Happy Holidays Everyone. I've barely worked on a Ford 4.0, especially one with Land Rover parts all around it, and was hoping to be pointed in the right direction. Engine has 180K on the clock and as far as I know has had good maintenance.
Top end ticking started out faint about 50 miles ago. Recent oil change, and oil level is normal. Ticking got way louder, and it's not the timing chain death rattle prone to these engines, The sound is a well defined ticking. Sounds just like lifters. Oil light came on. Drove a few miles home and parked it.
I have yet to do a live diagnosis with my GAP tool to see if it's a sensor, or what the oil pressure is doing. Will do that this evening. Assuming I have low or no oil pressure, then it's the oil pump or else some passageway is clogged with gunk and/or varnish? Has anyone had their engine clogged enough to impede flow? Are these engines prone to that or does it sound like a pump?
Has anyone changed the oil pump on one of these? The manual says to remove the starter, front axle tube, stabilizer bar, cylinder block cradle, then of course the oil cooler lines and pan. Any tips and tricks and land mines I should know about? I have zero indoor space available right now, so will be doing this under a Costco tent, on cardboard, in the rain, in 35 degree weather. If you've done this before, let me know if I'm being a complete idiot for doing this myself.
I've upgraded the transmission filter and pan, coil conversion with re-flash and new control arms, new CV's all around, replaced wheel bearings, control arms and brakes all around, complete new cooling system with radiator, and chased down a ton of electrical gremlins, however, the Cylinder Block Cradle and the rest has me worried. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks, Scott

 

I too have the Colgne engine so will be watching this with interest. My thought would be tappets or lifters which I would have thought would be from top of engine. You can check these using a screwdiver touching the tappet cover and then to your ear (like a stephiscope). What grade oil are you using, I use Castrol Magnetec 10w 40 and have not had that problem, and I am on 250,000 kms.

 

Hi Globe,
Yeah, I assume it's lifters. I have a small funnel attached to surgical tube as a listening device, and pretty much confirmed it. Wanted to rule out timing chain. I'm running 5-30 synthetic (because of the age). Ford recommends 5-20 for newer engines. Unclear what Rover recommends. I only have had the rig for 45 kms, and unclear what's been in it before, although it seems to have a good maintenance record. Having an oil pump put in and might have them to the timing chains too. I'll keep you posted. Not many of us 4.0 runners! We gotta stick together!
Cheers,
Scott

 

I have 4.0L sohc too lr3 with similar mileage 182k mi. Lifters and oil pump rarely fails unless it’s been severely neglected and caked with sludge. I would drop the lower oil pan, check the oil pick up screen for debris, sludge ect, sometimes a small piece of the chain guide can break off without making “the death rattle” noise, and clog up the screen. I would also check the oil pickup tube assembly itself, as it’s made of plastic and become brittle, warp with age there’s also rubber o rings sandwich in between the oil pick up assembly that can go bad, I’d start there.

 

Thanks Mr.47. I appreciate the info. I dropped the lower pan and found pieces of the chain guide, and the oil pick-up and screen was gummed up too.
While it's apart doing the pump and also the chain, tensioner, guide and all related, including both front and rear casettes. Most likely the balance shaft chain too.
Obviously I'm committing to the rig. It's my second Land Rover product and I like it. Let me know if you have any more thoughts on the Ford 4.0. It's a fairly new engine for me. I've actually learned quite a bit on a few of the Ranger and Mustang fourms. Thanks again!

 

Overall these Ford 4.0 SOHC engines are good aside its achilleas heel timing chain, they're work horses and with proper oil changes @ 5,000-7,500 mile these motors can last 300k-400k miles easily. I like these motors as they're simple to work on; once you know them, parts are relatively cheap and available everywhere however the block are not interchangeable without some modification/adapter but there's a guy on this forum that made an adapter mount for it and has a drawn sketch for it. I remade it in CAD and send it off to Send Cut Send (cost me $45). Now I have an adapter plate to swap in any Ford 4.0 SOHC from explorer or mustang incase if this motor blows and I don't have to spend $2500 on a questionable used land rover 4.0 SOHC. I have the CAD file and if you want it I'll be glad send you a copy of it.

Adapter Plate File (2nd to last post)
https://landroverforums.com/forum/lr...6-99856/page4/.

 

Hi sbond,
When you removed the engine oil sump pan did it come off easily after removing the bolts?
I ask because I'm in the process of taking mine off (to see if there are any timing chain cassette bits in there!), and after removing all the bolts the pan won't budge. Did you have to lever it to break the gasket seal?

How did you go changing the timing chain cassettes?

 

They are stuck on pretty tight, can you get a scraper in between and see if it starts to separate ?

 

It's good to know they don't all come off easily! A guy who made a Youtube video of changing the oil sump seal just 'popped' it off, but his video doesn't actually show him doing it. I messaged him and he said to try twisting a big flat blade screwdriver between the edge of the pan and the block, but I haven't been back under the car to see if that is possible. Alternatively I will try tapping a scraper or knife blade in between the edge of the gasket and the block.