ford explorer start up rattle. Better Oil?

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Russell

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My 98 ford explorer (133,000) miles wth the overhead cam 6 cylinder has a 2-4 second cold start rattle. It had the tensioner(?) recall done about 70,000 miles ago.

I was told to use a better or heavier oil than I 5w30 conventional oil I normally use.

Any thoughts and recomendations? TIA
 
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I have several 4.0 sohc's in my work Explorers although mine are 05 and up. I would try a cleaner like AutoRX (I use Lubegard) to make sure nothing is gummed up. I have since switched my Explorers to Amsoil SS 0W-30 and they are quiet as can be.

I forgot to ask what oil filter you have been using? I use Motorcraft . Good luck
 
ditto the filter.
Use a stock Motorcraft one - they are properly valved [anti drainback] and of high quality.
 
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I've got a 95' Explorer with the 4.0 V6 and it did the same thing when using Mobil 1 synthetic,along with using a Mobil 1 oil filter.I ran this oil for the first 2 years of owning it. So, I tried a different oil filter,I switched to an K&N oil filter,and the start-up noise was still there.So,this next time around,I got curious and tried Royal Purple oil,same noise.

The noise didn't go away,until I switched over to Amsoil ASL5w30.
Just my experience
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: DragRace
I've got a 95' Explorer with the 4.0 V6 and it did the same thing when using Mobil 1 synthetic,along with using a Mobil 1 oil filter.I ran this oil for the first 2 years of owning it. So, I tried a different oil filter,I switched to an K&N oil filter,and the start-up noise was still there.So,this next time around,I got curious and tried Royal Purple oil,same noise.

The noise didn't go away,until I switched over to Amsoil ASL5w30.
Just my experience
wink.gif



Completely different motor. Yours is the pushrod engine, his is OHC. Yours would have been LIFTER tick; completely different.

My '96 was the same engine as yours. It's had M1 in it since 100,000Km. Has 296,000 on it right now (my sister owns it now) still on M1, still running strong.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: DragRace
I've got a 95' Explorer with the 4.0 V6 and it did the same thing when using Mobil 1 synthetic,along with using a Mobil 1 oil filter.I ran this oil for the first 2 years of owning it. So, I tried a different oil filter,I switched to an K&N oil filter,and the start-up noise was still there.So,this next time around,I got curious and tried Royal Purple oil,same noise.

The noise didn't go away,until I switched over to Amsoil ASL5w30.
Just my experience
wink.gif



Completely different motor. Yours is the pushrod engine, his is OHC. Yours would have been LIFTER tick; completely different.

My '96 was the same engine as yours. It's had M1 in it since 100,000Km. Has 296,000 on it right now (my sister owns it now) still on M1, still running strong.


Yeah,my Explorer currently has 196,xxx miles and doesnt burn a drop of oil,runs awsome! Bad part of it is,the body is showing it's age,in the fact the previous owners didnt wash the rocker-panels very well,and rust is starting to take over
mad.gif
 
Originally Posted By: DragRace
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: DragRace
I've got a 95' Explorer with the 4.0 V6 and it did the same thing when using Mobil 1 synthetic,along with using a Mobil 1 oil filter.I ran this oil for the first 2 years of owning it. So, I tried a different oil filter,I switched to an K&N oil filter,and the start-up noise was still there.So,this next time around,I got curious and tried Royal Purple oil,same noise.

The noise didn't go away,until I switched over to Amsoil ASL5w30.
Just my experience
wink.gif



Completely different motor. Yours is the pushrod engine, his is OHC. Yours would have been LIFTER tick; completely different.

My '96 was the same engine as yours. It's had M1 in it since 100,000Km. Has 296,000 on it right now (my sister owns it now) still on M1, still running strong.


Yeah,my Explorer currently has 196,xxx miles and doesnt burn a drop of oil,runs awsome! Bad part of it is,the body is showing it's age,in the fact the previous owners didnt wash the rocker-panels very well,and rust is starting to take over
mad.gif




Yeah, that sucks. My sister has been getting it treated with Krown, but hasn't been "on it" every year, and so it's got a BIT of stuff cropping up, but nothing too bad.

Great little trucks
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: DragRace
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: DragRace
I've got a 95' Explorer with the 4.0 V6 and it did the same thing when using Mobil 1 synthetic,along with using a Mobil 1 oil filter.I ran this oil for the first 2 years of owning it. So, I tried a different oil filter,I switched to an K&N oil filter,and the start-up noise was still there.So,this next time around,I got curious and tried Royal Purple oil,same noise.

The noise didn't go away,until I switched over to Amsoil ASL5w30.
Just my experience
wink.gif



Completely different motor. Yours is the pushrod engine, his is OHC. Yours would have been LIFTER tick; completely different.

My '96 was the same engine as yours. It's had M1 in it since 100,000Km. Has 296,000 on it right now (my sister owns it now) still on M1, still running strong.


Yeah,my Explorer currently has 196,xxx miles and doesnt burn a drop of oil,runs awsome! Bad part of it is,the body is showing it's age,in the fact the previous owners didnt wash the rocker-panels very well,and rust is starting to take over
mad.gif



I feel your pain, my car was starting to rust when I bought it and I spent over $1,000 getting both rear quarter panels sandblasted, coated with rust inhibitor, filled and repainted and it came back a few months later.
mad.gif
 
I think a vertical mount filter (hanging down) can still drain back if the antidrainback is holding any oil in passages above the level of the filter it would drain down from the block, but not necessarily from the filter. This could be the start up rattle.
 
The filter can't empty in the vertical position ..true ..and it's also true (oddly on every filter installed EXCEPT on certain Ford products) the ADBV isn't there to keep the filter full. It's to slow the back draining. The engines that don't have an ADBV in the vertical position don't have a substantial oil mass above the filter location. That is, very little to drain back.

Why do you think that Ford has all those "S" notations after their filters? It's to reduce customer complaints about start up rattle
grin2.gif
 
Another vote for the filter. I got a Mobil 1 filter when Autozone was throwing it in with 5 quarts of oil. Well on first start ups it was ratelling everytime. I switched back to the Motorcraft one and the ratelling stopped. I hear the M1 can filter too good sometimes causeing a small oil pressure loss.

This was on an 04 Ranger 4.0L 35K miles.
 
I get startup rattle in my 4.6SOHC with both the Motorcraft filter and the cheap SuperTech. It's starting to go away after nearly 800 miles of Auto RX treatment though.

I had hoped that by switching to the Motorcraft that it would cure the problem, but it didn't.
 
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