Rebuilt 99 4.2L - Noisey - PLS HELP
#1
05-22-2018, 10:13 AM
Join Date: May 2018
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Rebuilt 99 4.2L - Noisey - PLS HELP
I am at my wits end here....can't find issue(s).
Here's the story, will try to be brief but have lots of details to include.99 F150 4.2L, auto, extended cab. 184k miles.
Bought trunk in Sept 2018 (Florida, great body, bad tranny – no reverse). Engine ran solid and quiet. Trunk sat for 9 months with some periodic starting.Removed tranny, sent out to shop for rebuild. While under truck noticed freeze plugs leaking behind engine mounts. Checked also, it was very high level and brown (water mixed in). Pulled engine – found failed lower intake gaskets, decided to rebuild this 4.2L.
Disassembled all, no real internal damage except for 2 cam bearings were very rough, not totally shot. All mains and rod bearings well within spec (hats off to ford). Sent block to shop for hot tanking and to put in new cam bearings. Also found eroded port on 1 head (previous owner ran water instead of anti-freeze). I hate when they do that. Got used 02 head from junk yard. Lightly polished crank and cam – both were in great shape.Reassembled all with “new” parts as follows:
Clevite main, rod and cam bearings & piston rings
Oil pump & pressure relief valve
Serpentine pulleys & water pump
12 new lifters and push rods (ebay special)
Lapped both heads (valves)
Timing chain & tensioner (ebay special)
All new gaskets
Brass freeze plugs (about 6).
Put all back together with black assembly lube (rebuild was interrupted by hurricane Irma), but we had to evacuate – no choice here.Truck ran with miss – found I was one tooth off on cam position sensor, then great for about 5 hours – only drove about 20 miles and idled most of time (to break in new parts). Changed oil to (5w30) after about 2-3 hours of run time. Minor oil leak at harmonic balancer (main seal).
Now for the mysteries……Liters/rockers started tapping - like 1-2 were failing on each side of engine. Got quieter after warm up but would not go away. Changed oil a few times using different brand filters and different oil weights – no change in noise.
Decided to bite the bullet and ordered “Ford” oem lifters, received 4 identical lifters and 8 “newer version“ lifters (skinny roller than orig). Decided to put in 4 new matching lifters and cleaned and installed 8 of the old original factory lifters. Wider roller is better imho.Started engine and now have very loud tapping / knocking, lifters appear to be all quite. Knocking is very loud, sounds like rod bearing knock, definitely internal. Have good oil flow to all rockers. Oil pressure reading about 75 on old mechanical gauge (high reading maybe due to old gauge or air in gauge line). What could this loud knocking be? All new parts, took my time on assembly. The only thing I changed is the lifters and new rockers. No play in rockers/lifters when I check them. Also cranked engine without plugs – no mechanical noise present.I am totally frustrated & stumped here!
Removed intakes yesterday and inspected lifters & cam, all look okay, put pressure on each lifter – can’t budge them – all seemed to have pumped up correctly.I can’t pull oil pan off without pulling engine. How to check rod bearings for play? Could this be bad ebay timing chain and tensioner suddenly making this knocking? Faulty new oil pump? Can one of old lifters be plugged/sticking and cause this knocking? It very hard to identify exact location of noise.Summary: Changed lifters and “sewing machine” noise gone, now have loud knocking…..grrrr.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Here's the story, will try to be brief but have lots of details to include.99 F150 4.2L, auto, extended cab. 184k miles.
Bought trunk in Sept 2018 (Florida, great body, bad tranny – no reverse). Engine ran solid and quiet. Trunk sat for 9 months with some periodic starting.Removed tranny, sent out to shop for rebuild. While under truck noticed freeze plugs leaking behind engine mounts. Checked also, it was very high level and brown (water mixed in). Pulled engine – found failed lower intake gaskets, decided to rebuild this 4.2L.
Disassembled all, no real internal damage except for 2 cam bearings were very rough, not totally shot. All mains and rod bearings well within spec (hats off to ford). Sent block to shop for hot tanking and to put in new cam bearings. Also found eroded port on 1 head (previous owner ran water instead of anti-freeze). I hate when they do that. Got used 02 head from junk yard. Lightly polished crank and cam – both were in great shape.Reassembled all with “new” parts as follows:
Clevite main, rod and cam bearings & piston rings
Oil pump & pressure relief valve
Serpentine pulleys & water pump
12 new lifters and push rods (ebay special)
Lapped both heads (valves)
Timing chain & tensioner (ebay special)
All new gaskets
Brass freeze plugs (about 6).
Put all back together with black assembly lube (rebuild was interrupted by hurricane Irma), but we had to evacuate – no choice here.Truck ran with miss – found I was one tooth off on cam position sensor, then great for about 5 hours – only drove about 20 miles and idled most of time (to break in new parts). Changed oil to (5w30) after about 2-3 hours of run time. Minor oil leak at harmonic balancer (main seal).
Now for the mysteries……Liters/rockers started tapping - like 1-2 were failing on each side of engine. Got quieter after warm up but would not go away. Changed oil a few times using different brand filters and different oil weights – no change in noise.
Decided to bite the bullet and ordered “Ford” oem lifters, received 4 identical lifters and 8 “newer version“ lifters (skinny roller than orig). Decided to put in 4 new matching lifters and cleaned and installed 8 of the old original factory lifters. Wider roller is better imho.Started engine and now have very loud tapping / knocking, lifters appear to be all quite. Knocking is very loud, sounds like rod bearing knock, definitely internal. Have good oil flow to all rockers. Oil pressure reading about 75 on old mechanical gauge (high reading maybe due to old gauge or air in gauge line). What could this loud knocking be? All new parts, took my time on assembly. The only thing I changed is the lifters and new rockers. No play in rockers/lifters when I check them. Also cranked engine without plugs – no mechanical noise present.I am totally frustrated & stumped here!
Removed intakes yesterday and inspected lifters & cam, all look okay, put pressure on each lifter – can’t budge them – all seemed to have pumped up correctly.I can’t pull oil pan off without pulling engine. How to check rod bearings for play? Could this be bad ebay timing chain and tensioner suddenly making this knocking? Faulty new oil pump? Can one of old lifters be plugged/sticking and cause this knocking? It very hard to identify exact location of noise.Summary: Changed lifters and “sewing machine” noise gone, now have loud knocking…..grrrr.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
#3
05-22-2018, 02:33 PM
Join Date: May 2018
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Block was dry as a bone post hot tank. Engine was first ran for about 15-30 min. (check for leaks), then changed oil and coolant (to flush out any residues).
One more detail to mention.....upon cleaning 8 old lifters the old oil/water mix was still in them and they had lots of varnish too.....all were cleaned well with wd40 and then carb cleaner, then oil brushed on inside/out side of lifters....all lifters not totally shiny but very clean.
One more detail to mention.....upon cleaning 8 old lifters the old oil/water mix was still in them and they had lots of varnish too.....all were cleaned well with wd40 and then carb cleaner, then oil brushed on inside/out side of lifters....all lifters not totally shiny but very clean.