Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and BRL86
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2018
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 1
- Location
- Indianapolis IN
- Vehicle Year
- 1996
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Transmission
- Manual
I have a 96 2.3L 5 speed with 190k, I have owned for less than a year, no idea how well it was maintained before me. It runs very strong, I have put new plug, wires, fuel pump, radiator and brakes on the truck. It has the 3.45 rear gear, and will drive fine around town in 4th gear, which its quite a load on that motor with 3.45 rear gear.
Ok so my problem is this. When I fire the truck up and drive it very easy, no high RPMs and shift it very soon, don't let it rev out at all, runs smooth and quiet. Now this truck has no tach at all, but if I drive aggressively, letting the engine rev out till it stops pulling and get up to freeway speeds by third gear, it will have a tick noise. Now this noise is RPM dependent, sounding light and very watch like, not hard or hollow sounding. so the tick will continue down to idle, but when it idles or low RPM again it will melt away and it goes away after 3-10 mins. So seems that I can't get it unless I really let the thing Rev north of 4000 RPM (guessing, again no tach).
so what I've done, I know these are hydro lifters, susceptible to sludge and whatnot. I ran some seafoam in the crank case, ATF in crank case, and some sea foam in intake manifold (not at the same time). I have done multiple oil changes 5W20 and 5W30, doesn't seem to matter. Running Penzoil regular dinosaur oil or high mileage oil (don't really know if any give anymore benefits). So I could have a really bad lifter or didn't run these treatments enough to take effect
I know Exhaust can make these kinda sounds. My truck does have a Frankenstein exhaust system, some one has created a down pipe that removed the Cat Converter, so its a straight pipe from the manifold to the center join behind the cab, and not having a hanger for that, has caused the system to sag some, could be some kind of leak in the exhaust system, when the RPM goes high enough to really get some heat into the exhaust manifold or down pipe, could be causing that, but its a distinct tick that sounds like a watch, so it would have to be a single cylinder, which would be the joint between the head and the manifold.
Next I've read is that a spark plug boot could be off enough that you hear the crack of the spark hitting the top of the plug since its a little gap there, again, this doesn't seem that plausible, I can hear it in the cab with windows up, would be a helluva spark lighting crack to hear it.
So has anyone experienced this? I think the exhaust or lifters could be the culprit since it is RPM dependent, the higher RPM would obviously tax the Oil pressure on the system, thus causing maybe the oil pump cant fill the lifters? The higher RPM would heat up the exhaust and cause it to change just enough to produce a little leak that gives the impression of a lifter tick? I have not taken anything apart or anything except put in those cleaners in the crank case. I guess it really doesn't matter that much, but it sure is annoying. My next step for the truck is when spring hits, I'm going to install a new down pipe with a Cat on it and new exhaust pipe with a Wagner muffler, prob do a stainless system. I'd also take suggestions on any exhaust recommendations for these 2.3's, my first one.
thank you in advance!!
Ok so my problem is this. When I fire the truck up and drive it very easy, no high RPMs and shift it very soon, don't let it rev out at all, runs smooth and quiet. Now this truck has no tach at all, but if I drive aggressively, letting the engine rev out till it stops pulling and get up to freeway speeds by third gear, it will have a tick noise. Now this noise is RPM dependent, sounding light and very watch like, not hard or hollow sounding. so the tick will continue down to idle, but when it idles or low RPM again it will melt away and it goes away after 3-10 mins. So seems that I can't get it unless I really let the thing Rev north of 4000 RPM (guessing, again no tach).
so what I've done, I know these are hydro lifters, susceptible to sludge and whatnot. I ran some seafoam in the crank case, ATF in crank case, and some sea foam in intake manifold (not at the same time). I have done multiple oil changes 5W20 and 5W30, doesn't seem to matter. Running Penzoil regular dinosaur oil or high mileage oil (don't really know if any give anymore benefits). So I could have a really bad lifter or didn't run these treatments enough to take effect
I know Exhaust can make these kinda sounds. My truck does have a Frankenstein exhaust system, some one has created a down pipe that removed the Cat Converter, so its a straight pipe from the manifold to the center join behind the cab, and not having a hanger for that, has caused the system to sag some, could be some kind of leak in the exhaust system, when the RPM goes high enough to really get some heat into the exhaust manifold or down pipe, could be causing that, but its a distinct tick that sounds like a watch, so it would have to be a single cylinder, which would be the joint between the head and the manifold.
Next I've read is that a spark plug boot could be off enough that you hear the crack of the spark hitting the top of the plug since its a little gap there, again, this doesn't seem that plausible, I can hear it in the cab with windows up, would be a helluva spark lighting crack to hear it.
So has anyone experienced this? I think the exhaust or lifters could be the culprit since it is RPM dependent, the higher RPM would obviously tax the Oil pressure on the system, thus causing maybe the oil pump cant fill the lifters? The higher RPM would heat up the exhaust and cause it to change just enough to produce a little leak that gives the impression of a lifter tick? I have not taken anything apart or anything except put in those cleaners in the crank case. I guess it really doesn't matter that much, but it sure is annoying. My next step for the truck is when spring hits, I'm going to install a new down pipe with a Cat on it and new exhaust pipe with a Wagner muffler, prob do a stainless system. I'd also take suggestions on any exhaust recommendations for these 2.3's, my first one.
thank you in advance!!
