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Looking at oil options

jg09

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Joined
November 21, 2007
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City, State
Everson, WA
Year, Model & Trim Level
'93 Eddie Bauer Explorer
My '93 Explorer has been making some pretty loud lifter noise since I got it. 2 months and 4k miles later, it hasn't gotten any worse and its not affecting the driveability or power of the engine, but it's incredibly annoying. I've tried Napa lifter cleaner as well as CD2 and neither of them did anything. I've heard that switching to a thicker oil will quiet it down a bit, but I've also heard of the issues that can come from running an oil that's thicker than originally recommended. The truck has 150k miles on it and runs fine with the exception of a small oil leak (about a quart/month) and the ticking sound. A friend of mine recommended 20w-40 but that seems really thick compared to the 10w-30 i usually run in it. Has anyone run that 20w-40 or 20w-50 in their Explorer? How about 15w-40? Ideas and opinions are welcome.
 



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Probably not so much lifters as rocker arms... they are known to be the weak link in the valvetrain. You can get new rockers/pushrods from Delta Camshafts, they show the kit right on the front page.

If you really want to experiment with oil, you could try, just for grins, something like a 35W singleweight, maybe even 40W if you are in warmer climates. I don't think it will hurt anything, it might not help though.
 






Usually it is the rocker arms, the originals used metal that was too soft and so they get indentations from the valves and pushrods, making for a lot of slack that neither the springs nor the lifters can take up after 150-200K. It won't affect low-RPM use, but the high end will suffer if you ever need it, and it can rattle horribly. The noise can eventually turn into lifter noise after awhile, likely from the lifters being at their limit if the rockers aren't replaced soon enough.

Best solution is a new rocker arm set from Ford, you can get them at the forum vendors for about $80/side. The Delta rebuilds are an okay option, but I'd get aftermarket rocker arms and put them on the stock hardware before I'd bother with Delta. I'd do this sooner rather than later if possible, rocker arms are fairly inexpensive and not too hard to replace. The lifters, on the other hand, cost around $50 each, so replacing 12 of those with a decent set is not cheap and rivals the cost of a whole engine.

As for the oil, not all viscosities are the same. A 0W-30 in one brand might be thicker than a 10W-30 in another brand. I've been trying out Castrol Edge, and it turns out the 5W-30 is some super thin stuff. It brought on the valve clatter. I'm going back to Castrol GTX 5W-30, which is thicker and never gave any problems. You can use 10W-30, and maybe 10W-40 in really warm weather, but that's it.

I would not, under any circumstances, put a 20W-40 or 20W-50 oil in a stock Explorer motor. Maybe if it was blown and saw high-rpm race use. Stick with 5W-30/10W-30. If the clatter presists or gets worse, fixing the problem is the thing to do, oil isn't going to do much for masking a too much slack in the valvetrain issue.
 






thanks for the advice. I have a feeling that it's probably rocker arms as well since it really doesn't affect the driveability of the truck until the higher RPM range. Trying to accelerate quickly on the freeway or climbing grades it pretty bad (and very noisy). Around town, though, the truck is fine. I'm hoping I don't have to do lifters or the cams or anything like that. If that's the case, I will be looking for another motor for it.
 






I use 10W40 currently because the oil pan gaskets leaks. I loose about quart every 2 months. Then again I don't drive it much either, & it is hot where I live.
 






I have been running 20-50 Syn in my Ex for the last 10 years with no problems.
And, about 6 years ago I started getting a lot of lifter noise, so I put in a can of Engine Restore, and the noise went away. Even after more oil changes, no more ticking.:usa:
 






I have been running 20-50 Syn in my Ex for the last 10 years with no problems.
And, about 6 years ago I started getting a lot of lifter noise, so I put in a can of Engine Restore, and the noise went away. Even after more oil changes, no more ticking.:usa:

Share with me your secret. What is this..."Engine Restore" you speak of, is that the literal name of it? How much should i be putting in? Also, why 20-50?

Edit: Is this the stuff? http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...lubricant/_/N-260b?itemIdentifier=521211_0_0_
 






Share with me your secret. What is this..."Engine Restore" you speak of, is that the literal name of it? How much should i be putting in? Also, why 20-50?

Edit: Is this the stuff? http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...lubricant/_/N-260b?itemIdentifier=521211_0_0_

Yes, that's the product. I used one can only. I use 20-50 to minimize oil usage. Also, it's an excellent hot weather oil as well, but I use it year round. And from what I understand about how they rate multi-viscosity oils, the first number is the flow rate, and the second is the heat protection rating.:usa:
 






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