6. BURNED OR WARPED VALVES: A regular, evenly-spaced, downscale flicking of the needle indicates one or more burned or warped valves. Insufficient valve clearance will also cause this reaction.
7. POOR VALVE SEATING: A small but regular downscale flicking can mean one or more valves are not seating.
8. WORN VALVE GUIDES: When the needle oscillates over about a 13 kPa (4 in-Hg) range at idle speed, the valve guides could be worn. As engine speed increases, the needle will become steady if guides are responsible.
9. WEAK VALVE SPRINGS: When the needle oscillation becomes more violent as engine rpm is increased, weak valve springs are indicated. The reading at idle could be relatively steady.
10. LATE VALVE TIMING: A steady but low reading could be caused by late valve timing.
11. IGNITION TIMING RETARDING: Retarded ignition timing will produce a steady but somewhat low reading.
12. INSUFFICIENT SPARK PLUG GAP: When spark plugs are gapped too close, a regular, small pulsation of the needle can occur.
13. INTAKE LEAK: A low, steady reading can be caused by an intake manifold or TB (Throttle Body) gasket leak.
14. BLOWN HEAD GASKET: A regular drop of fair magnitude can be caused by a blown head gasket or warped cylinder head-to-cylinder block surface.
15. RESTRICTED EXHAUST SYSTEM: When the engine is first started and is idled, the reading may be normal, but as the engine rpm is increased, the back pressure caused by a clogged muffler, kinked tailpipe or other concerns will cause the needle to slowly drop to 0 kPa (0 in-Hg). The needle then may slowly rise. Excessive exhaust clogging will cause the needle to drop to a low point even if the engine is only idling.
When vacuum leaks are indicated, search out and correct the cause. Excess air leaking into the system will upset the fuel mixture and cause concerns such as rough idle, missing on acceleration or burned valves. If the leak exists in an accessory unit such as the power brake booster, the unit will not function correctly. Always fix vacuum leaks.
Oil Pressure Test
1. Disconnect and remove the oil pressure switch (refer to the appropriate 303-01 engine section) or EOP sensor (refer to the appropriate 303-14 section).
2. Connect a commercially available oil pressure gauge to the oil pressure sender oil galley port.
3. Run the engine until normal operating temperature is reached.
4. Run the engine at the specified rpm and record the gauge reading.
5. The oil pressure should be within specifications, refer to the specification chart in the appropriate 303-01 engine section.
6. If the pressure is not within specification, check the following possible sources: Insufficient oil Oil leakage Worn or damaged oil pump Oil pump screen cover and tube Excessive main bearing clearance Excessive connecting rod bearing clearance Chain tensioner leak
7. Remove the commercially available oil pressure gauge.
8. Install and connect the oil pressure switch (refer to the appropriate 303-01 engine section) or EOP sensor (refer to the appropriate 303-14 section).
Valve Train Analysis 2.3L Ecoboost / 3.7L Duratec
2016 Mustang workshop publication supplied to Mustang Atlas. Original technical text and illustrations; HTML formatting by Mustang Atlas. Source page numbering is retained for traceability. Follow the configuration, revision, warnings, and cross-references in the material. About this edition.