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Valve tick low oil pressure


b23

Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
22
Vehicle Year
1996
Transmission
Manual
Recently bought a B2300 and am having a valve tick problem. Changed the oil with 5w30, did the oil change cold will be doing a hot change in another 100 miles. Will be switching to 10w40 or 10w30 next oil change for 200-300 miles to see how that affects things.

Oil pressure gauge is reading about 1/3 up, not halfway where I would expect it

On cold starts I get a lot of valve tick, it will usually go away while driving once the engine gets up to temperature but will still occasionally tick when hot. From what I can tell, oil IS getting to the head.

When running, I dont see any splashing with the oil cap off, but I do see oil streaming over the plate that is over the cams.

Did a new oil filter with the oil change, should I take the oil pan off and check for crud blocking the oil pickup? Is it normal for these engines to tick, or is it likely to be an issue with valve clearance? Or do I actually have an oil pressure problem here? It does not sound like a major oil starvation problem but there is occasionally a screeching possibly from the cams which may indicate oil starvation

Sorry I did do a LOT of research the past 3 days trying to figure this out but most results I am getting are for different engines.. is there an engine code for my 1996 b2300 I can use to narrow the results?
 
Anyone have any advice for this? Does this sound like an actual oil pressure problem, or just a matter of using oil too thin on an older engine?

The thing is, the engine does NOT have 204K miles on it, it was rebuilt or a new one put in somewhat recently maybe 40K-100K miles ago. With that in mind, should I need 10w40 or is there a problem here? If so, where should I start looking?

Will be switching to diesel 10w40 today, but would prefer fixing the underlying problem rather than just band-aiding it with heavier oil.
 
some 2.3's tick, fairly normal, it would be safest to put a manual oil pressure gauge on it to see that the oil pressure is fine though. The gauge reading 1/3 doesn't say much as it's just a switch, anything above 5psi and it's supposed to read normal, otherwise zero...

As long as you have oil pressure anything should be ok, I run 10W30 in everything.
 
I have a 2.8L V6 in my Bronco 2, and a manual oil pressure gauge is reading anywhere from 5-20PSI and that's with an oil leak from the oil pan and front seal. My valves tick as well and they did the same on my Ford Ranger with the 2.8L V6. I think its a normal Ford thing that valves must tick as my 1988 Ford F-250 460 does the same thing.
 
Thanks guys, have some 10w40 I bought yesterday will be putting it in for a few hundred miles to see if it makes things any better, otherwise will be going to 10w30 which I think is a safe bet for long term use.

Car runs like a top overall, but at idle I started getting a "popping" from the TB/intake area last night. Have put about 700 miles on the truck since I bought it a few days ago and it runs great overall, and with a new MAF (and some very economy-conscious driving) I am on par to get 400 miles out of a full tank which I am estatic about :yahoo:

Im thinking the popping noise may be timing related and the popping is a backfire up the intake. It also seems to bog down a little bit in first gear... you give it some gas, it lugs and lugs, then picks up again and goes. It seems like an issue, not just the powerband. Idle was smooth the other day, but is now again "wavering" a little bit. Surging I guess would be another name for it.

I am honestly thinking its a computer problem, since with a new MAF it is still giving me a code. Will look around for a cheap computer to throw in and see if she drives any better. I will treat the valve tick like a non-issue for the time being, but if I get all the other problems sorted out I may tear the engine down and adjust clearances. The valve tick comes and goes with no apparent pattern so it is a bit odd to me.

Probably will use this more as a log for myself than anything else... seems my issues are not "the norm" - maybe will help someone out in the future
 
I have the same problem with my 4.0.... Run 80% 10w-40 oil and 20% Marvel Mystery Oil. It worked wonders. What causes it is excessive clearances on bearings and such from being run. I assume you have high mileage on the truck. Thicker oil will do the trick. Good luck!
 
Most of those oil additives are bad for the engine seals. The reason the stop leaks and help pressure is because they have no conditioners to keep the oil from eating the rubber seals. This in turn lets the oil penetrate the rubber and cause them to swell. In the long run the seals degrade and leak worse than they did before. Its a decent temp fix for things, but if you have a tick using the factory recommended oil, its time to rebuild, assuming you want it to keep running for a long time.
 
Most of those oil additives are bad for the engine seals. The reason the stop leaks and help pressure is because they have no conditioners to keep the oil from eating the rubber seals. This in turn lets the oil penetrate the rubber and cause them to swell. In the long run the seals degrade and leak worse than they did before. Its a decent temp fix for things, but if you have a tick using the factory recommended oil, its time to rebuild, assuming you want it to keep running for a long time.

I have to rebuild mine anyways so I'm only doing it to prolong the death of it lol
 
Thanks guys, have some 10w40 I bought yesterday will be putting it in for a few hundred miles to see if it makes things any better, otherwise will be going to 10w30 which I think is a safe bet for long term use.

Car runs like a top overall, but at idle I started getting a "popping" from the TB/intake area last night. Have put about 700 miles on the truck since I bought it a few days ago and it runs great overall, and with a new MAF (and some very economy-conscious driving) I am on par to get 400 miles out of a full tank which I am estatic about :yahoo:

Im thinking the popping noise may be timing related and the popping is a backfire up the intake. It also seems to bog down a little bit in first gear... you give it some gas, it lugs and lugs, then picks up again and goes. It seems like an issue, not just the powerband. Idle was smooth the other day, but is now again "wavering" a little bit. Surging I guess would be another name for it.

I am honestly thinking its a computer problem, since with a new MAF it is still giving me a code. Will look around for a cheap computer to throw in and see if she drives any better. I will treat the valve tick like a non-issue for the time being, but if I get all the other problems sorted out I may tear the engine down and adjust clearances. The valve tick comes and goes with no apparent pattern so it is a bit odd to me.

Probably will use this more as a log for myself than anything else... seems my issues are not "the norm" - maybe will help someone out in the future

I "used to" get 400 miles to the tank on my truck, somewhere around 28mpg if I drove all highway... best it's gotten in the last 7 years is 20-21 but that was after the 4x4 swap :)

Popping could be bad plug wires causing a misfire , but intake backfire is usually lean running.

Don't just go and throw parts at it, that's just a waste of money, and you're fine with the 10W40, just leave it for the next 3000 miles, it's just a 2.3, they're basically bullet proof... If there's a code, go get it pulled at a autozone or something, they'll do it for free, then only change what has an issue. The valves aren't adjustable as there are hydraulic lash adjusters, if you get really ambitious some day it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to change the valve stem seals, and while you are there throw a dime under each lash adjuster, should quiet things down...
 
I have the same problem with my 4.0.... Run 80% 10w-40 oil and 20% Marvel Mystery Oil. It worked wonders. What causes it is excessive clearances on bearings and such from being run. I assume you have high mileage on the truck. Thicker oil will do the trick. Good luck!
Bought the truck with 203,6xx on the odo but engine was replaced or rebuilt at some point. Am thinking the same - engine probably still has 100,000+ miles and was not driven a lot recently. Havent had time to change oil yet but will tomorrow to 10w40. Thanks!
I "used to" get 400 miles to the tank on my truck, somewhere around 28mpg if I drove all highway... best it's gotten in the last 7 years is 20-21 but that was after the 4x4 swap :)

Popping could be bad plug wires causing a misfire , but intake backfire is usually lean running.

Don't just go and throw parts at it, that's just a waste of money, and you're fine with the 10W40, just leave it for the next 3000 miles, it's just a 2.3, they're basically bullet proof... If there's a code, go get it pulled at a autozone or something, they'll do it for free, then only change what has an issue. The valves aren't adjustable as there are hydraulic lash adjusters, if you get really ambitious some day it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to change the valve stem seals, and while you are there throw a dime under each lash adjuster, should quiet things down...
Problem is it throws a P0102 code which is MAF but I already replaced it and it drives much better. But the code persists, and it seems to bog down sometimes (perhaps it is just REALLY gutless in low revs?), I will do wires and plugs tomorrow and see where that leaves me. Have a warranty on the MAF I bought so I could go trade it out for a different one. I my do this next time I am in the area. Great to hear it has hydraulic adjusters, I will do the 10w40 soon. Should be fine for the sunny AZ temps anyways.
 
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Before you change the oil, add a quart of trans fluid in to the engine oil. Let it idle for about 20 minutes, then change the oil. The trans fluid will clean out any plugged passages in the engine. It works.
 
Before you change the oil, add a quart of trans fluid in to the engine oil. Let it idle for about 20 minutes, then change the oil. The trans fluid will clean out any plugged passages in the engine. It works.

Does it really? I've seen a lot of mixed emotions on this... I wanted to try this but I've been weary of it...
 
Hydraulic lifters can bleed down after the engine sits for a while. It is normal as long as they lifters 'pump up' within a short period of time.
The 'gauge' is a fake unless an instrument panel 'mod' is made. The factory substitutes a resistor in the circuit feeding the gauge. As long as the oil pressure switch opens/closes, which it will do at ~5psi, the gauge will read 'in the middle' more or less. If you are paranoid, get a manual gauge, connect it permanently or temporarily, and 'know' your pressure for that oil at that temp.
If your MAF got any crud on the 'hot wire' it will not respond properly, and generally will cause hesitation on acceleration. You should be able to disconnect it, and it will set the SES or CEL light, but the vehicle will run 'better' if it is the problem, as it uses memorized table values instead of the bum readings of a broken MAF.
tom
 
Had a huge HLA issue with my wife's former 89' probe gt.

We fixed it by changing the oil and going with a higher quality oil filter. (We all now think of "Fram" as the real 4-letter word) Napa gold or silver. For some reason? It loved those Wix filters. (Wix makes napa filters..)

S-
 
some 2.3's tick, fairly normal, it would be safest to put a manual oil pressure gauge on it to see that the oil pressure is fine though. The gauge reading 1/3 doesn't say much as it's just a switch, anything above 5psi and it's supposed to read normal, otherwise zero...

As long as you have oil pressure anything should be ok, I run 10W30 in everything.

How much tick is too much? My ranger has a tick when under load at about 2500-3500 RPM or so. 2.3 engine has been reworked but not rebuilt, just new gaskets and seals on the block, then has a rebuilt hydro head with roller cam. Runs well and have good power and seems fine but concerned with ticking noise. Looks like we are almost neighbors Scott, haha.


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