give a damn.

Think you could get a socket on that thing if you were to pull the belt pulley off the water pump?
 
I have this photo from my water pump change out, looks like there's two bolts right next to the water pump, I think you could get a socket on them with the pulley out of the way.

PXL_20230728_232044448.jpg
 
freedom_in_4low said:
I have this photo from my water pump change out, looks like there's two bolts right next to the water pump, I think you could get a socket on them with the pulley out of the way.

View attachment 447722
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Wow, super clean block, did you just fill with antifreeze and roll with it or embark on a month long journey of cleaners, distilled water, and sadness like me? Just kidding of course, I already know you are equally frustrated.
 
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