Very hard knocking, maybe valve lifter ? ran out of oil and ran it for a few miles. it stalled, then noticed no oil, the oil pan plug had fallen out/ filled it up with oil and put in new oil pan plug. it ran ok for a few days. only city driving. now getting real noisy and shaking.

ionMr. Hugo. what to what you do have is the viscosity of your engine oil. Most probably is either long mileage used engine oil and due to that oil mud built up inside the engine, in the oil pan and most likely close to the oil pressure pump filter reducing the suction and that is why you do have cold lifter knocking,as the engine oil that time is thicker and when it gets hot become thinner and lifters stopped knocking. My persona advise do flush the old engine oil using ( RESTORE MOTOR CLEANER ) pour it into the engine old oil,start the engine in idle and few times reving it for 40 minutes. Then drain it and renew the engine oil with new and recommended engine oil for your engine,by renewing the oil filter as well. Also in the new engine oil put also (RESTORE FRICTION REDUCER ) additive and run the engine.For next oil change please do it every 5000 km ( 3000 miles)

I would put a oil pressure gage on the truck and verify that the pump is good. The lifters should not rattle unless someone has been adjusting the valve lash. At 196000 miles the lifters maybe getting weak, push rods could be wearing.

If this all happened after pan gasket change, chances are you knocked the oil pump pickup and the pump is sucking air. You've lost oil pressure. Fix that. Do NOT add washers. That's not your problem.

If your engine is knocking the sound with be at the bottom of your oil pan but if you have lifter or rocker arm problems the sound will be at the top of your engine. One other thing you said your car has 315k it might be time to change your oil pump.

Hi , usually a knocking / pinging from the valve cover indicates a lifter tapping. Could be worn out or just worn. Do you change your oil every 3000 with high quality oil? (I always have used valvoline standard with outstanding results) Dirty oil and filter and or incorect weight oil and or using synthetic oil in older cars can result in lifters tapping. If your oil is under 2000 miles since last change and you used a high quality oil (watch who changes your oil, some places use inferior oil because its cheaper) you can buy a pint of oil treatment formula to quiet noisy lifters to coat the lifter and quiet it down. It is a sign of engine wear, but one lifter tapping a bit wont really hurt your engine mechanically. If they all get noisy, time for a valve job. Root cause is wear due to insufficient lubrication. The lifters on newer cars are all hydraulic and they self adjust. No manual adjustment is possible. Bottom line: keep your oil changed regularly using a high quality non-synthetic oil for your 1999 vehicle.
Please rate this answer! Thanks, Mike

is it a knocking or a ticking? knocking is eather a wrist pin on a piston or crank bearing. ticking is cam lifter low oil pressure or no oil at all if you are in the 170,000 mile range then you are looking at a total rebuild this is around the time when parts start failing on ford engines metal shavings (take magnet and test to see if shaving stick to magnet these could be piston shavings its hard to tell with out seeing

If you have good oil pressure, a few things come to mind, first it could be a loose rocker, secound it could be a woren or broken rocker, third it could be a weak or calaps lifter. If it sounds like its lower in the engine like around the oil pan it could be a rod or maine problem. But you say its a ticking noise witch leads me to believe its a valve trane problem.

Sounds like you ran your oil pretty low my not be lifters but connecting rods. Was it a tapping sound or knocking?

Sure sounds like a lifter is clogged or a valve is hanging partially open.
Think about oil changes. Some have used kerosean (sp) in the oil for a few hundred miles before changing it - just to clear out the lifters and clean the oil feed channels and valve guides. Just don't drag race with a cleaner/thinner in your oil pan.....

I'd consider some fresh, clean oil & filter change first of all, if it hasn't been done . drive it for a while providing it isn't too bad, & see if it goes away, if not get back to us.