JUST developed a weird ticking..

Hey guys, i was low on gas so i got 5 bucks worth at shell [dont usually like their gas] and on the way home going like 60km/h and under u can hear a loud ticking in the engine.. before i had a bit of "piston slap" but its a lot worse, i think it just came around i didnt notice it earlier today, could it be the cheap gas i put in? Broken timing chain? It kinda worries me cuz its loud enuf to be annoying, it sounds like piston slap but louder like tick tick tick tick.. Anyone?

it could be bad gas, it could also be your lifters needing to be tightened, if it was your timing chain your engine would not start

I am not sure but I have heard that the oil pressure keeps the timing chain tensioned. If your oil pressure drops then the chain is no longer tensioned. I would try and find out what kind of oil pressure you are currently running with the high miles.

JT

I am not sure but I have heard that the oil pressure keeps the timing chain tensioned. If your oil pressure drops then the chain is no longer tensioned. I would try and find out what kind of oil pressure you are currently running with the high miles.

JT

maybe im wrong but i have a feeling you've been misinformed, when the engine is off, the oil pressure is at 0, which would make the timing chain completely loose, and with a completely loose timing chain, your engine would not start, keep in mind im not 100% sure on that, but one thing i am sure of though is if it was a timing chain issue, your engine would not even start

I bet the cheap gas is causing mini backfires or pre-ignition.Refuel with more than $5.00 worth(less than 2 gallons??) and it will probably go away.

maybe im wrong but i have a feeling you've been misinformed, when the engine is off, the oil pressure is at 0, which would make the timing chain completely loose, and with a completely loose timing chain, your engine would not start, keep in mind im not 100% sure on that, but one thing i am sure of though is if it was a timing chain issue, your engine would not even start

It would run. The slop in the chain would not be on the driven side of the chain, it would be on the other side regardless of how the chain was tensioned. I got my information from the owner of another 2.4 that had a pretty good ticking noise coming from inside the timing chain cover. A garage told him that if the oil pump was failing then the chain would not be properly tensioned as a result. I have looked at parts breakdown in a manual but the picture wasn't clear on how the proper tension was achieved. I could not see anything that would dispute what the garage had told him. I have seen a crook or two running garages so your guess is as good as mine. But the engine would still run until bearing failure on a main bearing or a rod journal bearing.

JT

Hmm, its been on and off for the last week now.. When its on though its pretty loud.. So you think my lifters need to be tightened? I have to bring it in for a few things anyways so should I let him know about that too? Im getting gf's dads friend to do it for cheap, how much hassle is tightening it?

BTW who uses synthetic oil? I think since the higher km's etc i am gonna try synthetic oil my next change, maybe it will stop some ticks and tocks in the engine also..

BTW who uses synthetic oil? I think since the higher km's etc i am gonna try synthetic oil my next change, maybe it will stop some ticks and tocks in the engine also..
i thought the older the engine gets, the better it is to use natural oil products... or i could be completely wrong! 2nd opinion anyone?

not sure on that one, i know on my father in law's 2003 ford lightning, it specifically says to use synthetic oil ONLY, engine doesnt even have 10,000 miles on it yet, ive also heard that it should be used on higher mileage engines, ive ALSO heard that it should just never be used under any circumstance, that its all around shit, another thing ive heard is that once you put synthetic oil in an engine, that you should never put regular oil in it again

i think alot of it is more of an opinion issue, but like i said, im not sure

not sure on that one, i know on my father in law's 2003 ford lightning, it specifically says to use synthetic oil ONLY, engine doesnt even have 10,000 miles on it yet, ive also heard that it should be used on higher mileage engines, ive ALSO heard that it should just never be used under any circumstance, that its all around shit, another thing ive heard is that once you put synthetic oil in an engine, that you should never put regular oil in it again

i think alot of it is more of an opinion issue, but like i said, im not sure

Yeah ive heard to use in higher milage engines, and if u use it once ur supposed to continue, also have heard ur not supposed to use it until the car is broken in. I havent heard much about it being shit tho, anyone else use it?

The word from the oil companies is that you can use synthetics in anything,and can switch back and forth with no problems whatsoever.They even claim if you are low on oil (synthetic) and top off with dynosaur oil (regular) its OK too.Actually,synthetic blend oils are 10% test tube and 90% dyno and they work OK as well.So,I guess that blows a lot of urban myths on synthetics.
Note though....that when Valvoline first started synthetics (early 90s),they recommended that it not be put in engines more than 5 years old unless the engine seals/gaskets have been replaced.At one time synthetics had no seal swell additives,I guess they do now,and the high mileage oils have more seal swell,thats the only difference from the regular synthetics.

I think the fuel is causing your ping. Cheap/weak gas seems to have less octane than good fuel. To test this, just add some octane booster. If it goes away, the fuel is stale.

As for synthetics, they are 100% compatible with conventional oil because it is the same base. They just make the molecules the same size, instead of the odd-sized ones in conv. This is why if an engine leaks a tiny amount on regular oil, then chances are it'll leak a lot with synthetic. Since about a year ago, I've been using Mobil 1 synthetic with Mobil 1/K&N Oil filters. Since the switch, fuel economy has slowly improved, the engine is spotless internally(I'm serious) after 200,000 miles on the clock, and engine load has decreased. Also, synthetic handles heat better and longer. Conventionals tend to sludge-up quickly. Do you have the OHV or OHC engine?