97 4.0 sohc tapping

[saywheresarny]

monday morning on the way to work my explorer started tapping. it always had a rattle when u started it up, more like a knock. so i got it home and got out the stethescope and i got it down to the right side of the engine couldnt hear it on the left side . i had my dad and a few others tell me it was a lifter, and it did sound like it was coming from under the valve cover. so i tore into the valve cover tonight after buying a haynes book. pitfa!
but anyway i get it apart and nothing seems out of the ordinary. i could slide the rockers back and forth a little bit but no jiggling around. and it sure did sound like a lifter or a rocker.
it does have good oil pressure,and run fine . i pulled all the plug wires 1 at a time with it running and it still tapped. so im hoping its not a pin or rod bearing. should i just buy the lifters for it and see if it fixes it or does anyone have a suggestion.
i dont think its the chain tensioners, but i could be wrong it was a pretty good tap. it did speed up with the rpms but if i let it idle way down it would stop.
please help! thanx.

 

[jremington59]

This may be a longshot,,,,but.

I had the same problem and it was driving me nuts. I just couldn't figure it out. Eventually it got worse and to find out it was the starter.

What happened was the spring got weak and wasn't bringing the starter all the way back and the head of it was hitting the flywheel. It was a very even tap, just like a lifter. When the spring finally let go it sounded like the engine was going to blow apart... And it was a 97.

 

[saywheresarny]

had to wait on my valve spring compressor to get here. it came tonight so i decided to replace the lifters/lash adjusters. when i went to pull them out they came apart, so i was thinken o-boy easy fix, ha. replaced both sides still tapping. must b a rod or crank bearing. so im getten another motor. used car dealer up the road has one out of a 2000 said he would sell for $500. now i just wonder if i can weasel him into putting it in for another couple hundred.