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The dreaded rocker tick


vbrad511

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
155
City
Springfield, Illinois
Vehicle Year
1997
Transmission
Manual
My 4.0's got it, but only when I first fire up after sitting a while. It goes away after a few minutes. I'd think it'd stick around if it were a rocker issue. Should I be thinking more along the lines of I've got a lifter hanging? If so, can I run a flush in the oil to remove the snag? If so, what should I add?
 
Motor Flush tends to break a lot of junk loose that then plugs up other important things.

If you decide to replace lifters I recommend getting hardened rods and rockers from Delta Cam.

-PlumCrazy
 
Its the hydraulic lifters. One or more of them probably bleeds out when the trucks sitting so there's some slack in it causing a tick.
 
It's done this a couple times before. Always comes out of it after a day or two. This time has been a couple weeks. I even changed the oil when it started, no help. I've been meticulous about oil changes, running Mobil1 since about 2003 in it. I had a valve cover off last summer and things were clean inside, so I'm not afraid of running a little something through it, just don't know what. I also really don't want to drop $400 in lifters, rockers, and pushrods. It's been a great truck, but we're approaching the 215k mark. Work just died off and the cash supply is dwindling.
 
it really wont hurt you . only thing its going to do is annoy you mines doing the SAME sorta thing.
 
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More than likely the lifters are just fine. The problem with the upper end of the 4.0 is that the pushrods are solid and do not have oil passages through them like some other pushrods do. Therefore running the engine low on oil starves the upper end for oil. This in return starts to wear the pushrods and rocker arms creating the "Dreaded Tick" The correct way to fix it is to replace the pushrods and rocker arms. If you do decide to do this job you may as well replace the lifters also. But it shouldn't affect the running of the truck.
 
I have'nt had my '94 long, since April it's 155K miles and has that but it quites down after it warms.
I owned several F100 and 150 6 cyl and some of them would do the same thing. upon oil change I'd add a pint of Marvel Mystery and it would quite down until about time for another oil change. I am about due for a change in my Ranger V6 so am going to do same or maybe use synthetic. the engine runs fine.
 
There were also reports of the ticking (slight knock) coming from carbon build up on some of the pistons. I read it a few yers ago when researching noises on my motor. My truck only has 84k on it and has been very well taken care of. The sound is there at initial cold start up for a few seconds then goes away.

I have not put a scope into any of the cylinders to see if that is the isue I have had for several years but based on how mine is I would not say i tis hampering engine performance in any way shape or form. I do understand that the OHV motors have had some issues with valve train but witht he number of the on the road the issue could nto be all that bad or Ford would have went back and totally redesigned some of the parts.
 

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