Has my 4.7HO died? (video attached).
 

Ello, I'll try and keep this short, but stuffed if I know what's going on.. I always changed oil and filters regularly with mobil 1 and the temperature has never exceeded 100 even driving through beach sand.

Some months back I tried to start it (2003 Overland) and the thing would "rattle rattle rattle" but after turning it off and back on again it ran smooth as silk. This happened 3 or 4 times but after turning it off and on again it would run fine so I just assumed it was a bad connection to one of the electrics... one of those intermittent type faults.

Recently after making a short few km trip it happened again but re starting didn't solve the issue. It kept running like that.. luckily I was only a few kms from home.

Has my well looked after engine destroyed itself out of the blue :( It's got around 220,000 on the clock.

Sorry about the really bad and shakey video - I have a broken wrist and the car is parked right alongside a fence so it was really difficult to do and I was trying to hurry incase it only did more damage (if that's even possible at this stage).

If anyone could please provide some or all of:
- What do you think is wrong?
- Is the engine really dead or can it be fixed? It was a great engine.
- What was the cause of whatever is wrong? even though the cause is a moot point would like to know.

Thanks https://youtu.be/P7_LQLuhFZM

One or more collapsed hydraulic lifter, me thinks.

Yeah, I agree.

Sounds like it. I have similar sound in mine as my solid lifters weren’t set right. So gonna get to the rocker covers anfd change back to hydraulics.

Cheers for that..

Is pulling the rocker covers off a doable job for someone familiar with fixing the modular parts of cars like replacing starters and changing brake pads but never delved into any internals? And once off would that person be able to fix the lifters themselves (i'll start hunting for a workshop manual right away).

If not can you give a rough guide on the cost of fixing it? I'm guessing even the parts alone would cost a bit.

Edit to add: Would this problem result in a lack of power? I've obviously not driven it since but on the way home the ol girl was struggling up a steep hill at the end of my street. It also turned itself off twice.

I would allow around $200 for a set of new lifters and 2 rocker cover gaskets, allow around a days work for the task.
If you are going to have a go, you need to be very careful do one side at a time and keep the cam chain tight when the cam is removed as the cam chain auto tensioning is a one way ratchet and if you allow them to extend you cannot get them to retract without removing the timing cover as well.

That's not to bad considering I thought it may have been a dropped valve seat or something. Even though it's never overheated it was still in my mind. For $200 odd bucks I don't care if it takes me all week heh.

Mate, keep posting as I will have to do exactly the same shit, starting mine on Friday I think.

Post up piccies using the Quick Upload button below.

Will be asking Classic Boy for help too..


http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...ad0727a0c0.jpg

Such a pity a hotter cam isn't readily available for.these hey. Great opportunity to Chuck a pair in

Sent from my SM-G930F using Aussie Jeep Offroad mobile app

Got me Crane Cams

anyways it is a 224x cam on 115 lsa. 520 lift for intake and exhaust.

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...b141a48018.png

Nice, that'd have to wake the old girl up a bit

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Will do.

It'll be at least another month before I can start though because the cast on my wrist ends just below the knuckles so I can't grip anything with my left hand. Lot's of prep and reading time at least I guess...

Oh no, that’s not good. Get well mate and then work on the Jeep. One needs chinese fingers to get through the job as clearances are tight. Had to get the wife to help with her petite little fingers and painted nails..haa..haa.. :D

Bit of an update I guess.

I've been passing my time of being an invalid reading the x thousand page WJ/WG workshop manual and spent maybe to many an hour whiling away time reading through it, and there is nothing whatsover on hydraulic lifters for the 4.7 - which confuses me because I always thought they were always only on pushrod engines (the do show them for the 4.0) but not used on OHCs like the 4.7.

Am I missing anything really simple (a likely possibility) similar to how 'rocker covers' are really 'cam covers' in an OHC engine but still called rocker covers? So it's a misnomer? I've called a few mechanics and been told "head work" - I emailed jeepkraft who were recommended on here and got "sounds worse than lifters engine rebuild 5-10 grand depending on what needs done... but can't tell until we see it".

This is - I don't know where to start if the initial agreement on here were hydraulic lifters that don't even exist in the workshop manual.

Edit to add: re kraftworks my first initial email was whether it was lifters as suggested or should I rebuild or scrap - they did say they'd have to see it first but sounded worse than lifters and would have to see it. I can't do anything myself. I had to go in for another operation on my wrist and can hardly move it at after adding another bolt and plate they thought the bones may fuse. So Me doing it myself is out of the question :(

You are getting lost in semantics, they could be called cam covers because the cams live in there too, but they can be called rocker covers because these cams still use rockers to activate the the valves they are not direct acting on the valve cams. Also I can assure you they do have hydraulic lifters under the rocker arm pivots, and because the 4.7V8 has a lot of lift when the lifters go bad they clatter like an old kerosene powered chaff cutter.

In older technology pushrod engines used flat tappets and this limited rocker ratio and hence valve lift and so when one of their lifters went bad they usually made a loud ticking noise but most modern engines with roller cams and rockers have big lift numbers that really make noise when a lifter goes flat.

But if your not convinced to try some new lifters then take it to a workshop to fix it, but take your own lube because its gonna hurt.

Cheers for the slap across the face. I needed it heh. You're dead right I'm lost in semantics but only because after way to many hours reading the workshop manual I've not come across hydraulic lifters on the 8 though I did note them in the straight 6. I'm not a mechanic I'm a surveyor so in the past all I did was the ol brakes, plugs, filters, oils crap. Yeah my wrist is totally screwed... but I guess I'd be able to bring in another pair of hands if I knew what I needed to do in the first place.

Anyway I'll stick with it a bit longer, thanks again.