Engine noise at start-up 4.0L
 

hey guys, I've got a question for you all.

Does anybody else have a noise issue on the 4.0 engine at start up, it sounds like if the engine has no oil on top of the cams, it sounds like dry start up.

My truck makes this noise every day, it will always do it in the morning or during any cold start? The oil level is fine, right there in the crosshatched indicator in the dipstick.

It will do it for like 2-3 seconds, then it goes away, I'm using the correct oil, 10W-30 multigrade.

I've had several Rangers before with the 4.0, and this is the only one that does that.

I'm afraid it will damage or wear out the cams and chains and all that stuff, what do you guys recommend?

could be timing chain tensioners

it could be the timing chain guides that are worn. btw the oil should be 5w30

i have had this same problem recently, as the engine gets older it happens. i switched from 5w to 10w and my engine doesnt do it anymore. i would recommend 10-30 synthetic as that is what i use. hope it helps. if it doesnt, then your problem is prolly more developed and in that case, i would agree these guys are correct with the timing chain issue.

rangers dont get good oil circulation in the top of the heads so it takes a sec or 2 to get it going up there, with heavier oil, seems to stay up there longer.

Rather than get heavier oil, get an oil that adheres to the engine walls better. Thicker oil takes longer to thin and move throught he block, so you run dry for longer periods of time during startup. 5W-30 is recommended, but try another type of oil. What type are you using now?

Amsoil and Royal Purple are excellent oils (expensive though) for adhesion to block walls. You should notice the upper valve train noise almost instantly disappear with Royal Purple. If you want a cost effective alternative, but still great oil (cheaper b/c you can get a 5qt jug at the Walmart for 27$), go with Penzzoil Ultra Synthetic (dark grey bottle...not the Platinum). I switched to it in my car and my Ranger from Royal Purle due to the cost. It runs just as smooth and saves $$$.

I'm using Castrol multigrade oil 10w30, my trucks has 129K miles, I did the oil change about 2 months ago.

I bought my truck about 3 months ago and started hearing that noise in the mornings, that's why I recently changed the oil, but I can still hear the noise, it only comes on for like 1-2 secs, then it goes away, I don't have issues with noises or anything else, it is just at start up.

Should I go with a synthetic oil then?

This is all i run. If my truck starts making noise, I'll get the problem fixed instead of running a different weight oil like the tard above (02FXU NOT WEB)

https://www.ranger-forums.com/attach...ine=1352869662

X2, you dont want to mask the noise, fix it! Its like on 04-08 F150s when guys get the cam phaser diesel noise. Instead of fixing it, they run a real thick oil to "mask" the noise when all they are really doing is clogging up the already small oil gallies on the 5.4 with that thicker oil and making the problem worse

Yup....find a solution rather than a bandaid. In this case, OEM viscosity and an inspected valvetrain will go further than just jumping viscosity.

Although, the difference in a 5W and 10W are neglible depending on the ambient temperature of where you live. From the looks of it, since one person is in TX and the other in CA, there's no difference in their start up viscosity unless you see average ambient temps of 40 degrees or lower. Anything higher than that and it's the second number you need to pay attention to in regards to shearing, thermal breakdown and oil pressure (thicker oil maintains higher pressure, but it can also slow the oil flow throughout the motor).....just stick to 5W-30 as specified by the manual and buy a quality oil.

Synthetics are excellent, but you need to understand that in the US, Group III oils can be considered "full" synthetic.....they are not. They are normally 40% dino oil and 60% synthetic additives/detergents. Group IV/V oils are true synthetics and have NO organic compounds in them.

Good group III "synthetics" - Penzzoil Ultra Synthetic, Mobil 1 Synthetic, Valvoline Synthetic, Castrol Syntec

Better true synthetics (IV/V) - Motul, Royal Purple, Amsoil


I use Penzzoil Ultra Synthetic (dark grey jug) and feel it's doing the job well. Just pearing into the fill neck with an LED light I can see that the sludge (not a lot, but some) that was in there when I bought it used has since been scrubbed away. Very clean upper valvetrain, so I can assume that the rest of the motor is good now too. I put on the Bosch Dirt Plus filter too, since I'm doing 10K mile oil changes (limited driving since it's my toy vehicle), so it has the extended life filter to ensure I get the full use of the oil the entire time.