I have a 91 XLT 4x4 with 240k (kilometres not miles) on the clock and the engine is developing a progress ticking which I understand to be wear on the valves and lifters caused by a very slight warping of the camshaft that misalignes an oil through way, thus starving the lifters of oil and causing premature wear....(apparenly, so I am told by a friendly Ford mechanic, this is not an uncommon problem in explorers...) recently I have started to get fluctuating oil pressure readings when at idle, but fine at "normal" running speeds. The advice I have received is to ditch the engine and replace completely as replacing just the heads is not sufficient (although the engine in all other respects is good and tight and has never burnt oil..)...anybody else experienced this or have any thoughts/suggestions? Also, the fuel gauge died on me the other week....is this an easy fix and if so, how.... Thanks..

NEVER scrap the engine unless you want a brand new engine or have a cracked block, or it is bored larger then 40 over. If you ever replace it with a used engine, you don't know what shape it may be in. For what you are talking about, is a simple valve job. If it doesn't use oil that is very good. If oil pressure is reading low, the oil loss may be in your mains (where the main cam rides in the main bearings). Many times if you get tapping in the valves and low oil pressure, it is leaking seals. Do you have a SOHC or DOHC? (it will say it on the engine cover) They don't have push rods, hence the overhead cam. I would find it rare though to have the mains leaking and not using oil. When the mains wear, the rings tend to wear shortly after. I would recommend, just from what I know of your case, to just have a valve job done. Simple and only should run about 150-250... Chris Robertson Christopher.T.Robertson@... > I have a 91 XLT 4x4 with 240k (kilometres not miles) on the clock and > the engine is developing a progress ticking which I understand to be > wear on the valves and lifters caused by a very slight warping of the > camshaft that misalignes an oil through way, thus starving the > lifters of oil and causing premature wear....(apparenly, so I am told > by a friendly Ford mechanic, this is not an uncommon problem in > explorers...) recently I have started to get fluctuating oil pressure > readings when at idle, but fine at "normal" running speeds. > > The advice I have received is to ditch the engine and replace > completely as replacing just the heads is not sufficient (although > the engine in all other respects is good and tight and has never > burnt oil..)...anybody else experienced this or have any > thoughts/suggestions? > > > Also, the fuel gauge died on me the other week....is this an easy fix > and if so, how.... > > Thanks..

Sorry- can't help you on the lifters/engine issue.  As for the fuel guage... mine died on my 92 as well.  The send unit is in the tank w/ the float.  Repair requires dropping the tank and replacing the entire float unit.  It's all internal.
Not that big a job, but wasn't worth the hassle to me.  I just reset the trip meter at each fillup and went looking for gas after 250 miles.  I think the unit was $125-$140 US if I remember right.