bigwill1767

I have a 98 F-150 4.6 which has a loud knocking at the passenger side valve cover. I dropped some oil from the oil pan and did not see and metal shavings. I added some mystery oil but the knocking continued.Loaded the truck on a trailer and hauled to a mechanic to check for the problem. He said the oil ports are clogged and oil can not get to the cam shaft and the cam shaft bearings are probably causing the knocking. He said there is no way to fix this problem and I will have to replace the motor.
I called another mechanic and described what the other mechanic described. The 2nd mechanic said it would require a complete tear down of the motor and would be cheaper to replace the motor.
Another guy on another forum said """The cams don't use bearings, they ride on the head itself. If it's oil starved, the cams and the heads are wiped. Used engine would be the cheapest route"""
I recently bought this truck just to use for hunting and around town since it already has 198k miles on it.
I have 4 kids and 1 son getting ready for college so I really dont have the money to buy a new motor and pay someone to put it in. Is there any way to clean the gunk from the oil ports? The truck will still run but just has the loud knocking so I dont let it run for more that a couple minutes.
I have been reading many opinions for sludge blocking the oil passages and am considering removing the valve cover and filling with diesel and let sit for 24 hours then repeat then put in fresh oil and filter. Maybe this will clean the blocked passages. Any ideas?

Thanks for any help available,
Keven

ken.norwich

someone correct me if i'm wrong, i've never seen a ford ohc but i have had a few other cars that were ohc and when you remove the valve cover the cams should be right there held down by i'm assuming 4 or 5 main caps. those main caps would be the substitute for bearings and in effect are the bearing. i'm not sure if you could access the blocked passages from here but i would think you could. you should be able to strip down the top side of the head from my experiences just by removing the valve cover i'm just not sure of the flow passages. i'm not sure if this would help but maybe it will get the gears turning in your head or someone with more experience on here.

02-5spd-4me

if it were my i'd pull the valve cover off in see whats up in there. i've seen the baffles for the breathers inside of the valve covers let go and make alot of noise.

pickupsrule

I would listen to the people on this board before replacing the engine, they have good suggestions.
Try to actually look inside the engine to see what is going on.
Besides, I have known people to drive trucks daily with REALLY bad knocking sounds for years.
Some common causes of engine knock:
Defective main crankshaft bearings
A cracked or broken flywheel or flex-plate that attaches the engine to the transmission
A worn water pump bearing
A failed or loose timing belt tensioner can knock when the timing belt slaps against it
An ac compressor or clutch can knock when it is failing or icing up
An alternator with worn rotor bearings can knock when the pistons fire
ECM issues.
Plug blow out or failed spark plug.
Bad oil pump.
Clogged oil filter.
Engine overheating.

bigwill1767

Thanks for the advise. I will try to get some pictures and post on here. I have replaced a valve cover gasket once and thats as far as i have been inside an engine so I wont know what is wrong if I see it. If I have to replace the camshaft etc that looks like about 650.00 from looking online. I did find a motor from an expedition for 750.00 but I would have to pay someone to install it.

Fordtrucktexan

Well if it's gummed up you need to either get the oil out or broken up. Maybe you could add some Seafoam into the oil and run it for a few minutes to see if it'll help break up the gunk. You'll have to do an oil change almost immediately.

If you can take the valve cover off maybe you can clean the visible parts of the valvetrain and that'll help too.

But yea your engine is OHC (Overhead cam) and the damage could result in needing a new motor if it is ran with that noise you're describing.

bigwill1767

Hauled my truck back home tonight. As before, this mechanic says I will have to replace the motor because the camshaft bearings are burnt up. When I got home I wanted to take the valve cover off so I can see exactly whats going on. Discovered the mechanic never even took off the valve cover but is basing this opinion on what another mechanic told him.
Anyway, I started taking off the valve cover but will have to have a 5/16" deep well socket. I will get that tomorrow and revert with findings.

Thanks

bigwill1767

I got the valve cover off and found a piece laying in the bottom under the cam shaft. I dont know what you call this piece or why it came off. I dont think it has anything to do with what the mechanic told me, to replace the motor because the cam bearings are burnt up. I didnt see any bearings. I knocked a good bit of dirt inside also while trying to get the cover off. What do I need to do to get this fixed? See pics

Thanks

pickupsrule

Most likely at some point the previous owner used oil thicker than 5W-20 or used additives. Those Ford engines are specific designs and you must change the oil on a regular basis and it must be the weight specified by Ford. NO ADDITIVES. That's right NONE. That is direct from Ford. If the oil is too thick it will not properly lubricate the small oil ports like the cam ports. I posted on one thread not to use additives and got attacked by a lot of people but that's OK.
There are some things you can look at. Keep in mind I am going from memory of other engines most high performance imported or racing engines but the design should be similar.
Make sure all the oil ports on the cams are open and clean (they are little holes under the cam covers and the covers are probably magnesium) if theholes are plugged clean them out gently.
Also make sure the pickup tube in the oil pan is not clogged with junk.

As for another engine, I may be wrong on the Ford engine but I have NEVER had to pull an engine to replace overhead cams and components. The things are right there in your face. If you are going to keep the truck and they have them for your engine, go with roller cams, that is what they use in race cars and they really make a difference.

You get a used engine and you may be doing the same thing in a few months plus the cost of the used engine. If I had your problem and could not correct it myself I would take it to the nearest Ford fleet dealership that does a lot of pickups and let them look it over and tell you what needs to be done and how much it will cost. They charge 90.00 in my area for that but it is well worth it and if you let them do the repairs they deduct the 90.00 and best of all you will get a FORD warranty on the repair.

bigwill1767

Got more pics at photobucket linked below. It looks to me like everything is in place except this 1 rocker arm that came loose. I still have not found the screw that holds the rocker arm in place.
I bought Mobil 1 oil 5w20 and a mobil 1 oil filter today. I plan to clean the valve bank with a little diesel and a brush and remove all the debris out carefully then change the oil. I have read that the motorcraft oil and filter is best so if I can get the truck running again I will go ahead and change both again. Just using this Mobil 1 as a wash until I can get the motorcraft products. Also will drop the oil pan and check for debris and the strainer screen.
Questions
Can I use the oil pan gasket again?
Can I use the valve cover gasket again?
Suggestions as to what I should do next to proceed with repair would really be appreciated


http://s368.photobucket.com/albums/o.../FORD%20TRUCK/


Thanks