light knocking noise in my F250

[BigSki]

I have an old beater truck, a 1990 F250 4x4. Last year I swapped in a complete drive train from a crashed F350 which consisted of : the 5.8, ZF-5 manual trans, D60 front and and 10.25 full floater rear axle. When the motor was out, I did the timing chain, rear main seal, resurfaced flywheel and new clutch kit.

I'm not a novice when it comes to automotive repair, but with that being said- every make has it's own unique issues and my Ford experience is almost non-existent. The noise that has appeared is much louder when the engine is cold, it is almost inaudible when the engine gets warm. It's a metallic tapping noise, similar to a rod knock or a bad wrist pin. The oil pressure is good, there's no metal particles in the oil so I'm ruling out a bad rod bearing. I do know that Ferd doesn't have adjustable rocker arms, so I'm leaning towards a worn/flat lifter or a rocker stud pulling out of the head.

Can anyone think of a way to isolate the probably issue without tearing apart the engine? The intake plenum has to be removed to gain access to the passenger side valve cover so I'd like to strong indication that it needs to be removed before I actually take it apart.

Thanks for any input.

[Draggermirage]

How dirty is the crankcase on that engine you installed? Dark in color and possibly some carbon buildup? You may have just a simple sticky lifter.

Without hearing it, I'm only guessing. Running an engine flush made by a reputable company (I prefer BG products as they simply work) can only help the engine condition if its moderately dirty.

[BigSki]

Originally Posted by Draggermirage

How dirty is the crankcase on that engine you installed? Dark in color and possibly some carbon buildup? You may have just a simple sticky lifter.

Without hearing it, I'm only guessing. Running an engine flush made by a reputable company (I prefer BG products as they simply work) can only help the engine condition if its moderately dirty.

no idea on how dirty the insides are, I flushed the engine w/ atf once I got it installed in the truck, the crud that came out was pretty nasty looking. I have a local shop that uses the BG products, I'll stop by after the hurricane and pour some flushing fluid into the crank case and give it a try.

[BigSki]

Update:

The BG 44K seems to be working, the ticking noise has dropped a considerable amount. I'll let the chemical do it's thing for a week then I'll change the oil and see where I'm at.

[BigSki]

I got my chemicals mixed up, the 44K goes into the gas tank to clean up the intake valves and fuel injectors, I ran a can through 1 tank and I can tell a difference, the truck just runs better. Today I met up w/ the local BG rep and got a can of the compression restorer, he told me it replaces the 'Quick flush' so I gave it a try- the crap that came out of the oil pan made the hair on my neck stand up. So after 2 flushes, the oil looks decent in the truck and the tapping is gone.

[Cordwood]

I think you're right on with a sticking lifter. I use Archoil AR9100 in my 6.0 Powerstroke. It makes a HUGE improvement with sticking injectors. It's well documented on the internet how well it works in the 6.0's. I'm sure it would do the trick for a sticky lifter.

AR9100-8oz FRICTION MODIFIER

[BigSki]

Originally Posted by Cordwood

I think you're right on with a sticking lifter. I use Archoil AR9100 in my 6.0 Powerstroke. It makes a HUGE improvement with sticking injectors. It's well documented on the internet how well it works in the 6.0's. I'm sure it would do the trick for a sticky lifter.

AR9100-8oz FRICTION MODIFIER

I hope it cures the issue. I have absolutely no desire to pull the engine and no place to actually do the job.