AMSOIL EA011 filter causing ticking on valvetrain

[ZX6Ray]

Car is a 2011 GT500 w/ 170 thermostat, tune/pulley/exhaust 20K miles. I changed my oil 1k miles ago with amsoil EA011 filter and amsoil 10W-40 oil. I've always used amsoil in all my cars and motorcycles but for some reason when the oil is hot at idle I was getting a ticking under my drivers side wheel well, almost similar to an exhaust leak. That's what I though it was at first until I took a mechanics stethoscope to the #8 cylinder valve cover bolts. To my amazement, it was coming from the exhaust HLA. Before I decided to take it do the dealer I bought a motorcraft oil filter and swapped it out and the ticking is now gone There was a K&N filter on the car when I bought it used before with no ticking noises whatsoever. As soon as I put the amsoil EA011 filter I noticed ticking after the oil was good and hot but did not think it was the filter at all. Now for those of you that won't run a motorcraft filter I have a used oil analysis with the K&N filter and showed insolubles at .3 % Anything under .6 % is sufficient filtering according to blackstone labs.


Unleashed has a lot of explaining to do regarding this... I will always run amsoil but he also recommended the EA011 filter. Now I hope with the 1k miles I put on the car since that filter was in HOPEFULLY nothing was damaged.

 

[enormous]

I'm on my second amsoil EA011 filter on my Shelby in two years and no ticking but I'm using 10w30 Amsoil with my 170 stat.

 

[zporta]

I'm on my second amsoil EA011 filter on my Shelby in two years and no ticking but I'm using 10w30 Amsoil with my 170 stat.

I'm on my 3rd and no noise

 

[Kenneth]

I use the Amsoil oil, But always stuck with the Motorcraft filter.

 

[jenkins_1120]

I use it to and no ticks I do hear my injectors ticking though

 

[spitin venom]

A lot of the 03-04 Cobra's would tick if you used an aftermarket oil filter. I use motorcraft.

 

[cobraboss]

Can someone explain to me how an oil filter causes ticking?

 

[ZX6Ray]

Can someone explain to me how an oil filter causes ticking?

The filter media used in the ea's are 20 microns. Impedes the flow of oil a bit especially at idle. Just use the filter ford engineers designed the engine for.

 

[2011 gtcs]

Mine does it from time to time from the passenger side more than the driver side, I freaked out when I first heard it but after talking to a couple other GT500 owners they all do it. Its normal

 

[ZX6Ray]

Mine does it from time to time from the passenger side more than the driver side, I freaked out when I first heard it but after talking to a couple other GT500 owners they all do it. Its normal

Well the ticking is minimized if not gone entirely indicating the HLA's are getting more lubrication at idle. Nothing more embarrassing pulling up in a 40K sports car and immediatly asked by onlookers: "Why is your engine ticking?" :shrug:

 

[rotor_powerd]

I'm a bit skeptical of your diagnosis. I have a very, very hard time believing that a filter change would cause a lifter tick - I just don't see it.

What was your oil pressure before and after the filter change? Was the car at operating temperature or a cold start? Was the oil changed along with the filter? There are a lot of variables at play in this equation.

I have run the Amsoil filter with both Amsoil 10w40 and now 10w30, and I have no ticking of any sort other than the injectors.

 

[Tifosi2003GT]

I use the Amsoil oil, But always stuck with the Motorcraft filter.

This.. I use the ford racing version

 

[Slabo]

I first noticed the tick on my '07 while still on the original factory oil. It is least noticeable with the Amsoil and the Motorcraft (FRPP version) filter combo. If you really want to hear it tick run the Redline 5w-50. That was the worst. Of course we learned not to run that from the UOA thread.

 

[enormous]

I have read about ticking caused by dealer overfills on a couple Shelby forums that was fixed by removing some oil. Perhaps when you removed your Amsoil filter enough oil was removed to cure the problem. Possible maybe??

 

[Ray Lucca]

09 Vert. here:
Factory and 1 free Dealer Oil change with MC 5/50, stock MC Filter: No tick. Lousy UOA on the second fill.
RL 5/50 with the FRPP Filter, No tick, very good UOA
Current: Amsoil 10/40 with a FRPP Filter, No tick, will send it out when I change it.

 

[Silver_Serpent]

Since you have a 170 degree thermostat, you might want to consider a lighter viscocity. I can see how the filter might have done its job and became a little dirty/restrictive after 1000 miles. That, in combination with an oil that is too viscous for the temperature it is being run at, could cause it to be pretty difficult to flow at the correct rate.
It would be very interesting to know the viscocity difference between 170 degrees and 195 degrees of some of the widely used motor oils for these cars (i.e., does a 10w-30 amsoil at 170 degrees match in viscocity to a sheared motorcraft 5w-50 at 195 degrees)

 

[PistolWhip]

I've been running WIX filters in both my Shelby and my DD Titan since I got them both and never had a problem. Amsoil 10w-40 in the Shelby with a 170 stat, no ticks or other valve problems.

 

[evasive]

I've been running amsoil filters for a couple years now on my 500 and other cars for longer than that without issue. Doubt it's the source of the ticking and cause to doubt Amsoil quality. Did you keep the filter?

 

[Silver_Serpent]

I should have mentioned, I run amsoil signature series 10w- 30 with the amsoil filter also.

 

[ZX6Ray]

I'm a bit skeptical of your diagnosis. I have a very, very hard time believing that a filter change would cause a lifter tick - I just don't see it.

What was your oil pressure before and after the filter change? Was the car at operating temperature or a cold start? Was the oil changed along with the filter? There are a lot of variables at play in this equation.

I have run the Amsoil filter with both Amsoil 10w40 and now 10w30, and I have no ticking of any sort other than the injectors.

Why would you have a hard time believing that an aftermarket oil filter could cause a ticking of the valve train when the oil is warm??? Before you become "skeptical" maybe you need to read chapter 3 of the ford service manual then get back to me... In case you need more directive it's in "diagnosis and testing"

As far as oil pressure there was no significant changes noticed on the needle gauge and since you didn't carefully read my first post I will reiterate for you that the "oil was hot at idle" which means the car was at operating temperature and that I did not change the oil, only the filter.

There are not a lot of variables to this situation. Oil level was kept between the two reference holes at about the 75-80% mark and I haven't heard the tick come back and since Amsoil filters weren't engineered to output a certain minimal oil pressure for this particular engine there is no reason to run it, that said...

Just sharing my experience. Do what you feel is necessary.:beer: