My 2006 Mountaineer 4.6 is ticking at start up, and it gets quieter after about 30 seconds. Does this sounds like the cam phaser?

I am not sure what info you might need here, so let mw know if you need additional info.

 

How's the oil pressure? Slow to come up or low all the time? Have you measured it rather than just rely on the factory gauge?

Did you change the oil recently and switch to a different brand of oil filter? What I'm getting at with the oil filter is the anti-drain back valve might not be working so well.

 

I don't have an oil pressure gauge in this.

 

What brand of oil filter are you using and have you used it before this noise started?

My understanding of the cam phaser noise is that it's present all the time at hot idle but I'm no expert. There's a lot of information out there on the cam phaser.