Any thoughts on my plan to address 5th gear power loss / ticking / exhaust holes?

[RayRay]

Hi folks...wanting to make sure I've got my thinking cap on straight before I proceed. Feel free to chime in with advice, tips, links, etc as you see fit. This post is the culmination of info learned from searching the site for the past couple of hours...heh...

Experiencing a loss of high end power. Can no longer keep up with traffic in 5th gear on the highway. Have a couple of things in mind...would like some feedback before I do something unnecessary, or don't do something necessary. Extremely limited on funds and physical ability, but that's never stopped me before :-)

Add'l details...loud ticking coming from valve cover (assuming it's the hydraulic lash adjusters)...huge hole in the exhaust pipe under the cabin...and >350k hard miles on the car. It's a 93 5-spd, btw, never had a problem keeping up with Dallas traffic before the car sat for ~2 months as I tried to solve the previous no-start issue (it was a poorly run power wire to the fuel pump which would intermittently short out, btw).

So my thinking was to run a quick oil treatment through the motor, drive or idle as per instructions on the bottle, change the oil & filter, and see if that quiets the ticking...and if so, see if there's any change in power at highway speeds.

If this does NOTHING, then I can try overfilling the crankcase with ~2 extra quarts of oil to see if the ticking goes away (to see if it's caused by a weak oil pump)...and/or I can try fixing the exhaust (to see if the greatly reduced back pressure is having a negative effect on upper-end power)...and/or (insert other suggestions here) :-)

Anyone think of something I should try before the oil treatment? And/or ANYTHING else?

Again...my most sincere thanks and appreciation to all who've chimed in previously. I may be slow, but please know I'm committed to the cause. :notworthy:

[ryanprins13]

If the ticking is from the valve cover there is a 99% chance its the hla's. Usually caused by them sticking (from sitting the 2 months possibly) but could possibly be caused by really low oil pressure.
Use an oil pressure gauge before overfilling the crankcase. When you overfill it the crankshaft is always hitting the oil and frothing it. Air in the oil isnt going to help anything.

With additives use one where you just idle the car then drain. If you do that. However its not too hard to remove the hla's and clean them with varsol. Youll likely get better results and its safer for the rest of the motor.

However, i have had bad hla tick and no catalytic converter before (as in the exhaust ended under the shifter) and i dont recall any power loss whatsoever.

Do you have less power in lower gears as well? Any possibility of sticking brakes? Rear wheel bearing siezing?
Is the ticking a spark plug wire shorting perhaps?
When was the last time the fuel filter was changed?
Remove the air filter box and check for a mouse nest or anything in there plugging it.
Does it idle ok?
Have you checked your transmission fluid level?


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[Studebaker]

Do a seafoam treatment then let us know what happens.

A compression check afterwards would be my next step.

[ryanprins13]

I used seafoam in the oil on my b3 that sounded just fine, it just had some varnish inside that i wanted to get rid of. The hla's started ticking real bad and i have rattly noises from the oil pan now. Both started when using the seafoam and havent gone away over the next oil changes and 18k km. Im annoyed that i used it because i knew better beforehand.

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[firebush357]

A quart of ATF in the Crankcase and idle for 15-20 minutes helped mine when I first got it. I still have a tick but it is much better than it was.

[w4rkry]

If this does NOTHING, then I can try overfilling the crankcase with ~2 extra quarts of oil to see if the ticking goes away (to see if it's caused by a weak oil pump)

DONT do that. The B3 can be pretty sensitive to overfilling. I did that once with only 1qt extra on accident. It completely ruined every main oil seal in the engine. I had to pull it out of the car and re-do them all. (Oddly enough, I am also at a loss of power from before, struggling to maintain speed in 5th...)

I would suggest what Firebush said, add half a quart of ATF to 3 quarts of oil on your next oil change. It helped my lifter tick quite a lot.

Beyond that, I am also interested in what people suggest for diagnosis. I used to have a very peppy B3, and suddenly it seems to have lost quite a bit of power. A compression test and vacuum/air leak test are high on the list.

[RayRay]

Quick update: I put about 3/4 quart Marvel Mystery Oil in (brought the stick to Full) & drove ~50 miles yesterday, no difference in sound/performance. Drove ~100 miles today, still no changes, cept the coolant smell. o_0

Pulled over to find the faintest of dribbles from (what appears to be) a seam near the bottom of the radiator, overflow bottle not boiling, nothing feeling overheated, pulled into mal-wart for some pepper & eggs (a good band-aid), but while adding I heard a few slight clunks from the lower end of the block. This car is in POOR shape so I was hoping it was some new part of the exhaust banging away underneath (I knew that wasn't what it was, but wasn't ready to admit what it was to myself just yet)... drove through the parking lot, the clunking got worse, pulled over and killed it.

I'm no good at diagnosis, but I know a bad engine sound when I hear one.

(siiigh)...so, how does one fix an engine with $38?
;-)

[ryanprins13]

Sounds similar but much worse that what happened to me when i tried seafoam and atf. Post #68 in my build thread here if you want to see what happened: https://fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59836
My recommendation is the cheapest 10w30, new filter. NO additives. Drive 100km, if its still running change oil for 10w30 and a new filter again. Trying to get all that additive and bearing particles out. Then just see how long it goes and what it sounds like.

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[Rick the Quick]

Sounds like it's time for an engine transplant. @ 350K I would say you did allright.

[RayRay]

This is a late reply, but wanted to respond to the posts which came in prior to the knock developing.

...Do you have less power in lower gears as well? Any possibility of sticking brakes? Rear wheel bearing siezing?
Is the ticking a spark plug wire shorting perhaps?
When was the last time the fuel filter was changed?
Remove the air filter box and check for a mouse nest or anything in there plugging it.
Does it idle ok?
Have you checked your transmission fluid level?
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Yes, there is less power in lower gears, however it had two distinct modes. First one, the car was super sluggish but smooth (felt like maybe wasn't firing on all four cylinders?) until the RPMs got pretty high, like >2500 rpm, at which time it'd surge ahead as if the missing cylinder was suddenly found. Or, as if the parking brake was suddenly released. A significant change in power, and not always at exactly 2500 rpm, just around there, give or take, changing each time with no pattern.

The second mode was one which made me feel like I was in a rocking chair. The car would continue to accelerate, but then back off on power (causing me to rock forward), then after 1-2 seconds it'd have full power again (pushing me back), and repeat this every 1-2 seconds, rhythmically, very much like sitting in a rocking chair. Happened in every gear, every speed, save for 5th which never had enough power to stay at speed unless going downhill.

Brakes / wheel bearings / plugs and wires all checked or done recently, fuel filter is a maybe (recently replaced but there's sand in the tank) so I've ordered some from RockAuto.

Air filter / box all okay, idles reasonably well (doesn't feel like it's missing at idle), and hadn't even considered checking the tranny fluid level!! Good thinkin :-) Will check today as I'm removing the tow bar from the front...

[RayRay]

Do a seafoam treatment then let us know what happens.

A compression check afterwards would be my next step.

Oddly enough, I've heard wildly mixed reviews with Seafoam...however I was considering reaching for that when I saw my old friend Marvel Mystery Oil, which I believe is a lil more gentle. Given the mileage, I went with the MMO, however I had to do a lot of >4k rpm hill climbs just to not be a traffic hazard on the highway, and I believe that's what's caused the new knock.

Speaking of compression, I'd done one before making the original post:

141, 151, 137, 148

Not sure when, but I will do another at some point to see what damage / improvement (as unlikely as that sounds) there is. Those numbers seem to be semi-okay, I think...right?

[RayRay]

A quart of ATF in the Crankcase and idle for 15-20 minutes helped mine when I first got it. I still have a tick but it is much better than it was.

I probably should have done this with the MMO (or ATF...which is what I've used with excellent results in the past) rather than driving it. Unsure if the driving it, or the driving it at highway speeds (almost) and high RPMs is what caused the knock...but have gone on to read add'l comments on the board talking about these blocks needing a softer touch than I used. Pretty sure I've shot myself in the foot now.

[RayRay]

DONT do that. The B3 can be pretty sensitive to overfilling. I did that once with only 1qt extra on accident. It completely ruined every main oil seal in the engine. I had to pull it out of the car and re-do them all. (Oddly enough, I am also at a loss of power from before, struggling to maintain speed in 5th...)

I would suggest what Firebush said, add half a quart of ATF to 3 quarts of oil on your next oil change. It helped my lifter tick quite a lot.

Beyond that, I am also interested in what people suggest for diagnosis. I used to have a very peppy B3, and suddenly it seems to have lost quite a bit of power. A compression test and vacuum/air leak test are high on the list.

The vacuum / air leak test was something I'd managed to forget existed. My memory is simply not what it used to be. Probably should have done this a long time ago, given the age of the vehicle and the number of multi-year naps it's taken. Pre-knock compression results are in post #11...will eventually get around to doing another to see what's what.

[RayRay]

Sounds similar but much worse that what happened to me when i tried seafoam and atf. Post #68 in my build thread here if you want to see what happened: https://fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59836
My recommendation is the cheapest 10w30, new filter. NO additives. Drive 100km, if its still running change oil for 10w30 and a new filter again. Trying to get all that additive and bearing particles out. Then just see how long it goes and what it sounds like.

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Sent you a PM earlier...and upon re-re-re-reading everyone's posts and trying desperately to get all the info through my thick skull, I think your post here answers my questions from the PM.

Years ago someone brought me a vandalized vehicle with an unknown agent put in the motor. Not wanting to tear it down, we opted for changing the oil & filter, topped it off and lightly warmed up the engine, then opened the drain plug and added 3-4 add'l quarts of oven-warmed new cheap oil to help eeeverything flow out, change filter, wash rinse repeat. Sounds like this might be a good time to play that card.

[RayRay]

Sounds like it's time for an engine transplant. @ 350K I would say you did allright.

You may be right. Sadly, less than 4500 of those miles were under my command. I picked it up after it'd been put out to pasture for the second time in its life. I'm reeeally hoping I didn't put the final bullet in.

Will be searching the site for easiest motor swaps...whether from another Festiva or from a similar Mazda with *Very* *Little* *Modification* needed. I can't weld anymore, so my ridiculous ideas for Eldorado drivetrain swaps are flat out. :glasses2: