Head Tick Q's

[justa03]

Ive done the searc and looked through quite a few threads on this issue and have known about it for along time, ever since I bought the car, but this morning when I left for school the car started ticking and it was loud and hasnt quit since. I always could hear a slight tick on a cold start up but lately it was getting louder and louder, and was really noticeable when I was next to building/walls. I notice on start up it only smokes out of bank 2, and it smoke just a lil bit out of bank 2 at an idle. It sounds just like the videos on youtube. I ran a powerbalance test and a relative compression test on the car at school and all looks fine. Just looking for anyone that has the head tick or did have it and how long they drove the car like that? I have to drive the car 2000 miles in a month to go back home and just dont wanna have to worry about it. The car just turned 50k and i put a KB @ 17 psi on the car about a month ago, and the car had a 2.80 on it since 36k. No head cooling mod which i know was stupid but was waitin to do the clutch to do it. Any info would be greatly appreaciated.

-Thanks, Dan

 

[T-Pain808]

Hopefully it just the head, but many have had the tick a lost a piston too. Start saving your money man, doesn't sound good, also look under the forums under head tick to get more info. Hopefully it works out.


FORD = :bash:

 

[justa03]

LOL, thanks man, as for the Ford suckin the big one ill pass on that gonna be workin for them soon enough. And as for savin i got 11k sittin around just waitin to go big or go home. Im pretty sure its a valve guide cuz if its guide it should be leakin oil into the cylnder which would explain the oil burning. And the tick is just annoying as hell. If not im thinkin teskid with a slight stroke, bore and more boost.......

 

[T-Pain808]

:lol: Ya, thats what I'm talking about. I never really was a Ford guy, but I fell in love when they came out with the 96 cobra and 2003 cobra. Unfortunately ford makes um. I'm sorry but cruise controls that catch fire, spark plugs that eject, low clearance just so there's no piston slap, barely any cooling on 7, 8 pistons, the list goes on. Hopefully its just the head and you can fix it, maybe even get some money back for your new setup. Good luck man.

 

[justa03]

Come on guys I know some have had this issue and im mainly worried about the oil burning issue right now. Anyone, please....

 

[spitin venom]

Come on guys I know some have had this issue and im mainly worried about the oil burning issue right now. Anyone, please....

I went through this last year. Mine did not smoke at all. It would start ticking louder as the motor got warmer. When the motor was cold it wouldnt make a sound. Hopefully it is just your heads. I ended up replacing both heads under warranty. I also bought an extended warranty just
incase.

 

[justa03]

Yea i really havent heard of any smoking issues either. Although if a guide is gone i figured it might take a seal out with it which would make it smoke. I just dont know and it kills me to drive the car not really knowing, plus its my DD right now since im at school. How long did you run yours with the tick???

 

[spitin venom]

I drove it for a couple months(about 3-5 months) with the tick until it got so loud I couldn't take it anymore. I noticed a very slight tick after I got an oil change at the dealership. It kept getting louder and louder as the weeks went by. I guess they used crap oil. Both my heads are the newest version (Jan. 2005). Lots of people are paranoid about the tick. You will know when you have it! Even with my new heads on there is a lot of noise. These are very loud motors. What really pisses me off is that I got the tick and I am not hard on my car at all! I didn't do the cooling mod with the new heads. I might eventually.

Post a vid.

 

[justa03]

I like to think im no idiot when it comes to cars im just way to paranoid since its my DD for another month. I know these cars a noisey in general and I had one of my teachers take a look at it, who is a certified Ford master tech and he said right away its a valve guide but also said he wouldnt be scared to take it around the world. HAHA. If youve seen the vid of the silver cobra with the head tick, my car sounds identical, louder on the bottom side then the top side because of the exhaust amplifing it. Ill try to get a vid of it up tomorrow. Mind me askin how much you paid for the heads??? Im gonna do the work myself.

 

[02Batmobile]

Not really familiar with these engines but compression and leak down tests will not tell you anything. You can still have a strong running motor that is failing.

Check the oil drain plug for any extra metal shavings which would imply a spun bearing. If it's cleary in the heads itself like you stated it should jus' be a valvetrain issue.

 

[DaveHutch]

BE AWARE.....i thought i had the tick. after pulling the heads off......i found out it was the TENSIONER not holding tension, and it was the timing chain tapping!

 

[spitin venom]

I like to think im no idiot when it comes to cars im just way to paranoid since its my DD for another month. I know these cars a noisey in general and I had one of my teachers take a look at it, who is a certified Ford master tech and he said right away its a valve guide but also said he wouldnt be scared to take it around the world. HAHA. If youve seen the vid of the silver cobra with the head tick, my car sounds identical, louder on the bottom side then the top side because of the exhaust amplifing it. Ill try to get a vid of it up tomorrow. Mind me askin how much you paid for the heads??? Im gonna do the work myself.

I paid $0 because it was covered under warranty. I think they cost something like $700 per head. For the best price there is a Ford parts guy on this forum. I think his name is Steve from Tousley Ford???
The ticking can be MANY things. Just go down the check list to eliminate everything it could be. Start with the easy stuff and work your way down. Ticking can be from a belt tensioner all the way to a dead piston or bearing.

 

[Lights of Speed]

mine did the exact same thing, started ticking and then kept getting louder, im getting it looked at now but im almost positive i have a hurt piston........

 

[justa03]

Im pretty sure its not a hurt piston. I pulled the plugs today and they all looked pretty good if you ask me, ive pulled them out before on the pullied eaton and they looked worse. I pulled every injector too, to try and narrow it down to a cylinder and nothing changed. Which is part of Fords way of checking it according to theyre website and TSB. So since I dont have a stethoscope I put a couple of extensions together and used that. I checked both valve covers and it definately louder from bank 2 (cylinders 5-8) and from there I started to check the valve cover bolts and it was the loudest on the center bolt of the valve cover right over the #8 cylinder. Throught the extensions it was a very distinct ticking noise and I could even feel it a lil bit. So right now im kinda happy cuz its sounding like a valve guide or at least valve related. Ive also noticed it only smokes on start up or if it sits and idles for at least 10 mins, and its a very light smoke.

Also took some pics of the plugs and took a video. Not sure if i can get the video up being its a AVI format but ill try and post up some links. Thanks for the info guys. Any more will be greatly appreciated

 

[justa03]

Plugs 1-4
http://www.putfile.com/pic/8066121

Plugs 5-8
http://www.putfile.com/pic/8066120?pos=top

Yea after lookin at 5-8 again they are a lil dark but smelled more like fuel then anything.

The video. Sorry wasnt worried to much about camera angles or how clean it was. LOL

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW9HWyvavJM"]YouTube - Cobra Headtick[/ame]

 

[DaveHutch]

WOW so tonight i got my car back together.....and i was mistaken....

the guy that said he looked at my heads and gave me a valve job told me it was NOT the valve guides and it was a tensioner....


SO!!!????? we start the motor with new tensioners......and it STILL FREAKING TICKS...

my tick sounds JUST LIKE YOURS justa03........

when are you starting on yours? im going to the shop to talk to this guy tommorow....

its bullshit i just did all this work and it is still ticking.

so it turns out it probably is a lifter or worn valve guide........but why didnt the dude fix it???? this is ridiculous and frustrating.
looks like im pulling the motor out once again, and demanding he gives me what i payed for.

 

[DaveHutch]

I went through this last year. Mine did not smoke at all. It would start ticking louder as the motor got warmer. When the motor was cold it wouldnt make a sound. Hopefully it is just your heads. I ended up replacing both heads under warranty. I also bought an extended warranty just
incase.

did they replace them with mods? or did you not have any mods at the time?

 

[justa03]

If you have a stethoscope put it on the valve cover bolts and see if its loude at any of them. If no stethoscope try using a long screwdriver or a couple of extensions. I could even feel it a lil bit when i was on the bolt. Hope it helps. Im probably gonna start on mine in about a month and a half when im back home and done with school.

 

[DaveHutch]

well a word of advice to you? dont only get the valve guides replaced...but replace ALL the lifters too. this will be about 200 bucks a head.

i thought mine was a tensioner/ guides.....now the motor is back in the car and still ticks.

dont go through what i am..........its a horrible nightmare. do it ALL the first time, or you will still have the tick.

good luck

 

[spitin venom]

did they replace them with mods? or did you not have any mods at the time?

I had a JLT RAI, Bassani o/r xpipe, Flowmaster catback. I thought they were only going to do the drivers side head. They ended up doing both sides for me. Some dealerships are cool about mods. He said the only problem would be if Ford sent an inspector to come check the car out. They persuaded the inspector not to come. I was going to order a KB blower for the car but I decided not to because I have had a lot of warranty work done that would have been declined if I changed the blower. The heads beeing one of the jobs.

The video didn't work for me.

Does it tick louder as the motor warms up?