fuel filter replacement and rattling lifters

I've tried everything to stop noisy valves clatter....using plus fuel has helped in the past but now it doesn't. Any suggestions? Also, where is the fuel filter on a 99 windstar located. Course autozone says on passenger side real easy...lol...thanks for any help...

I think it is actaully on the driver's side. It is between the driver's door and the rear tire along the bottom of the van near the edge. I hope that is clear. Once you stick your head under you will see it.

I've tried everything to stop noisy valves clatter....using plus fuel has helped in the past but now it doesn't. Any suggestions? Also, where is the fuel filter on a 99 windstar located. Course autozone says on passenger side real easy...lol...thanks for any help...

Noisy lifters will not be fixed by using higher octane fuel. This will stop pinging which is preignition(whole different noise). You didn't have noisy lifters if the change in fuel stoped the noise.

How do you know it's noisy lifters?

Regards

Dan

Noisy lifters will not be fixed by using higher octane fuel. This will stop pinging which is preignition(whole different noise). You didn't have noisy lifters if the change in fuel stoped the noise.

How do you know it's noisy lifters?

Regards

Dan
Thanks for the help dan, the idea of lifters chattering is one I've gotten from my father. The noise is bad at acceleration and the van does not want to take hills, the noise is extremely bad when speeding up. Any ideas? I don't know why the plus seems to have made it sound better before, as I've mentioned it doesn't help now. I've tried a oil stabilizer suggested by auto advance it didn't help either. Thanks for any ideas, fred

You are correct to replace the fuel filter.

If that doesn't do it, and you do not (yet) have a CEL (or MIL on the '99): I will offer the following wild guess ...

The upper intake isolator bolts may be in early stages of failure (and I haven't made the connection of "why"), but this usually seems to associated with plugging of the EGR jets in the lower intake manifold. Once a couple of jets are plugged, you can count on pre-ignition knock. Further deterioration of the bolts will lead to codes P0171 and/or P0174.

Like I said ... " a wild guess".

Thanks for the help dan, the idea of lifters chattering is one I've gotten from my father. The noise is bad at acceleration and the van does not want to take hills, the noise is extremely bad when speeding up. Any ideas? I don't know why the plus seems to have made it sound better before, as I've mentioned it doesn't help now. I've tried a oil stabilizer suggested by auto advance it didn't help either. Thanks for any ideas, fred

Fred

How many miles do you have on your Windstar? At 177,000 I replaced the rod bearings on my 3.8 because I heard a tap, tap, tap, on startup before the oil psi was able to be built up. I found that all of the rod bearings had copper showing (copper = bad) on all of the upper inserts. The cap or lower insert looked just about new. #6 rod was the worst warn. Now I don't hear the noise on start up. The best 35.00 I've ever spent.

You could be hearing the rod bearings talking.

Years ago my dad had a noisy lifter on a International 266 V8. He added a bit of ATF and that lifter quited right down.

Regards

Dan

Fred

How many miles do you have on your Windstar? At 177,000 I replaced the rod bearings on my 3.8 because I heard a tap, tap, tap, on startup before the oil psi was able to be built up. I found that all of the rod bearings had copper showing (copper = bad) on all of the upper inserts. The cap or lower insert looked just about new. #6 rod was the worst warn. Now I don't hear the noise on start up. The best 35.00 I've ever spent.

You could be hearing the rod bearings talking.

Years ago my dad had a noisy lifter on a International 266 V8. He added a bit of ATF and that lifter quited right down.

Regards

Dan
thanks dan...the windstar only has 56000 miles and the noise isn't really at startup. Its more when accellerating or anytime I have to gain speed it has a very hard time climbing hills. Last year we vacationed in gatlinburg....boy did I think it would blow up.....thanks again for any input.fred

Lasabremint,

Did the oil pan come off without any obstructions? Can one put new rod bearings in without machining the crankshaft?

Lasabremint,

Did the oil pan come off without any obstructions? Can one put new rod bearings in without machining the crankshaft?
DRW1000

I had to drop the exhaust crossover pipe. Watch those nuts on the manifold. If in doupt heat them up with a torch so you don't break the studs off.

As to replacing the inserts without machining the crank. I figured the crank wasn't scored so I felt it could't hurt. I didn't even check the clearence. I figured that the rods were quite after the oil psi built up so it couldn't be that bad yet. It was a good time to clean out the oil pan. I also repainted the pan. Yes they do rust through!

Regards

Dan