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Is it fatal?

Grandpa Cary

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July 18, 2015
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City, State
Seattle, Wa
Year, Model & Trim Level
2016 Ford Raptor 6.2
My second vehicle is a 1996 Ford Explorer AND V8. In the last two days the oil pressure gauge has been flickering up and down. However when I was just driving it I looked down and there's no oil pressure at all and I'm starting to hear the click click click clickclick click what could this be? Oil pump?

Grandpa Cary #12
2016 Ford Raptor
BEAST MODE:eek:
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Honestly in my opinion. If you got nothing else to lose. Just install new pump and see if it lives and the noises go away. You might have a slight noise and it might live through the slight noise. It might have no noise and be fine. Or if it continues it's probably dead. I would just get a new pump. How else you going to know realistically cheap and fast if your engine is dead? Go through the whole engine looking at valves and stuff and not be certain. I would get new pump and go from there
 






If it is a AWD vehicle, to replace the oil pump means to take the engine out. Or drop the whole front end (differential) and remove the steering rack.

My V8 was flickering a lot with 5W20, replaced the pump and still flickering. Had to move to 20W50 to keep it working. This is for several years now.
 






Thank you for thank you for replying. I've had her since she was new. We're having our 20th anniversary this year. Replacing the oil pump sounds expensive. Would be easier to just purchase another Explorer? They're all over Craigslist for 300 to 800 dollars excellent condition just the transmissions are out. When the gauge started flickering I thought maybe she might need some oil. In 20 years I have never put a quart of oil in it I've had it done every 3000 miles and never had an issue. I told my 17 year old son run up to auto parts store and check the oil. So this morning he tells me he put 2 quarts of oil without checking it. So I don't know if it was low or not but now it is extremely overfilled. So I'm going to go ahead and replace the filter and oil and see what happens is the oil pump the only thing it could be? Could the filter possibly be clogged up? I highly doubt that.

Grandpa Cary #12
2016 RAPTOR 6.2
True Beast Mode.
 






Oil filter's have a bypass mode should they become clogged, so no. The oil pump could be worn out or the pickup screen may be clogged. I don't think replacing the oil pump would be that expensive. Might be worth a try. Is your truck AWD? If so the job is more involved.
 






May have driven with little or no oil. How often did you check the oil level?
 






Yes it is an AWD. Where is the pickup screen located? I would probably just need to remove the pan?
 






Yes it is an AWD. Where is the pickup screen located? I would probably just need to remove the pan?

Being AWD the front axle assembly would need to be removed to get at the oil pan. This would add quite a bit of labor to the job. The pickup screen is located in the lowest part of the oil pan.
 






Yes it is an AWD. Where is the pickup screen located? I would probably just need to remove the pan?

Like I said, on AWD, the front end and steering rack is in the way of removing the pan. Take a peek under and you will see.
 






:banghead::burnout:[MENTION][/MENTION]
May have driven with little or no oil. How often did you check the oil level?

To be honest. I have never checked the oil. It has 419,000 miles on it. The oil on the dip stick is clear. It I go to the quick lube every 60 days no matter how much it was driven. My son put in the 2 quarts.Which over filed it but that much. I guess before I get the pan removed is there a oil flush that night clean the screen?
 






:banghead::burnout:[MENTION][/MENTION]

To be honest. I have never checked the oil. It has 419,000 miles on it. The oil on the dip stick is clear. It I go to the quick lube every 60 days no matter how much it was driven. My son put in the 2 quarts.Which over filed it but that much. I guess before I get the pan removed is there a oil flush that night clean the screen?

The problem with the screen is that when the engine is running it's always sucking. If the screen is clogged, I don't think putting a flush in is going to clear it. I recently found one of mine to be about 25% clogged. I removed it and soaked it in Purple Power, for an hour, to clean it. If you want to try a flush, I suggest Amsoil Engine Flush (around $10). It seems to work much, much better then readily available OTC auto parts store flushes. Be sure to follow the directions exactly. Do not drive the vehicle with the flush in the engine. If you can't find Amsoil Engine Flush where you live, PM forum member FPO. I will be doing an Amsoil flush with my next oil change on my '01 Sport Trac.

BTW, If you've been changing your oil every 60 days, I wouldn't expect there to be much dirt in your engine. At 419,000 miles, your engine may just be worn out. Nothing lasts for ever.
 






419,000 miles? Well done, sir.

It may not be a failure---the motor could just be very worn (and it likely is). Clearances are going to open up over time, and combine that with an oil pump that's also wearing out, and pressure is going to drop. Eventually you get to a point where what little pressure is left just isn't enough to keep metal from touching metal, and things start to wear REAL fast from that point on out, resulting in a relatively rapid loss in oil pressure in a short period of time. Probably time for a new(er) engine.

Additionally, overfilling the oil is often worse than underfilling. If you put too much oil in it, and the crankshaft starts to sling it around, aerating the oil. This is bad.
 






419k miles has got to be near a record for an original engine v8 explorer.

Please get some pictures of this one for us. Odometer included.

For all practical purposes I agree with the above, she's done. If you like the Explorer a lot you could replace the engine, but I would not buy a different cheap explorer. You know this one, another one will be a can of worms.
 






OP, one thing you could try to squeeze a few more miles out of your engine is run a single weight thicker oil (maybe 50 weight). Cheap enough and easy to try.
 






Can you post a video also? Maybe the noise is the oil bypass clicking, it may not be the valvetrain.

Otherwise it wouldn't be a bad idea to use a thicker oil and see if that helps.
 






1996 Ford Explorer AWD V8. In the last two days the oil pressure gauge has been flickering up and down.
May be a long shot, but a bad oil pressure sender/switch can cause the gauge to flicker.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=386505&cc=1119664&jnid=564&jpid=5

It has 419,000 miles on it.
Nice. Just out of curiosity, and since you've had it since new, do you remember roughly what mileage you replaced the transmission and fuel pump? U-joints? Thanks.
 






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