HI all...

I think a lot of what oil is right for me depends where you live.
Here when I live, coastal Florida, I find unless you have a new car, the 10 and 20w series are better, especially in older technology engines. In my 2002 Ford, which has less than 80k on it, I run 5-20 because is says to. When it is 100 outside and the truck is fully warmed up, you can here everything just clanking away inside the motor. Also I know from speaking with Ford Engineers, the lash adjusters hole is deisgined for 5w oil. Furhtermore, I am too chicken to run 10-30 or thicker since I have not had issues, YET.

I am up to 150 miles on the van, did some interstate and ran it up to 90 MPH, no MIL light and no clicking.

{keeping fingers crossed}

 

Hi all...

Well, iiiiiittt's baaaaaaaaack....

grrrrrrrrrr

So here is what I am thinking...please let me know what I should do...

1. Get a factory lifter for that slot and do the whole job over again (ack)
2. Get and try a 6.95 (.05 over) pushrod
3. Try really thin oil.

I really want this gone. Let me tell you the history of this tick...

1. Put all new lifters (Mellings) pushrods (Sealed Powers) and roller rockers (Harlan Sharp)
2. First lifter failed miserably after a week. The spring inside literally broke. This lifter never ever pumped up fully. After the first start after installation it went CLACK CLACK CLACK (very loud, like a hammer on concrete), after about 20 mins. it finally stopped the clack but still clicked like it does today.
3. Got another Melling, put it in and it CLACKED for the first 30 seconds, then pumped up and it clikced at first for about the first hour of driving. I put some MMO in it and it stopped. Wokred great for about 2k miles.
4. Changed the oil to 10/30. Lifter for the first 4-5 starts CLACKED for 4-5 CLACKS. Then it would pump up, but still clicked.
5. Dumped the 10/30. Put some 15/40 in with MMO and it still clicked, but then went away.
6. Now it clicks sometimes and sometimes its OK. Now it really doesn't click too bad at idle, but can notice it 1k-3k RPM.

Any ideas guys? The old lifters never did this. Could I have really gotten 2 bad lifters in a row? Why would they be in the same slot? There could be an oil galley/flow problem, but if there was wouldnt it do it all the time? And also, the old factory lifters did not do this.

I will add the old pushrods seemed to have hard varnish on them. Not a lot, more like lines down the side. Also the lifter "spider" has a good amount of varnish.

Thanks for any help or advice you all can give me.

Joe

 

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The intermittent pattern of your lifter tick seems to point to oil delivery issues.

Perhaps that one lifter bore is a little occluded, but perhaps also the oil pick up tube in the pan is also partially obstructed, and every so often, it picks up a little more debris in the pan, which drops the oil pressure just enough for that ob e lifter not to pump up all the way,

A mechanical OP gauge might show a correlation for lower PSI readings and lifter ticking. The stock electrical OP gauge is too inaccurate, and too slow.

There is a product called Kreen, from Kano labs( Kroil) that is supposedly the best and safest method for relatively quick cleaning up of sludge and varnish. I'm not big on strong solvents in the crankcase, but if your ticky lefter is due to oil obstruction, something to dissolve the obstruction might be the ticket.

 

Once the engine internals got a good cleaning and the oil pressure is still a bit low, try an oil filter that is larger. I run a Purolator L30001 that has increased the oil pressure some, but not enough to go over the gauge. The extra oil capacity helps too. The van is running 5W30 at the present. It was using 10W30 during the summer.

 

You guy sare great. Thanks for all of your help.

I checked lash again, there were tight and in spec. Pushed on the pushrod and it felt tight. So I drove it again...

no tick

Then I took the wife and kids out to look at the lights.- no tick

I am thinking there is something clogged back there. I have one pic below and this was when I pulled the heads to get the new lifters in. You can see the lifters and they amount of varnish on them. Do you all think this is a lot? Inconclusive?
I ordered some Kleen and will use it when it gets here. Then I may even pull the pan after that to look at the screen.
Ill keeo you all posted...again thanks for all the help

 

OK...200 more miles...not one lifter tick

pray that it stays this way


Now the question is -- do I run the Kreen or not...I see it sitting there on the dining table...should I use it?

 

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Yes I double checked and even triple checked

Im just going to leave it alone for now. Van is running good.

After the MAP sensor replacement and no tick, I am actually going to get, for the first time, over 300 miles on one tank.