HELP!!!!! I may be screwed!!!!!!

[MarauderMarc]

Okay, I know that I probably made a BAD decision, but please, I dont want any crap. Today I noticed a ticking (not a knocking) coming from my engine. It has never been there before. Yesterday I changed my oil. When I bought the oil I bought Mobil1 Pure synthetic 10w30. When I popped my hood to do the oil change, I noticed it said 5w20. The advice I got was that it wouldnt make a difference, so I put it in. Now today I notice a tick. Could that be the problem or do I have something different and more serious? Like I said, its a tick, like tapping the tip of a pencil lightly on a desk.

[Bluerauder]

When I bought the oil I bought Mobil1 Pure synthetic 10w30. When I popped my hood to do the oil change, I noticed it said 5w20.
No crap here !! :rolleyes: I suspect that this is just a coincidence and I doubt that a problem would have shown up that quickly unless you ran the Pi$$ out of it after the change. Have you had extremely hot or cold weather in the past day or so?? Either way, I would do another oil change soon and this time read the label. ;) Good luck !!! Oh yeah, minimum 91 at the pump too !!! :rofl:

P.S. Disclaimer: I don't know Jack about oil. :D

[MarauderMarc]

No crap here !! :rolleyes: I suspect that this is just a coincidence and I doubt that a problem would have shown up that quickly unless you ran the Pi$$ out of it after the change. Have you had extremely hot or cold weather in the past day or so?? Either way, I would do another oil change soon and this time read the label. ;) Good luck !!! Oh yeah, minimum 91 at the pump too !!! :rofl:

P.S. Disclaimer: I don't know Jack about oil. :D

I changed it yesterday, and did open it up on a back road soon after. Today it is @83 degrees and we have been seeing a fluctuation between 55-80 something degree weather. I only use 93 octane and have a tune for it. Ive been reading the "ticking threads" and hope to God I dont have to replace a head.

[RF Overlord]

Marc, it's unlikely that using 10W-30 would cause any issues so quickly, especially in the temperatures you see in FL. Many people routinely use 10W-30 in their Vics and GMs in Florida, Texas, etc. with no ill effects. You should probably change it out for 5W-30 or 5W-20 at your earliest convenience, but I doubt using it for just a day or two could damage anything. If you DO have the infamous "head tick", it wasn't caused by this...

[SergntMac]

There's always a risk of uncovering something odd when changing lubricants, but don't panic. May be just a side-effect. Though you may drain the pan and refill, there's always about a quart of the old stuff in odd places, like inside the valve train.

Prepare for a short term oil change. Add a crankcase wash like Seafoam or Auto RX to the crancase and drive for 500 to 1000 miles, and change again. You stil won't be 100 percent synthetic, but more of the dino blend will be flushed out.

If you still have the tick after this, it's prolly permanent and unrelated to the exchange of lubricants.

[Vortech347]

The noise your hearing isn't because of the oil. My car does that little tick about once a week.

Nothing will "blow up" Unless maybe you used some nice 50 weight. :)

[Marauderjack]

Mac has tested a bunch of different oils from an engine cooling standpoint and related oil pressures and I think he concluded that the lighter oils work much better in our engines!! Change it back to 5W20 Motorcraft and see if it gets quiet.:confused: I use Mobil I 5W30 and as far as I know have no problems.

Mine has never ticked but every now and then it puffs a cloud of smoke at startup....mainly when it is cold (40* or so) at night. The other AM I expected a smoke cloud since it was near freezing and NOTHING?? Beats me!!:beer:

It runs GREAT and I ain't gonna worry about it til it breaks!!:burnout:

Marauderjack:cool:

[Bigdogjim]

Now I don't have the tick but I have the smoke on start up at times.
I use Mobile One full sunthetic.
Ford is telling because I am not using their 5W-20 blend that's why I have smoke?
I know the last year of Mustang cobra's and Ligthning's used Mobil One?
It is right on the oil cap!

But to answer your question no the oil will not make the tick!

[Glenn]

I would not worry very much about a slight tick. We all seem to have a slight type of head tick. If it gets loud enough to be clearly heard you may want to take it to Ford. But, honestly I've listened to a number of MM and Mustangs and most of them have a slight type of tick. I have had mine for 2 years and it has never gotten any louder and the engine runs strong. The oil had nothing to do with it.

Glenn

[Paul T. Casey]

It's a Ford, it's gonna tick. IMHO, most of the ticks out there are just noisy fuel injectors. The only ticks that worry me are deer ticks. They spread Lyme disease. :rolleyes:

[MarauderMarc]

Okay, I changed the oil to Mobil 5w20 full synthetic. The tick was there but it seemed to quiet down. The fuel injectors could be the problem, err source. I could have sworn that when I put my ear near the top where the injectors were, it was stronger. Anyhow, after reading up on a few past threads regarding ticking, I think Im in the clear. If anything changes, Ill keep you posted. Thanx to all that chimed in to offer advice.

[RR|Suki]

Okay, I changed the oil to Mobil 5w20 full synthetic. The tick was there but it seemed to quiet down. The fuel injectors could be the problem, err source. I could have sworn that when I put my ear near the top where the injectors were, it was stronger. Anyhow, after reading up on a few past threads regarding ticking, I think Im in the clear. If anything changes, Ill keep you posted. Thanx to all that chimed in to offer advice.

Just valve train tick man, no worries, I have it too.

[txmarauder]

I had to change my oil for the first time since the dealer usually did it. In the manual i thought i read where to use the 5w20 or a tick will develope with thicker oils. The motorcraft synth. oil is half the price of the mobil anyways.

[gilby04]

Okay, I changed the oil to Mobil 5w20 full synthetic. The tick was there but it seemed to quiet down. The fuel injectors could be the problem, err source. I could have sworn that when I put my ear near the top where the injectors were, it was stronger. Anyhow, after reading up on a few past threads regarding ticking, I think Im in the clear. If anything changes, Ill keep you posted. Thanx to all that chimed in to offer advice.

I have used Mobil One since in service date of Oct '03.
I change oil at 3000 mile intervals. (Have done so with all my cars.)
Initially, I used Mobil 0W-20 and Purolator Pure One oil filter for (3) oil changes with no issues of any kind.
Then, Mobil 5W-20 became available about a year ago.
I have used 5W-20 for the last (3) oil changes, and noticed a slight "ticking" immediately following engine start up each time.
The "ticking" would persist for maybe (20) miles, then totally disappear.
I don't have a clue why 5W-20 seems to telegraph the "ticking" while 0W-20 does not. Perhaps an initial coefficient of friction versus viscosity issue.
Thanks for reporting your similar experience.
I thought I was starting to "hear things" since I turned 60 !

[SMOKE]

Example (first paragraph unrelated):

My only experience is my alternate MM bucket for nasty weather...a '97 Jeep Wrangler...which has the unnerving four-cylinder-tick (2.5L) and it's supposed to be a bad "wrist pin" design (no matter what oil it has in it...and I've had a warrantied short block replacment at 75K). But cooler heads have prevailed (it's a cast iron block) since I've ever cared from then until now and it'll never "go".

I've got an '03 Cobra buddy who has been complaining to Ford that his motor has an inherent defect he has TSB'd and multiple-visit-documented his case (as any good consumer would) to his SVT dealer about a knock-knock at idle (In warm weather/running conditions) to no avail...just building his case....but still dyno's and drags his Cobra every year (for the last 2....his was a leftover) without a problem.

The solution to your concern seems in line with what greater minds have already posted. H#ll, if I notice a "new" shimmy at highway speeds I think I need to get a carfixer spec (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showpost.php?p=211998&postcount=11) alignment...

JWM

[SMOKE]

I'm doing my own first oil change with Mobil1 5W-20 tomorrow with my '03 MM I just got with 23K on it....will take solice in the fact that I caught this thread if I go to work next week and notice something attributed to viscosity issues I've read about thanks to MarauderMarc and gilby04.

BTW, using MoFoCo FL-820s filter with the Mobil1. . .

[SMOKE]

About the smoke...it can be intermittent according to posts by Marauderjack & Bigdogjim...it's happened to me too...'course I'm burning through a bottle of RED LINE "Complete Fuel System Cleaner" chased by a tank of 93 octane Sunoco...but I think the sub-Floridian temps (not by that much by New England standards) shakes my confidence too (with a three week old MM purchase)...probably shouldn't have headed to Pep Boys so soon for add-in gunk but I only have a vague idea where my car has been. . .:dunno:

[Marauderjack]

Marc....

Get yourself a metal rod about 3 feet long (Rebar works well) and put your thumb on one end...stick your thumb in your ear and touch the other end of the rod to various parts of you engine while it's running.......Do you feel foolish yet??:cool:

Actually any sounds within your engine will be transmitted up the rod and you can isolate a particular area the sound may be coming from!!:beer:

You are probably hearing injector tick as you suggested.....The valve tick seem to be loudest at 1500 RPM's as was posted by members before!!:argue:

Try the ole "Stethascope" though....You will be surprised what all you will hear!!:bows:

Good Luck!!

Marauderjack:burnout:

[DEFYANT]

Marc....

Get yourself a metal rod about 3 feet long (Rebar works well) and put your thumb on one end...stick your thumb in your ear and touch the other end of the rod to various parts of you engine while it's running.......Do you feel foolish yet??:cool:

Actually any sounds within your engine will be transmitted up the rod and you can isolate a particular area the sound may be coming from!!:beer:

You are probably hearing injector tick as you suggested.....The valve tick seem to be loudest at 1500 RPM's as was posted by members before!!:argue:

Try the ole "Stethascope" though....You will be surprised what all you will hear!!:bows:

Good Luck!!

Marauderjack:burnout:

This may sound silly, but an automotive stethascope is a worthy tool. I found a bad pulley berring with one. Stupid noise was driving me nuts. I thought blower was taking a crap. Using the st-scope on the idler pully bolt revealed the offending noise.

Just dont spend too much time in the driveway poking around under the hood listening to the various parts of the engine as it is running. Some people might look at you funny. :D

[Warpath]

...Just dont spend too much time in the driveway poking around under the hood listening to the various parts of the engine as it is running. Some people might look at you funny. :D

Try vacuuming the engine compartment. People actually slow down to look.:P

Anyway, I read somewhere (this is where my crappy memory upsets me) that Ford switched to 5W20 from 5W30 for an inprovement in gas mileage. Also, I've heard 0W oils pressurize quicker in cold than 5W oils which is why oil companies claim reduced engine start up wear with them.

[kartherma]

I dont know folks...
I read somewhere that the thinner oil that is prescribed for our cars is for a very specific reason. The heads on our cars are a good bit larger than your standard head and have longer oil drainage passages. These longer passages lead to a build up of the oil in the valve train.

Now I am not a rocket scientist, but I am a nuclear engineer. I dont think the tick is caused by the oil, but I dont like the idea of discounting it out of hand either. If the oil were to build up higher than normal to cause enough head to get it through those passages, can it not interfere with the valve train in some ways? (similar to windage losses)

I dont know...just my 2cents

be good,
Curt

[SergntMac]

I read somewhere that the thinner oil that is prescribed for our cars is for a very specific reason. The heads on our cars are a good bit larger than your standard head and have longer oil drainage passages. These longer passages lead to a build up of the oil in the valve train.

Now I am not a rocket scientist, but I am a nuclear engineer. I dont think the tick is caused by the oil, but I dont like the idea of discounting it out of hand either. If the oil were to build up higher than normal to cause enough head to get it through those passages, can it not interfere with the valve train in some ways? Hey, Chief...Why not drop in at www.karkraft.com (http://www.karkraft.com) and take a peek at the bare heads, valves and stuff. You may be on to something...

[Marauder2005]

Its not your oil man, welcome to the 'normal' tick club :rolleyes:

[Blackened300a]

Just another side effect of owning a 300a. I have a slight tick as well, I still run strong and never had a issue.
Crank up the radio to drown it out

[Blackmobile]

I have no tick issues in my 300A, and I use FMC 5W-20. I also have over 81k on the car.

Now if I go out tommorrow and hear it tick, I'm going to kick myself.

[Blackened300a]

Is It possible that you have a exhaust manifold leak? My Fathers Mountaineer had one and it ticked and tapped. The Dealer corrected this with new manifold gaskets.