Lifter Knock/Tick?

[SolidGoldCaddy]

ok so i replaced the head gaskets a while back and from day one something, either the lifters or rockers are ticking, definately a high engine ticking...not a hollow knock like a rod or something slapping arround... i left it alone cause the exhaust was loud but now i have new exhaust and i hate the noise it makes, plus its not good for it. i have a 91 explorer 4.0L..just wondering if maybe the rocker arm assembly is loose and if so, how do i tighten it correctly? if it isnt that should i replace all the lifters and pushrods? i dont mind doing the work or spending the $$$ on parts, just need to know the correct way to do this. thanks fellas. i need to have this done this weekend im storing my caddy and need my exploder for winter time.

p.s. i dont remember if it did it(ticking) before i changed the head gaskets.

 

[CodePoet]

that tick is pretty common on our engines...its one of the only issues with them. THe problem is the rods have mushroomed out abit so they slap the rocker bit making the tick sound. To fix you'd replace the rods and rockers. I've never done this (mine has it slightly) but do a search and i'm SURE you will find a wealth of information about it

Please don't take my word as the definitive answer on this...the symtoms just sound like this problem, it could be something else

 

[SolidGoldCaddy]

anyone else???

 

[MattHarrell]

I agree that the rocker arms are probably worn since that was a problem I was getting ready to fix on mine prior to it kicking the bucket.

Anyway you can get replacement hardened rocker arms from Delta Cam (deltacam.com I believe).

 

[mwking]

My comments are based on the 2.9 that I had in the Bronco II I had before my Explorer. It had the lifter tick like almost every other 2.9. It started going about 1200 miles after an oil change and then started ticking like mad. A can of STP oil treatment would eliminate the tick completely. The oil was thinning out just enough to start the ticking, the STP added some viscosity and all was well. I was going to have the lifters replaced, but all that was necessary was an adjustment on the rockers to set the push rod clearances back to spec and the problem was elimated for the most part. It did tick occasionally after that, my impression is that the difference between ticking and not ticking is a very slight adjustment and most of the time it is not done successfuly.

 

[MattHarrell]

Yeah, I had the problem for years and never really gave it a thought. My understanding of the 1st gen rocker arms is that they're relatively soft and bend over time so the hardened ones both bring it back into spec and prevent the same problem from happening again

 

[SolidGoldCaddy]

My comments are based on the 2.9 that I had in the Bronco II I had before my Explorer. It had the lifter tick like almost every other 2.9. It started going about 1200 miles after an oil change and then started ticking like mad. A can of STP oil treatment would eliminate the tick completely. The oil was thinning out just enough to start the ticking, the STP added some viscosity and all was well. I was going to have the lifters replaced, but all that was necessary was an adjustment on the rockers to set the push rod clearances back to spec and the problem was elimated for the most part. It did tick occasionally after that, my impression is that the difference between ticking and not ticking is a very slight adjustment and most of the time it is not done successfuly.

how do i adjust the rocker arms properly then???

 

[big_hoovie]

Mine also has the ticking, and I've got to concur with the general consensus here: rocker arms/ pushrods.

if you go here: http://www.deltacam.com/index.php at the lower right of the page, there is a kit advertised for a rockerarm assembly kit, including pushrods for 181.50 + 42 core deposit. I seriously doubt that you can adjust the rocker arms enough to remove the ticking, espeically if what CodePoet had said is true - the rods having mushroomed, I don't think there's any adjustment for that.

 

[mwking]

I pulled out a Chilton manual that covers the Bronco II and early explorers and a Haynes manual that covers the early explorer. From what I could find in them I did not see any adjustment screws on the 4.0L engines rocker arms, not like I remember seeing on my BII when it was in shop anyway. There was no valve lash adjustment procedure listed for the 4.0 either. Here is what the Chilton manual says to do on a 2.9L:

The following procedure should be performed on a cold engine.

1. On the cylinder to be adjusted, position the cam so that the tappets are in the base circle area.

2. Loosen the adjusting screws until a distinct lash between the roller arm pad and the valve tip can be noticed.

=>The plunger of the hydraulic tappet should now be fully extended under the load of the internal spring.

2. Carefully screw in the adjustment screws until the roller arms slightly touch the valves.

4. To achieve the normal working position of the plunger, screw in the adjusting screw 1 1/2 turns, equivalent to 2mm.

I think that your new head gaskets could be a tiny bit thicker than the ones you replaced. Combine that with some wear on the valvetrain components and you get ticking. I would have hoped that Ford kept the adjusting screws when they enlarged the 2.9 into the 4.0L but if they didn't I guess replacing worn parts is the only thing to get it back into spec.

 

[SolidGoldCaddy]

so theres more of a chance of it being rocker assembly and pushrods than lifters right? cause when im on the gas at a steady position, i can hear a "rhythm" in the ticking, like a pattern. but i dont wanna throw good money after bad replacing what doesnt need to be replaced....autozone sells just the rockers and pushrods, should i start there instead of buying that whole kit for 185 with core??? please advise as i need to fix this in the next few days. thanks again fellas, good timely responses here. thank you.

 

[SolidGoldCaddy]

could someone answer above post please

 

[big_hoovie]

I don't know if autozone sells just the rockers or the whole assembly(I'm leaning towards whole rockerarm assembly), in which case it makes just as much sense to buy the kit off delta camshaft. the kit includes the rocker arm assemblys and pushrods. that's it, as far as I'm aware. If you can get the same for less, and can be sure it's decent quality, then by all means, go for it(I'm not personally into spending money where I can save).

 

[SolidGoldCaddy]

well im going to start with the pushrods first cause they are the cheapest, but how do i adjust the rockers to tighten them properly???

also, is the 4.0L a solid lifter cam engine or hydraulic??? that way i know how to set them. thanks again guys

 

[big_hoovie]

If I remember correctly, they are hydraulic, but I'm not positive(I don't have my Haynes in front of me...it's in the garage, surrounded by hub/brake parts)

 

[junito]

I have that same tapping sound coming off the driver side Valve cover. The Strange thing about it is that when the truck is cold, its start with the tapping but most of the time when truck is warm up the sound kind of dissapear. I have a '92 explorer sport two door. Is this the same problem as above?

 

[xplorercrazy]

I have that same tapping sound coming off the driver side Valve cover. The Strange thing about it is that when the truck is cold, its start with the tapping but most of the time when truck is warm up the sound kind of dissapear. I have a '92 explorer sport two door. Is this the same problem as above?

Lifters need replaced on this one. When the engine is cold the oil is thicker and it take longer for the lifters to adjust themselves. Once the oil is warm and flowing better the noise goes away as the excess play in the valvetrain has been taken out by the now pumped up lifter. From the Ford service manual "The 4.0L engine uses hydraulic roller tappets and non-adjustable rocker arms. The tappets are not adjustable, and if found to be excessively worn or noisy, should be tested and repaired or replaced"

 

[junito]

Lifters need replaced on this one. When the engine is cold the oil is thicker and it take longer for the lifters to adjust themselves. Once the oil is warm and flowing better the noise goes away as the excess play in the valvetrain has been taken out by the now pumped up lifter. From the Ford service manual "The 4.0L engine uses hydraulic roller tappets and non-adjustable rocker arms. The tappets are not adjustable, and if found to be excessively worn or noisy, should be tested and repaired or replaced"

 

[junito]

Thanxx for the input. I appreciate your comment on this issue.

 

[jimmore]

I have bought a 91 Ranger PU with a 4.0lt, the engine has a bad tappet noise coming from the top of the engine. The noise comes and goes, may be 4 to 6 times a minute. I was told by the seller that it was a bad lifter and it has been like that for 2 years. What do you thing, I have never heard more tat comes and goes. If is a lifter, how big of a jobs it to get fixed and what are the consequences of living with the tapping.

 

[xplorercrazy]

Sounds like a weak lifter or an oil pressure thing. I would lean more towards the lifter as with low oil pressure you usually have other things making noise as well. 4.0L lifters are one of the more common failures on these engines and it involves removing the cylinder heads to replace them.