4.0l camshaft upgrade

[twobits]

I have hydraulic valve tappet noise on start up that has been lasting longer and longer on my 05' Rubi. Tried all the flushes and additives. I'm looking at changing the tappets and camshaft with Crane. Will have to change the timing gear and chain to fit the new cam. New valve springs for clearance, which will mean refurbish the head. Has anyone done this upgrade? Recommendation on places to get new seats and valves lapped?

[The Machinist]

Be carefull what you put in to your engine, some of those flushes and additives can do more damage than good.  Are Crane parts still available?  I heard they were going through some re-structuring.  I would use a comp cams cam + lifter set and mopar springs/retainers, I've seen this combination work with good results in the past.  Most important thing to consider is that by using a performance cam your valve train is under a lot more pressure.  Your engine will become high maintainance, I would not do it unless you think you need the extra power.  Make sure you break the cam in properly, the first 30 minutes is the make or break for your cam. 

[twobits]

Yes, Crane is still in business. I'm also worried about using the performance cam, would I need a programmer? And what will it do to the catalytic converter? Would it run richer? No, I don't need the extra horse power. Just didn't want to do all this work and not get anything in return, power, fuel mileage. I called Competition Cam and they have a replacement cam that they will special order. I would be able to use the stock valve springs then.

[twobits]

I'm second guessing the lifter problem. Reading too much on the internet maybe. Would a broken piston skirt make noise all the time? What about a leaky manifold making a ticking sound?  I seem to have a very loud tick on some start ups, cold days lasts 2 minutes, other days seconds. Always followed by a quieter tick that lasts another 2km. Other day, the louder sound seemed to come from bottom end, quieter from top.

[rangerdanger]

Have you ruled out your exhaust manifold being cracked or loose? If it is cracked, even slightly you will hear a tick when its cold.