Now I hear valve clatter in my sleep.

[Raceit]

My valve clatter is getting so bad. It use to just do it when the engine was cold. Then after about 20 minutes it stopped and you'd never hear it again until the next day.
Now it does it all the time. Even after a 2 hour trip I can still hear it going.
This is the valve clatter that just stops and starts instantly. It sounds very bad.
The engine has about 190K miles on it and I change the oil religiously every 3000 miles.

My question... Is it worth it to take off the valve covers and see if anything needs to be tightened down? Will that even help to quite it down for a while?

Also can I get replacement valve cover gaskets at any auto parts store?

Thanks for the help!

It's the standard 4.0L V6 BTW.

 

[SteveVB]

Tighten down?

I dont know what you would tighten down. The rockers are shaft mounted not on a stud, and are not adjustable. The only way to "tighten it down" would be to get some longer pushrods. I would take a look at your rocker arms and the pushrods see what they look like, the rockers and rods wear in the pushrod cup- but the lifters should be able to take up some of the slack, how much im not sure. At 190k the lifters probably need replaced a though
Replacement rocker assemblies and lifters are avail from Vanir and Stevens parts, and I would get the pushrods from Smith Bros-http://www.pushrods.net/, you can get Chrome moly with heat treated ends in a couple of different tube sizes in the length you need for much less than stock replacements.

good luck

 

[Raceit]

Do you have a web site for Vanir and Stevens parts?

That doesn't sound like a bad idea. The engine still has plenty of power and doesn't smoke or burn though a lot of oil.

Thanks Steve.

 

[Campo]

It could be sticky valves, you could try some engine flush..

 

[Raceit]

Sorry, I guess I should've explained a little bit more as far as what I've done to try to fix it.

I've tried everything to try to fix it...
Countless engine treatments/additives
Cleaned the MAS
Disconnected the battery/reset the computer
High octane and low octane gas
Simi-Synthetic and Full-Synthetic oil
And I think that's about it.

 

[JDraper]

There has been a know problem in the older 4.0's of a bad/broken spring in the oil pump causing low oil pressure and clatter from the lifters. That's what did in my mother-in-laws motor in her '91. You might want to hook up a real oil pressure gauge to the motor and see if you have good pressure. The one on your dash doesn't really work like a normal gauge. If I remember correctly, it's just a 3 position switch (low, ok, high) with a resistor on it to make it look like it is actually a gauge.

 

[Raceit]

I might do that. I've got a AutoMeter Oil Pressure Gauge that I had from my '88 Mustang. It's a mechanical gauge that hooked up in place of the stock oil pressure sending unit. Is there a similar hook up on the 4.0L? I would imagine I could just use some adapters to get it hooked up. Or is there another location to attache a gauge like that?

 

[SteveVB]

Just pull the existing sneder and either put in a t or use the machanical just to check(thats what I did) . The fitting is on the front driverside of the engine its easiest to get from underneath, but easier to see from on top!!.

www.vanir.com

http://www.stevensparts.com/

 

[Raceit]

Looks like I got my weekend cut out for me.

I think I found the link for Vanir.
http://www.vanirtech.com
The other one is something esle.

 

[SteveVB]

sorry qabout the bad Vanir link, I was heading out the door and in a hurry, but you got it. Vanirtech, and Stevens both sell take offs at much better prices than new.

Good luck.

 

[Raceit]

I hooked up a real oil pressue gauge over the weekend. It seems to be running normal to me. At idle it goes just above 20psi and at highway speeds it can go up to about 60psi. And it constantly moves depending on the engine rpm, so I'd say I've got good oil pressure.

I guess now the only thing left to do is to order some parts. Here's where I start to get somewhat unfamiliar with exactly what's what inside the engine. What all needs replacing? I'd hate to have it torn down and then deciede what needs to be replaced since it's my daily driver. I can be down for a weekend, but I don't want to wait for parts once the hood is popped.
The rocker arm assemblies looked to be the way to go. Plus some replacement pushrods. Do I have hydrolic lifters or can those be added as an improvement? Will I need to get into the cylinder head or take it off for any of this? Plus can the intake manifold stay bolted down?
I've got a Haynes shop manual, but it lacks a lot of info for the most part. Sorry for all the questions.

 

[AgExplorer]

Raceit,

Before you get involved in a lot of engine work, try running a couple of cans of AMSOIL Power Foam through the throttle body and upper air intake system. This will clean out the upper air intake system where fuel additives can't reach. It'll cost less than $20 and several guys on the board have had success in eliminating ping using it.

 

[Raceit]

Will that get up into the valve covers and get onto the lifters and such?

 

[AgExplorer]

No. It will flow with the air into the combustion chamber effectively removing any deposits and build up.

 

[beebop]

clatter

what happend with the foam? I just replaced my engine!! and i have clatter too im not opening up another engine no way

 

[Nate1]

I dont know if 'engine treatments' include this, but you may want to do one of those 'pre-oil-change' flushes where you pour some additives into your oil and it cleans all of the engine that oil touches. Just a thought... although I bet at 190k miles things are just getting a little worn and 'sloppy'.

 

[checkedout]

Read through this thread. IMO with all those miles you should at least replace the pushrods and rocker arms.
http://www.explorer4x4.com/lifters/lifters.htm