i own a 99 f-150 with the 4.6, recently i can hear a tick on the passenger side of the motor, like a valve or lifter, then i took it to my exhaust man thinkin it might have been a manifold leak or whatever. He took a stethoscope to the manifold and could hear what appeared to be a valve, he said dump some lucas oil treatment on the next oil change. Is this a common problem on the 4.6's, BTW the truck only has 43k on it.

 

No, this isn't real common. What weight oil do you run? Does the ticking increase with rpm?

 

I have a 97 4.6 liter that does this exact same thing. It currently has 180,000 miles on it and has done this since about 130,000. I run either 5w20 or 5w30 in it and the noise does not increase with engine rpm speed. Several mechanics as well as a Ford tech. told me that it is most likely a relay causing the noise as the noise isnt coming from the engine area at all, but rather from the black box looking thingy mounted on the firewall of the passanger side.

 

I run 5w30, which ford calls for, i use motorcraft oil and filter, and the ticking does increase with rpm's.

 

Sounds like possibly a bad valve lash adjuster (lifter).

 

i was under the hood tonight, and i put my hand on the fuel injectors(pass side), and i could feel the clicking, i talked to a Justice Brothers rep/tech this last weekend and he recommended a can of engine tune up every oil change and a can of fuel injector treatment. So if i can feel the ticking on the injectors, they need to be cleaned???? this is bothering the hell outta me!

 

Could be, they may be opening harder than normal if they are not flowing enough fuel and the PCM has increased the injector pulse width to compensate for it. Also check the PCV hose for cracks (especially behind the intake in the elbow) and it probably wouldn't hurt to clean the MAF while you're at it.

 

how do you clean the maf? using what cleaner?

 

are you guys sure that he doesn't just have noisy injectors?

Put the scope on the injectors, they make a good clicky clack sound all the time.

 

i got back from you on another forum, injector noise, i wasnt quite sure what it was but soundin like an injector.