Project update: Looking for tick, found sludge...
Oil pressure...
Whoa, those are two very different scenarios. If left up to Walmart, they'd probably put in their cheapest Supertech conventional junk from the barrel. And how long was your brother leaving it in?
TBH, the engine looks abused.
Anyway, if this was an ejected rocker, your engine wouldn't just be tapping, it would be running like complete sht, with misfire codes popping and all. The thing I'd be wondering is, is your oil sump pick-up id being partially blocked by that sludge. That would basically be causing a starvation issue, which would explain the tapping . Now you might use a flush and it may make things better, or it may make things completely worse by even further blocking the pickup. Pulling off the oil pan and checking/cleaning the sump would probably be the best route. I've heard of folks filling the block with kerosene and letting it sit for a week before draining. (Not trying to start, of course.) You can roll the dice with a flush and be prepared to pull the pan anyway if things go south.
TBH, the engine looks abused.
Anyway, if this was an ejected rocker, your engine wouldn't just be tapping, it would be running like complete sht, with misfire codes popping and all. The thing I'd be wondering is, is your oil sump pick-up id being partially blocked by that sludge. That would basically be causing a starvation issue, which would explain the tapping . Now you might use a flush and it may make things better, or it may make things completely worse by even further blocking the pickup. Pulling off the oil pan and checking/cleaning the sump would probably be the best route. I've heard of folks filling the block with kerosene and letting it sit for a week before draining. (Not trying to start, of course.) You can roll the dice with a flush and be prepared to pull the pan anyway if things go south.
I have been watching the oil pressure and it has been a steady, solid 40 + PSI all the time. No noticed fluctuation. No sudden drops.... Anyway, how involved is it to drop on the oil pan on a 4x4 . You're right, probably a good idea regardless.
Update...
Today, as per the recommendation of a friend with first hand experience with this, I added a quart of DEX/MERC ATF to the engine oil and then started it up. I let it warm up for 15-min while watching the oil pressure. The noise was still there. No change. I then drove it around the block a couple times. At first it was running a bit rough but then smoothed out the more I drove. I got home. Left it running. Put it in park and then got out. The noise was completely gone. Really, hadn't heard it run so smooth and quietly in recent times. I may be a belever in ATF flushes. We shall see how it goes.
Grand Champion
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,134
Likes: 718
From: S.W. Indiana
Today, as per the recommendation of a friend with first hand experience with this, I added a quart of DEX/MERC ATF to the engine oil and then started it up. I let it warm up for 15-min while watching the oil pressure. The noise was still there. No change. I then drove it around the block a couple times. At first it was running a bit rough but then smoothed out the more I drove. I got home. Left it running. Put it in park and then got out. The noise was completely gone. Really, hadn't heard it run so smooth and quietly in recent times. I may be a belever in ATF flushes. We shall see how it goes.
I trust you changed it to regular oil! ATF will clean, but is too thin for constant lubrication.
Atf...
Grand Champion
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,134
Likes: 718
From: S.W. Indiana
To clarify, I added one(1) quart of DEX/MERC ATF to the six quart sump of fresh 5W-30 full synthetic motor oil. This with the bigger oil filter. So it's probably a little over full. Beyond that, the DEX/MERC ATF has the viscosity of 20 grade motor oil which the 4.7L was changed to in 2007. The oil pressure is normal. There are no issues with "constant lubrication".
You want that ATF out. Being over full you aerate the oil and make bubbles in it which have zero lubricity. Also, ATF is NOT motor oil. They are chemically designed for different purposes. ATF has friction mollifiers the engine doesn't need as it just slides parts around while the transmission has to grip plates together. This wears bearings excessively in the engine. The engine also uses multiweight oil. 5W-20 means it flows like 5 weight oil at zero degrees and like 20 weight oil at 32 degrees. It isn't either one, it just flows and lubricates it. I have done the kerosene flush numerous times over the decades. They do wonders but you want the ATF OUT when you're done.
Temporary engine flush....
You want that ATF out. Being over full you aerate the oil and make bubbles in it which have zero lubricity. Also, ATF is NOT motor oil. They are chemically designed for different purposes. ATF has friction mollifiers the engine doesn't need as it just slides parts around while the transmission has to grip plates together. This wears bearings excessively in the engine. The engine also uses multiweight oil. 5W-20 means it flows like 5 weight oil at zero degrees and like 20 weight oil at 32 degrees. It isn't either one, it just flows and lubricates it. I have done the kerosene flush numerous times over the decades. They do wonders but you want the ATF OUT when you're done.
I understand adding ATF to engine oil is a polarizing topic. Some say don't do it while others sware by it.
You respond as though you think I am running 100% ATF in my engine.That's not correct. I would never do that. It is a ratio of 1 part ATF to six parts engine oil. The oil protection is still there. The oil pressure is still normal. The 4.7L has a windage tray so you can squeek by a little extra oil without the crank whipping the oil into foam. Again, this is a temporary engine flush procedure. My friend as well as his father has done this many times with sucess. No blown up engines. Very soon the ATF will get drained out and I will go back to straight engine oil. I am not towing anything or running it hard. Just mild in town driving. Taking it easy. I am monitoring it carefully.
I've heard your warnings. I understand your concerns. You say don't do it. Got it. Thank you.
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Joined: Oct 2013
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From: Atlanta
A quart overfilled won't cause a problem. It would take a few more before the oil would reach the crankshaft and be whipped into a froth. I run about a half quart overfill of oil myself, on a permanent basis and I've run with a quart of ATF for a few hundred mi as an attempt of fixing the ticking I heard back in the day. Back then I had yet to fully grasp that it was caused by hydraulic lifter bleed-down. I'd be very surprised if it fixed your issue. Maybe if it freed up a stuck lifter, that might be the case. I wish you good luck with it in any case and if I can be of help, let me know.
Last edited by Dodgevity; Feb 25, 2024 at 09:25 PM.
Grand Champion
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,134
Likes: 718
From: S.W. Indiana
A quart overfilled won't cause a problem. It would take a few more before the oil would reach the crankshaft and be whipped into a froth. I run about a half quart overfill of oil myself, on a permanent basis and I've run with a quart of ATF for a few hundred mi as an attempt of fixing the ticking I heard back in the day. Back then I had yet to fully grasp that it was caused by hydraulic lifter bleed-down. I'd be very surprised if it fixed your issue. Maybe if it freed up a stuck lifter, that might be the case. I wish you good luck with it in any case and if I can be of help, let me know.
Last summer I tore the top off my 5.9 in my '96 Ram for a major tune up. It had blown the plenum gasket and just needed some major maintenance. From the tie I looked at it, it had a ticaticatica when the engine was running. It never went away or got worse. When I pulled the intake, I found a bunch of oil soaked cigarette butts and a flattened Schlitz beer can. What I expected to be two weeks turned into nearly 3 months after drilling out broken bolts and such as well as replacing a bunch of parts on the verge of failure.
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,763
Likes: 447
From: Atlanta
When I pulled the intake, I found a bunch of oil soaked cigarette butts and a flattened Schlitz beer can. What I expected to be two weeks turned into nearly 3 months after drilling out broken bolts and such as well as replacing a bunch of parts on the verge of failure.
The "tick" comes and goes...
A quart overfilled won't cause a problem. It would take a few more before the oil would reach the crankshaft and be whipped into a froth. I run about a half quart overfill of oil myself, on a permanent basis and I've run with a quart of ATF for a few hundred mi as an attempt of fixing the ticking I heard back in the day. Back then I had yet to fully grasp that it was caused by hydraulic lifter bleed-down. I'd be very surprised if it fixed your issue. Maybe if it freed up a stuck lifter, that might be the case. I wish you good luck with it in any case and if I can be of help, let me know.