94 TBird 4.6 cold start knocking

[jerrym3]

94 TBird cold start knocking

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My 94 TBird has the 4.6 motor with 146,000 miles. Up until a few years ago, I changed my oil/filter every 3,000 miles (Motorcraft filter/Castrol 10/40).

Car now uses about 1 qt every 1,500 miles.

On cold starts, sometimes even after just a few hours of sitting, the motor has that knocking sound that's heard usually after I drain and refill the oil. Lasts less than a second.

Oil level is perfect, so why is this happening?

Otherwise, motor runs great.

(My 64 Galaxie can sit for weeks and not have this problem.)

Thanks

[Green96]

My 96 used to do that also. I never found anything wrong. I always wondered about the timing chain tensioner, but never really tracked it down.

[jerrym3]

Sounds more like a bearing knock on my 94 TBird.

I have a timing chain noise (I think) on my 2004 LS 8, but only on very, very cold winter weather.

[RF Overlord]

Two things you can try...

1) Possible bad ADBV in the filter allowing oil to drain back into the pan when it sits.

2) 10W-40 is a mite thick for a mod motor. Try some 5W-30...that's what it was spec'd for.

[RacerX]

I had a 95 that never had any knocks at all even with the same mileage and beating the tar outa her. Didn't burn oil at all. Probably just old age, not worth fixing if it's internal, which I suspect it is.