New Truck, New Sound

[ihatelaramie]

About a month ago I bought an 86 F250. It shows 96000 on the odometer, and I think that might be it, considering the shape of the rest of the truck. Within the last week or two it has started to make this ticking, almost knocking sound at anything above an idle. It sounds a little bit like giving an anvil the slightest tap with a ball peen hammer. You can't hear it outside the truck at all, only from in the cab, and it sounds like it's toward the driver's side. The sound very closely coincides with the injector noise. The truck has an aftermarket oil pressure gauge that shows about 50psi going down the highway, and 20psi+/- at a warm idle, and that has not changed since I bought the truck, though I have done an oil change since.
My question is, what could this sound be caused by? Could it just be an injector? Would a collapsed lifter make that sound? I'm hoping it's nothing major, cause I got rid of my 95 Powerstroke cause the problems were getting expensive.

 

[Diesel JD]

If you can only hear it in the cab and not under the hood, that's a very good sign. It probably is something laying on your high pressure injection lines, a leaky injector or a lifter bleeding down. Also an exhaust leak is a possibility. I would say the good oil pressure and lack of a much worse knock argues against piston or bearing issues.

 

[ihatelaramie]

Thats good news. But I also forgot to mention that one of the few pre-existing problems was that you have to shoot a tiny shot of ether any time the engine has cooled down, otherwise it'll crank for probably a minute before it fires. Previous owner mentioned that it started doing that a couple months before he sold it to me, but it would only need it if it the motor was stone cold, like if it had sat for a week. Now it needs it every day, no matter the ambient temp. Is it possible that something has been damaged by this practice and is causing this sound? I understand that there is something else wrong that is causing it to lose prime, but thats a problem unto itself. Sorry for being so long winded, just want to provide as much info as possible so someone might be able to diagnose this.

 

[Russ]

You need to read THIS

Welcome to OB

 

[Camarogenius]

I'm dealing with the same issue. I'm putting all new return hoses and Orings on it this week. Should clear it right up. Would prolly clear yours up as well.

Ether can kill your engine.

 

[ihatelaramie]

Thanks for that, but it wasn't much help. I know that ether isn't the best thing for these engines, but it's been a necessary evil lately. The truck sat for about three months before I bought it, and the pguy I got it from said it only needed ether if it sat a couple days, and it had progressed to needing it anytime the engine is cold. You can wait 4-5hrs after running it and it'll still start, but that doesn't answer my question. Could something have been hurt by the ether ? Like I said, you can only hear it in the cab and it roughly coincides with the injection noise. I really need to figure this out cause this is my daily driver. Any help is appreciated.

 

[ihatelaramie]

I'm dealing with the same issue. I'm putting all new return hoses and Orings on it this week. Should clear it right up. Would prolly clear yours up as well.

Ether can kill your engine.

Were you dealing with the noise, or the hard starts? I knew my plan of attack on the starting issues, but can that be related to my noise?

 

[dyoung14]

what about glow plugs that could very well be the problem or a fuel problem

 

[ihatelaramie]

I've got a pretty good idea of why it won't start right. What I don't know is what's making the little ticking noise. Injector? Lifter? Something touching one of my injector lines? By the way, nothing is touching my injector lines.

 

[dyoung14]

it is very possible that an injector is making the sound

 

[Camarogenius]

Were you dealing with the noise, or the hard starts? I knew my plan of attack on the starting issues, but can that be related to my noise?

Hard starts. Mine will start and run for a few seconds, then die. I went and bought all the hose to replace the return lines, and I know I have an injector cap leaking.

As to your engine noise, ignore the noise for a few minutes, and "feel" the engine running. Do you feel a chug or hesitation that coincides with the noise? You may have an exhaust leak.

 

[ihatelaramie]

The thing about it is you really don't feel anything to go with the noise. Turn the radio up and you forget about it. But I know it's there, hammering away...

 

[suv7734]

The thing about it is you really don't feel anything to go with the noise. Turn the radio up and you forget about it. But I know it's there, hammering away...

At the back of the engine, on the driver's side, the throttle cable comes through the dash and then does a loop behind the air filter and then continues on to where it connects to the injection pump actuator. Where that cable passes by the driver's side rear fuel injectors there is/was an insulator or 'bundle of foam'. If the throttle cable is coming in contact with any of the injector lines it can pick up that 'noise' and telegraph it through the firewall and give the sound you are describing.

 

[Agnem]

I'd do a compression test on that engine, and if that checks out, then service the glow plug system and return lines pronto!