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3.0 L Ranger "tapping" noise


fourwheelford

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Thats also why I do all my own maintenance, I check my oil and coolant every 2 to 3 days. Never know when something might give out for no reason and puke your coolant all over the road while you drive. I don't let anyone touch my car or truck except my stepdad(who is also my mech) and I feel better knowing the work is done right:)
 


redneck_rainey

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jim may be a lil ruff but he gets to the point. he has excellent advice if you simply listen to him. as far as the flex fuel heads they did some changes to them but i wont lie ive heard a lot of problems as far as running lean and head gaskets on the newer models. im guessing for emissions on the newer models they leaned the tune. my 93 3.0 still cranks at 280k and drives like a dream despite the qt of oil out the tailpipe every 1k miles, no head gaskets replaced. the trick is routine maintenance, which mine didnt get until i recieved the truck at 100k. i do all my own maintenance and shes still ticking. sorry to hear that a newer model truck will be retired because of a head issue.
i dont think ( atleast i hope not) that mines terminal and is going to end the truck. i WILL be attempting to fix this, not just ride it out. im not sure if u were directing that to me or not but still jut thougt id throw that out there
 

rurouni20xx

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not recommending it just sux to hear a truck has downtime of any sort besides routine maintenance. glad to hear your going to keep it and work with what you have, it is ultimately cheaper in the long run. good luck with it and hope to hear you back on the road.
 

RangerRon

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Oh yeah... If you are close by I might be a customer for your ride.. I don't mind doing a head gasket job.
Big JIm
Big Jim:
I decided to keep it and have my mechanic replace the head gaskets. He said it will be about $1500 if heads are okay, maybe a grand more if they need replaced.

And BTW, I live in Allentown, PA, not close by.
 

redneck_rainey

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just got some new tires thrown on yesterday and afterwards i grabbed one of the firestone mechanics and asked if he'd listen and take a shot at a rough diagnosis from the sound. His answer was what i wanted to hear, and my original theory. He said he's 90% sure that its simply a loose, warped, or bent rocker arm rattling. He also said if its not that then its is typically a lifter that has worn down to the poin that there is play or slop in it, and rarely is it anything more. Tomoro i don't have school, so i'm gonna get up and pull the valve cover and have a looksy
 

Big Jim M

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That looksee ain't as easy as it used to be..
Big JIm
 

redneck_rainey

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i kno. we tear down our '71 429ci in a matter of 30-40 minutes in the pits at the racetrack and replace valves before the next heat race. i hate new engines. anyway i pulled all them damn censors and had to unhook and un bolt the coil pack along with un hooking the fuel line. pulled the valve cover and open up the biggest mechanical nightmare ive ever seen. i am still pissed about what i found. Apparently the jack off the put the first 109k miles on it had something against changing the oil. there was so much burnt oil build up that the OHC had dug out a hole to turn in. so my new theory as to why its "ticking" is the fact that there was so much shit packed in the cover that the cam was running too dry and warped something.
F*CK MY LIFE
 

Big Jim M

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Red that sounds to me like the previous owner has ADDED some junky oil things to do something to that engine. Perhaps the same noise that is bothering you. What you describe, even with understandable exaggeration, just can't happen with standard oil.
Big JIm
 

redneck_rainey

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i forgot to say that when we pulled the cover and scraped and cleaned the shit out it uncovered the sensor that sits atop the cover on the right bank front most cylinder, once we re-fired the engine, the dummy light came on. apparently the oil buildup was covering the sensor and that why it never threw any codes or illuminated the light. well anyway i go on spring break for 9 days starting Friday. me and my buddy Jake are tearing it down and cleaning the heads thoroughly. its time for the oil change anyway, Jake told me that he always uses Sea Foam cleanser in his oil right before a change to clean it so I'm going to try that out. i always use synthetic, but Idk what viscosity is best any advice there? last night i was hanging out up at advance with Jake as he worked. i was just noseing around and found this shit called Valve Medic. it said it was guaranteed to stop all valve and lifter issues by cleaning build up out. Now JIM i know you just mde a comment on 'Junky Oil Things' but just hear this one out. it was $2.50 and knowing an employee i got it for $1.25. i figured it wasn't gonna do anything so whatever, right? to my amazement after 3-4 minutes the motors idle stabilized, the noise quieted and eventually went away completely, and the check engine light went off. i was in awe. i Rcomend others trying it aswell. Also i just found a couple similar sites to TRS. 'Explorerforum.com' which i believe might be a sister site, and 'FordRangerForum.com' is anyone else on those?
 
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Big Jim M

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NECK! Whatever you do..DO NOT put any seafoam or any OTHER cleaner in the oil. As dirty as you say that engine is you DO NOT want all that dirt washing around in the oil.
You will simply clog up passages and lifters and no telling what.
If the thing is running ok now, then just change the oil and leave all that crap stuck to whatever it is stuck to.
If you take the heads off and clean everything that you take off..there is still a lot of engine that is covered with the same junk as you have already seen.. For damn sure I'd leave well enough alone.
Big JIm
 

redneck_rainey

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ok so i changed the oil and didnt cleanse the block, i let it drip completely dry then refilled, it still ticks on intial startup after long period of sittin, its cause the ohc is drya nd it takes a sec for the oil to reach it.
 

JP02XLT

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I would bet the lifter valley is worse than what you saw in the heads, Might be a good idea to cut apart one of the old filters after an oil change & just see how much junk your filter is catching, if it is clean then everything stuck to the block just might stay there for awhile. Like was mentioned do not flush it, it will only make matters worse.

JP02XLT
 

RedEyeRider

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My 3.0 has a tapping/knocking type of noise also and it seems to be misfiring also. When the noise started it through the cylinders 3 and 6 misfiring codes. I changed the plugs, wires, and recently the fuel injectors. Before I changed the injectors it through a random misfire code. The check engine light isn't on anymore. The truck runs decent but still has the noise and it's a little shakey at idle. Would air in the coolant system cause it to misfire? Anyone have any ideas what it could be? Thanks and sorry for the jacking haha.
 

BAMAJiPS

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I have a similar issue to original post. My situation is self induced and I am so upset about it.
Background: Last year I bought a 2000 Taurus w a blown motor. I purchased a new crate engine for a hell of a deal - Only $400 for the shortblock! I install the engine in said Taurus. With new/reman heads. I put maybe 4000 miles on the car that runs perfectly and wrap it around a tree.
Heres some photos:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3egw8d1vicfkqwp/9p2Tf2tMgE
I found a 94 Mazda B3000 with a dead motor this year. I pulled the motor from the totalled taurus, changed over the timing cover, oil pan and pump, intake etc - but FORGOT about the different head gasket design. (I knew about it but totally slipped my mind).
I get the motor fired up and everything runs decent. I start driving the truck and notice a power loss and then I develop this "tick" when the truck heats up. I then remember the head gasket difference and am terrified if I have scorched my engine. I just changed out my head gaskets and reinstalled everything. My beautiful brand new engine with less than 5,000 miles on it now starts up with a puff of smoke out the back but runs like a champ. After it warms up the motor develops a tick or a slight knock. It doesnt do it during driving, it just becomes really noticeable at idle, at operating temp. I was SO disappointed. I figured the excessive heat of the improper coolant flow with the old head gaskets on the motor must have caused some excessive wear on the components somewhere and that the viscosity of the oil after heating up was too thin with the 5w20 recommended. I just tried out 20w50 and the same thing still happens.
I am hesitant to tear the top half of the motor down AGAIN and am considering cutting my losses. If I was going to keep the truck I would just drive it without a care - but I need to sell it! If I have a rod knocking - Im done - I'll dump the truck. If its a lifter - I think the valve covers and intake can come off and they can be pulled out with a good magnet.
Anyone know what the most likely culprit is? Have I scorched the heads and the valve guides and thus the smoking when cold? (If the heads are bad - I dump the vehicle for a loss)
A lifter? I can fix, provided the heads dont have to be removed.
A rod? Dump the truck for a loss.
I've read on this board about the distributor ticking/knocking?
It saddens me that I neglected the gaskets and think I scorched my perfect motor. Being such a new motor, I think it eliminates a lot of the wear issues etc.
Any help?
 

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