1993 Ford Ranger Valve Clicking

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WILLYT
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I recently purchased a 1993 Ford Ranger extended cab. I noticed when I bought it that there was a clicking noise coming from the engine like the valves were clicking as though low on oil,. It will click for about 10 to 20 seconds then quiet down to normal sounding then start clicking again. It also does it when going down the road. It currently has 163K miles on it. It does not leak oil and the previous owner had copies of all repairs done, including transmission fluid flushes, replaceing engine head gaskets, brakes, etc. It has no loss of power, but does seem to burn some oil, having to add one quart within th 3K miles oil changes. I have added both Slick 50 and Lucas oil additive to try to quiet the valve clicking to no avail. I also have noticed that the engine temp gauge goes up just very slightly once it is warmed up, just past the cold line, no matter how hard or how long I drive it. What could the clicking be? I was told by a friend that it could be the idler
Dec 29, 2006 at 9:02 AM
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2CARPRO JACK
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Injectors click, but not that loud.Try the recommended weight oil for that engine, no additives. Other than that , hang a manual oil pressure gauge on it to eliminate a pressure problem.
Dec 29, 2006 at 9:05 AM
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WILLYT
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I have been adding 10w40 rated oil. Also where do you put or hang the manual oil pressure gauge at on the motor?
Dec 30, 2006 at 12:59 AM
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2CARPRO JACK
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 11,533 POSTS
remove the factory sender and install it there
Jan 3, 2007 at 4:42 AM

Suggested Repair

Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight with no additives, and install a manual oil pressure gauge in place of the factory oil-pressure sender to check for a pressure problem.

Conversation Summary

The owner of a 1993 Ford Ranger with 163,000 miles reports intermittent engine clicking that sounds like noisy valves, slight oil use, and a temperature gauge that stays just above the cold mark. Additives did not quiet the noise. The expert said injector clicking is normally quieter, advised using the recommended oil weight without additives, and recommended checking oil pressure with a manual gauge installed where the factory sender is removed.

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