Did you do any cylinder work or did you just replace the pistons/rings? I told myself to deal with the noise but I see myself pulling this head off and putting pistons in it
Help Diagnosing Engine Knock
- Thread starter The Goblin
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- engine knock flex plate
Hopefully and most likely ur cylinders r in good shape, and just require a hone job. That's all I did. My cylinders barely had any ridge at top at 150000 miles. Somehow I knew u wouldn't b satisfied with doing all that work and still having the rattle.Did you do any cylinder work or did you just replace the pistons/rings? I told myself to deal with the noise but I see myself pulling this head off and putting pistons in it
Mine also makes this exact same noise. This thread has just kind of convinced me to live with it and be ready with an LS swap when it goes lol. I'm at 150k now and I've put 100k of those on. We'll see how long it lasts
Don't blame u at all. After tearing mine down, I have no doubt that it would have gone on for along time. There really was no bad wear at all. Just a little on the piston skirts. I just couldn't bear the noise.
Yeah, the main reason I pulled the trigger is because my cam had galling and abnormal wear. I did hope the lifters would also fix the noise but obviously it didn't.
The cylinders looked great while I had it apart. The engine in whole looked pretty good minus the cam. I was also surprised that my engine didn't have much of a ridge on the cylinders and I'm pretty sure the walls still had cross hatching.
I'm going to drive it for a bit and either put pistons in it some day or swap a GENIII 4.8 if I can find adapters for the NV3550. I've done an LS1 swap in the past I have the tools and tuner to do it but I do like this 4.0 minutes the noise.
fourpointzero
TJ Addict
Reviving the thread (as if it was truly dead?) because I randomly ran across a YouTube video by @thegoblin that sure seemed to match the sound my TJ is making. So far, Im about 5k short of hitting 200k and after 7 years (I believe 7) of ownership, I suspect my noise is due to a manifold exhaust leak. It too quiets down after warmup and can really only be heard about 1 to 2 minutes into startup.
Either way, it drives great, burns no oil and keeps on rockin. I'll drive it till it dies @this point.
Either way, it drives great, burns no oil and keeps on rockin. I'll drive it till it dies @this point.
OP
Oh dang.... I'm really sorry to hear this. You put in a TON of work! Seriously, thanks so much for sharing all this with us. Even if it didn't solve your problem, it will help someone else down the line. I know I personally learned a ton reading back through your posts, thanks for that.
OP
It is crazy to me how many people have this same noise! And so far, no one has really been able to lock it down to one single issue, lol. But the one thing I DO seem to hear a lot, is that they have had this noise forever and the engine just keeps on ticking!
Lifters, bearings, flex plate, exhaust, timing chain, etc. So many options!
I'm glad you "revived" the thread. Usually I get emails when someone comments on this thread, but for some reason I haven't seen anything for quite a while until the forum emailed me about your comment. I hadn't seen any of the stuff posted on the previous few pages. Dang good stuff!
My update is that everything is the same. Noise is still there, Jeep still runs great with good power, oil pressure is fine! So I'm just enjoying the summer with the top off!
Good luck to everyone else. If anyone finds a solution to their knock, please post it here so we all can learn! Thanks everyone!
fourpointzero
TJ Addict
Like the Timex commercial: "Takes a lickin and keeps on tickin" I think that was the slogan....It is crazy to me how many people have this same noise! And so far, no one has really been able to lock it down to one single issue, lol. But the one thing I DO seem to hear a lot, is that they have had this noise forever and the engine just keeps on ticking!
~ lol
Interesting thread. I have 194k miles now - I wonder if my jeep makes the same noise you're all trying to fix. I just figured "big inline 6 go brrrr-clack-click-clack" and I've never given the noise it makes a second thought. Yeah I have nothing to add but keep these detailed photos/teardowns coming it's fun to read along
fourpointzero
TJ Addict
Im right there too; 194 or 195k at this point. I gotta take a look again. Still, Im confident it'll hit 300k, no prob.
OP
OP
Totally. These dang things just keep going! (Like a Timex! Lol!)
My motor sounds identical to this, and has been bogging down on me right around 2400rpms (50mph). However, it will recover if I let off the throttle and get back on it (to an extent). Took it to my mechanic a few weeks ago for fuel trim issues and thought the bogging may have been caused by that, but he told me that he believes that the noise is either a collapsed lifter or bad valve. Have you figured out what the problem was yet?
Just wanted to show I'm still observing this thread and I'm still driving my Jeep after the camshaft, lifters, push rods, rocker arms, fulcrums, oil pump etc. replacement. Jeep still makes the noise and hasn't gotten better nor worse. I drive it nearly everyday as a daily to work.
I also had checked connecting rod bearing clearance which all were within specification. I believe the sound is coming from the pistons. Maybe a wrist pin issue or piston slap. The jeep runs good and pulls hard after the camshaft swap and I currently have no plans in the foreseeable future to replace the pistons.
I also had checked connecting rod bearing clearance which all were within specification. I believe the sound is coming from the pistons. Maybe a wrist pin issue or piston slap. The jeep runs good and pulls hard after the camshaft swap and I currently have no plans in the foreseeable future to replace the pistons.
fourpointzero
TJ Addict
@Harcust ~ I can relate to how annoying the noise is. Very thankful for threads like this because had I gone through all of that shyt and the noise was still present, I'd be really pee'd off. After having my I6 looked at by many mechanics and knowledgable Jeep fans, I decided a few years back to rock it till it dies. Or when Im ready to pull the trigger on a reman. But that plan isn't until it literally fails.
brewtus98
TJ Enthusiast
Agreed! Really appreciate those that take time to document. I hadn't yet gotten around to digging into mine other than the easy stuff. Timing chain was next, but after watching this thread decided to wait on doing anything to the '03 at this point. Currently has 158k on the odometer and has been doing it since I bought it at 139k.
fourpointzero
TJ Addict
Heck, Ive already put 50k on mine since I bought it 8 years ago. And now im just shy of 200k. So ya, rocking it till it dies.
OP
Dang! All that and STILL got the noise? Sorry!
I checked the clearance of my bearings too and just like yours, they were all fine. Piston slap is really starting to be my main suspicion. It's super hard to diagnose. Have you checked your exhaust manifold for cracks by chance? I'm still suspicious of that for mine because of the way the noise quiets down as things heat up.
All I can say is that I've now owned three Jeeps with the 4.0—a 95 XJ, a 99 WJ, and a 00 TJ—and each one makes the sound in varying amounts. I've always assumed it was the lifters bleeding down since the noise returns after a hot start, which in my mind eliminates a piston slap diagnosis. But, honestly, who freaking knows. One day I hope someone figures it out.