how to fix the 4.0 tick??

ok so i have a 94 ranger w/ the 4.0 4x4. now the engine ticks. i kno its a common problem but i would like to kno how to fix it. it comes and goes while the engine is running. but when its hot i can barely hear it.

what is causing it to tick like this? i kno its valve train related. could it be just loose rockers? someone told me it is the clearance between the pushrods and the rockers because of bad oil flow through the pushrods? would i just replace the pushrods? or would it need new rockers too? lifters?

any help is appreciated.

The tips of the pushrods wear and so do the rockers. Best bet is to replace the rocker shaft assemblys and pushrods at the same time

When I got my 4.0 in 2001 it was tapping. It had been owned by a Fuller Brush salesman--lots of driving, no maintenance. Sometime in 2002 I could no longer stand it, and the oil pressure was getting low, so I decided to fix it. Mind you, your oil pressure gauge isn't a gauge. It's an idiot light device. It shows normal if there is any oil pressure. Mine had a max of about 25 when I put a real gauge on it.

The first thing I noticed when I started pulling things apart was that every single lifter was stuck tight in it's bore. I could not tap them with a hammer and get them to move. My rocker tips had holes beaten in them by the valve stems. The pushrod end and socket in the rocker was not bad.


I miked the whole engine and everything was okay except that the rear main was in or out depending on how you squinted at the lines on the instrument. That normal since the flywheel is on that end. The rings and bores were in great shape. Just a lack of oil changes. I put it all back together. I had to take extreme measures to disassemble the lifters. The little plungers were baked in the bores with carmelized oil. I soaked and beat them for hours. When they came apart finallk, I cleaned them well with Hoppes and a .44 brush and put them back together. New oil pump, rockers and pushrods.

That was over 6 years ago--45,000 miles. It hasn't made a single tap since--not even on a cold morning. Runs like a bear.

I would not just change those parts. First see how your oil pressure is with a real gauge. Then, see that your lifters are free. You should be able to give them a soft heavy bump and they should move freely. Then you can think about just replacing the top easy parts.

Keep this in mind--with respect to that picture I posted: The tip slides back and forth across the top of the valve stem. You aren't looking at abrasive wear--that would be an oval hole. You are looking at a loose clearance with a pounding at the end of it's travel. That is from the stuck lifters. That is from nasty oil.

wait... if ur lifters didnt move at all then how in the hell did ur engine even run???

the stock oil pressure gauge on my 89 mustang works (varies w/ oil pressure) as i have an autometer gauge as well.

ok well i think im just gonna pull the valve covers soon and check it out.

im guessing by ur pics that the valvetrain is not set up the same as my 5.0. (pedistal mount rocker arms) what do the 4.0's have?

I repaired my 4.0L tick several weeks ago.

Generally the cam bearings, cam, and lifters live pretty long in the 4.0.

The things that wear on a 4.0 as far as valvetrain goes are the pushrods at the top end and the rocker arm sockets, as well as the other end of the rocker that actuates the valve. Generally the pushrods get enough oil at the bottom.

There is not enough oil getting to the top of the valvetrain, due to restricted journals. If I had a good machine shop, I could have fixed the problem, as I specifically found the restriction (I think).

I went to Autozone and bought a set of valve cover gaskets, 12 new pushrods, and 12 new rocker arms. I did not need new rocker arm shafts as they were not worn. The cost for the parts was $200.

The job took me 6 hours, but I know the 4.0 very well, have a good set of tools, and work quickly. It might take some people longer. I had to remove the AC compressor, alternator, coil pack, and upper intake. Rebuilding the rocker assemblies takes some time and requires some care.

So the parts list for me was: 12 pushrods and rockers, and a set of valve cover gaskets. Now if you have a real bad case, such as a worn cam or collapsed lifter, the list will change. But usually the problem can be fixed by doing what I did.

nacanitihs said:

wait... if ur lifters didnt move at all then how in the hell did ur engine even run???

the stock oil pressure gauge on my 89 mustang works (varies w/ oil pressure) as i have an autometer gauge as well.

ok well i think im just gonna pull the valve covers soon and check it out.

im guessing by ur pics that the valvetrain is not set up the same as my 5.0. (pedistal mount rocker arms) what do the 4.0's have?

Click to expand...

A hydraulic lifter is a cylinder with a piston inside of it. The entire lifter body is going up and down on the camshaft lobe. The inside of the lifter is pressurized with engine oil, which pushes the internal piston up against the pushrod and removes any slack from the valvetrain. On an engine with solid lifters, the lifter is solid and you have a clearance between all of the parts--measured between the valve stem tip and the rocker tip. This clearance keeps the parts from binding when the temperature changes, but can cause noise that Americans apparently don't like. A brand new Honda still comes with solid lifters.

The part that was stuck in my 4.0 was the little piston inside of the lifter body. They were then solid lifters. The pounding of the valvetrain had made its own clearance. The lifter body itself was not stuck in the bore.

You have to investigate. I'm telling you to make sure that your lifter plungers are not stuck, and that your 4.0 (not your Mustang) has good oil pressure before replacing the rockers and pushrods.

this valve train wear is not adjustable, at least not on a 2.9. Now the reason many cologne v6's tick at high miles is usually due to poor oil pressure. I tore down my 2.9 to find the lifters were poorly lifting and the crank was shot. All due to poor oil pressure.

ok i will be pullin the valve covers soon. next few days most likley. im replacing the bodymounts and power steering lines today. and i will investigate the situation. already have the new valve cover gaskets. i think that the minor exhaust leak that i have makes it seem like the tick is louder than it really is. it is where the single pipe of the header y-pipe meets the rest of the exhaust..

and Will thanks for the info. as for the mustang comment i just mentioned that referring to the gauge movement. and i didnt know that about the lifters... im still learning but i still kno a decent amount about cars/trucks. i will check thoes out aswell. how would i know if the lifter is stuck exactly?

Also, fuel injectors emit a ticking sound which is normal.

ok no its not the injectors.

Will, how did you take them appart and what did you soak them in?

i had a small tick on my 2.9, and my dad had a similar tick on his 4.0, we both used an additive, i think its called CR2. its in a yellow bottle, and it was only a couple bucks. im sure ill get some crap for suggesting this, but it worked for him and i both, and it could save you some time and money.

Mechanickid said:

this valve train wear is not adjustable, at least not on a 2.9. Now the reason many cologne v6's tick at high miles is usually due to poor oil pressure. I tore down my 2.9 to find the lifters were poorly lifting and the crank was shot. All due to poor oil pressure.

Click to expand...

How did you tear down a 2.9L and not notice the screws on the end of the rocker arms? Those are 2.9L adjustments.

4.0Ls don't have them.

And the reasons for 4.0L ticks and 2.9L ticks are entirely different.

MAKG said:

How did you tear down a 2.9L and not notice the screws on the end of the rocker arms? Those are 2.9L adjustments.

4.0Ls don't have them.

And the reasons for 4.0L ticks and 2.9L ticks are entirely different.

Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity what do you think the reasons are for the two different ticks?

2.9Ls have a known oil pressure problem related to widening clearances in the cam bearings. This results in low pressure to the lifters.

4.0Ls have entirely different (roller) lifters, cam, cam bearings, and rockers, but rely on splash lubrication to lubricate the upper end, resulting in spalling. They are also not adjustible.

MAKG said:

2.9Ls have a known oil pressure problem related to widening clearances in the cam bearings. This results in low pressure to the lifters.

4.0Ls have entirely different (roller) lifters, cam, cam bearings, and rockers, but rely on splash lubrication to lubricate the upper end, resulting in spalling. They are also not adjustible.

Click to expand...

What's your opinion as to why the clearance widen in the cam bearings?