Lifter repair on 4.0L?
 

I've posted ????'s and read searches about the infamous lifter noise on the 4.0L. Could be a lot of things I know.
But let's just say I know it's a noisy lifter . . . What is the fix and how do you do it?

I am an accomplished buy caucious drive-way mechanic.

With older or poorly maintained 4.0 OHV, lifter noise is attributed to the oil pickup screen gummed up, starving the engine of oil.

Which usually means some cam damage, correct?


CMOS

It does have 134K on it. And I have no idea how it was maintained.
Might have to drop the pan this summer and do some lookin'.

Would be good to pull one of the valve covers and see if there is sludge in there. If not, you could, right beofre the next oil change, put a quart of tranny fluid in the crank and let it idle for a while. The tranny fluid has some cleansing properties that will sometimes free up a clogged lifter. You don't want to leave it in there too long - maybe a short, low RPM drive, but I've seen this work myself. Be sure you check under a valve cover first, If you have heavy sludge, you do NOT want to do this. You'd dislidle so much sludge with the tranny fluid that you'd gum up all your lifters and oil pump.

The tranny fluid flush needs to be done on a realtively sludge-free engine, but it can really help. Good luck.

CMOS

The ohv 4.0 also tends to wear the pushrods. In some cases, the 'lifter noise' is actually due to the pushrods being worn enough that the lifter cannot pump up enough to take up all the clearance. Pulling a valve cover to have a look is a good idea, to identify the real problem.

Dropping the pan is not really an easy option as you'll have to basically pull the engine to do it.

I posted/started a thread last winter (I think it was) after I installed a faulty oil filter during an oil change, and she ran dry long enough to create a noisy lifter. A Ranger owner (who's handle/name escapes me) posted the name of a parts shop out in WA that sells sets of improved hardened lifters for the 4.0L. Might be worth it to run a search for that thread and get the link.

I never did tear it down like I wanted last summer, but the lifter noise did go away and no change in oil usage, so all's good for now! I hope to get it and changing the intake gaskets done this summer if time permits. This truck is by far the best truck I've owned and she's still stock right down to the water pump! Uses no oil between 5,000mi oil changes but the rear seal is just starting to show a little leakage, but not enough to drip while sitting.