Lifter Tick solved Finally

[fordman4488]

Ok, got my Ranger which is a 90 4x4 with 2.9(obviously) about 5 months ago. I took some work to get it running because it had been sitting for 4 years. After an ECM, fuel sending unit, tune up, and rocker retainer spring, it was running. It had bad valve lash and horrible lifter tick. I put an oil pressure gauge on it(mechanical) and at 1100 rpm cold, it was running 7 psi of oil pressure, and warm at 4000 it was running around 30. I bought an oil pump off ebay (new just been sitting) and pickup for about 60 bucks shipped to my door, and hoped that my cam bearings weren't wiped out. Well 6 hours of work, we got it in and bam, 60 psi at cold idle, about 30 at warm idle, and 80 at 3000 up cold, and 60 at 3000 up warm. It fixed my lifter tick (still need to adjust one rocker and all the lash will be gone to). We did it with the engine in the truck(can't get the oil pan out so you have to drop the pump into the pan and put it back together in the pan). We also beat the book by 2 hours(book says 8 to do it) and had it running again in 6. I can't believe I got lucky and with 156000 my cam bearings are still good.

 

[spdcrazy]

wow props!

glad she's running for ya

 

[fordman4488]

funny part is that nothing is wrong visually with the old pump, but cant really see the pressure relief valve, so that is probably what is wrong

 

[baxtej44]

i also have a slight click on my 88 2.9L, and had someone say it was a clogged fuel injector?

what are the differences between the two sounds?

 

[fordman4488]

fuel injector is not as prodominant, and lifter tick is louder and lower in the engine. Also, IIRC, lifter will be a lower pitch tick than injector

 

[baxtej44]

hm, i will have to pop my hood and listen for the depth of the noise...

 

[90B24wd]

Well it's about time that I read about someone solving their ticking problems and not blaming it on the fantasy of worn cam bearings!

 

[90B24wd]

Also liked the way you replaced your oil pump and not wasting time.

 

[fordman4488]

yea, i was quite suprised that we beat the book, and we even reused the oil pan gasket cause all the part stores were closed and we hadn't got there in time, it wasn't leaking, and doesn't now

 

[90B24wd]

When I got my 90 BII running this past January my 2.9 would tick real loud and often.
The previous owner had replaced the original engine from a wrecking yard. Not knowing
he was sold an 1987 engine. Also the previous owner had trans trouble so he was not able to run the engine.
Bought the Bronco II for $650.00. Got a recently rebuilt A4LD from a rolled Ranger.
Then I found out that I had a very noisey engine. Read on another web site said don't use Fram oil filters. Well I replaced mine with a Motorcraft filter and the engine sounded better but still ticking. I opened up the valve covers to try and adjust the rocker arms and found that the ends of both shafts were abit dry. No oil flowing out from the rocker arms. I figure the shafts
had to be clogged. Punched a hole on one end about 3/16 and used a 1/8 welding rod
to see if it was clogged. Sure enough it would'nt go in an inch!!! I soaked the shaft in
lacquer thinner and began to rod it out with the 1/8 rod till clean. It took awhile.(used
the bottom tank of Ranger radiator as a tray to soak the shaft in so as not to waste thinner) I later mig welded the hole on the end. Also chamfered out the stem where the oil flows up to the shaft.
Now the oil just pours out of the rocker arms and down to the lifters. The Ford manual says a just 1 1/2 turns. Read somewhere that now it should be 2 turns.
What I did was I cut open a set of valve covers on the top and with an old heater hose I'd listen for the noisest lifter. Then I would turn off the engine and snug the rocker arm nut abit. I know at times I passed 2 turns. Figured the lifters are worned out from lack of oil. Read that if you tighten to much you can crack your Heads. I would
tighten the rocker arm so that I can hear a light faint tick.(This is my safety margin) Do not over tighten!!!
My engine is quite now but once in awhile i hear it ticking. Thats when I know my oil level is low.
Read that other ticking problems could be worn cam bearings, worn lifters, worn cam ect. I think the biggest problem is proper oil flow!!! Then you
would'nt have worn parts.

__________________This is what I wrote on another website Dec 2003

This is how I solved my lifter tick.

 

[fordman4488]

That not bad, But i went in and tightend the rockers before at 1.5, after we still had one rocker that had some lash, so I went through and redid them all, well all are right about 1.5 to 1.75 turns, and it is completely quiet, it ticks alittle on startup until the oil pressure is completely built up, then it is like a brand new engine. It is freakin awesome.

 

[90B24wd]

Beware though, according to some other know it alls, over tightening the rocker nuts can cause the pedestals to crack!
Honestly, have any of you out there solved your ticking problems
by replacing your " worn cam bearings"?
Year after year people keep asking the same old questions on this ticking problem and people have been getting the same old bull. That is why no one seems to be able to solve this minor problem.

 

[fordman4488]

My buddy did have ticking that was caused by the cam bearings, he ran it till he hydrolocked it, then rebuilt it. When being rebuilt, he had a shop do the cam bearings, and it has not ticked since. He did replace lifters and whole valve train when he rebuilt, but his cam bearings were wore and had spun and blocked the oil passages.

 

[90B24wd]

This is a new one for me. I've never heard of a cam bearing spinning in it's place blocking the oil passages.

 

[fordman4488]

It wore, then spun just enough to block the passage(like a 16th of an inch)