my valves tick

[bates]

ok when i startmy engine i can hear the valves on my ohv ticking. but the sound goes away after a littlw while when it gets warmer.
how cani fix this? or do i need a rebuild?

btw 247 000 kms

 

[88vert]

Try some Marvel Mystery oil you would be surprised what some snake oils will do

 

[bates]

alright thanks! i tried some stp oil treatment a while back, next time im in town ill grab some marvel mystery oil.

 

[SteveVB]

rockers/pushrods

Check your oil pressure first. Use a gauge into the block at the sender location.

The ticking may be caused by the rocker arm and pushrods being worn. Replace them with some hardened rods and rocker tips -

Delta has the rockers:
Dead Link Removed

Smith bros has the pushrods:
www.pushrods.com

 

[bates]

aiight how much work is it gonna be to replace them in this engine? do i jst need to take off the intake manifold and valve covers?

 

[addkev]

What brand of oil filter do you use? It seems trivial, but there is a thread on here about all the different oil filters available and what each one does and doesn't do. The fix for alot of SOHC engines (ticking) is to use the Motorcraft oil filter and stay away from the Fram filters. And make sure you are using 5W-30, if you take it to a quicky-lube, they are probably using 10W-30 and what ever cheap paper filter they want to use.
Quality Syn. 5W-30 and a Motorcraft filter stopped my ticking noise.

 

[bates]

hmmm well this is an ohv, but same principles may apply.
well im usin 10w30 and a purolator filter, from.....oil changers. ill try a motorcraft and 5w30 next time.

 

[Campo]

If none of the suggestion's work then here's a link to a write up Raceit did to fix his valve clatter

http://www.explorer4x4.com/lifters/lifters.htm

 

[Jason_25]

I beleive Ford now recommends the use of 10W30 in the OHV engine and 5W30 in the 5.0 and SOHC.

 

[Rhett]

That's interesting. My truck has the OHV. I switched from 5W-30 to 10W-30 about a year ago, and the engine (lifters, valves, etc.) is quieter with the 10W-30.

 

[unpredictable1]

i had the exact problem last year with my 93 x. i knew she had 10w30 in her.

swapped her to 5w30 and it went awat immediately. threw in some Motor Up for good measure.

haven't heard it since.

 

[bates]

ok im definately trying the 5w next time then, got nuthin to lose, dont cost any extra

 

[mmsdrummer]

I use straight 30 in the summer and 5w-30 in the winter but it makes no difference whatsoever.

 

[Slick Rick]

My Explorer has about 46k miles on it, not many at all. I use Mobil 1 5w30 every 3000miles, and yes I have the OHV engine. I hear the same thing too ( a chattering sound ) and I am convinced that it is normal, especially with OHV engines, which are much louder than SOHC and DOHC engines. It makes sense, because when you start your car up, there is little oil at the top end of your car. That's why a lot of engine damage occurs at start ups! After start up, youroil pumstarts working, delivering the needed oil to the top end. Mine goes away after a little while too. My oil pressure is fine, and runs in the normal range. No caomplinats. And yes a Synthetic oil will make your engine run more quiet versus a concentional.

Make sure you are not low on oil, and that your oil pressure gauge is running in the normal opperating range. I use AC Delco oil filters now, but have use ones by FRAM and K&N in that past. A lot of people use "worn out valve stems" as a good sign of an engine rebuild. In other words, if you are burning oil, you might wanna consider it in the near future, if not, you shouldn't worry. You may get some oil leeks because of the synthetic dew to it's superior detergent charcteristics ( over a cinventional oil). If your swithing from conventional to synthetic, may I suggest switchng yoour oil filter twice every 3000 miles, due to the fact that the synthetic will flush out more crud and will get caught up in the oil filter. It's just cheap insurance that's all.

Good luck and sorry for babling

 

[YW84U]

Bates, I enjoy the same clatter as you - at 260,000 kms. It makes a good racket on the right bank until it reaches operating temp, then quiets down. Sounds like a heap for about 15 minutes!

I tried 'Mechanic-in-a-Can', but no help. Flushed, drained, synth, dino, no fram, etc...... and have given up. Back to synth 5W30 and a good filter.

I priced out the parts alone for the top end gaskets, lifters, rockers, rods and came up to @ $1700 (not including testing heads and such). Found I can get a long block from Ford for about $2700 instead.

But the question is: is it possible to get away with only changing the rockers and rods? I really think that the tolerances are now too great now that they have had time to bash away for so long - and the lifters cannot keep up. Does anyone think that it's worth the expense to experiment with this, or just drive it till it breaks, and put in a long block?

Any thoughts?

 

[Raceit]

I got all my parts from www.stevensparts.com. They had some "take-off" parts for a lot cheaper then $1700. All I replaced was the lifters, push rods, and the rocker arm asymbly on both sides. That was about 30K miles ago and the engine has been running fine every since.

A take-off part is something that is new, but can't be labeled as such. They buy engines from Ford and then part out the blocks. So they are new engines, they just don't come in pretty boxes.

 

[4.0SOHC]

You guys aren't talking about the injectors cycling off and on, on the SOHC.

 

[bates]

i wouldnt think so since were talkin bout the ohv...

i dotn i think ill just drive it til it breaks, to hell with it. i think it is normal, makes sense what ur sayin since the oil drains down when it starts like that.