Engine or something broke !!!

[03 Terminator]

Hi Cobra fellows,

So here is my story: took a ride in the Cobra today (its 3rd run, so not even broken yet) and during a WOT acceleration in 4th gear I suddenly hear a loud tick-tick-tick that's coming from the motor (it follows the RPM). If I release the gas than it disappear but as soon as I return on it, it returns. And I don't need to return on it very hard because I can make the tick-tick happen even if the blower don't go on.

THIS PROBLEM IS NOT THE USUAL TICK.

I know the usual tick is hearable at idle whereas mine doesn't make any noise at idle. Only when I stump little or hard on it, no matter the speed or the gear. It happened suddenly like something just broke. The car only has 180 miles on it. I have it since December but Montreal winters are not for a car like that so I have been using the beater instead.

Any help is greatly appreciated, since I know some of you guys could diagnose this problem far better than the dealer will.

BTW: The car has absolutely NO mods.

 

[SVT 03 Cobra]

sounds like an exhaust leak dude......

 

[03 Terminator]

I agree that makes a lot of sense. Any other 03 Cobras had a leaked like that? Nitrous Pete told me he had one too. Are we just me a Pete???

 

[03DOHC]

Take it to the dealer.

 

[03 Terminator]

Originally posted by 03DOHC
Take it to the dealer.

That's what I will do on Monday. But I ask anyway because I am scare that the local dealer would have to play in my motor. What if it is a rocker spring instead? The only good point about that is: IT HAPPENED BEFORE ANY MOD. So the dealer will not be able to backup on his warranty like some did...

 

[ygohome]

It may be something simple like an exhaust leack or maybe the cat heat shields are loose and rattling against them (this is what happened in one of my other vehicles).

Cool that you have no mods yet to worry about though.

 

[94SVT Coupe]

Or it could be as bad as defective main bearings too.

 

[fakesnake.com]

Long shot- I remember a member here thinking he had the tick problem and it turned out one leg of his Supercharger bracket had snapped off.

 

[03 Terminator]

Originally posted by 94SVT Coupe
Or it could be as bad as defective main bearings too.

I can't imagine something worst. But I doubt...

 

[94SVT Coupe]

Just sounds like a main bearing problem we had with a boat engine. The original engine failed. Then it was rebuilt. After about 2 hours of running, a tick/knock that would vary with RPMs started. It was torn down- bad main bearings. Rebuilt again. Same thing after an hour or two. Turns out the bearing mnaufacturer had released defective bearings to the market. They ended up buying us a new shortblock.

Just a worse-cae scenrio for ya..

 

[MysticCobra096]

i am with 94svtcoupe...i really think it is a main bearing...that happened to me and it was the same way your car is acting:??: but who knows may be just an exhuast leak hope for the best

 

[DRIVINGLESSON]

What octane gas are you using? My GT use to ping if i put less that 93 octane. Is it a tick, or maybe a ping?

 

[stangin]

Tick

Exhaust Leak

 

[BOOOOST]

Check your DPFE sensor hose. Comes off the driver's side manifold and goes to the black DPFE sensor at the top back of the motor, near the firewall, on the driver's side. There are 2 hoses that go to it, and it is possible that the back one blew off.

Please let us know if this is the problem!

 

[matt lankford]

mine sounded like that when i blew my exaust manifold gasket. it sounds like a baseball card in a bike spoke but with more metallis right...

 

[BOOOOST]

Originally posted by matt lankford
mine sounded like that when i blew my exaust manifold gasket. it sounds like a baseball card in a bike spoke but with more metallis right...

Matt, funny you say that, because I believe I may have had a blown manifold gasket for quite some time now.

Even after they fixed my DPFE hose (see two posts above this one) from popping off (they put a clamp on it), I still get this pulsing sound coming from the left side of the engine when I give it a good bit of throttle to WOT, near the firewall up by my pedals. You can't hear it unless you're under throttle. I've complained that I still hear it to them, but I haven't pressed the issue with them about it, yet.

Hmmm, this makes me wonder if this was the reason my DPFE hose kept blowing off in the first place??? Ya think? Maybe not, but regardless, the pulsing is still there.

Did you get a check engine light because of it? And which side was it on? How did you figure it out? Do you have the stock manifolds, or did you when this happened? My car is completely stock, fwiw.

 

[Orange Poison]

My car does something similar under WOT too. I can tell if it's ticking sound or like a flogging sound. The manifold gasket sounds pretty reasonable to me.

I just got my car back from the dealer, and they ran tests on it and I'd figure they would have detected something. After coming back from the dealership, I then took my car to my muffler guy and had him check for leaks. None.

So, I don't know what's up either. It sounded like an exhaust leak, but it's not that either.

Mine's only noticeable when I get on it hard.

 

[03 Terminator]

Originally posted by BNASPLT
Check your DPFE sensor hose. Comes off the driver's side manifold and goes to the black DPFE sensor at the top back of the motor, near the firewall, on the driver's side. There are 2 hoses that go to it, and it is possible that the back one blew off.

Please let us know if this is the problem!

I checked the DPFE hoe and it was DISCONNECTED! I tought for a moment I was a lucky dude and that was my only problem. So I re-conected the hose and took it for a test drive, NO FIX same TICK souns is not better (or worst)....

BTW I've attached some pics of the hose in question at:
http://www.modularfords.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=10869#post10869

 

[03 Terminator]

My dealer found the problem! One hose in between the firewall and the motor on drivers's side was disconnected! I've already found my DPFE hose being disconnected and now that one. I asked the dealer why hoses kept on disconnecting and he came out with that answer: Too much backpressure because of clogged cats. He ended up ordering new cats from Ford and will be replacing upon receipt. I am not too convince about the backpressure theory but who would complain about getting new cats!

BTW: Are the replacement cats same part number as previous ones? If yes clogged cats will always come back if the engine is started and shut-down (within seconds) repeatedly.

 

[94SVT Coupe]

Well that's good news. Do you guys with these blown hoses/clogged cats drive your car agressively? Normal? Baby it?

Mine gets flogged pretty good whenever it's driven, and I'd think that'd tend to clog the cats due to the A/F ratio at WOT and high RPMs, but then again maybe it gets the cats hot enough to keep any crap from accumulating too. Dunno..