hey guys, I've been on this website for at least the last ten years but guess I never registered until now. I usually do a search for all of my questions.
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I have a 1983 Bronco XLT with Western Plow, 118K miles, 351W and auto transmission. It's really too nice to be a plow truck but best I could find when we needed a plow a few years ago.
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Since I bought it, it begins ticking noise once fully warmed up. Yesterday I heard it with hood open, quite pronounced metallic ticking coming from the valve cover, drivers side. I'm pretty sure it is a stuck valve, pushrod or something. I've used a can of Seafoam in the oil, ran for a few weeks and changed oil to thinner 5W-30 but ticking still there.
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I prefer not to buy and try every bottled solution in the auto parts store (this time). One mechanic/shop owner did mention Risolone treatment - but haven't tried it. Anybody have similar problem and find a fix without getting into the engine?
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Thanks in advance,
Popcorn

 

Since you have a carb'd engine, it would be simple to remove the valve cover on that side and look around.

With a breaker bar and socket on the crankshaft bolt, turn the engine from below, using the firing order to see where you are. Turn it so each cylinder on that side, one by one, goes into the compression stroke so valves are closed tight.

Then for that cylinder that has the valves closed, look at the two rockers, at the two pushrods, does anything look bent or loose?

Using thumb and index finger, turn the pushrods up by the rocker while watching them in regards to the holes in the head that they come up through. Does any pushrod look bent? Turning them is the easy way to see a bent pushrod. A bent pushrod is effectively shorter, which allows slack.

Is any pushrod loose, so you can move it up and down? They shouldn't be.

If you have a loose pushrod, up and down movement possible, that isn't bent, and the rocker looks OK, then the hydraulic lifter has probably collapsed.

Also crank the breaker bar to open each valve all the way, and see if they all look alike.

Another thing to try, best if you have a trusted helper at the wheel, is to start it with the valve cover off for a short period of time. Messy, expect some oil to spray around. What you want to see is that oil is indeed coming up inside each pushrod and coming out at its rocker. There are test clips that are made for this purpose, I have a set, that clip onto the rockers so you can run engine for a while with valve covers off without making a mess. They deflect the oil downwards back onto the head.

 

That's some very good info. Thanks for taking the time to respond. I'll pop the valve cover off in a few weeks once it warms up a bit more around here.

 

what oil are you using and what brand oil filter you have on that motor?

also that motor isnt meant for that light weight oil. a 10w30 or 10w40, even a good oil like Rotella or Delo 15w40 would probably be best, its a high detergent oil and will keep the inside of the motor really clean and problem free. I ran this oil in my bronco for many years living in central oregon where winter temps generally stayed in the 20s during the day.

 

I've also heard of people using like half to a full quart of trans fluid when you a nearing your oil change (it's thinker and something about how it cleans.) it has gotten rid of the tick in my motor once or twice before.

I use the K&N oil filter (it's got a nut welded to it so its easier for me to remove/install. And some 10w30 oil.

 

Oil filters for the Ford engines found in the Bronco should be Motorcraft FL1-A or Purolator equivalent (Purolator makes filters for Motorcraft). Not using them starves the engine at startup due to internal valving that aftermarkets don't employ. (I know. I didn't believe it either until I actually swapped filters on the advice of an old Ford hot-rodder and noticed the difference myself).

This is most likely NOT the problem that the OP is experiencing since he stated the problem manifests after the engine has warmed up. I only say it because I noticed the K & N reference.

Torky's advice is spot on.

 

The only reason I use the K&N is because the bolt makes it easier to remove/reinstall compared to fighting a oil filter wrench on there and I've never notice a problem and before that I was using a Fram filter but maybe next time ill try a Motorcraft.

 

Wix is another great product. FRAM sucks

 

Thanks for all the info. I'm running an Atlas filter of which I bough three cases of these oil filters years ago at a garage sale. They're service station stock as far as I could research.

I'll try this though, to eliminate some variables. I'll get the Motorcraft filter, change oil using Mystik JT-8 10W-30 (diesel oil) and try that for a month. It's a plow truck and I expect we'll get a few more snow storms this next four weeks ( I live in the Rockies, 8200' feet). After that, approx. 10 - 20 hours, if still has tick I'll exchange a quart of oil for a quart of ATF and run that a few hours before a full oil change. I'll report back and hopefully at some point the tick will go away. If not, I will follow the first response by pulling the valve cover to see what we can see.

 

Sounds like a great plan of attack keep us posted