04 4.0 5speed 91k. I've had some lifter tick going on for about 9 months that I finally have the time to go ahead and take care of now that life has slowed down. Just trying to figure out the best course of action. The ticking usually starts quiet, and slowly gets louder over about 5-10 seconds until it completely stops and just repeats the cycle. It is more prevalent at cold temps, and doesn't completely go away at operating temp but is a lot quieter and less frequent. It also started ticking shortly after I replaced the valve cover gasket so maybe that got some dirt in or I did something funky. I'm unsure as to whether I should try out a different weight oil (usually run standard 10w30), try synthetic, or use an additive. Seems like a lot of people have different suggestions for it. Just kinda cycle through and see if anything works, or is it really just better to say screw it and replace the lifters?
Lifter tick
- Thread starter Mattific
- Start date
Very common. Try a different brand or type of oil. For example switch between conventional and synthetic or the other way around. If you are running GTX, try Valvoline next time, the additive packages are different. Don't use an extra additive or at least I wouldn't. You could try a different weight if that doesn't work. In NV I'd consider running 15w40 diesel oil especially in the summer when it gets hot. I use it when it gets hot around here, the stuff is great. The factory recommends it in some countries for the 4.0 where it is more common so it's not a problem in the engine. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless it is loud enough that people on the sidewalk are staring. It actually seals the valves better and I've never heard of developing flat spots on the 4.0 cam.
Exactly this.
Exactly this.
Thanks. I do mix up the brands, I just get whichever is a better deal that day. Think I’ll give synthetic a go next time, not sure if I want to be running 15w40 for the winter but I’ll keep it in mind when things warm back up