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ANYONE HAVE A NOISY 2.9L VALVE TRAIN THEY WANT QUIET?


gaz

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Hello,

It pained me to read my service manual and be told "NO VALVE ADJUSTMENT IS POSSIBLE"...INCORRECT. I had been told it was the injectors...NOPE. It hurt me to have mechanic after mechanic inform me that "they all make noise, no matter what"...NOPE.

I was unsatisfied when my Ford 60° V6, 2.9l started making valve noise. When it came time for me to replace a valve cover gasket, I gave adjusting my valves a crack. To know avail however as I needed more than an acute curiosity to learn what I was doing, was WRONG.

Anyone want to learn how to make their valve train sing instead of cry to death?
 


Dirtman

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The simplest way to solve 2.9 valve noise is to install a 4.0.
 

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The simplest way to solve 2.9 valve noise is to install a 4.0.
WRONG!

My 4.0 valve trains are noisier than my 2.9s ever were.


The fix for a noisy 2.9 valve train is cam bearings BTW. The cam bearings wear, they let oil pressure at the lifters drop, and then the lifters start to get noisy because they don't have enough pressure to keep pumped up.

Also, with only an inlet hole it is hard to get all the air out of the 2.9 lifters.


From what I have read valve adjustments are possible on the 2.9, but overly complicated and you aren't supposed to have to make any after they are set initially at engine assembly.
 

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Install a rotary... that should do it.


EDIT... But yes.... I wanna know
 

elscotto80

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YMMV, but i dropped in some seafoam with the oil and rode it hard for a while and changed the oil. My motor runs quite well for its age (87) with ~129,xxx miles.
 

gaz

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adsm08, Uncle Gump and elscotto80 I am glad to share the method.

There are several PROCEEDURE that will help quiet the valve train the single most important is to properly adjust the valve lash on the rocker arm; easier said than done but simpler than lore has predicted.

I will go through all the steps I performed but I will save the actual lash adjustment for last as it was the last step I took and the only thing I did that let the unwanted noise be replaced with the sweetest sounding valve train I have ever heard.

I will answer any questions and offer my opinion unless it's more than that. I do not respond to trolls or efforts to drift off topic. I truly desire for everyone to enjoy how their 2.8, 2.9, 4.0 or any other power plant that makes use of hydraulic lifters, as their function is in fact the secret and the key to ultimate silence .)
 
Last edited:

gaz

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87Ranger Endrigo 2.9l, 87BII Endrigo 4.0l
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
Ranger 5" (2" suspension), BII 4" suspension
Total Drop
Ranger 5sp, BII A4LD
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Ranger 33"/4:10LS, BII 29"/3:73LS
My credo
Deengineer until it is how Blue Oval should have sold it!!
STEP #1

the use of free floating rocker arm spacers will only make your valve train better, less restrictive and a little quieter. If you want more information on these I can provide dimensions and a resource whom still makes the kit

STEP #2

increase the diameter of both the rocker and the shaft oiling holes by 1 drill size. It doesn't seem like much but it makes an appreciable improvement in oiling potential.

STEP #3

pull your lifters, clean and inspect them. If they have a lot of miles on them just replace with new; both Sealed Power and Malle sell them for under $3 ea, so a very inexpensive and prudent expense. A key point to the inspection is verifying and checking their operation. This tap dances on the secret of the whole process.

STEP #4

debur, chamfer (45° angle all 90° edges) and polish all the rockers. Paying close attention not to change their width dimension as that will negatively affect performance.

STEP #5

Balance the rocker set; weigh all 12 rockers, reduce the weight of all 12 to the weight of the lightest rocker.

Just to be clear, these 5 steps are optional and not the primary action to resolve the unwanted noise and friction.
 
Last edited:

rusty ol ranger

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I have a simplier method....

Turn up the radio.
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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STEP #1

the use of free floating rocker arm spacers will only make your calve train better, less restrictive and a little quieter. If you want more information on these I can provide dimensions and a resource whom still makes the kit

STEP #2

increase the diameter of both the rocker and the shaft oiling holes by 1 drill size. It doesn't seem like much but it makes an appreciable improvement in oiling potential.

STEP #3

pull your lifters, clean and inspect them. If they have a lot of miles on them just replace with new; both Sealed Power and Malle sell them for under $3 ea, so a very inexpensive and prudent expense. A key point to the inspection is verifying and checking their operation. This tap dances on the secret of the whole process.

STEP #4

debur, chamfer (45° angle all 90° edges) and polish all the rockers. Paying close attention not to change their width dimension as that will negatively affect performance.

STEP #5

Balance the rocker set; weigh all 12 rockers, reduce the weight of all 12 to the weight of the lightest rocker.

Just to be clear, these 5 steps are optional and not the primary action to resolve the unwanted noise and friction.
You're teasing us.....
 

8thTon

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The anticipation is killing me - what could it be???! :rolleyes:
 

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@gaz
I would appreciate the information you have on the free floating rockers, as well as where to get the spacer kits. Thanks.
 

adsm08

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Paulos

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Cam bearings.
:unsure: I don't know... cam bearings are far too difficult and expensive to replace. It sounds like he might be on to something big. This has to be something like "Slick50 Super Duper Upper Valve Train Instant Restoration Lubricant" (emphasis on the "dupe" in "Duper"). I'll take a case! Do you accept checks?
 

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It's magnets, isn't it? Magnets and oil, that's got to be it! You're not going to tell us, are you? Rare earth magnets stuck to the inside of the valve covers directly above each rocker arm. Yes! But hey, if that's not what you did and my idea is better, I thought of it first. Hmm.... maybe the magnets interact somehow with the Slick50 Super Duper Upper Valve Train Instant Restoration Lubricant? Is that it?
 

8thTon

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