Hello everyone. Has anyone noticed a clacking type noise that I am almost positive is a lifter noise on start up on thier 4.7 when cold? The noise last about 20 seconds tops and then tapers off an then disappears and never to be heard again until the next cold (overnight) startup. I have 59 k on my 03 4.7 and it runs fantastic otherwise. No noises at all other then this cold start up noise? Thoughts? Thanks.

kgdb

 

Haven't had that problem before.. The only problem that I've ever had with my truck at a cold start was earlier this summer. I would start cold in the morning and It would run rough for the first few minutes.. By the time I got out of the neighborhood, she was running as smooth as silk again. Once I drained that tank of gas, I pumped some 93 octane with a bottle of fuel system cleaner and haven't had the problem since.

As far as the clacking noise, my first guess would be the timing chain // tension adjusters. Let us know what you find, good luck!

 

Thanks for the reply. If it was the timing chain and or the tensioners I would tend to think it would be there most the time. This noise tapers off and totally disappears after 20 seconds or less of running. I want to think lifters are bleeding down???

kgdb

 

Sorry, meant to say lash adjsuers.


kgdb

 

True, I overlooked the intermittent part of your post. Have you changed your oil recently and then started noticing this noise?

Lash adjusters could be a possibility as well as a spun bearing. Could be a multitude of things. I would start with changing oil and timing chain tensioner though.. Hopefully you'll get what you need here.

 

I may be wrong, but I thought it took a few seconds for the oil to get from the pan to the valve train. Mine does that too, but every vehicle I've ever had does that. I've always accepted it as a normal thing... for a few seconds on a cold start anyways. Just my two cents.

 

A thread in the Dakota section.
I believe the user Glk21C was reporting about the same thing. Pay special attention to his post HERE.
Personally, and like was stated in the thread I linked to, the noise kgdb is talking about does not sound even close to being normal. I mean, the only time my Dakota's engine made weird noises (similar to what is being discussed), was when doing a cold start after it had been sitting for a good couple of days. When I started it up, it was around -10 to -15 degrees F out. And this, mind you, was on a 10 year old, 86,000 mile (at the time) motor.
Especially when its not cold outside, I would not describe these noises as normal. Maybe GM would (with their infamous piston slap in the early Vortec engines).

 

I have an 03 ram with a 4.7L and the noise started around 63,000 miles. Only on cold start up. sound is from the right side of the engine. Prominently heard from the fender well area. Louder from under the truck and evident from the right head area. after sound starts to lessen you can actually hear a slapping noise in the oil pan area. use to only last 35-45 seconds on a cold start up. Now after all the work I have had done, it does it almost every time I start it. Worst the longer it sets. Worst the longer the drive I take before shut down. last almost 2 minutes on a complete cold start. about 5 seconds on a 30 minute shut down. drive for 4 hours and let sit for 4 hours and the noise will last about 3 minutes when I start it.

Was running 5w30 conventional oil. Got a bit louder when I switched it to 5w30 syntetic. The service Department tried 10w30 and that made the noise four times worse and it made noise almost every time I started it. At this point they tried a new oil pump and 5w30 was put back in. This did not quiet it up any at all, not even to where it was before trying 10w30. brand and type of filter made no difference. tried five of them. Engine is spotless clean on the inside.

Odd thing....start the engine cold....wait for the sound to completely go away then shut it off before it gets warm.....virtually no noise was heard....doesn't do that now, that was only the first few days after the new oil pump was installed.

first replaced was the lash adjusters and this never helped.

But this maybe important to what is going on with my engine and I didn't remember this until I just started to reply to this post.... the very first time the Dodge Service Department worked on it (second time truck was worked on for this problem) they installed the tensioners, they didn't bleed the air out of the cooling system and the truck over-heated when I was setting idle at the bank drive up. I was sitting there on a busy saturday morning listening to music and the next thing I know a bell sound charmed and I looked down and saw check gauges light was on ....looked over and the temp gauge was pegged ALL the way over. I turned the radio down and heard a bubbling noise coming from up front. At this point I was stuck btween cars and could not move. so I had to shut her down and start her up each time I moved forward. four cars infront and a line behind me by the time i knew there was a problem. I think this is contributing a lot to the failure....because before that happend the engine was completely quiet after they installed the timing chain tensioners.

The upper tensioner for the left chain was definately bad when the Service Advisor showed it to me and campared it to the lower one for the right side.

Service Department has so far changed the lifters/lash adjusters (twice on the right side), timing chain, chain guides, chain tensioner arms, oil tensioners (these actually made the noise go away until in over-heated), rocker arms, head, camshaft, 4 pistons, 4 rods bearings, 4 four injectors and an oil pump.

Now with all these parts changed and 7800 miles later it is obvious that something is wearing out. Service Manager is meeting with the Regional Manager to see about a short block replacement.......something needs to be done.....it has been in the shop more than I drive it .....going on since the begining of June 06. It probably should really have a complete engine swap since it got so hot....