'04 Explorer, raps at start up, normal?

A 2004 Eplorer XLT 4.0 (8th/K). After it sits over night, first start
up, quick raps for about a second, then gone. Oil pressure is great
while running. No raps/noises while running/revving/driving. Sit for
5/6 hours, does it again. The noise sounds like no oil to rod
bearings. Is this the nature off the beast? Thanx.

dahpater wrote:
> A 2004 Eplorer XLT 4.0 (8th/K). After it sits over night, first start
> up, quick raps for about a second, then gone. Oil pressure is great
> while running. No raps/noises while running/revving/driving. Sit for
> 5/6 hours, does it again. The noise sounds like no oil to rod
> bearings. Is this the nature off the beast? Thanx.
>

My 4.2 engine started making 'bad' start up noises after a 3000 mile
trip and oil change right after. I thought the engine got toasted. :-(

It turns out I didn't pay attention and just bought the 'on sale' oil
filter which was a Fram. I then read about and remembered that Fram
filters have drain back issues....

Sure enough, I went and just changed the filter to another brand and
'all' the noises went away.

Worth looking to see if your filter is that Fram color.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

On Jul 13, 11:37 am, Mike Romain > wrote:
> dahpater wrote:
> > A 2004 Eplorer XLT 4.0 (8th/K). After it sits over night, first start
> > up, quick raps for about a second, then gone. Oil pressure is great
> > while running. No raps/noises while running/revving/driving. Sit for
> > 5/6 hours, does it again. The noise sounds like no oil to rod
> > bearings. Is this the nature off the beast? Thanx.
>
> My 4.2 engine started making 'bad' start up noises after a 3000 mile
> trip and oil change right after. I thought the engine got toasted. :-(
>
> It turns out I didn't pay attention and just bought the 'on sale' oil
> filter which was a Fram. I then read about and remembered that Fram
> filters have drain back issues....
>
> Sure enough, I went and just changed the filter to another brand and
> 'all' the noises went away.
>
> Worth looking to see if your filter is that Fram color.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> Jan/06http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Thanx, but it has a Wix on it and did it with the old filter, which I
forget what brand it was.

On Jul 13, 10:09 am, dahpater > wrote:
> A 2004 Eplorer XLT 4.0 (8th/K). After it sits over night, first start
> up, quick raps for about a second, then gone. Oil pressure is great
> while running. No raps/noises while running/revving/driving. Sit for
> 5/6 hours, does it again. The noise sounds like no oil to rod
> bearings. Is this the nature off the beast? Thanx.

What mileage? Has any engine work ever been done to it? What grade
of oil are you using?

Just to be safe you may want to use a real pressure gauge and monitor
oil pressure at all temps and driving conditions.

It does sound like an oil filter drain back issue on the surface, but
if other filter(s) have yielded the same results, then that's pretty
much out.

You may have excessive bearing clearances, leaking timing chain
tensioner(s), valve lifter leakdown, or a weak oil pump that is
starting to manifest itself as longer pressureup times. I would look
at a real pressure gauge reading before any other testing.

Can you distinguish the difference between timing chain rattle, valve
lifter noise, and rod bearing noise as they relate to a loss of oil
pressure? I know you said it sounds like rod bearing noise, but I
wanted to see how sure you are of that observation.

Lastly, I don't know anything about the Vin K 4.0. Is that a DOHC?
Is it new for 2004?

Toyota MDT in MO

Maybe a valve rapping because of a collapsed lifter.

dahpater wrote:
>
> A 2004 Eplorer XLT 4.0 (8th/K). After it sits over night, first start
> up, quick raps for about a second, then gone. Oil pressure is great
> while running. No raps/noises while running/revving/driving. Sit for
> 5/6 hours, does it again. The noise sounds like no oil to rod
> bearings. Is this the nature off the beast? Thanx.

--
Mike Walsh
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

dahpater > wrote:
>A 2004 Eplorer XLT 4.0 (8th/K). After it sits over night, first start
>up, quick raps for about a second, then gone. Oil pressure is great
>while running. No raps/noises while running/revving/driving. Sit for
>5/6 hours, does it again. The noise sounds like no oil to rod
>bearings. Is this the nature off the beast? Thanx.

Check your oil filter. Some cheap filters have issues with the internal
valve leaking, so the top of the system drains down from the filter while
the car is sitting, and then it takes a little time to come up to
pressure again.

Then try a different kind of oil. If you're using a synthetic, try a
petroleum type. If you're using a petroleum oil, try a synthetic.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."