tick tick tick tick tick goes the engine

[aperseghin]

my engine has a ticking sound tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick about as fast as you read that (it idle)

 

any known common causes?

[Akula69]

Would be better if you let us know what the engine is, as different engines can produce similar sounds for different reasons....

 

a V-6 (for example) could have a ticking sound from the timing belt tensioner, or from a valve stem packing that was lose.

 

an I-6 can sometimes have a ticking sound from the valve train when the oil pump pickup (or passages in the head) are fouled and not enough oil is making it 'upstairs' to the top of the engine.

 

We need a bit more info to help narrow it down!

[mvusse]

Lifter.

 

Mine does it intermittently when the oil pressure is low (idling in gear with hot oil). Won't really affect anything seriously. Running thicker oil will help at the expense of fuel mileage.

 

Only way to fix is to tear the engine apart and replace it. But if you do that you might as well do a full rebuild. And if you're going to do THAT, you might as well stroke it at the same time.

 

But building a stroker just to replace a ticking lifter is ridiculous.

 

Turn the radio up a bit more and you won't hear it.

[james750]

Do you have any exhaust leaks, a loose or cracked manifold will make a tick that sounds like valve clatter.

[xjrev10]

try a bit of marvel mystery oil in your engine oil. i have seen it quiet engine ticking noise on no less than 2 rigs in the last couple months

[aperseghin]

its an 88 4.0

[JeepcoMJ]

my engine has a ticking sound tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick about as fast as you read that (it idle)

 

any known common causes?

 

 

huh.

 

 

sounds like your engine's got a tick... :yes:

[mule13]

Are you running a fram oil filter?if so get a different oil filter wix or puralator

i had a newly rebuilt eng in a yj 4.2 basically same and put a fram on it after about a week

the stupid thing lost all oil pressure while i was trail riding. i shut it off and checked the oil etc everything was fine.

it was also ticking a reaqlly loud aggressive tick at the time. after i checked the oil etc i started it back up and it had oil pressure

i went home and got online and did some research and found that people with the 4.2 had alot of oil psi problems with the fram filters

i went and got a wix and installed. i never had anymore problems. this could have been anything stuck in the oil pump or on the pickup tube that just dropped when i turned the vehicle off idk. but for a few extra dollars for a good filter i always get a wix or puralator now just in case :)

 

John

[mfpdm]

Do you have any exhaust leaks, a loose or cracked manifold will make a tick that sounds like valve clatter.

 

 

:agree:

 

Just fixed the manifold leak on project Deer Hunter and no more tick's. Only downside is now I can hear the lifter chatter. :doh:

 

:cheers:

[Geonovast]

With it idling, pull the oil fill cap off the valve cover and watch a rocker. If the ticking sound is the same speed as the rocker is moving, it's a valvetrain issue, most likely the lifter as mentioned above. If it's twice as fast as the rocker, you have a rotating assembly problem that would need to be immediately addressed. If it's not either of those, your problem lies somewhere else not inside the motor.

[aperseghin]

i have a known exhaust leak so I'm gonna fix that before going any further