lifter noise

If it is truly lifter noise, ignore it, else pull the valve cover and adjust the valves.

A slight tapping of the lifters in not a problem. Annoyance, maybe. But not a problem.

On Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:44:45 -0700, Jeff Strickland rearranged some electrons to say:

1994? Hydraulic lifters.

When do the lifters tap? Is it when the engine is cold, or hot?

After a recent oil & filter change?

Did you mean to state it is a 1983 (or earlier) F-100 (Seventh Gen.)?

The F-100 was dropped as a base model in 1983, replaced by the F-150 with galvanized body panels in 1984.

Or, is it a 1994 F-150 (Ninth Gen.))? How many miles on the engine?

Ever changed out the engine, for a used one, or changed the oil pump?

Have you done an oil pressure test?

Though the hydralic lifters are said to be 'maintenance free', dirty oil can cause them to tap. A weak oil pump or excessive sludge, can cause oil starvation. Too low an idle speed can cause too low an oil pressure.

Sure. Ford used hydraulic lifters since at least the early '60s. Just because the lifters are hydraulic does not preclude an adjustment at the top of the pushrods. The lifters ride on the cam lobes and raise the pushrods which push the rocker arms which open the valves. The valve springs cause all of this stuff to move the other direction when the cam lobes transition to the other side. Typically, the rocker arm has a socket that the pushrod fits into, and the socket can be adjusted.

Frankly, a slightly loose rocker is a better condition than a slightly tight one. Depending on the condition of the engine, I'd leave this one alone.

All of that is true, plus the lifters can become sticky from the sludge that builds up inside. This kind of problem normally goes away after the engine warms up a little. If a lifter makes noise when it's hot, then there could be an adjustment problem, or the lifter has simply worn out.

Lifters have a small one-way valve that lets the lifter fill with oil. The oil can drain and refill and repeat. If the valve (basically a ball and spring) get sticky with sludge, the fill part of the drain-fill cycle is a bit long, and filling is not complete before the cam lobe comes around, and the resulting looseness is heard as a tap.

On Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:44:18 -0700, Jeff Strickland rearranged some electrons to say:

I think you're wrong, but I don't have time right now to research it.

What part do you think he's wrong about?

I had a '65 Mustang with the 200 ci 6 that had hydraulic lifters. I also had a '63 F100 with the 292 V8 that had hydraulic lifters.

The entire line up of the 289 had hydraulic lifters, with the exception of the either K or L motor -- I forget which it was, but I want to say, K -- that had solid lifters. Whichever of these had the solid lifters was the High Performance 289 used as a special order motor on the Mustang GT, and probably the Shelbys.

But whatever.

Ford has used hydraulic lifters for a very long time. The rockers have an adjutment for initial setting of the lifters. Ordinarily one should never have to adjust the lifters, but it's always worth a try before embarking on the work needed to replace them.

Really??? I though all Y-Blocks only came with solid lifters.

From

: "Another unusual feature was that all Y-blocks had a solid lifter cam using mushroom shaped lifters. Because oil gallies for hydraulic lifters were never cast in, it appears Ford never intended to install them."

From http://66.154.44.164/forum/showthread.php?t=496770 : "All Y Block Ford and Mercury engines made in the USA had the same lifter used in Ford industrial 134 and 172 engines. They are solid mushroom design. The Y block has no way to provide oil to the lifters so no, you cannot put hydraulic lifters in."

Other references:

Ed

On Thu, 07 Oct 2010 09:10:09 -0700, Jeff Strickland rearranged some electrons to say:

Let me be clear, I think you're wrong about hydraulic lifter rocker arms having adjustements like solid lifter rocker arms do.

I know Ford has been using hydraulic lifters for 50 years.

Some do, some don't. I've found the ones with adjustments are the stamped steel ones in most cases. The cast/forged arms are typically non-adjustable.