you should be able to spot the lifter by it's noise with the engine running.. use a stethoscope, or a pipe and slowly move across the intake manifold adjacent the valve covers.. even if you can't spot the actual one, you should be able to narrow it down to at least one of two..

as far as the oil charge, there are lighter oils out there.. 0w20 for one.. SAE30 is an option.. you DON'T want to actually move the truck with this in it though.. I wouldn't run it for more than ten to fifteen minutes if it were mine, and be ready to swap it and the filter out.. I've also heard of folks cutting their oil with seafoam (a couple quarts out, couple of bottles in) and doing the same procedure.. also folks doing it (way back) with kerosene/oil mixed 50/50... I don't have the gonads to do that, but it will clean things up for certain.. The problem with 'shocking' an engine with cutting type agents, is that ALL that gum and sludge will likely break free, and all at once.. 4.7's are known to sludge easily, and that is something you really don't circulating in your engine all at once. Catastrophic failure comes to mind..

If you DO end up swapping tappets/lifters, make sure and soak them in the same oil you're going to use in the engine for a while- put them in as close to full as you can get 'em..

please realize, the only way doing the oil changes w/ lighter oil is going to work is if it is simply a tacky or sticking tappet.. if it has mechanical failure, you're just wasting time ad money.

 

hold up..

these engines have the lifters in the dang heads, no? They call 'em hydraulic lash adjusters instead of tappets or lifters, right? the have an exposed piston/plunger thingy...

you should be able to hear them directly through the valve covers and locate the bad one pretty easily.. if in fact that is what the issue is..

Dang it.. I keep forgetting about those things being overhead cammed..

 

Additionally, the newer 4.7's do not have the ball check valves in the lash adjusters so they will bleed down quicker. They rely on the recommended 5W-20 to pump them up quicker. That allows for a smoother idle and better fuel economy if a pumped up lifter were to hold a valve slightly open.

 

Mine makes the same noise and it got worse and does it all the time now. I would trade it but the dodge dealer only wants to give me a couple thousand for it because of the noise they they did not hear when it was under warranty. It's a 2006 quad cab 4wd

 

Yeah I get a slight tic tic tic in the morning when the engine is cold as well. But it does go away thankfully.

 

I have had the tick for 2 years now and started when I went synthetic. Has not gotten worse and have read it could be the switching from conventional oils.

 

I came to this thread looking for possible reasons why i heard a lifter tick on my truck (01 dakota 4.7) after about 100k miles. It was especially bad when it was cold and would go away after 2-3 minutes of driving, but could be heard again after parking it for even 15 minutes.

And after closer inspection I found it was a hole in my passenger side exhaust manifold. Amazing since it sounded almost identical to a lifter tick - especially from inside the truck.

Anyhow, easy fix... jack the truck up on the passenger side, take the front right wheel off, take the 12 or so clips holding the inner fender on, remove inner fender, take 4 bolts of heat shield (10 mm), take 8 bolts off exhaust manifold (10 mm and 13 mm), take 2 bolts off exhaust manifold to catalytic converter pipe (14 mm). Lots of penetrating oil, let it soak in before cranking the bolts off.

2 of mine were broken off inside the head. It was the back 2, which I suspect could be a problem with the quality of bolts dodge is using.

After drilling/extracting the broken studs out, i replaced 2 of them with grade 8 bolts after putting the new gasket on. I used a bit of high tack gasket sealant to hold the gasket in place, but other than that, it's a simple re-assembly.

Problem fixed for me.

I have ran Castrol Syntec 5w30 and a WIX filter for about 60k miles now, and haven't had any noises or problems what so ever. I think it's great oil and have no reason to change - plus I can get it cheap at the local Cosco.

 

ok after reading all of the replys any one know what the probelm is sound like all of us have the same noise on the right lower side cold start then gos away. so what do we do

 

The solution I have found after posting in this thread over a year ago is to do nothing. Wether I am starting and flogging it to the fire station or just going to work it makes that tick and then goes away. Happens on the 2009 nissan sentra since it was new,

 

WOW... This thread went around the world with all kind of possibilities.. I have the same problem with my 4.7 and all my experience with motors sounds like a rod knocking from under the motor "around the flywheel" for about 30sec after a cold start. It is not a lifter type noise and is not coming from the top of the motor in the heads or the front. I do know if it was a rod it would do it all the time. Any master mechanics on here that have pulled a motor with this problem and found the culprit behind this? Rcman is yours still making that sound and still running fine? Thanks for any help..