2004 Jeep engine tap

SKRADSKI

MEMBER
2004 JEEP WRANGLER
6 CYL
4WD
MANUAL
120,000 MILES

I have a 2004 jeep wrangler with an I-6. The motor taps for a few minutes at start up until the engine warms up. The tap starts out quiet then builds up, getting louder and louder. Then it stops for a few secs and starts over. Ive tried thicker oil and oil additives and it actually knocks more after I change the oil. I have had cat converter problems in the past. The exhaust manifold does not appear to have an cracks or leaks. When hooked to computer it does not show anything wrong. I also took the valve cover off to look for weak or broken springs and found nothing wrong. Any suggestions?

1 Reply

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

Have you substituted a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil, with a quart of oil at your oil change. It has helped Me and Mine with a tappets (hydraulic lifters) that were not sealing off. It cleans the build up and deposits off of internal parts. Other than that, pull the valve cover, check for tightness or to identify which one.I have increased the push-rod length (the noisy one) by 15 thousands on a previous CJ. As instructed to, by a production engine re-builder, he said that I could have went more, there was plenty of clearance, before the tappet's center would bottom out. (Mine was a 258) CHECK WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOUR ENGINES GEOMETRY TO BE SURE, BEFORE YOU DO IT. What that does is, reposition the Tappet's Guts, and mine did stop tapping. The 1st time the tappet drops into oil pressure, on it's way down, it RE-CALIBRATES itself back to the proper "Height" for the system. I answer a lot in the CJ forums. Maybe the MMM will help you!--The Medic

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