4.0L engine making a loud ticking noise.

[firehorse5_0]

My wife drives a '99 Explorer Sport with the 4.0L SOHC. It has about 150k miles on it. It has made a ticking noise in the upper part of the engine ever since she bought it at about 100K. It is geting louder now and I think that I am going to have to do somthing about it. It sounds to me like it is in the valvetrain, IE a bad lifter. Is this common on the 4.0s? any ideas on other things to look for when I get in to it? Thanks

 

[Rick]

Near the top of the page you'll see a Google Custom Search box. Search for "4.0 ticking" and you'll find many threads regarding this problem.

 

[apuszczalowski]

Timing chain issue more then likely. Had the same problem (as did almost everyone else with the SOHC motor), bought the vehicle and the place where I bought it from said that they had it looked at by Ford and they told him it was a sticky lifter/valve. So I bought it anyways thinking I could fix it in the spring, ended up one day my timing chain skipped a tooth and the motor had to be replaced