Ok, so I heard ticking and used stethoscope to narrow it down to passenger valve train and/or timing chain area. I replaced lifters, inspected followers and did visual inspection of springs/valves. I had a lot of clatter after replacing lifters but seems to have subsided and unfortunately has same ticking I was after. Im not sure how much oil I’m supposed to get to passenger valve train but it trickles out. If anyone can listen to these videos and give me an idea of what it might be? I would really appreciate it. I did repair a hole in exhaust manifold recently, still have to do an exhaust test but it does seem to be coming from either cam/lifters/ timing chain hitting guide possibly???thanks
p.s. could also be valves maybe, I’m starting to notice it almost dying when it comes back down after revving it.
im starting to believe that passenger valve train is starved for oil, which caused my tick originally and then my lifters to not pump up. Does anyone know best way to clean camshaft/lifters oil galleys? I’m going to work on that tomorrow, although i guess it could also be the chain tensioner lowering pressure, but I’m leaning towards an oil pressure issue that’s not pumping up lifters, but chain does go from looser to tighter after it runs. Very tricky problem here, any ideas please???

 

Just a couple of thoughts
Sounds starved for oil to me.
If your timing chain guides have failed you need to clean the oil pickup screen on the oil pump. Have you measured oil pressure? Measure it immediately after start up (within 20 seconds or so) and again after engine has run for some period of time, something like 5 minutes with a rev or two. If pressure is significantly lower after running you likely have a clogged pickup screen.
Be aware that oil pressure gauge indicator on your dash is actually a switch and will show slightly to the right of center for any pressure above ~7 psi. Less than ~7 psi it will read zero

 

thanks for response, I decided it likely that my passenger head noise and failure for new lifters to pump was most likely a localized oil pressure problem. I’m in the middle of removing front cover, waiting for crank pulley remover, but I do have a question? Could a failed chain tensioner gasket cause oil starvation to lifters etc??? That’s first place I’ll be looking as well as oil galleys on that head… any input?

 

Also I heard a higher pitched screeching noise; un-related to your issue now but I think a pulley bearing is about to go.

 

there is a idler pulley that doesn’t sound , both actually were screechy when spun by hand, also when I pulled my Dorman tensioner I put on not long ago is grinding into timing cover a lil. Wonder if i can sand or grind it down a little, also, has anyone had experience experience replacing bearing in an idler pulley and if it’s hard? Trying to do this on budget. I’m waiting on cloyes timing kit, new melling oil pump(even tho I had pressure I figure it’s worth the 65 dollars. And of course timing tools I need. Depending on whether I discover my chain tensioner gasket blown and if i feel that was cause of low oil pressure to lifters, will dictate how much time I spend cleaning oil galleys on that head…. Sound like a plan?

 

so timing covers are off in my quest to correct a tick and possible oil starvation to pass head, and although it’s not the smoking gun I wanted, because there wasn’t obvious scratches anywhere , but when I pushed down on tensioner it made little fart noise, and I sure hope that’s what’s decreasing pressure to head and not causing lifters to pump up. Tomorrow I will pull tensioner and camshaft on pass side in order to start cleaning galleys and inspect while I wait for new tensioners and chain. I was hoping for a really limp tensioner or something but I guess we will see what I find tomorrow, not sure there’s enough evidence for me to rule out tensioner completely but I lean towards it, I was getting small amount of oil to head but it was like really slow drips coming out of lifters, the only thing that was slinging oil around with head off was chain. I’m thinking I’ll take an angle or something and mark my cam sprocket before I take it off so I have a 2nd reference mark…thanks for helping guys

 

so I think I found what I was lookin for!!! Blown tensioner gasket and piece of plastic in passenger rear cam journal where restrictor is!! So I’m confident that I’m on right track. I sprayed pb blaster thru oil galley just to make sure I had flow. Could only get oil plug off on front, very difficult in rear because I want to spray compressed air through it… I took crossmember off and oil pan, everything looks extremely clean except for cam journal, still waiting for parts and gonna continue cleaning, but curious if anyone has experience cleaning that oil supply hole in rear that leads down towards block/crank.? Does anyone have an oil flow diagram for 4.6 Windsor 2005ish? I still have to check the play in those valves, does anyone know how much wiggle is acceptable and what else I can look for, very hard to see below spring. Maybe measure height of springs I’ll do too… be back soon, thanks guys

 

Your pan was found to be very clean but for completeness don't forget to inspect the oil pump pickup screen. Good to hear you are making progress on this issue. Any idea where the piece of plastic originated?

 

not sure where plastic came from or if it was hardened gasket but I’m leaning towards a piece of oil bottle cap. I didn’t really analyze it, kind of tossed it to side after picture. But after this ordeal, I will only be using quality oil filters, and make sure i remove all plastic lids on bottles before adding oil… even though I was vigilant with changing oil I could see myself not removing little tag on bottle before pouring it in…hopefully i don’t have anymore in galley, pick up screen and rest of engine was incredibly clean for 168k.

 

Ok, so I got my parts today, I bought cloyes timing kit that didn’t come with longer bolt for updated guide. I ended up throwing in new melling standard pump even though I believe current one was working but did it for piece of mind. Also bought engine assembly grease for cam journals and cam lobes. Now I really don’t want to buy oil squirted, do I have to? I spun pump as I poured a lil oil in it before installing… maybe I try and crank first being I got plugs out. Also cleaned and painted front cover with oil based flat blk paint I had laying around. Goal for tomorrow is to get timing/ front cover and oil pan on. At what point is it good to test engine. I guess maybe just go all the way, possibly with exception of passenger valve cover? It might take a second to quiet down and don’t want it running without radiator? Also I found that gasket was blown on driver side tensioner…. I think I’m good to go and have everything besides oil squirted, let me know if I need it to prime? And when to test? I trust my work and if there’s anymore debris i would probably have to take heads off as I was only able to access oil galley plug in front.