Engine Flush to Stop ticking 2.9

[gribly]

Easy - run Shell Rotella T 15-40 oil, and DON'T USE ANY EXTRA ADDITIVES. Ever heard of what that Lucas crap does at high rpm? It foams. It'll probably be okay in a Ranger, but if you put it in a motor that cranks up much past 6k, it'll kill it very, very quickly. As an added bonus, all that stickyness and thickness that the lucas adds, there has been many a fellow that has pulled his motor apart after it failed only to find the oil pump committed suicide due to partially hydrolocking. All that crap is good for is to quiet down a noisy top-end in a car you're trying to sell - if you're a crook. I know reputable people use the stuff with good results, but just do some googling - there's horror stories everywhere that are a direct result of lucas oil additive.

So yeah, just run the Rotella T 15-40. It's got lots and lots of detergent in it, and keeps that 2.9 quiet and the lifters doing what they are supposed to do. It's the best "band-aid" for the 2.9 that you could do. Used to be about 5-6 years ago on here that's all that was suggested, seems people forgot or we just lost most of the old user base. Yes, I realize my join date doesn't reflect that I've been here that long, but I flat out didn't re-register when the forums changed software years back until I got another RBV.

 

[Colin]

If a fuel additive quieted a top end tick you probably had loud injectors. The 5.4 is really bad for this. 5.4 injectors can be as bad (and as loud) as 2.9 lifters.

Had a guy bring his truck in the other day complaining about an exhaust leak. It was injector tick.

cool thanks for the info man!

 

[adsm08]

As an added bonus, all that stickyness and thickness that the lucas adds, there has been many a fellow that has pulled his motor apart after it failed only to find the oil pump committed suicide due to partially hydrolocking.

I started running it in my Ranger about 8 years ago when she started smoking like a chimney. It held her together and made her run a lot better.

I just took that engine apart a few weeks ago, bottom end looked almost pristine. Well, about as good as you can expect from something that had 205K miles on it. You could see a bit of copper through the bearings, but it was all good.

 

[gribly]

Well, I'm not going to disagree with that. It makes sense that a product like that would help a motor that had issues. What doesn't make sense is putting it in a motor that is perfectly good to begin with.

 

[adsm08]

Oh I agree that if you don't have any problems at all, don't run it. My Escape is a fairly new engine. I run straight 5-20 in that.

If you only use a 20% mix though, it isn't bad. I couldn't tell when I drained it out of the Ranger engine after 3000 miles. It does mix in when you use it as directed.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

+ 1 on the ATF add 1/2 a quart about 100 miles before you change the oil and use a motorcraft filter. If it dont leak oil try some 10W30 synthetic but if you have any oil leaks it will leak more with synthetic. I put some cheapo oil in with half a quart of ATF and run it at medium speeds for around 100 miles and the oil came out black. I`m running synthetic now and my 2.8 has yet to make any ticking noises 2 yrs now. I plan on doing the ATF everu other oil change just to keep it clean.

 

[AllanD]

pull the valve covers and tighten the adjusters on the rockers. it is more likely to work than an engine flush. the best fix is new lifters.

Actually "adjusting the rockers" is a good way to create a tolerance stackup and crack the bases of the rocker shaft pillers and spew coolant into the oil pan.

The lifters ina 2.9 were designed without any way for them to purge air or crud out of the lifter.

AND the 2.9 suffers from designed in "oil control" issues
meaning oil doesn't get to where it is intended and NEEDED to go.

You can do anything you like but the problems cannot be "fixed"
by installing new but still flawed parts.

ford "fixed" the problem. The "fix" was replacing the 2.9 after
seven years of production with the greatly improved Cologne V6, the 4.0.

4.0's also "Tap" but on them the cause is different, and if you really understand how a 2.9's valvetrain goes together you'd see why the engineers made the mistake they did on the 4.0 that causes the socket in the underside of the rocker to wear and gall the pushrod tip.


The problem on a 2.9 is (eventually) always fatal
The problem on a 4.0 is merely annoying

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[adsm08]

. I put some cheapo oil in with half a quart of ATF and run it at medium speeds for around 100 miles and the oil came out black.

Once you get enough miles that will happen no matter how fast you change it.

I did the same thing on my B2, except I only ran it for 20 minutes. It still came out black. Oil gets trapped in the upper galleys and you will never really get it all out and get the oil coming out anything but black without a rebuild.

On the bright side, black means it's cleaning things.

 

[Louisville86]

I must be very lucky, because the 2.9 in my '86 hardly ticks at all. If you stick your head next to the valve covers you can hear a very slight ticking, but with the hood down there is none to be heard.

I had an '85 S-15 Jimmy with a carbed 2.8 that ticked like a mofo. What a pile of excrement that thing was. No power, terrible gas mileage, wouldn't pass emissions. And those were its good points!

BTW, where do I get that Rotella diesel oil?