I have a 98 F150 Supercab 4x4 with 4.6 and an auto trans. I have 107,000 miles on the truck. Recently developed a engine "tick". Upon start up the "tick" is very noticable. Seems to go away after its been driven a few miles and everything comes up to operating temp. I have checked the exhaust manifolds, all studs and nuts are still there. There are no noticable holes that I could feel in the manifolds. Read some other posts here that have the "tick under load". Mine goes away once everything warms up. Any ideas on what to look at or for?

Thanks.

 

My stepdaughters '02 v-6 Stang had a pronounced tick in it that got progressively worse until no doubt it was an exhaust leak. Problem was - i couldn't locate it. took a mechanic with a boroscope to locate the hole on the header near the collector. Replaced the header and it went away except that the other one's ticking now--great!!
Don't know if this helps but- thats my experience

 

All help is appreciated. I did not feel around by the collector. I'll have to check that area.

 

If it's all original, I think those exhaust gaskets are laminated steel. They can/will corrode between the plies, and it usually shows up as a minor tick. At that stage, engine heat can swell the leak shut. As the corrosion continues, the tick/leak is more constant, and new gaskets are the cure. There are some bolts underneath, and up behind the manifolds, where you can't really see them. Possibly one of them has wasted away and caused the gasket leak.

I repair this situation with Fel Pro exhaust gaskets, instead of the laminated type.

Dave

 

i have an 03 with a 4.6
i went over seas for a year..lent the truck to my mom...when i came back i had a tick.."ok whatever i need to do and oil change anyway..maybe just low on oil or sumthin"..lol so i thought....i did the oil change and the tick got worse...then developed a lower end knock and BAM!!! motor locked up after about a week......listen for ticks in your driver side head..thats where mine started...i got a new motor from jasper and they told me that there is a screen in the driver side head kinda like a secondary oil filter i gues...that clogs up with sludge and wont let that half of the motor get oil...but then again thats just what they told me....good luck

 

OK, update. My '05 Super duty just started "ticking" through the exhaust manifold gasket. Thanks to having an aluminum head, the leak is very easy to see, as the charcoal black blow by from the leak is plainly visible on the aluminum head. The leak is from both #3 & #4, blowing between those ports. Felpro gasket set, to my address, is $24.56. Probably will change bolts/nuts, even though none are missing, and are actually in pretty good condition ( but it still leaks ).

I know, wrong forum, but the same universally stupid problem.

Dave

 

Are you talking about the gasket between the head and manifold? Or gaskets between the manifold and y-pipe? Or something else?

 

The head and the manifold. There is nothing between the manifold and the down pipe.

Dave

 

All,
Thanks for all the ideas on what to check / look for. I'm going to be taking a look at it tonite and will post back what I find. Hoping for an easy fix.