Before I begin, I want to say that YES I am very aware of the oil pressure issues the 2.9 has. Truck's got 168,000 miles.

A few months ago I had the cylinder heads on my truck replaced (because we all know what happens to 2.9 heads). I stopped driving it back in about April 2018 because of the bad heads, so it sat for about 5 months until I gathered the money I needed to replace the heads. In that period of time, however, I'd COMPLETELY forgotten about the hellish lifter tick it has. So when I drove it back home the day it was fixed, there it was.

I told my brother about it and he said I should look into replacing my oil pump (I'm not exactly a mechanic, mind you, and he has more experience than me). Well I did that, and low and behold those lifters just kept wanting to give me hell so they did. In fact they still do. I hindsight I should have just spent the extra $40 for a high volume pump but I think at the time I was low on money.

I don't know how reliable the stock oil pressure gauge is (I've heard it's useless) but it reads right in the middle. Before I replaced the oil pump, it used to read far over to the left. My question is this: can low oil pressure cause ticking lifters? Or are the lifters simply worn and useless after 29 years? I had a good friend of mine tell me that that could be my problem with the ticking. From what I can tell I don't have an oil leak. We sealed the oil pan up tight when we replaced the pump. Could it be internal?

My point is there has to be a way to fix that tick and the oil pressure. I know these motors are bad about both, but it has to be possible. It's starting to "tick" me off (HAHA) and I'm getting really frustrated. I feel like it should have more power even for how old it is. Any and all feedback and information is greatly appreciated. Like I said I'm no mechanic, I just need an idea of what's going on and what I should do.

Thanks guys

 

Doesn't the 2.9 have adjustable valves/ rocker arms ?

Could be they just need adjusted.

 

The ticking is not from low oil pressure in general, it is from worn cam bearings using too much oil so pressure at lifters and in upper engine is low.
Only fix is to replace Cam bearings

Oil pressure itself is unused oil, the oil pump creates a flow of oil thru the filter and then to the main oil passage, where oil pressure sender is located
Any oil that can not pass thru the bearings backs up in the main passage and that's what we see as oil pressure, oil the bearings can't use at that moment
As long as there is a positive pressure then parts are oiled
High volume pump wouldn't have mattered

If the lifters are original then you could have a few that are "collapsed", the spring inside is broken, or the oil valve inside is, which makes the ticking worse

2.9l also as an adjustment for valve lash, cylinder at TDC, rocker just touching valve stem, tighten 1.5 turns
If this wasn't done then valve train will be noisy


In the late 1980's Ford switch to an oil pressure SWITCH and added a resistor to the oil pressure gauge.
When oil pressure is at 6psi or higher switch is closed(grounded) and oil pressure gauge goes up to ??, whatever resistor value they used that year, say 1/3 or 1/2 and it stays there
Any change in the oil pressure needle is electrical, alternator voltage change, NOT oil pressure change

Up to about 1994 you can change back to a "real" oil pressure gauge if you want, article here: https://www.therangerstation.com/for...iction.165083/

You use a PS60 Sender on the engine instead of a switch, and you by pass the resistor on the back of the gauge
In later years they put the resistor INSIDE the gauge so you can't do this modification

 

So, worn cam bearings. How many of them are there, and how much do they generally cost?

 

There are 4 cam bearings but the 2 in the middle are the ones that control oil pressure to the lifters and rockers, $30
There is also a Camshaft thrust plate that can be reversed when doing this work, that will keep oil pressure to the lifters higher

 

So my best bet is to replace the cam bearings then. If I'm down in there I might as well replace all the lifters as well. Camshaft thrust plate reversal? How is that done?

 

You will see it when you take cam shaft out

 

also will anything need to be reprogrammed or if I use the existing intake and accessories will it be a direct swap?

 

I've got a 2002 ford ranger with a 3.0 v6 and it's losing oil pressure when the engine gets up to temp it doesn't do it when it's cold just when it gets hot does anyone know what it can be