[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 09-Jul-01 AT 12:16 PM (EST)[/font][p]Can anyone tell me what a stuck lifter sounds like? I noticed a new sound this morning driving to work, and I was able to lift the hood for a second before earning my keep It's on the passenger side, top end of the engine (sounds like its right under the valve cover)-a regular, quite loud ticking/knocking sound. The sound varies with engine speed and seems to get a little louder as the engine speeds up. At idle, it's almost not audible, but gets loud on acceleration. What could it be/not be? Is there anything I can do to rule out anything in particular? The engine doesn't seem to be running any differently than it was before. Odd thing is, is that it didn't start knocking right at startup this morning, it started after about 10 minutes of driving. Like I said, I only had a minute to investigate, so I apologize for the scarcity of details. 1990 F150 351/E4OD.

Any insight would be appreciated!

Chuck

 

My 92' has a tendancy to make a lifter noise on occasion. 92' F-250, 351 engine with a C6 auto trans. It never shows up unless I get down hard on it. I have had times where I would gas down hard on the highway for several miles and then come to a stop. At idle I would notice the tap and a possible difference in the way the engine is running. after a little running, the noise would dissapate. I have noticed that keeping clean oil in the engine keeps the little noises down. If you have a lot of miles on the engine, you may want to use an additive or maybe try some type of engine oil flush. I would try anything short of tearing down the engine. Good luck. jake.

Jakegypsum // Ford fleet, soup to nuts.

 

thanks jake-
I try to keep the oil fresh by changing it every 2500-3000 miles. every so often, I put in a quart of marvel mystery oil, and use a grade heavier oil for the remainder. would that work ok, or should i try a true oil additive or detergent type potion? I drove home today, and it repeated what happened earlier. The oil level is ok (I figured id check that first!). It's fine when cold, but gets louder as engine heats up, especially when i'm on the gas. I would think that as the oil heats up, it would be "runnier" and quiet down any knocking, especially if a lifter is a little gummy. Got home and pulled the valve cover (it sounded a little higher than a lifter, like a knocking inside the valve cover, unless a lifter sound travels), just to take a look. While I was in, I tightened the head bolts and rocker pivot bolts. a couple were loose, so that couldn't hurt! i tried cranking the engine for a second or 2, and it looked like the valvetrain was doing it's thing with no problems (no rockers not moving, etc). anyway, after reassembly (just finished), it knocked for about 2 seconds, then stopped. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll just go away! I didn't bring it up to temp, but i drove around the block and it seemed quiet. guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow's drive to work! I also found out that I had melted a vacuum line on my new headers, so i took care of that, too.

Sorry for the long reply, but like you said, anything is better than tearing down the engine!

Thanks-
Chuck

 

Well, the sound is still there Time for the worst-case questions: if I did need to replace the lifters, is that something I can do myself over a weekend? I've had that engine quite apart before, but not that far apart. I'm going to take it to a shop ASAP to get their opinion on it as well. I might be barking up the wrong tree to start with. Any other suggestions or tests I can do to rule out or confirm anything in particular? I only assume its got something to do with the valvetrain because the click doesn't seem fast enough to be something else. Anything is appreciated before I start throwing money at it (again... lol) Thanks!

Chuck

 

Im gonna gamble here and put all on my money on an exhaust leak. you said you have a new set of headers....headers are notorious for leaks. plus, remember that a small exhaust leak will tick just like a bad lifter. ive had many cases in my own rides, where just a tiny chunk of blown out manifold gasket will make a ticking that sounds like its coming from the valvtrain. if you havnt retightened the bolts since you put the headers on, try that for starters. maybe one or more came loose (they tend to do that soon after installation) letting some blow by. if that doesnt work, maybe just take all the bolts off and slide the gasket out, checking for any burned and broken spots. a leak will usually show itself by the burned color running all the way through the area it should have been sealing. check that out and if it's not the problem, then get into the expensive stuff and check out the vavlvtrain.

 

If it taps at idle:

One way to identify bad lifters, is to remove valve covers and use the wood or rubber handle of a hammer to push down on the rocker arms one at a time. This lets a bad lifter pump up, and the tapping stops.

If all seems well, consider the exhaust gasket advice.

 

thanks guys-
supercab-i did consider an exhaust leak, but didn't think too much of it after i felt around the headers and didn't feel any puffs of air at all. i'll try retightening them this afternoon though. i know a couple of those bolts were a PITA to get to and they might be the culprit. it seems to me that it's coming from deeper in the engine than that, but i know how tricky sounds like that are-traveling, etc., sounding like they're something else.
horsepuller-it does tick at idle, quietly, and only after warming up. runs fine when started cold, for about 10-15 minutes. after that, it ticks progressively louder as engine speed increases. if retightening the gaskets doesn't help, i'll try pulling the covers and pushing the rocker arms down (i assume on the pushrod side?)

See? thats why i love this board... i would have not thought about either of these on my own saves me from taking it in this afternoon (like I was going to do)

thanks-
Chuck

 

Just a couple of notes.
I have seen in the past that actually a thicker oil will quiet engine noises down. Thinner oils will not muffle noises as well.
Chuck, you may want to check the pushrods. I have seen the end of a pushrod actually have wear on it. This wear can make the stroke of the rod have a little slop thus causing the noise. If you are unfamiliar with removal of the rods, then I would let a knowledgable mechanic check them out. Good luck man. Jake.

Jakegypsum // Ford fleet, soup to nuts.

 

take the valve cover off and then start the engine and look at the rocker's/pushrods. if one of the lifters is stuck then you should see one of the rockers not working properly

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-Jul-01 AT 10:49 PM (EST)[/font][p]Well, i tried tightening the header bolts, and all were tight except 2, which were tightened no more than a quarter-turn, but it didn't make a difference. Now i have the valve covers off, and tried pushing the lifters down by pushing the handle of a hammer on the end of the rocker over the pushrod. seems that almost of them went down a little, but there are still 2 of the rockers that seem pretty tight (the others were snug before i bled the lifters, but now wiggle a little) i know the pivots are tight, since i tightened them all to spec yesterday. does that mean that those lifters may be the problem if they're not bleeding down? or is that just because they are on the highest part of the cam lobe? either way, i'm done for the day, as it's starting to get dark and (of all things) i don't have a drop light! lol

jake g- i'll try checking the pushrods for obvious wear, but i don't have any precision measuring stuff to really check accurately. i had one out yesterday, and it was quite clean (oil passage, etc)

a couple of other things i remembered/noticed: i drove on friday, no problems at all. parked all weekend, which is not unusual for me, then drove monday morning, when the noise started. also, the inside of the intake smells really strongly of gas, which it did not do previously when i had it off to change the valve cover gaskets. seems to me that this would be an intake valve not opening? the gas still comes out of the injector, and has to go somewhere if it's not getting sucked into the proper cylinder, right?

once again thanks for the suggestions, all. any others would be appreciated, since i'll finish up tomorrow and give them a shot then. if it's still a-knockin' after that, then into the shop it goes thursday morning!

thanks for reading my slightly verbose posts!

chuck

p.s.: (was typing when response was posted) the side i'm having the problem with is the passenger side, which requires taking off the upper intake to get the valve cover off, so i don't think it would start or stay running if it did start. i did, however, use my remote starter to crank it a couple of times, with the valve cover off, for a few seconds, and it did not seem that any rockers were not moving. thanks!

 

the end (anticlimactic as it may be): after scouring these boards as well as usenet, several posters seemed to solve similar problems with a simple oil change. well, guess what? it worked for me too. I didn't even consider it earlier, since I only changed the oil about 1000 miles ago, using valvoline, i believe, and a ford racing oil filter. regardless, the oil was quite dark, especially for being only 1000 miles old!

oh well, live & learn!

i appreciate all the suggestions & replies!

thanks-
Chuck