I have a 2006 F-150 that has been making a ticking noise after getting my oil changed from Superlube. My wife thought it would be a good idea since she had a $10 off coupon. After taking it to a friend of mine, we determined it was a lifter. We changed the oil, which smelled burned. We put 6L of 5W-20 synthetic and 1L of MMO. I have done this twice now in three weeks with no change. I'm thinking about trying an Engine flush. Any suggestions?

 

First, make sure you have a decent oil filter, not a fram or other cheap one. The Motorcraft fl820s is highly recommended, and is priced resonably. Good oil filters have a silicone anti-drainback valve, which keeps oil in the head while the engine is off. That way there's oil for the cam, lash adjusters, vct's, etc during cold starts. From what I've heard and read, an engine flush for these trucks is not a good idea because they have tiny oil passages. Those passages can get blocked with gunk that is dislodged during a flush. Also, any time you drain the oil or replace the filter, prime the oil system before running the engine. Holding the gas pedal down to the floor, turn the engine over for a few seconds at a time, about 5 times. Holding the pedal down disables the injectors so the engine won't fire up, but allows the oil pump to do it's thing.
Unfortunately, once you have a lash adjuster that's sticking and making noise, most of the time it needs to be replaced.

 

I went a head and tried the motor medic motor flush, ran it for 5 minutes at idle, drained everything, replaced the filter with a motorcraft oil filter, put a quart of oil through with the plug out to get a good drain of any gunk that did not come out initially, and then changed the oil with motorcraft 5w-20 synthetic oil. Still no luck. Do you know how much a repair would be? Is it worth paying an arm and a leg for a repair or more beneficial to replace the whole thing with a new one?

 

Well, that kind of depends. Personally, I would replace all of the lash adjusters. If one or more are bad, the others may follow. There's 24 of them (3 per cylinder). They're about $8 a piece individually, or get a set for less then $200. A mechanic will charge more. The labor will be more expensive. Getting the passenger side valve cover off is a beast and takes a while. The drivers side isn't hard. So repair cost for someone else to do it will depend on the shop and their rates. Maybe someone else will have a better idea on the cost. Do it yourself and it will be a lot cheaper.

 

I also have a question about replacing valve lash adjusters. I've researched and asked before but have gotten conflicting answers. Specifically, do the camshafts have to be removed to extract and replace the adjusters? (Mine is a 1999 f250 5.4l). I probably would not tackle the cam version. Sorry to barge into your thread but lewissa81 appears to know things. Thanks

 

I haven't cracked open a 2 valve 5.4, but I imagine you would have to take the cams off. Even if not, you should. That way you can inspect everything while you're in there. Lash adjusters fail because of oil issues and/or a lot of miles (age). The same conditions can wear on camshaft bearings too. So it just seems worth the extra effort to make sure everything is fine while you're in there.