Head tick.

[Blackened300a]

Recently my head tick on the drivers side has gotten quite louder. To the point that its more of a concern then annoying. Today I'm taking it back to my engine builder to take a look and listen under the cam cover. We are also going to do a compression and leak down test to be certain before we pull the cover off. I'm hoping for something stupid, but I never been that lucky. I'm also noticing a very slight thump in the idle out the drivers side exhaust pipe so its looking like a valve hanging up a follower issue.
Sunday I checked the headers,flange and the EGR tube, I have no leaks. If I unplug each injector the sound don't change, I also used a stethoscope, but I couldn't narrow it down to a specific cylinder. The passenger side is quiet. I just have the ticking on the drivers side only. It seems to do this hot or cold and mostly at idle. I have no smoke, no oil comsumption and no loss of power. So today I'll hope to have a rundown. Otherwise I may be in the market for a head. :shake:

[CBT]

Hopefully it's something easy peasy, fingers crossed. :beer:

[ctrlraven]

DOOM has it as well, only from the drivers side. I get it very faintly as well even though I don't have aftermarket headers. Only thing we could figure out was that it just was the sound wave hitting a certain part of the header.

Can you hear it from under the car while it on the ground?

[Blackened300a]

Can you hear it from under the car while it on the ground?

Its even louder with the car on the ground. Its ridiculous. The thump in the exhaust is why I really wanna get this checked out. I feel it in the idle too.

[MOTOWN]

Seems a lot of mm have this problem, im wondering if its a valve seat, or a bent valve on one of the two infamous cylinders on the drivers side?

[rayjay]

Aw no, not again Paul :( I hope its nothing major. My DTR ticks a little too, but not to the point that it concerns me. It just bothers me that I can't tell if my LS8 is running sometimes its so quiet, but then again its 100% stock. Beep don't need no more power. :D

[ctrlraven]

I know DOOM's noise didn't appear until he did the headers and then it got a lot louder when he had the rest of the exhaust done. Malibuguy checked headers and every inch of the exhaust and found zero leaks. It does sound like it comes from the back two driver side cylinder areas.

[MOTOWN]

I honestly wonder if we had rear cooling mods from the factory if we would be dealing with this problem? which is common on so many mm

[Odinson]

Hope it's allllright.

That sucks. Keep us posted.

[Blackened300a]

I know DOOM's noise didn't appear until he did the headers and then it got a lot louder when he had the rest of the exhaust done. Malibuguy checked headers and every inch of the exhaust and found zero leaks. It does sound like it comes from the back two driver side cylinder areas.
I heard his car at MV9. Mine seems similar but the thump in the exhaust is having me wanna get it looked at.


I honestly wonder if we had rear cooling mods from the factory if we would be dealing with this problem? which is common on so many mm

The rear cooling mod is a band aid to fix fords design flaw. Going by what I been reading, ford knows about this issue in the cobras and mach1s and didn't issue a revised head until 2005. The aviator has the updated heads that prevent the over heating of the rear 2 cylinders. I don't wanna shell out for a new head and I wanna be certain that my engine is in good shape before I just accept it and start to live with it.

[mgmsleeper]

I have a driver side tick too. Original owner said he's heard it since he bought it new

[GAMike]

The Banshee had this back when I first purchased her, and was noticeable when driving in the left lane (against the concrete highway partitions...Noise would bounce off those).

Scott Levine of Team Ford tightend my exhaust manifolds, and problem solved:banana2:

[RF Overlord]

Paul, and everyone else in this thread, does it sound like a tap, a tick, a tunk or a nuck? I would define tapping or ticking to be higher-pitched...and a tunk or a nuck to be lower.

The reason I ask is because everyone talks about the "infamous driver's side ______" fill in the blank. Phoebe has a lower-pitched rhythmic sound that comes as goes as it pleases, but has done it off and on ever since we bought her 65,000 miles ago (has 153k now).

[Blackened300a]

Paul, and everyone else in this thread, does it sound like a tap, a tick, a tunk or a nuck? I would define tapping or ticking to be higher-pitched...and a tunk or a nuck to be lower.

The reason I ask is because everyone talks about the "infamous driver's side ______" fill in the blank. Phoebe has a lower-pitched rhythmic sound that comes as goes as it pleases, but has done it off and on ever since we bought her 65,000 miles ago (has 153k now).

Tapping and ticking. I had the low level tick and this is a tapping along side it. My engine builder thinks its a valve spring since I have the thump in the exhaust, my idle has a vibration, and he hear's it on the exhaust side of cyl 7. Tomorrow the cover is coming and off and they will let me know exactly what it is.

[Phrog_gunner]

Paul, and everyone else in this thread, does it sound like a tap, a tick, a tunk or a nuck? I would define tapping or ticking to be higher-pitched...and a tunk or a nuck to be lower.

The reason I ask is because everyone talks about the "infamous driver's side ______" fill in the blank. Phoebe has a lower-pitched rhythmic sound that comes as goes as it pleases, but has done it off and on ever since we bought her 65,000 miles ago (has 153k now).

Does Pheobe have headers?

[a_d_a_m]

Does Pheobe have headers? According to the mod list (in the link to the garage) yes, I was wondering about header tick...have noticed some folks have experienced this with the SW headers. I know babbage was chasing that issue down earlier this year.

[mgmsleeper]

The Banshee had this back when I first purchased her, and was noticeable when driving in the left lane (against the concrete highway partitions...Noice would bounce off those).

Scott Levine of Team Ford tightend my exhaust manifolds, and problem solved:banana2:

that might be the fix, my 95 SS had a tick and i tightened up the headers and it went away. i dont have headers on the MM but the exhaust manifolds might be the answer.

[Blackened300a]

I re torqued the headers and didn't find anything loose. It also doesn't sound like a exhaust leak.

[Phrog_gunner]

According to the mod list (in the link to the garage) yes, I was wondering about header tick...have noticed some folks have experienced this with the SW headers. I know babbage was chasing that issue down earlier this year.

From this short thread it just seemed the problem was only brought up on cars with headers.

[RF Overlord]

Does Pheobe have headers?No, but she does have Cobra manifolds and custom H-pipe.
It also doesn't sound like a exhaust leak.Neither does mine...

[mgmsleeper]

I need to figure mine out before going SC

[stevengerard]

Its very cold tonight and my tick got very loud tonight at start up and lasted all 20 minutes of driving, I have headers by the way. The ticking comes and goes, mostly always there but on colder days it is really loud

[Blackened300a]

The tick I would live with. The thump in the exhaust and the effected idle is why I needed it checked out.

[Krytin]

If you can hear/feel it at the tail pipe an exhaust valve is not closed.
I hope it's a simple fix!

[RacerX]

The tick I would live with. The thump in the exhaust and the effected idle is why I needed it checked out.
Is it a noise that has gotten progressively louder at all?

[Blackened300a]

Is it a noise that has gotten progressively louder at all?

Louder after the headers but never thumped out the exhaust before so that's why I want it looked at.

[ctrlraven]

I guess my time will stand for longer now. lol

[Blackened300a]

I guess my time will stand for longer now. lol

If its minor then Im hoping I have the parts so Im racing on Sunday, if its major then I'm running on Sunday and fix it afterwards! It still runs strong so I'm not giving up! :D

[Papillon]

If its minor then Im hoping I have the parts so Im racing on Sunday, if its major then I'm running on Sunday and fix it afterwards! It still runs strong so I'm not giving up! :D


Uuuummm..... I would like to cast my VETO vote for the above reference comment!!!! :mad2:

[Phrog_gunner]

Uuuummm..... I would like to cast my VETO vote for the above reference comment!!!! :mad2:

BUSTED!!! :alone:

[justbob]

Sorry to hear this Paul after the last year or so of complications. I have had a tick since I bought her in '04 with 14340 miles (currently 85,000) mostly heard when near a wall. Faint sound and not very consistant. In the last couple years I have also noticed a more cam sounding idle as well. All my exhaust work this summer however did nothing to increase accoustics. Still running like a beast, and no plans on looking into it unless something gets worse. Hope yours is something minor.

This post is rated E for everyone.

[Blackened300a]

Sorry to hear this Paul after the last year or so of complications. I have had a tick since I bought her in '04 with 14340 miles (currently 85,000) mostly heard when near a wall. Faint sound and not very consistant. In the last couple years I have also noticed a more cam sounding idle as well. All my exhaust work this summer however did nothing to increase accoustics. Still running like a beast, and no plans on looking into it unless something gets worse. Hope yours is something minor.

This post is rated E for everyone.
Looks like we have that in common. My car runs strong and has. O other issues but this annoying tick that I wanted to get resolved. Today they are putting the car back together and doing one last retorque of the header bolts to eliminate any chance of a leak. Then I guess I'll live with it til it blows up. :D

[FastMerc]

I never had the issue with the old motor headers or not! It sounds like a valve issue. OK maybe u just need a new stroker motor I love mine lol...

[Richy04]

If you suspect a hanging valve or bad seat etc., you can check the temp of the exhaust ports with a laser style pistol thermometer. I believe Harbor freight has a decent one for a little over thirty bucks. You can let the motor warm up and then take temp readings of all of the cylinder exhaust ports and look for one with some variation. Even if it was an intake valve or seat, it will affect the temp of the outgoing exhaust. Worth a shot to take the mystery out of it.

[justbob]

Very good call Richy.

This post is rated E for everyone.

[Blackened300a]

The compression and wet/dry leak down test ruled out a hanging valve.

[Krytin]

The compression and wet/dry leak down test ruled out a hanging valve.

That's good!
Maybe it's just the way the headers sound/flow?!
Run it 'till it's all the way broke!:lol:

[mgmsleeper]

The compression and wet/dry leak down test ruled out a hanging valve.

How much did this/these test cost?

[Blackened300a]

How much did this/these test cost?

It's more labor charge then anything else. In fact I been haunting him to send me a bill but he hasn't gotten around to it yet.