Fellow Ranger Buddies,
I've got a '01 3.0L Ranger Edge with 155,XXX on the dash. Recently she's been throwing a very subtle knock near bank 1, it doesn't elevate with the RPMs and I've found no metal shavings on the dipstick (not sure if it's the beginning of a lifter/rod issue or a spark issue). Also, it sounds like a 'chirp' is coming from the front of the engine bay (I thought it could be the camshaft synchronizer but that's located near the firewall). Below is a link to the sound.

 

The chirp could be your accessory belt idler pulley or tensioner. It could also be the bearings in your alternator. You need to try to isolate the chirping with an automotive stethoscope - long screwdriver held to your ear and touching the other end to various suspect parts on the engine.

 

As above for the chirp, or the belt itself.
I replaced my belt with a Dayco _ big mistake _ made it even more noisy.
Nice and quiet with a Gates belt.

If the knock does not become more pronounced as engine RPM increases, then more likely some sort of valve train issue.
But valve trains don't usually give knocking sounds, they usually "tick" when something starts to go wrong, eg, a noisy lifter or the beginning of a broken valve spring or a rocker arm failing/coming lose.

Very difficult to say on forum with out actually standing on front of your engine.

 

I've got a new belt and I'll pull the plugs once she cools down. I had a similar issue happen before with my 5.4L '07 F150 where it busted a spark plug tip. Either way she runs like a scolded dog, RPMs run true, no hesitation in the gas pedal, engine idle is smooth, etc... more to follow

 

Upon further inspection, the rattle/knock is coming from the oil pan/bell housing area. There's a class 1 leak around the pan but nothing crazy (she's never run low on oil since I've had her). I've got a 5 speed and I haven't had a problem with the tranny since I changed the fluid. The belt squeak had subsided with the new belt. Any ideas of what could be wrong? Thanks all for the advice!

 

Process of elimination with the chirp at the front of the engine...
To be sure it's at the front, slip the belt of the tensioner so it's lose.
Start the truck and if the chirp is gone, then you know for sure it's coming from the front some where.
Don't run the truck for more then a minute with out the belt because your water pump won't be turning.

While the belt is off, check your idler pulleys, they are the easiest thing to check for chirpy noises and the most likely cause _ they are also the easiest to replace.

With that many miles, they probably should/need replacing any way. I'm betting they're quite lose and some-what sloppy.

After that, check the bearings in your alternator and water pump, in that order.
The power steering pump has a sleeve bearing that's always in oil, so unlikely the noise is from that.

Clutch fan can also make noise, but not usually chirpy noises.
A worn clutch fan will always be locked (in some cases) so will be incredibly noisy going down the road.
They also can be lose, but over heating will occur.
If you grab the fan and move it from side to side, there should be no play.
If it has lots of play or is sloppy, then it should be replaced.

A leaky oil pan and rear crank shaft seal is pretty typical on these trucks.
You will have to drop the pan to replace the gasket _ not an easy task.
Even with the trans off, the engine has to be raised quite a bit so the oil pump clears the baffle in the pan.
It almost has to be raised right off it's mounts.

Ford never intended the pan be removed with the engine in place.

There's a video where a guy did it, if I find it, I will post it.

While the pan is off, you can inspect the underside for any suspicious things that may be causing the knock sound.
Here's a thread about my truck, note the idler shaft on the oil pump banging into the crank weight.
No one had an explanation for that one, not even Ford.

https://www.ranger-forums.com/genera...2/#post2111384
https://www.ranger-forums.com/genera...2/#post2111754

Here's some more interesting reading about a leaky _ and on going rear main crank seal.
It's still leaking to this day even with the new Teflon seal and new crank sleeve _ all properly installed....

https://www.ranger-forums.com/2-9l-3...4/#post2124431

 

For the fan check, by side to side, do you mean side of the vehicle? Or on its bearing\clutch, which would be more front to back of the vehicle?

 

OK, front to back...
I guess it depends how one looks at things... :-)

 

Exactly

It's why i asked :) Thanks.

 

Jeff R 1, you're right about the dropping the oil pan. I've helped a buddy before and contrary to the manual, raising the engine requires more than "2 inches" of lift. I'm also speculating that the throw out bearing is making contact with something in the bell housing. But would it do that at idle?... I need to just suck it up and drop the oil pan.

 

Like I said, hard to say what could cause a knock.
Engine knocks usually increase as RPMS go up, some are more pronounced under load (bottom end) while others remain constant (valve train and I suppose clutch/throw-out bearing)

In my experience, clutch release bearings make squealy, grinding noises.
It's quite possible something has broken in the pressure plate making a knocking sound which may be audible at idle.

It's just one of those things, that you don't know for sure until you get in there.

 

Can you get a new video up of the sound that's left now you fixed the belt squeak?

 

Here's the video, but you already know.
I posted it anyway for someone who has never done it.

I'm very skeptical about the video, there's an aluminum plate that catches on the oil pan.
You can gat a screw driver in there and lever the edge of the pan around the plate, but the I still couldn't clear the oil pump from the internal baffle inside the pan _ no matter how much height I had.
And then try to get the new gasket in place properly with the trans and plate in the way !

 

The Chirp is gone in the front end. The Power Steering Pump pulley was the root of this evil. Not sure why Ford made them out of polymer/plastic but with a couple sprays of soapy water, I was able to verify the fault. Also the pulleys were slightly misaligned. PSA: stay away from Dayco belts. I bought a Gator brand but thought I'd use the one that came with the truck (courtesy of the former owner) and it squealed like pig (props if ya got the reference.

Anywho, the first video below was the endstate and the second video is the persistent rattle/knock at idle (not audible once I put my foot in it). Jeff_R1, I think you're on to something with the pressure plate... more to follow.

https://youtu.be/0mNdWY5Hfms
https://youtu.be/U4HZPaxvYB4

 

Yeah, crumby Dayco belts, the one on the left is a new Dayco, the right one is a Gates.
The Dayco looks like a belt that's been on there for years _ worn out.
Notice how the Gates belt is nice and fat to grab the pulleys properly.
The grooves are so wide on the Dayco, that the belt doesn't grab the pulleys correctly, so essentially the pulleys are ridding on the belts valleys only _ this causes lots of noise and micro slippage.

There's all this BS over at Dayco about pulley alignment not being correct, dirt and contamination on the pulleys.
While these things can cause problems, correcting these things can't get rid of the squealy belt chirp of a new Dayco belt.
I contacted Dayco about all of this, telling them that all is quiet by simply changing to a Gates belt _ they never got back to me....

 

Here are some live links to the video.
That noise sounds more like a rattle in the exhaust system somewhere to me.
Loose catalytic converter, maybe the element matrix is broken.
I would inspect the exhaust system before delving into the clutch area.
An exhaust rattle would go away when you step on the gas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mNd...ature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4HZ...ature=youtu.be

 

So I've got the Cats off and nothing crazy. Small peletized bits/deposit came out but nonetheless they seem fine. Photos are below. I'm beginning to assume the worst, a clutch problem or even worse, a rod bearing... again I've had zero grain/fragments in my oil...
[img]webkit-fake-url://36feea1e-19d5-4653-aa2b-af9d6e054543/imagejpeg[/img][img]webkit-fake-url://1798e1b0-e9ad-4743-9e81-c89d929cd63f/imagejpeg[/img][img]webkit-fake-url://55821e86-6a5f-49b0-8204-0eee96df3048/imagejpeg[/img]

 

 

Oh they look fine (assuming that's all of them)

 

Yup, cats look real nice.
Not a rod bearing or main for that matter.
I've heard what a rod bearing sounds like when they're going.
You would know it, it would make more noise as RPM's increase.

And just my opinion, but it's an odd sound for a clutch to be making if that's what it is.
Clutch issues manifest them selves when going down the road, even more so when you change gears, not just at idle.