Starting noise.

94RedGt · Jan 1, 2013

Hey guys for a while now my 5.0 makes a loud noise kind of like a vibration when starting that goes away after like a second , it kind of sounds like a rod knock or piston slap. It weird because after that the motor runs smooth, im thinking its something to do with lubrication because If I shut it off and restart it the noise is gone. Its only when the motor has been off for hours . I have always used 10w-30 since I got it and it currently has around 150k miles(odo broke) . I live in south florida so its not cold or anything like that but I do get up for work early and its colder than usual around that time. I was reading that maybe going to something like 5w-30 might help since the oil flows better when cold but it will keep the same lubrication at operating temps. Is it safe to go back to 5w-30? Some might say that the miles are not high but this car is not granny driven so I can accept the fact that I could have worn down bearings and that noise is going to be there on dry starts.

RichV · Jan 1, 2013

Probably a lifter, sound goes away after it pumps up. That's more of clacking sound than a vibration. How's your oil pressure?

94RedGt · Jan 2, 2013

Its fine according to the gauge, its always above the middle on the gauge. I should probably do a pressure test with an actual gauge. And it does not sound like a lifter at all, u can actually feel it in the car and the noise is very loud. The feeling part is probably because my motor mounts are shit. It only happens when the car sits for a long period of time and all the oil is down in the pan, if I shut it off and run it again I don't feel nothing.

BigBore96 · Jan 2, 2013

The gauge is a dumby gauge and doesn't mean anything other than you have more than 6lbs of oil pressure.

RichV · Jan 2, 2013

^ this is such a myth. Don't know why you guys keep pumping the BS. There are no #s obviously, and maybe it moves at 6psi start, but it's still an analog pressure signal.

BigBore96 · Jan 2, 2013

RichV said:
^ this is such a myth. Don't know why you guys keep pumping the BS. There are no #s obviously, and maybe it moves at 6psi start, but it's still an analog pressure signal.

Is it different for 5.0s? It's been a while since I've owned one but I know 96+ it's quite literally just on/off. There's been quite a few people who tried to make it real (no numbers of course).

RichV · Jan 2, 2013

Do the 96 and newer not have a oil pressure gauge? They just have an idiot light? Every mustang I have ever had has had a gauge, reads high when car is cold and goes up/down with revs just like my Autometer gauges, just not #s. Do newer SN95 not have this???

BigBore96 · Jan 2, 2013

Nope. Quite literally 96+ are on/off with the guage in the direct middle from start. I wasn't aware the 94/95s were different gauge wise. I know the 94/95 use a different more functional sender.
I'll have to check, but I'm pretty positive the 94/95s are idiot gauges too. I remember Mark Olson was trying to get the gauges to be functional in the past and he was even using the 94/95s to try and get them to function properly.

sweet94GT · Jan 2, 2013

My 94 gauge basically always reads dead center.

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toyman · Jan 3, 2013

RichV said:
^ this is such a myth. Don't know why you guys keep pumping the BS. There are no #s obviously, and maybe it moves at 6psi start, but it's still an analog pressure signal.

You are wrong my friend. The attached from the FORD Service manual is very clear that the sender is a 6 psi switch and not an analog pressure signal. Leastways not on the 94-95's.

RichV · Jan 3, 2013

So if you disconnect the "oil pressure switch" the gauge will read center? Has anyone tried this? WTH would be the point of this switch? 6psi of oil pressure isn't enough, and as long as you have this the gauge reads dead center??