I have an 02 GT. About 1 1/2 months ago I double gasketed the oil filter when I changed the oil. Oil didn't leak out right away, the filter loosened up after about 25 miles of driving. Anyway I noticed I had no oil pressure pulled over figured out what was happening changed oil filter and added 5 more quarts. I ended up with a rattling sound coming from the front cover and after several other's opinions replaced the timing chains and tensioners(with steel). I drove for about 2 days and noticed the sound had come back mostly around 2000 rpm. It would go away if I applied gas or would go up a hill. The consensus was that I may have gotten a bad batch of tensioners. I was told this wouldn't hurt anything just an annoying noise. I never felt like the car lost power as seemed just as stromg as before. Fast forward to earlier this week. This time on my drive home about 70-75 miles an hour on the highway I could hear the clatter much louder. I also noticed the oil pressure gauge was going up and down. All the way to nothing and back up again, several times every few seconds. I pulled over shut it down and checked the oil. It was in between the min and max marks about halfway. I started it back up and drove to the nearest store and dropped another quart in it. While driving to the store the oil gauge stayed steady. Did so on the way home as well. I emptied the oil and put another 5 quarts in it. I tried my best to measure the amount of oil that I took out and it looked like 5 plus quarts. Drove to work the next day and it seemed fine though the noise was still louder than normal. Drove home that day and the same thing happened again with the guage. I pulled over again and took the oil cap off the cam cover. I had wisp of smoke coming out of it like it wasn't getting oil. Without checking I dumped another quart in it and drove home. This time as I was gunning it to get back into traffic on the highway I definitly felt a loss of power. Got home let it sit about 1/2 hour checked the oil. Level was slightly below max. I grabbed a piece of wood and did the old redneck stethoscope thing and can definitly hear clatter when the wood is placed at the front of the cam covers on both sides. When placed at the rear of the covers the noise is there but not near as loud. I believe the tensioners are shot again but I have my doubts about the oil pump as well. Is it possible that the pickup is covered up and that's causing the fluctuation? If the tensioners themselves were not a bad set from Ford then something is causing then to go bad and oil starvation to me would be the biggest culprit. I do have new tensioners coming along with new arms and guides. I need to know if there is a way to check the oil pressure without resorting to buying a mechanical Autometer gauge. Any ideas?
Timing chain tensioner issue/oil pump?
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Accident. Pulled the old filter off and because of the way it's positioned, pointing down i did it quickly and the old seal stayed on and I didn't notice it before I put the other one on. I know I'm a dumbass and I've changed mine or some one else's oil about a 100 times and never had the seal come off. I was using a fram filter and IMO they suck because after looking at the differences in the tabs between the frams and Motorcraft the Frams tabs are about 4 times smaller. Plus it was mid Janurary and it was cold. So in a rush I ended up costing myself lots more time and money. Learned my lesson I'll tell you that. ext time and everytime I check for the seal. 
Kilgore Trout said:Damn, thanks! I will watch for that
Sorry I cannot help you with your problem, maybe svttech76 will be around later.
Yeah I'm hoping someone can give me an idea. If I tear it down to change the tensioners then want to do the pump at the same time. I started it last night and the noise it not near as loud again so I'm going to drive it a few miles to the store and get some engine gunk remover stuff and run that through it.
I'm always trying to get the filter down fast so I don't dump it all over so if your doing that I would check it to be sure.
MyEarsHurt
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- May 21, 2004
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Hmm I dont know, the tensioners work off of oil pressure ya know. As in, if there is no oil pressure, the tensioners will be loose and will cause a rattle. So chances are the tensioners are not the problem, there has to be something else causing the loss of oil pressure in the first place....but I am not too sure what would cause that other than maybe something being wrong with your oil pump....someone on the board will know.
jstreet0204
Active Member
I hate to say it but you are probably on borrowed time with that motor. Any time I've seen an oil pressure failier, the bearings weren't far behind. You can try replacing the oil pump gears, but I am thinking that the oil pressure problem is probably bearing related already. The first thing I'd do is drain your oil into a clean container. Swirl a magnet around in it to look for and signs of metal particles.
For future reference, one thing I always do when changing my oil filter, is I rub the gasket on the new filter against the gasket on the old filter. It oils the new gasket to keep it from sticking, and it guarentees that I have checked that the old gasket came off with the filter.
For future reference, one thing I always do when changing my oil filter, is I rub the gasket on the new filter against the gasket on the old filter. It oils the new gasket to keep it from sticking, and it guarentees that I have checked that the old gasket came off with the filter.
jstreet0204 said:
I was told to do that for now on when that first happened with the filter. I normally wipe new oil on the seal.
I think you are right about the bearing. I emptied a quart out and the oil has a silverish tint. Which bearings? All or the rod bearings? Forgive me for asking stupid questions.
jstreet0204
Active Member
With an oil pressure failier, if you have one bad, it might as well be all. Unfortunately that means a bottom end rebuild.
+1 For what Jstreet said... I know it sucks, but I have only had one experiance of loss of oil pressure and it resulted in a new engine... I thought I had turned the car off before any damage, but to no avail. About 500 miles later I developed a chatter, sounded just like a lifter so I pulled the intake replaced all the lifters, started it back up and the noise was still there. Turned out to be a wrist pin... I know it is very discouraging as you just did all that work with the chains and tensioners, but it sounds to me just like mentioned above that your oil pressure is directly related to a bearing issue. Sorry about the bad news and good luck.
I really do appreciate the help fellas.
jstreet0204
Active Member
I tried that method when my bearing spun, nothing showed up in the oil, I even tore apart the oil filter and it was clean. It doesnt work all the time. Sure as hell had flakes hanging around in the oil pan and heads thoughjstreet0204 said:
