my truck as a little tick/knock on start up but then goes away but when i let clutch out and give the truck gas you can hear it.

i am looking at pulling the 4.9l out of my 93 f150 and rebuilding it myself. can you guys give me parts that are good and maybe what would a rough estimate be for rebuilding it? im looking at doing clutch with a center fold clutch. if everything looks good internaly i will not be getting the bored over, i will only replace the cam and the rods and getting the cyl. head valves reground.

 

Check with your local parts houses for a rebuild kit or a machinist/rebuilder might put together a kit for you.

 

Bone stock and with no performance parts you should be able to get out the door for around $2000, maybe less if you don't need a bunch of machining. Add in all the go fast goodies, and you're gonna add a grand or so.

For a few more $ Keith Black makes a set of high comp hyperutectic pistons for the motor. They were originally specd for UPS trucks running the 4.9. You might have to run medium gas with 'em though. I'm running them and am quite happy, but I also did a bunch of head work and am running premium. Also a cam wouldn't be hard to do at this time, and Both Me and Harte3 are running a 260h grind cam. Different manufacturers, but similar specs. The total money extra for this cam for me was only $200 ($40 more for the cam, $10 more for the teflon seals to clear the double springs, and $150 more for the double valve springs v. keeping the stock springs)

Also I wouldn't go with the Centerforce Clutch. Centerforce makes more clamping pressure with centrifugal weights on the clutch springs. The benefit to this setup is that the clutch is no more difficult to work, but clamps more when the engine is in it's torque peak. This works great for a car, but for a truck you need max clamping force at the engagement. Otherwise you could slip the clutch more than you want to when towing something. I'd go with a Hays clutch. When I did my build they had a truck specific setup with higher clamping force via stouter springs and a thicker pressure plate for more heat sink capability. When I priced it out this setup was significantly cheaper than the Centerforce as well. I don't feel the extra spring pressure with more clutch force either.

 

oh wait I forgot, part of the extra money for the cam was for the screw in head studs and the machining that was required for using them. The springs weren't that much more expensive than a new set of stockers. The lifters are a few more dollars as well, but I still wouldn't say that the total extra cost was more than $250.

 

I am in the process of rebuilding my engine and it is gonna cost me in the neighborhood of $1,850 dollars. Engine kit with an upgraded cam cost me $521, filters, plugs, wires, belts, hoses, clutch, and motor mounts cost me a little more than $400, and the machine work is gonna cost around $500. That includes hot tanking and magnafluxing the block and head, boring the block, grinding the crank, and pressing the wrist pins. Hopefully you'll be luckier than me because the machine shop found a crack in my head. A new, fully assembled one cost me $410.

 

You can NEVER know what a particular engine rebuild will cost until it is taken apart, inspected and measured.

 

What MBDiagMan said.

 

well im hoping on just replacing maybe the cam. i was told that the knock/tick is comon in the 4.9l. but to replace the cam would i have to pull the engine? or can i just take the radiator support out? maybe i will replace the lifters cause that is what i think is causing the tick cause it is only when i give the truck gas when i hear it, not cruising speed. but if i have to pull engine i mise well just see what needs to get replaced.

now centerforce wouldnt it be better or just go with another after market performance clutch? i wouldnt mind the better claming force but i have heard it is harder to push the pedal down.

 

I you sure the ticking is a lifter? A blown donut gasket between the manifolds and down pipes can sound like a ticking.

 

well i took the intake and exhaust manifolds off and their was no doughnut gasket between the pipes and manifolds? i to have a ticking noise when im giving it gas which i know is the exhasut. but you know when you first start a truck up in the morning or car and you hear the valves ticking cause it has to pump the oil up to the valve cover. that is what the other ticking noise it.

 

|WYG|SS,

What oil filter and oil are you running? If you are not running a Motor Craft filter try it. If you are try a bit thinner oil one step down so when it's cold it will get to the top quicker. BTW no doughnut in the 93 efi's just a squish fit for the seal. Which could leak. I have never had a problem until I torqued the system out of alignment after letting it run for a while just kinda floppin' around.

Jim

 

Lifter clatter at start up is almost a normal condition for these engines and not an indication that it needs a rebuild. Changing the cam can be part of a rebuild but just by itself is not a rebuild.

 

Just so long as that's not a bottom end knock. I've heard engines on their last legs do the same thing. The rod bearings can get loose and knock some at start up. I'd get a buddy to start the truck and hold a large screwdriver to the cam plate and my ear to make sure. It's a lot of money and time to spend to get nowhere.

You can swap cams without pulling the motor, but you're right about having to pull the radiator. It's a long cam (compared to a V8) and it'll take some doing to get it in and out. You may also have to put a jack under the oil pan and lightly lift the motor to get it to clear the radiator support. Plus it's a pain to disassemble the timing cover as it bolts into the oil pan (making jacking the oil pan without total support a little dicey). Still this is a doable job, it's just not a quick or an easy one.

Also You should NEVER do a cam swap without replacing the lifters as well. This is a really good way to tank a cam, and possibly the rest of the motor. The wear profile of the lifters in your motor is currently matched to the cam in your motor. Putting a new cam/lifters in without changing the other of the two can cause rapid wear and ultimate failure of the assembly. This is bad in and of itself, but the failure can send metal into the rest of the motor causing catastrophic engine failure.

 

i am running a fram tough guard oil filter and castrol gtx 10-40 full synthetic. maybe i ran a little to heavy so i can try chaging it back to castrol gtx 10-30 full syn.

well i got some new motor mounts that came off a 95 or 95 straight six cause i keep going through them on my 93 style which suck so i will be replacing them later on this spring and with the cam i am going to do both he cam and lifters, i heard about not replacing the lifters if i just did the cam, anyone know any brands that i could do? i might take the head off and get the valves reground. my truck only has 130,000 on it. when i take the head off i can clean the oil holes too. but yeah it will save me alot of money if i don't pull the whole engine. that exhaust leak is weird cause i did the intake gasket and it seemed to quiet down then got louder. what i didn't do was get an intake and exhaust gasket which i was planning on doing and didn't do.

 

well im just debating on pulling the engine now cause i got some headers and i have to modify the altenator bracket and it would be easier to do with the engine out. i will be taking the transmission off to do the clutch so i will probably just pull the engine to do a refresher on stuff. cause oil pan is starting to rust and needs to be replaced. i have a local harbor freight near by so i can get cheap tools. and i have experience working on engines. so why not just try the challenge of rebuilding it. i dont think i will have to get the engine bored over but it would be nice if i could but i know it is expensive.