5.0 engine ticking question

[ewalt98]

OK, a question for the 5.0 experts on this forum:
I had a lifter that collapsed and would be pretty loud on startup, but then would quiet down after a bit, but not completely in my 98 V8 explorer. I did drive it like that for a while, maybe 2-3k miles.
So, I figured I would replace all the lifters. Once I started it after the lifter replacement, I still had the sound of a bad lifter, not as loud as before on first startup, but just as loud as after the bad lifter pumped up a bit.

The question I have now is, which is the more likely scenario, a bent or very worn pushrod, or a bad cam lobe?
Stupidly, I did not check the pushrods for straightness or length, and I did not check the lift after replacing the lifters. All the pushrods looked straight, and didn't show any abnormal wear, other than the ends being polished. The motor has just over 375k miles on it, so anything is possible. I'm kinda thinking I should pull all the pushrods and check them, but with the miles on the car, maybe I am just throwing good money after bad.

edit: Dang, just checked the price for new pushrods, they are so cheap, why didn't I replace them at the same time???

 

[97-5.0]

how long did you drive with a collapsed lifter?

If a long time then your cam lobe for that one can be ground down badly making the valve only open half way or worse

Push rods will be fine,
can you post a pic of the collapsed lifter?

Personally ide want to see the cam lobe to look for damage

 

[shucker1]

Did you prime the new lifters before you put them in?

 

[roscoe 0202]

check the old lifters if you still have them if the cam is bad so will the roller on the lifters check for abraded rollers
roscoe

 

[koda2000]

At 375,000 miles I wouldn't bother putting any addition time or money into it. Just drive it. Nothing lasts forever, stuff eventually wears out. if you don't like engine noises be glad you don't have a 4.0L SOHC V6. They can start rattling at around 75K.

Are you sure the ticking sound isn't a cracked/leaking exhaust header or EGR tube? These can sound a lot like a lifter tick and tend to quiet down once the engine gets hot.

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, the mileage is high enough that it's past time to replace the timing chain set and the valve springs. At that point it's not a bad idea to find another engine and do any kind of build, cheap to mild. The big deal is the labor to R&R the engine. The parts aren't expensive, but today's machine shop costs are very high. So any full tear down and rebuild is never cheap these days.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

At your mileage, I'd just find a motor, or a vehicle, yours sure don't owe you much, and the bottom end is almost certainly worn out. A good low mile V8 here runs $300-$500 depending on how the truck it comes from looks.

 

[boominXplorer]

+1 to are you sure your issue isn't an exhaust leak?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d probably opt to swap in a low mile motor for the cost of rebuilding that one, ONCE you are SURE it’s not a leaking/cracked manifold.

 

[ewalt98]

Perhaps not the best pictures, but here are the rollers I took out. Most have some lines/scoring.
I did prime the new lifters by keeping them in fresh oil overnight. When I started the motor, I expected some lifter noise as the oil pressure came up in the lifters, but other than the one tick, it was pretty quite/normal.

I am fairly certain it is not an exhaust noise. The EGR tube is good and tight, and the ticking noise changes sound when I rev it a bit, sort of like there is a bit of a push rod float.
Oh, I did not rotate the motor to properly torque each lifter with the valves closed. Didn't realize that was so important on the pedestal lifter style.

Maybe I will pull the motor and put it in my Triumph, after a rebuild, of course!

 

[shucker1]

To prime the lifters, keeping them in fresh oil doesn't cut it.

You have to release the center check ball with a straightened paperclip and pump them up.

Rollers look good so I would say a scored cam is not you problem.

Maybe I will pull the motor and put it in my Triumph, after a rebuild, of course!

Which series Triumph?

4A,? 250? TR-7?

I always did like the looks of the TR-6.

I have a 71 MGB GT

 

[ewalt98]

Which series Triumph?

I've got a GT6. They come with a lump of a straight six. Sounds nice, but is too long for the chassis, so sits forward and high, at least as they came from the factory. The 302 fits perfectly, weighs less, and lowers the center of gravity. Always wanted an MGB-GT, love the looks of them.

If I didn't prime the lifters properly, they would still pump up pretty quickly, right?

 

[shucker1]

It would take time if they do.

I usually release the center check ball with a paperclip submerge them in oil and pump them until bubbles stop coming up while holding the check ball open.

 

[97-5.0]

Yah lifters look normal, can't notice a collapsed one there?

Seafoam incase its just a sticky valve ticking

look for any black soot around the exhaust ,
the smallest of leaks will have black around it and tick till you go nuts

Unless u have bad compression on a cylinder I'm leaning towards a pin hole exhaust leak bro!

 

[97-5.0]

Nice to see you got ford lifters! Same box I had
I just did mine and cleaned the lifter bores before I put the new ones in,

I still have a little tick but I have a tiny exhaust leak before secondary cats

 

[Mbrooks420]

Yah lifters look normal, can't notice a collapsed one there?

Seafoam incase its just a sticky valve ticking

look for any black soot around the exhaust ,
the smallest of leaks will have black around it and tick till you go nuts

Unless u have bad compression on a cylinder I'm leaning towards a pin hole exhaust leak bro!

I had a manifold cracked completely in half, and there was no soot. With the heat shields in place there was zero indication of a failed manifold.

 

[ewalt98]

Just got a stethoscope and went through the engine. I don't really hear much noise other than what seems like normal rotating valvetrain sounds when I stick the end of the stethoscope on the head and valve cover.
However, one of the injectors, right where I thought the bad lifter noise was coming from, is the loudest thing I hear in the scope, and I can feel it vibrate through the scope's probe. The other two injectors I can reach are pretty noisy too, but not as much as the first.
The tick changes in volume and sometimes pitch, maybe from fuel demand and pressure?
Anyway, I am thinking it might be the injector...for now

edit: probably wishful thinking. Pulled the plugs on the three injectors I could reach, and while things are a bit quieter, the tick doesn't go away.
Going to pull the push rods, measure them, and then properly set the lash and torque the rockers. If that doesn't solve it, then I'll probably just drive it to 400k and then junk it..

 

[shucker1]

If you have the push rods out roll them across a piece of glass plate to see if one might be bent?

 

[CDW6212R]

You do have stock rockers yes, not roller rockers? Stock rockers have no adjustments, you just bolt them all on with the engine in the same place, no need to rotate the crank.

 

[ewalt98]

I am definitely going to check the rods for straightness, along with length.
Don, the rockers are stock. I thought I could just bolt and properly torque the rockers, but have read, I think on the corral, that you should rotate each cylinder so the valves are closed, then hand tighten, then torque the rockers. The torquing should take just about 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn. At the very least, you would be able to tell if there is any clearance issues from the cam to the valve. I'll try it.