Out of Commission?

[WPBFL561]

Hey guys, ill start from the beginning, i have a 01 bullitt gt 4.6l and about 5 months ago I had Patriot stage 2 cams & heads installed. The mech told me I needed a tune soon or the valve stems would start leaking. About a month later I bought sct tuner and bbr did a free tune for me just so the car ran normally but I still needed a full dyno tune which i did not get(tight on money). Eventually the car did start burning oil and I found out when I was racing my brother going about 100 and the car turned off. I let it coast for a while then started the car again and drove home with a loud ticking noise. Checked the oil when i got home it was pretty much empty, filled the car with oil drove it and seemed like the car was ok, ran the same as before. I would sometimes hear the ticking only on startup and sometimes when i just rev the engine. I drove it like that for about 2 months, did not have any problems. I brung it to my friends shop and we took off the exhaust just after the X. (xpipe) it still had 2 small cats from there to the headers. I drove the car out and gases it a little and it stalled. Checked it started it back up and head towards home, on the way i would sometimes hear a loud tick every so 10 seconds, then 5 seconds, shorter and now it ticks pretty loud and goes with the rpms. I tried putting Lucas in the engine(someone told me one of the rockers were stuck no lube) but it did not work. The engine does not shake too much when its running w the loud tick thats why they thought it was not a piston. I was thinking that the car was struggling the 2 months I was driving and taking off some backpressure just did the engine in, just a thought. I would appretiate and suggestions on what it might be and how should i go about it. Since I had the car I used 5W-20, says on the oil cap too. Is this too lean? thanks for any replys.
Corey

 

[squeak93]

Oil type is fine. The tune would not cause u to loose oil. It would only affect performance and such. If ur loosing that much oil that quick, u need to find where it goes. Does it leak out? do u have oil in ur coolant? Do u see it on ur rear bumper from burning out? Did the car smoke at all?

Sound as if when u ran it out of oil, u most likely smoked the bearings. Ur prob hearing rod knock when it ticks.

 

[WPBFL561]

Yes i started to notice white smoke on startup everytime the car sat for a while, so if it is the rod knocking if I drive it, it could blow out the engine? Would the rods have to be replaced or the bearing?
thanks

 

[squeak93]

Depends on if that is it or not. I have not heard it therefore its difficult to say whats wrong. The way u talk and how u describe the past few months events, I'd personally say its a rod knocking and u need to pull the motor apart and inspect/fix what ever damage is in there. Thats just me. Others may have other ideas. I would say to not hot rod it and venture too far from home if this is ur only car. To me it sounds as if u toasted bearings, driving it will lead to more damage. U can get things too hot and hurt rods/pistons and even ur block if ur not careful.

On a side note, the prev owner blew the motor in my 98 with n2o, #1 is completely dead and #3 piston and plug have held hands.... I still drive the piss out of mine b/c I'm not reusing any of my stuff on the new pi motor swap coming this spring.

Sounds like I would not go back to the guy who did the heads and cams if I were you. I'd get it fixed before u trash ur whole investment.

 

[darkside03gt]

Sounds like another patriot horror story to me. Leaking valve guides have nothing to do with a tune. That right there is just plain piss poor quality. I would be willing to bet that if you pulled your exaust manifolds you would find oil in them. Ticking noises usually point to valve train issues. if you ran it dry then you more then likely smoked a lifter or two. I doubt you smoked a bearing. Who did you buy these heads from? reason I ask is because according to patriot they fixed all the valve guide issues a long time ago but were concerned that there was still some of the bad heads out there. If you bought them from a speed shop you most likely got a bad set of heads.

I would beging by pulling the valve covers and taking a look at your valvetrain. Also try and find out where the oil is coming from. I am willing to bet valve guides. I personally would take those heads off and put your stockers back on. Sell them on ebay for whatever you can get for them and save up for some trick flow heads.

 

[WPBFL561]

Thanks for your replys guys, but I did buy them straight from patriot performance, I called them asking about the heads and told them I seen a lot of people had problems and they said that was all in the past. I had an idea of having a supercharged/turbo bullitt so do you think its a good idea to part the engine off and buy a used cobra engine?

 

[darkside03gt]

Swaping in a cobra engine is only worth it if you get all the parts you need at one time. Its more trouble then its worth IMOP. For about the same price you can rebuild your 2v and get a used supercharger and make more hp.

 

[hotmustang331]

I dont think its a lifter at all.....the 2Vs will spin a bearing if your just a few quarts down....muchless freegin almost no oil!
Anywho...thats what I think it is.....and for that mechanic to tell you that.....he freegin knew SOMETHING. A tune will not burn your valve guides out....I mean you MAY...MAY burn a valve if your tune was SUPER far off and your doing top speed runs, but IMO that all sounds pretty fishy.
I have never heard anyone say that if you dont get a tune your valve guides will be shot....thats caused from poor designed or crap parts.
In my cobras case its poor design Ford had the angle off on the first heads...or it could be off....and well on my #1 cylinder, the head has a leaky valve guide...oh well it doesnt use much oil at all though.

 

[joshheat25]

you should of gotten a custom tune on a Dyno or on the street right after installing new heads and Cams!!!

 

[2002BLGT]

Valve stem seals/guides and burning oil has nothing to do with a tune , I have a set of Patriots and they are smoking a little at startup , but I have checked the oil a few times and it hasnt used enough that I have had to add any yet , but definitely going to keep my eye on things , I would say if you knew the car was burning oil you should have checked it before running it like that , probably smoked a bearing as everyone has said ........I am waiting on the trickflow heads to come out , probably change the Patriots out for them when they hit the market .....