2.3L ('83-'97) '88 2.3 EFI engine rattle on cold start

[rosscob]

I just bought this ranger and have been driving daily for a couple weeks now. It's an '88 XLT 2.3 fuel injected with 94,000 miles on it. It had been sitting for about a year and has a few issues but nothing I can't work through. Today I was driving it back to work after lunch, only about 4 miles, and I started hearing a rattle coming from the engine. Well when I got to work I found out it was a quart low on oil and it gave me no warning, no oil light, nothing. I put in a quart of 5W30 and now when I start it I get a quick little rattle when it first fires up then it goes away. It does it whether the engine is warm or cool. Did I do any damage to it and what can I do to stop the noise?

 

[scotts90ranger]

I would NOT worry about a quart low, the light comes on at 1.5 quarts low I believe, I've relied on it for many years... have rebuilt a couple and the bearings were all fine

I've always ran 10w30 but whatever... the Lima engines don't really care.

If it's rattling is the oil pressure "gauge" showing in the middle right off or does it take a couple seconds? If it goes right up then you have ok oil pressure (it's a dummy gauge, anything over like 5psi is middle). In that era the oil pan gaskets could break away and get stuck in the pickup tube for the oil pump and plugged it off, no real good way to get it out shy of pulling the engine either...

The likely real cause is the lash adjusters have a tendency to be loud on these, honestly I wouldn't really worry about it as long as it goes away and the gauge goes right up at idle...

 

[rosscob]

Mine doesn't have a gauge, just a light. I picked it up about an hours drive away from my house and had no issues with any kind of engine noise all the way home. As I mentioned, I've been driving it daily for a couple weeks now and no issues until it ran low on oil, then I got the rattle, but only momentarily, when you first start it up. It sounds like the old timing chain rattle but I know this engine has a belt.

 

[scotts90ranger]

These aren't known for being the quietest engines valvetrain wise, I probably wouldn't worry about it if it is low mile. It's likely just the oil leaking slowly out of a lash adjuster on the open valves while sitting and take a couple seconds to pump back up... no biggie

 

[rosscob]

That's good to hear. Thanks!

 

[rosscob]

Well the rattle is back. I put in a Pint of Rislone High Mileage and that fixed it....for a while. This thing has a slight oil leak and apparently the oil got low again and it did the same thing, but it had a slight tick even while driving. I topped off the oil with some 5w30 and that didn't seem to effect it. Still a loud rattle on start up then a faint one at idle or while driving.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I would probably recommend putting an oil pressure gauge in place (1/8" NPT street tee where the gauge sender goes and a hose/tube to a gauge) even temporarily to make sure there is oil pressure... if not probably the oil pickup tube screen plugged.

I always run 10W30 in my 2.3L's, always have, it's old technology, 5W30 isn't going to hurt anything either though...

If there's oil pressure and it's still noisy either don't worry about it or there could be something wrong with one of the lash adjusters for the valves.

 

[rosscob]

Thanks

 

[scotts90ranger]

Depending where on the coast you are and depending on what you find I might be able to help you out on parts as I have some spare lash adjusters between the two spare engines I have... they're not too hard to do after you pull the upper intake manifold and valve cover, kinda fiddly with prybars but doable...

 

[rosscob]

Well I drained the oil and replaced 5W30 with 10W30 and a pint of Marvell Mystery Oil and she's quiet now. Hopefully she stays that way. Thanks