hydraulic lifters in a 2.8

[prestonrucker]

is there any way to put hydraulic lifters into a 2.8? waould like the get rid of the chattering sound.

 

[dangerranger83]

I think your stuck without them. All you need to do is adjust the lifters, not to hard to do. The ticking sound is something that you get use to, its normal for these engines.

 

[Hotrodlincoln]

You probably could with a LOT of custom work. But it's just not worth it. Pull the valve covers and adjust the lash adjusters. It's not hard, takes maybe an hour (hour and a half if you've never done it before), and makes a world of difference. It helps to use a feeler gauge, but it's not 100% necessary.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

get new valve cover gaskets and adjust them cold in the tech library under 2.8 V-6 .014 intake and .016 exhaust and depending on how many miles I recommend valve guide seals while you have the covers off but not necessary if your holding oil. I adjusted mine out then back to where it was firmly touching the feeler guage but not too tight. Then I put a cup of ATF in the engine oil and warmed the engine up good to flush the oil system and get the oil flowing to the rockers and changed the oil. use the motorcraft oil filter and depending if you engine holds oil a good 5-W30 synthetic helps get the oil to the upper end.

 

[enginepaul]

That insulator under the hood helps with the click - but the click is part of the charm. Adjust the rockers and enjoy it.

 

[prestonrucker]

well im going to get the motor rebuilt soon and was figuring out what i can do to it to make it a little better... so far i have decided on the duraspark ignition change and was thinking about the holley 350cfm carb, comp cam. and either the tubular maniford off an older aerostar van (one of the previous forums said it will fit) or the headers off summitracing.com but i was also unsure if they would fit on the 4x4.

 

[prestonrucker]

oh and what would be best? original timing gear or timing chain?

 

[dangerranger83]

The engine is made to run with gears. Gears are stronger then the chain driven set-up, you dont have to worry about the chain stretching or breaking. Just keep the gears.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

You cant use a chain the cam and dizzy spin the opposite direction. I think you can get a HP cam and the holly 350 from all I have read is too big for the 2.8l. A motorcraft 1.08 venturi 2 barrel is plenty of carb just adjust the jet size If you dump too much fuel down its throat what dont dump out the exhaust ends up in the engine oil.

 

[Hotrodlincoln]

Pull the valve covers and adjust the lash adjusters. It's not hard, takes maybe an hour (hour and a half if you've never done it before), and makes a world of difference.

I'll take this back.
The time I adjusted the rockers on my old truck I had already done the duraspark swap, and had none of the wiring, none of the AIR BS in the way, none of the vacuum hoses or any of that. I just did it tonight on my 85 (needed it BAD, I swear one of them had a full 1/8" of play in it) what a pain in the ass!!!! Took me 3 hours, mostly because of having to move all the wires and AIR system crap out of the way so I could get to all the bolts to get the valve covers off. Still worth the time and the 8 bucks for the gasket set though. It purrs like kitten now rather than sounding like a dryer full of marbles.

 

[JoshT]

I think you can get a HP cam and the holly 350 from all I have read is too big for the 2.8l.

I doubt that last part, I used to run a 390 CFM double pumper with no problems at all. The engine would use quite a bit of that carb to.

 

[small ranger]

I second JoshT ^. I have a 2.8 with a 390 cfm with vac secondaries and the motor uses more of the secondaries then most people think.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

I dont know do they make floating rockers for the 2.8l

 

[JoshT]

There may be a company out there that makes then, but I haven't found it yet. That said you can make them your self, can't remember where I saw the tech article at though. It was either here or RPS I believe. If you can find a copy of the Sevn Pruitt book IIRC the title is How to build & modify the Ford 60 degree V6, it has instructions on the process.

 

[Eric Kropp]

The neat thing about solid lifters and timing gears is the built in durability that comes with them. When the lifters are adjusted there is no rattleing when it fires up cold and you don't have to worry about the chain coming apart and valves hitting pistons and nice things like that. My Ranger has 345000 miles on the engine and sounds like a new engine when it starts. I changed the valve seals that are inside the springs...that's it.

Eric