Hey guys Ive been around this board for a long time reading. I have a problem though. I parked my Dakota in my garage (heated) for a month before I finally started on taking my tcase out because it has a crack. I decided what the hell, lets start it. So I started it and now it sounds like its a valve lifter tick or something? I ran fine before with no tick. It has good oil pressure when I start it too? It has 170,000 on it. Any ideas what the hell I should do? Oil pump possibly?

 

Gummed injectors?

 

mine ticks too , i thin i have bad springs or lifer is collapsed .

 

Lifter is always a good place to start, especially on 3.9's.

 

is it a exhaust tick or a lifter tick can you tell

 

I don't know if its a lifter or exhaust tick. What really gets me is that it happened when it sat. WTF? How would a lifter collapse if it was sitting is what I don't understand. Maybe after I get the case fixed I'll drive it around and see if the sound goes away. Would I hurt it do you think? Oil pressure is good.

 

exaust gaskets are easy and cheap to replace i would start there as its cheaper then doing lifters and what not but the best exaust gaskets i have found yet are the ones from dodge

 

i know that a lifter will leak down over time if the cam lobe is pushn that valve open. hydro lifters use oil pressure you pump up. thats why you see a lot of older chevy rattle he first few sec of startn every day. if it is a lifter thats leaked down just let her run for a while and it should go away.

 

Not super uncommon for an engine that's sat a while to tick when you start it up, run it a while and it should go away.

 

I let it run today for a few minnutes and it didn't go away. Now I'm getting really worried. Should I change the oil and see if that helps?