I'm new to this forum so I would first like to say hello to everyone..

I have an 88 ranger w/2.9 and I have the infamous ticking that comes along with it...recently the ticking got really bad and I decided to fix it.I figured it was my lifters so I replaced them..the ticking got a lot better but is still there and gets louder and softer depending on engine temp..I tried heavier oil(20w50) and lucas to no effect...upon further investigation I have low oil pressure...Now I've searched the forum quite a bit and the next thing I want to do is replace the oil pump and cam shaft bearings. I've read people talking about a high volume oil pump for our application but I have been unable to find one online..does anyone know where I can get one?? If not, does anyone have any opinions about the reg. oil pumps that I have found + melling/ clevite and sealed power...Also is it possible to change the guts of the existing oil pump and in essence make it flow more or use a HV oil pump from a different engine..

Lastly, does any one have anything to say about the modified cam shaft bearings made by sealed power that are supposed to flow oil better than the OE design..

I know thats a lot of questions but thanx in advance for any input.

 

Hi and welcome to the site!

I went through the same thing with my 2.9. While I had it apart doing the heads, I dropped the pan and shimmed the oil pressure relief spring (old racer's trick) but all I accomplished by that was to have great oil pressure, enough to blow the filter apart on cold starts on a winter morning...got to be a real PITA. Still ticked though...

We had one user here who was looking at the problem from the cam bearing angle, he posted a poll asking if anyone had any experiences with the redesigned bearings but got no definitive answers.

This is an inherent problem with these motors that has caused much speculation and theorizing but no real solutions. You'll find many threads in this forum about it.

For me, I got so sick of it that I yanked the motor and dropped in a 5.0...problem solved!

 

Thanx for the reply...LOL i used to have a ranger with a 5.0 in it..I might go the same route again...I still cant believe after all these years no one can come up with a difinitive answer to this problem....I know rangers didnt tick off the dealership lot...who would buy a brand new ticking truck while I got your attention what do you think about rotating the thust plate?

 

That's another fix I've heard about. Give it a shot, what the heck.

I still have my 2.9, maybe I should mount it on a test stand and try different fixes on it till it shuts the hell up...or blows up!

 

has annyone considered the ticking may be the fuel injectors?

 

It's been mentioned before, but it's way too loud for injectors. Having lived with it I can state definitively that it's valvetrain noise.

 

yeah..its definitely valve train...I'm just pissed that I spent the time to replace the lifters and sob still ticks

 

This is exactly what I experienced with mine. I drove it to and from work and around town, but if I had to go out on the highway for any distance, I was screwed. Not only noisy but loss of power so it was obvious that the lifters weren't pumping up and therefore the valves were only opening about halfway.

A lot of folks experience only the noise without the loss power, so there do seem to be varying degrees of the problem. I suppose it has to do with how little or how much oil is actually getting to the lifters.

Since I had water in the oil I dropped the pan and pulled the pump (yes, you can do it with the engine in the truck, but it ain't fun!) and tried a few old racer's tricks. I drilled out the oil passage from the pump to the filter and, ans I mentioned earlier, I shimmed the pressure relief spring on the pump. Then I replaced the rod bearings. Should have done the mains too as they were probably toast, along with the cam bearings. Water in the oil forms an acid that quickly eats bearings...

After all this I had great oil pressure on cold start up, about 75-80 PSI (actually had to go to a stronger oil filter 'cause I overdid it with the pressure relief shim and started blowing filters out...very messy!) but I still only had adequate pressure on warm cruise, and low pressure on warm idle. This tells me that there was definitely a lot of oil loss around the bearings.

And yet, some 2.9s never seem to develop the lifter noise. My dad had an '88 4X2 BII with the 2.9 and 5-speed, and it never made the slightest lifter sound. Ran strong and was fun to drive as well...plenty of power for what it was.

 

The main reason for 2.9 ticking is because of clogged rocker armshafts. Clogged rocker armshafts restricts oil flow thus causing lifters to wear out and tick. The theory of worn out cam bearings and air in the lifters causing ticking is BULL ****!

 

I'd have to argue that theory. When I replaced the heads on mine with WP heads, they came with almost new rockers and shafts. I checked them for wear before putting them on and they were like new, yet the engine ticked immediately on startup, even after priming the pump and oil system.

 

And yes I have solved my ticking problems. Seems like I'm the only one that has solved this problem permanently.
Whats the use in making the oil pump flow more oil if it can not circulate. One way that you can tell if the rocker armshaft is clogged is to remove the valve covers and check to see if their is a good amount oil flowing out of the pin holes of the rocker arms at idle. If not or if it's dry around the arm then you got problems.(clogged shaft)
Solved my ticking problems 4 years ago. I did'nt have to waste money on new lifters, gaskets, or bearings. The problem here is people giving false information. And some take the whole hook, line and sinker...

 

Check your exhaust manifolds where they mount to the heads. i have an 88 2.9 that was ticking when I first got it. The right side was leaking. Replaced the gasket and it was gone. The fuel injectors on these trucks do tick pretty loud.

 

I have an '87 B2 with this 2.9
I also have several 1972-77 Mercury Capris with the earlier 2.8 engine.
These engines have solid lifters. Two of these 2.8's do not get oil up in the rockers,
just oil mist from the vents, yet they run quietly and reliably. One has 180k original miles, the other 75k rebuilt miles.
I wonder how a 2.9 would fare with solid lifters?

Jeff

 

I have found almost the same thing as you have. All the tapping I worked on was coming from the rocker and shaft due to plugging and wear. Another thing to consider is adding rocker shaft spacers. If ya keep the rocker tracking correctly by adding spacers it will amaze you in how quiet it can get.

 

Nice thread! Only one stupid question: where's the camshaft thrust plate in our engine? Speaking of 2.9 V6
Thanks!