Have you checked/changed the cam syncro assembly to be sure the gear is still intact ?
I don't know exactly what effect it would have if it jumped a tooth , but after changing mine out I did notice a better idle and a slight increase in fuel economy.
And mine was only slightly worn.

 

no i havent, didnt think that would really have anything to do with the knock, and i f it was that, i dont think the knock would have went away and the plugs and wires. im gonna check the plugs on my lunch break and see how they look.

 

it would if it is over advancing the timing.

 

it can do that? how can i check it? or do i just replace it?

 

Search the forums for 'cam syncro'.
This is a known high failure part on the 3.0 engines.

 

yeah i've read a couple things on here about it, but they usually say it squeals, and thats how they know its bad, and i havent read anything about it being connected to my issue. but what the hell, maybe ill just change it anyways.

 

My knock did not go away with plugs or the usual stuff either.It finally went away with cleaning the throttle body.You cant believe the difference.If you have not done this you really got to try it .I really rccommend anyone with a 3.0 or any car to do this.One screw pull hose from throttle body and squirt seafoam deep creep in there, wipe it out.Also have someone push accelorator peddle (engine is off) so flap opens and wipe the back off.and squirt in the intake some too.Let soak for a little,and start up.It will run a little rough at first hold accelorator down.
I wish I did this a long time ago.I cant say it enough.You will not believe it!!You will get the full range of power back with no knock or very little.My truck has 173k on it so I did it couple of times after I got home from work. Each time I saw improvement.
After 173k the throttle flap was pretty bad and I always used a injector cleaner each oil chnge.,so it shows cleaner cant get this spot.Sorry for long post.
But again>IF YOUR ENGINE IS PINGING /KNOCKING YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS!!10 min fix.

 

Single in dual out is pointless your just paying extra for looks, you should dump it right outta the muffler with a turndown

 

huh? you on the wrong post buddy?

 

woops

 

I just went through a MAJOR battle with my son’s (newly purchased) 98 Ranger. The truck has 54K on it, which for a 98 is very low. I had what I thought was a detonation problem. Massive pinging, blue smoke, and power loss when accelerating to highway speeds or pulling a load. No codes. My first guess was the EGR system. A new sensor, solenoid, and valve were no help. Next was the coil and wires, no help. Finally, I decided to “cool down” the engine. I put in a 180 degree thermostat and cooler burning plugs. When I pulled the first plug (#4 cylinder), I knew I had “other” problems. It had massive oil residue. The other plugs were fine. The problem was one of two things; either wasted rings (very bad) or a valve stem seal. A compression check was good so I went for the seals. When I pulled the left side valve cover I discovered I had SLUDGE!!!!! (The engine sat too long with very little or no maintenance) The sludge was not the problem and I will get it out of there with the next few oil changes. The intake valve seal WAS the problem. I replaced it and the engine is running good. Basically oil under pressure was being sucked into that one cylinder. When the engine was being used harder, that cylinder would fail. It sounded like a typical detonation issue, but it wasn’t. My advice to anyone with a similar problem, “read” your plugs first. It doesn’t cost a cent and it might help with solving your engine malfunction.

 

oil sludge is a clear sign that the original owner had not done regular oil changes

my advise is to do a ATF fluid flush

it involves buying several cheap oil filters and 1 good 1

drain the old oil , replace oil drain plug , pour in 6 quarts of good quality automatic transmission fluid
place a fan in front of the radiator , start the engine and let it run for a 1/2 hour
( make sure you keep a close eye on the temp gauge in the dash )
as soon as the gauge needle starts creeping past the normal operating temp area

shut down the engine
( also keep an eye on the oil pressure light in the dash )
you will probably clog 1 or 2 oil filters during this process.

add 2 more quarts and run the engine for several seconds then let the ATF fluid sit inside the engine overnight ,, this will help break up any stubborn deposits

in the morning , let the engine run for 5 minutes , then let ATF fluid completley drain out

then just do your normal oil change after that ( with a good quality oil filter )

ATF is a damn good internal engine detergent and will thoroughly clean the inside of the engine

and any stubborn deposits that refuse to dislodge

 

cheese_man.....I am going to use ATF for the sludge problem. Not as aggressively as you suggest. There is just too much in there. If I hit it hard, I'm afraid I might block some passages. My plan was a little slower. 1/2 quart of ATF, 500 miles before an oil change. I think an accelerated change frequency is also in order. Probably once every 1000 miles for the first 3K. I'd like to drop the pan, but I haven't looked to see if that is possible without raising the engine. I would also like to see if the cleaning process has done any good, but to really tell would involve yanking the valve cover off again. Right now, that is not in my plans.

Can you let me know just "when" the young lady is drunk!!!!

 

if you do that ! you run the risk of plugging up the oil filter when you are driving somewhere

( and you need to get there ) i don`t recommend that idea

p.s. she can drink you under the table

 

how hard is it to change a valve seal?

 

i am not a engine machinist

but i would have to guess it would involve removing the cylinder head

i have seen that it requires a hydraulic press to push the new 1`s in

i don`t know how they remove them

 

I'm no car mechanic by any means, but the job wasn't that bad. "Gaining access to", seems to be the biggest pain. The throttle body has to come off to get to the valve covers. Numerous lines and hoses must be disconnected. Nothing real difficult, just time consuming. After the valve cover is off the rocker arms and valve springs are "right there". I hand cranked (big breaker bar and 7/8" socket on crankshaft pulley wheel) the cylinder to TDC (had the wife tell me when a pencil stopped "moving up" through the spark plug hole. I used compressed air with a Wilmar - Valve Holder (O'Reilly #W84003) to hold the valves up. This actually was not needed because with the piston up, the valves only can fall about an inch, but the absolute last thing I wanted was to hear the "clank" of a stem falling into the cylinder. A Wilmar - Spring Compressor (O'Reilly #W84002) was used to compress the spring to get the "keepers" out. Once the spring was off, The old seal can be pulled off (I needed pliers). The new seal is knocked down with a deep-well socket. The rest is just putting it back together. (Make SURE the keepers are positioned correctly) My Chilton manual explained it pretty good.

 

hmm i`ll keep your article in mind

 

valves can still bend dropping an inch...

 

ok cool. how long did it take? and how do you tell which valve seal is bad? or did you just change them all?

 

Total of about eight hours, but I've never done this before. I couldn't tell (by looking) if either one was bad. I only changed the two for that cylinder (#4) because that was the only plug with oil on it. The intake and exhaust seals are different (exhaust has a red band). They're pretty tiny little things, maybe the diameter of a nickle and 5/8" high with a 1/4" hole in the middle. It slides over the valve stem and down on a matched metal mating surface. The spring and keepers fit over it. As far as "did I know one was bad"? No I didn't. I took it out on a test run thinking the worst, but the dang thing operated perfectly. I took it out on the highway to 80 MPH. It would of NEVER made that before. 55 tops, no power, lots of smoke.

This is just "one" solution to a specific problem. I got lucky to not have a ring issue. A typical detonation problem is "usually" timing, ignition, or fuel mixture. My point with all this is just to let it be known that an oil leak can cause similar symptoms. Tuck it away in the memory banks. One day, it might be needed.

 

ok so im pretty sure the issue as being caused by oil. i have a small leak in my oil pan gasket, and have been continuing to add oil to it. i just realized today that it basically stops when the oil gets really low. i just put two courts in it, and the spark knock and smoke show came back. Sooooooo......what are the most likely causes of oil burning, or whatever the oils doing to make this happen?

 

The oil pan gasket looks to be a pain. It would entail lifting the engine up to get the pan off.

Have you pulled the plugs? If not, do it. If one cylinder IS burning oil, the plug will surely show it. I don't know how oil level should be playing a part in this. Even if it's low, every engine internal should be getting some. (Unless it was REALLY low)

 

havent pulled the plugs yet, but it was two quarts low.

 

just pulled the plugs, they all look like they are running lean, and look oily around the threads......