4.0 lifter

[fredjacksonsan]

I've got a 4wd 2004 4.0 with auto and 83000 miles. It's a Grand Cherokee, but posting here as there's more traffic.

On startup, I get a lifter ticking for about 30 seconds. It doesn't happen every the time, and sometimes it will tick several times, stop, then start again.

Once the engine has warmed up for a minute or so, it doesn't happen again until the next start.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a ticking lifter like this, and for how long.

Also, I'm considering trying a 0w30 oil that will be thinner at startup. (Yes, I know the owner's manual says 10w30 or 5w30 when cold, but after doing some research the 0w30 might do the trick)

Opinions?

[wrightz28]

I'd be more concerned that the oil galleries might be plugging up a bit? Or especially if the vavle train is lubed via oil through the push rods that particular section of valve train has a clogged or bent rod and once oil is sloshed from the ones that aren't, that is why it goes away? Seen this on 3.8 GM's quite a bit.

[Saudade]

Are you certain it's a lifter? Don't know how you feel about "snake oils", but I run a qt of Marvel Mystery Oil in mine. At 185K, runs great. The only ticking I hear are the injectors firing.

Seafoam works well too.

Now let the "snake oil" wars begin!

[mastertech1964]

gonna sound stupid but what type oil filter is on it? when i worked for jeep we had loads of issues with lifter noise and flat cams until they changed the oil filter design so the filter prevents oil drain back when the engine if off helping to keep the lifters stay lubed instead of running dry on every start its been my experience that fram filters are the worst but its just my opinion

[fredjacksonsan]

Thanks for the responses. I don't know that it's a gallery clogging, I got the vehicle with 18k on it and have run Amsoil synthetic ever since.

Yeah, I was pretty sure it was a lifter, and talked to my brother (a former mechanic and a whiz) about it. His opinion was that the lifter was just bleeding down over time. Apparently there are some high performance lifters that are designed to do that and make a lot of valvetrain noise, so his thought is that if it goes away after start it's ok.

The filter I'm using right now is a Purolator, regular. I usually use the gold, but figured the cheaper one would be ok for the Auto RX rinse phase. Maybe it isn't holding the oil in....I'll go back to the better filter next time. Any recommendation for filters nowadays? Last time I did my research, a year or two ago, Pure 1 was among the best, if not the best.

Thanks again...

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by mastertech1964

fram filters are the worst

The shouldn't be sold, for any make, period. LOTS of problems with mid 80-90 GM's caused by them.