Ticking sound coming from my engine

[Cumsterdump]

looking to try and get some diagnostic help because this is a bit more in depth than my diagnosing skills go.

to start off i SERIOUSLY doubt my engine is about to fail. my motor only has 60k miles, and shows no signs of having ever been opened and fiddled with. That being said the ticking noise is definitely coming from the engine as it is in time with my RPM.

while i know this can be a lot of things im hoping to get some headway from the community regarding what it may be or places to start. the sound is decently quiet and if i was listening to music or at the speed limit i wouldn’t hear it. i’m almost thinking the valves need adjusted.

wish me luck and thanks for the ideas

Edit: adding video link

 

[Jamesval035]

Probably best to post a vid of the noise you are describing. Will help a lot of the engine experts diagnose it.

 

[Cumsterdump]

Probably best to post a vid of the noise you are describing. Will help a lot of the engine experts diagnose it.

yeah i’ll toss one in right now

 

[Chris]

Sounds like a exhaust leak potentially.

 

[macleanflood]

Run some Seafoam through the engine using the vacuum tube running to the brake booster.

I'm with @Chris and watch where the smoke leaks out.

-Mac

 

[Cumsterdump]

Sounds like a exhaust leak potentially.

dang that’s a good leak then. good excuse to buy headers

 

[GoldenGorilla]

Don't jump to conclusions there. Could just be the pre-cat to manifold bolts need to be tightened if you have a 3-2-1 exhaust as 00-02 4.0s can vary depending on where they were initially sold.

 

[GoldenGorilla]

If you do have a 2 part cast manifold, I replaced mine with the AFE shorty headers and they've been good so far.

 

[KennethS]

dang that’s a good leak then. good excuse to buy headers

That's what I did when the exhaust manifold cracked.

Didn't look too bad on the outside.

But DANG on the inside!

New Banks Torque Tubes header:

 

[GoldenGorilla]

The later TJs have the cast iron 2-piece manifolds which aren't especially prone to crack or fail. They just have small ports which have a negative impact on mid-rpm power. I don't really understand why more high-rpm gains aren't seen with headers, but don't care as I want more pickup in the mid-rpms anyways.

There are 2 bolts on each precat it you have them.These bolts attach via speednuts clipped onto the manifold flange. The speednuts are prone to strip and cause and exhaust leak.

 

[fourpointzero]

Good luck figuring it out and I don't mean that sarcastically.....well, maybe a little. There are so many threads on this forum in the TJ section alone about ticking noises and going down the rabbit hole taking things apart, rebuilding top ends, etc. etc. Not sure any of them were resolved or at least pinpointed exactly. Maybe one. But even then it could be so many things. Just be confident that your engine will go the long haul because mine is about to hit 200k and it's a rattle box till it fully warms up. Still, Id drive it to FL and back with confidence.

 

[Moglocker]

The later TJs have the cast iron 2-piece manifolds which aren't especially prone to crack or fail. They just have small ports which have a negative impact on mid-rpm power. I don't really understand why more high-rpm gains aren't seen with headers, but don't care as I want more pickup in the mid-rpms anyways.

View attachment 660405

There are 2 bolts on each precat it you have them.These bolts attach via speednuts clipped onto the manifold flange. The speednuts are prone to strip and cause and exhaust leak.

View attachment 660410

Do you have a link to these afe headers?

 

[GoldenGorilla]

Sure. Price has been fluctuating like crazy and were several hundred cheaper when I bought last year. They have sales often. But the reason I picked these was the they use one guage thicker steel than Doug Thorley or Banks and my hope is that the collectors don't crack over the long long term. Though that's less an issue with the split bank later TJs.
https://afepower.com/afe-power-48-46202-twisted-steel-headers

They also offer the 6-1 style for older TJs
https://afepower.com/afe-power-48-46201-twisted-steel-headers
and 4-1 for the 2.5L (but nothing for the 2.4L)
https://afepower.com/afe-power-48-46206-twisted-steel-headers

 

[inline6aficionado]

That's what I did when the exhaust manifold cracked.

Didn't look too bad on the outside.

View attachment 660342


But DANG on the inside!

View attachment 660344


New Banks Torque Tubes header:

View attachment 660345

What did this sound like before you replaced the header? I'm trying to diagnose a light ticking on mine (99) and have not smoked it yet (but plan to).

 

[KennethS]

Ticking sound for a long time, then it got progressively louder until it became a very loud clacking sound that was an obvious exhaust leak. That's probably when the chunk blew out.

 

[Cumsterdump]

Don't jump to conclusions there. Could just be the pre-cat to manifold bolts need to be tightened if you have a 3-2-1 exhaust as 00-02 4.0s can vary depending on where they were initially sold.

i’ve got an 01 from vegas. does that ring any obvious bells off the top of your head

 

[GoldenGorilla]

You're just going to have to get under the hood and look at the setup. You can see the front edge of the manifold and easily tell the difference between a cast log and the older style 6-1 header that Jeep used.
If you have the cast log manifolds, get underneath and look up (driver's side behind front tire). Some non-CA TJs in this '00-'02 era have 2 pipes with no precats going up to the manifolds. Others have the precats. Either way, they use 2 bolts per flange to attach the downpipes to the manifold.

This is the full cat section from my '04. The precats look like this (bottom right).