Is this lifters or oil supply problem? - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

EA S · 03-13-2002, 14:30

EA 3.9 mpi Thought I had sticky lifter that pumped up after about 5 mins driving. Struck me this morning when it cleared at usual point that it clears suddenly just after I've gone down steep incline. I'm wondering if the oil is surging forward and that this is what's causing it to clear rather than the lifter suddenly pumping up. Oil level has been full to 4/5ths of between fill and full whole time. Haven't bothered to identify which lifter(s) yet as didn't seem important until now and will do tonight.

Any ideas?

ebxr8240 · 03-14-2002, 01:52

What oil filter are you using?
Quality one's have anti drain back valve,
without it air gets into system every time you
start up or there abouts.

Six's are supposed to run on thin/ner oil...
Try oil filter change.Do's wanders sometimes...
Tune up in a can ????
Take rocker cover off & check?...

XR_Strider_GuY · 03-14-2002, 03:08

Well i'd take a guess to say it'd be lifters. Don't think i've heard of oil pump problems on the Inline6's.

How many km's have you done EA S?

tickford2001 · 03-14-2002, 03:20

Id say it would be lifters. My EA S does the same thing. As the oil gets older mine tends to do it less...when I put new oil in, for the first 100 kms or so it really puts the tick in tickford! After that she gets better though, and after about 4000 kays it only does it on very cold nights / mornings for about 30 secs.

If you decide to get new lifters, let me know what the best price you find is...ill fix it soon, but will have to wait till i have the cash for my supercharger!

EA S · 03-14-2002, 15:11

Thanks all.

EF Falcon Guy: It's only got about 127.000 on it.

ebxr8240: Not sure. Probably Ryco.

Tickford 2001: I checked out lifter prices when I got it about 9 months ago and best I could find then was around $28 I think. Reco ones were around $15-16. The manual says they're not repairable, but I found someone selling reco kits at one stage. Haven't pulled one apart so I don't know what's in them or how you'd reco it. I liked the XF ones - about $6 each new the last time I bought them maybe five years ago. Nearly had a heart attack when I found out the EA price.

I'm afraid this is another of my self-induced stuff-ups by ignoring the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule.

When I got it at 117,000 it was tappetty and I gave it some engine flush and short interval oil and filter changes and cured it, so not a defective lifter problem.

I always change oil and filter at max 5,000k intervals, and often sacrifice some oil and filter to get all the crap out.

At the last change, like an idiot, I fell for the advice on the flush can to give it a flush at every change. Immediate lifter noise on start up and been there since, but usually dies after about 5 - 10 mins, especially if some highish revs put in. I thought I'd shifted some gunk into a lifter, but now I'm wondering if maybe I'd shifted it somewhere else in the oil feed system and was starving a lifter(s) somehow.

Martin · 03-14-2002, 19:30

Mine has 160k kms on it and I get lifter noise if I start it after its been sitting for 1-2hours after being warm. It goes away after about 10 secs

It doesnt do it when dead cold, only when 'mildly' cold.