'02 E250 4.2 Rattle-knock with video.
 

Hey new guy here, it's 2 short videos but don't like to leave it running long. The van has about 105,000 miles on it. It always had a tap since I bought it, but one day it started making this horrible noise. It is a very hard rattle that sounds like it's coming from the upper left side of the motor. To me it sounds like the pistons are hitting the valves. I have been reading here and you guys say it is pretty uncommon for these to jump time because of the chain tensioner. The sound varies, sometimes it's real bad and then not that bad, and even sometimes it will be pretty much quiet. I thought I might have had bad lifters so I replaced all of them. I inspected the push rods and rocker arms, and springs while I had it apart, they all looked good. It made the same sound before and after I replaced the lifters. I was about to pull the timing chain cover to inspect it, but thought I would get some advice from some Ford experts first.

Any help would be appreciated, I would like to get my van back on the road.

Thanks!

YouTube - '02 Ford E-250 Engine Noise


YouTube - '02 Ford E-250 Engine Noise

That is a horrible noise! sounds like a rod maybe? It's too bad nobody want's to talk about vans or 4.2 v6's or especially vans with 4.2 v6's. I own a white one with a front flame job. 216k runs great! Hope you find whats ailing your van.

Sounds like the piston is hitting the head. It also looks like there is no oil going to the rockers. Time to pull it and overhaul. Take the oil filter off and see if there is any metal in it.

Did you ever get this resolved? I would use a mechanic's stethoscope (or long screwdriver, etc.) to pinpoint where exactly this sound is coming from while it's running.

Cool, thanks for the response guys. I started it the other day and it sounded good, lol. I am going to check the timing chain and see how it looks. Is there a way to do that without actually looking at the chain? Someone stole 3 spark plug wires the gas cap and a bunch of stuff out of it. I have it in storage now.

And they also cut the gas inlet hose, went to put gas in and it just poured out, lowlifes. Well I started it yesterday to pull it in my shop. It was strange, because the first 45 seconds of it running it sounded smooth like it never has before, but still had no power. Then it started knocking again like it has been. The smooth part was weird, though, I mean it sounded like a sewing machine. lol. I am working on it now, going to try a couple things, then I am probably going to pull the timing cover and check the chain. If it shows no problems I will be thinking about rebuilding the motor.

I let it run for about 5 minutes to warm it up to change the oil. The knock sounds like it's coming from the front and back of the engine. Sounds like the middle of the intake and it is so loud. I got underneath to listen, ready to dodge flying engine parts, and it's even louder by the trans. It then stopped making noise completely and sounded smooth again. :-huh I am thinking I might have a broken flex plate or harmonic balancer or something crazy like that. The investigation continues....

Good luck! Keep us posted!

hi, i too think lack of oil, try checking the oil pump shaft by taking the oil pump off. i have read that the drive shaft have been known to shear off. good luck bokker.

I changed the oil and when it first started it sounded bad, you know that first couple seconds when there is no oil. That was a completely different sound then the one I am having a problem with. Is the oil pump under the oil pan? Cause I would like to pull that anyways.

This noise is different, it comes and goes. I tried to pull the flex plate cover but now I realize the cover goes around the whole bolt pattern. From what I can see from rotating the engine, I have not seen any obvious breaks or anything yet. I dislike working on things when I can't exactly track down the problem. I will see if I can get another video of it running quiet and then making the sound. It does have a light lower end knock too, but it has had that since I bought it, and that sound has not really changed, lol.

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Here is a video from today, I know it sounds horrible and I should not be starting it, but I need to find the source of the sound.

I am not touching the gas or anything, either. The sound just comes and goes on its own.

hi, the oil pump is just on its own and held on by 4 or 5 bolts. it has a single wire coming off it and the pressure sender. it is a simple task as long as care is taken. the drive pump shaft is then left in place if all is well. bokker.

Have you been able to pinpoint it with a stethoscope? I'm not sure where that sound could be coming from, it sounds like a lifter, but those don't usually come and go with noise, plus these things have roller lifters in them. I can't imagine the noise would be coming from the bottom end, sounds more like somewhere with the upper valvetrain.

Sweet, thanks bokker I will check that out.

No luck with a stethoscope, the sound is so loud it seems to bang throughout the whole motor. From the top it sounds loud, but from the bottom it's even louder. I will try the stethoscope again, though, it couldn't hurt. If something does shoot out of the side or something at least the problem would be solved, just hope it don't hit me. :) My first thought was the lifters or something in the top end. I did install new lifters that cost me $150 and time to install. But when I started it there was no change. I inspected all the rockers and everything carefully, I have heard these have broken rockers sometimes. I have a good set of used lifters now.

I am not sure what to do at this point. I am just hoping for a "Hey mine sounded exactly like that and it was the ......." ;) I would like to pull the oil pan but can't tie up my shop bays that long in case I get other cars in. I really don't want to do it outside either, may wait for it to cool down a week or two, then it would not be so bad. I have an extra bay but my Olds is in there with a freaky security issue. Why do my cars not like me? lol.