Cold engine tapping noise

[brianvonlehe]

Hi everyone-
New to the Ranger thing, have already learned a lot reading here and working on my truck.
I picked up an 89 2.3 5spd 2wd ranger for 300 bucks this fall, 140,000 miles, and have been tuning it up a bit. I did all the fluids and filters (except fuel filter) and am now replacing the radiator hoses, thermostat, timing belt, spark plugs, plug wires, and PCV valve. So I've got the alternator and radiator fan off and the engine is pretty accessible, so i thought it would be a good time to check on something:

The truck starts good and runs reliably at 21/25 mpg (with snow tires, sand, and 10% ethanol), and other than the muffler being blown out (up next), and a slow tranny leak, the only weird thing is a relatively loud banging noise, in rhythm with the engine rpm, which although it's too fast to count, seems to happen once each engine revolution. This noise always dissapears once the engine is warm (within 5 minutes), and never happened until the weather got cold. A mechanic friend suggested that it may be a valve not seating and that there wasn't anything that i should do about it. I haven't checked to see if the noise goes away at the same time the thermostat opens but i think it goes away much before that.
What do you think?
Thanks a bunch
Brian

 

[RangerFabWorks]

sounds like there too thick of an oil in it.

try running a 5w40 or a 5w30 and put a little marvel mystery oil in it.

just sounds like the oil is too thick, and when it warms up the oil is thinner.

 

[brianvonlehe]

Thanks

I had it with 5w30 then I tried 10w40, no change, but I was planning on going back to 5w30 anyways so i'll do it sooner, and try the Marvel Mystery oil.

 

[dangerranger83]

When I had my 2.3 in my truck before my swap it made ticking sounds in the cold but after a few minutes all ticking was gone.