Engine Flush to Stop ticking 2.9

[HondaEater]

any ideas, seafoam maybe?

 

[hopster]

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.

 

[country0001]

The best fix is to install a 4.0.

It was a design flaw. The money you spend trying to fix the ticking would be better spent on a 4.0 swap. Cause whatever you do, it'll be temporary.

I drove my 2.9 ticking away for well over a year. Asked the questions , found the motor and did the swap.

The 2.9 was only available from 86 to 91 or 92? The 4.0 has been around a lot longer and have better upgrades available for it.

Since you have an 85, you should have a 2.8 carbed engine anyways. Might start lookin at a v8 swap.

 

[HondaEater]

I've got a 85 Bronco and a 88 ranger 2.9 with dual tanks..

 

[jhammel85]

2.9's tick. Not a very loud tick but they do tick. I wouldn't worry about it honestly..

 

[Colin]

you could try the lucas fuel additive, it has a top end lubricant, it helped quiet my 4L down

 

[wrecking-crew]

It is normal. I live with it. You should try too.

It did quiet down a little when i added some (1/3 can maybe) Seafoam to the oil, then did an oil change a little while later.

 

[shane96ranger]

My 91 Explorer with the 4.0 ticked (lifter) the entire time I owned it, which was 8 years. It never failed emissions like that, and had 23X,XXX miles on it when I sold it. I put about 80,000 on it myself.

The tick on mine would quiet down in warmer weather and after the motor had warmed up. Never gave me much of a reason to fix it.

 

[adsm08]

4 qts 10-30 CJ-4 spec diesel oil and a bottle of Lucas.

Cleans the crap out, quiets the lifters, and is better for flat tappet cams.

 

[adsm08]

you could try the lucas fuel additive, it has a top end lubricant, it helped quiet my 4L down

Not sure how a fuel additive will help something that is a product of the engine's lube oil system.

"Top end lubricant" refers to injectors and the part of the cylinder that is above the rings.

 

[HondaEater]

adsm08 is the diesel oil/lucas stabilizer combo going to clean out the rocker arm shafts, or am i going to have to take them out and get all the crud out of them. i know 2.9s tick, but mine is unbearable, and it does it after my 15 mile highway trip home from work everyday, so i am a bit worried about the top end being under lubricated, or not lubricated at all..

 

[exbass94]

I agree with the diesel rated oil, I do not agree with the Lucas. The stuff has no additives in it, will unnecessarily thicken the oil, and will just dilute the amount of strong detergents in the oil.

 

[JohnnyO]

+2 on the diesel oil. I run Rotella T-5 10w-30 in the Heep.
2.9's all tick though.

 

[Colin]

Not sure how a fuel additive will help something that is a product of the engine's lube oil system.

"Top end lubricant" refers to injectors and the part of the cylinder that is above the rings.

worked for me, plus it helps my gas milage

 

[adsm08]

adsm08 is the diesel oil/lucas stabilizer combo going to clean out the rocker arm shafts, or am i going to have to take them out and get all the crud out of them.

It will probably clean it out by itself. That's a big part of why I started running it in the first place. Unless they are full of hard carbon and varnish if should clean out by itself. Dumping some ATF in with the oil will help too.

I agree with the diesel rated oil, I do not agree with the Lucas. The stuff has no additives in it, will unnecessarily thicken the oil, and will just dilute the amount of strong detergents in the oil.

That's the whole point. Thicker oil won't let the lifters collapse as easily, which is why they tick in the first place.

worked for me, plus it helps my gas milage

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.