# 1993 Ford E250 - no oil pressure, ticking **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** e250, ford\ **Created:** [October 11, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572 "2018-10-11T17:21:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ErinDolighan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d9b06d/32.png) [@ErinDolighan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ErinDolighan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/1 "2018-10-11T17:21:50Z")
Truck has 0 oil pressure. Ticking. Engine flushed & 2 oil changes, replaced oil pressure switch. It was stable for 50 miles; now problem has returned. 5W20 oil too thin? ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/2 "2018-10-11T17:38:39Z")
> [@ErinDolighan](#): > > 5W20 oil too thin? What does the manual call for? (I’m guessing 10W-30…) ---
**Author:** ![ErinDolighan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d9b06d/32.png) [@ErinDolighan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ErinDolighan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/3 "2018-10-11T17:50:53Z")
Book calls for 5W20. I do not agree. Can an oil that is too thin cause a drop in oil pressure and excess noise? I am inclined to upgrade to 20/50 and see if this helps. ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/4 "2018-10-11T20:11:29Z")
I’m not sure I would upgrade to 20W-50, that’s quite a bit thicker than what’s required. I tried to search for the manual for the 93 and 96 was the oldest I could pull up…in the 96 the 5.8L engine required 5W-30 whereas the 4.9L, 5.0L, and 7.5L engines required 10W-30 so I wouldn’t jump to 20W-50 personally. As far as noise goes, I would assume that a thinner oil would always make more noise than a thicker oil…now given that this engine is 25 years old the noise may not be abnormal, it might enhance noises the engine normally makes. Since your gauge is indicating abnormal pressure, have you checked your oil level to make sure it’s at the proper level? ---
**Author:** ![ErinDolighan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d9b06d/32.png) [@ErinDolighan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ErinDolighan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 9:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/5 "2018-10-11T21:35:22Z")
Noise is unusual-a ticking on top of the ordinary noise and a whine i think is the oil pump. I do think the pump is failing. Could pressure be increased with a thicker oil? I’ve never done my own oil change but i’m about to. Oil level is spot-on perfect. Clean & new. 5W20. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 12:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/6 "2018-10-12T00:55:20Z")
Have you hooked up a mechanic oil pressure gauge yet? When it comes to these situations, you have to know for sure ---
**Author:** ![ErinDolighan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d9b06d/32.png) [@ErinDolighan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ErinDolighan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/7 "2018-10-12T01:50:42Z")
I switched 5/20 for 10/30. Drove 50 miles. 49 miles were fine. Then it started SMOKING!!! OMG! And the oil pressure dropped and the ticking started again. Oil-put in yesterday- was really not as clean as i expected. I wonder if i got hit overnight last night. Truck drove perfect 40 miles after shop engine flush and new oil. Today problem is back. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/8 "2018-10-12T01:51:42Z")
What engine? how many miles? ---
**Author:** ![ErinDolighan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d9b06d/32.png) [@ErinDolighan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ErinDolighan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/9 "2018-10-12T01:51:47Z")
Also-the shop tested it. Said i have failing pump or worn cam bearings. ---
**Author:** ![ErinDolighan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d9b06d/32.png) [@ErinDolighan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ErinDolighan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/10 "2018-10-12T01:57:54Z")
8cyl. 5.8l. 257000 miles. 1993. Time for replacement - in my opinion. I could rebuild, i guess… But i think a new one is better. These trucks are done now - last ones built in 2013, and i just love it. Put in a new engine, rebuild old one and keep it until they are totally unavailable and sell it for real dollars. I think that’s the best move. Replace oil pump at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/11 "2018-10-12T01:59:33Z")
Worn bearings much, much , more likely. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 2:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/12 "2018-10-12T02:05:02Z")
> [@ErinDolighan](#): > > keep it until they are totally unavailable and sell it for real dollars If you think you will have a collector vehicle I seriously doubt that. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/13 "2018-10-12T03:04:38Z")
> [@ErinDolighan](#): > > I switched 5/20 for 10/30. Drove 50 miles. 49 miles were fine. Then it started SMOKING Sounds like a sludged engine, the oil can’t drain from the top of the cylinder heads, the oil gets into the cylinder through the valve guides and PCV valve causing the smoke. The next problem is the plugged oil pump pick up screen. These thing will need to be clean, different weight oil is not the answer, it may be too late if the engine was run with no oil pressure. ---
**Author:** ![ErinDolighan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d9b06d/32.png) [@ErinDolighan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ErinDolighan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 6:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1993-ford-e250-no-oil-pressure-ticking/126572/14 "2018-10-12T06:22:32Z")
Right? I had the engine flushed yesterday.