Hey fellas, hoping some of you more experienced fellas can help me out. Let me start from the beginning so you have all the details. We eneded up having to replace the timing cover on a truck i just bought ('79 Ford) it has a 351w in it. After tearing off the water pump and the timing chain we realized the chain needed replaced. it had alot of slop and we wanted to do it right so we replaced the chain. No biggie. After carefully timing it, and chaining the oil in the process, also added plug wires. We put it all back together to find the motor seems to have a small tick. It NEVER had that prior to the plug wires, oil change, and timing chain. We did realize that a few of the plug wires weret securely on the distributor cap and it did quiet the tick down a bit (dont know if that has jack to do with it) my brother is very smart with vehicles and doesnt believe its a rod or lifter. He thinks its an exhaust leak. The manifolds are pretty rusty....BUT the tick occurs at idle, and throughout acceleration. We havent even drove this truck on the road besides around the block prior to the change. (Its a project) So i just dont understand how a rod or anything couldve possibly went bad. Anyhelp would be appreciated very much.

 

What's your actual question? You didn't really ask anything - are you asking how to tell if the sound you're hearing is oil pressure related or not? Check oil pressure with a mechanical gauge.

Also note that a 351W wouldn't have come in these trucks originally. And since there was a separate timing cover for you to pull off, you're probably working with a 351M.

 

My main question is.....What does it sound like could be causing the tick? And what couldve caused it from not being ran prior to the replacement.

 

it could be the exhaust - that sounds more like a fut-fut kind of noise usually but can sound like ticking if there's a pinhole in the gasket.... Let it run up and get hot. If it goes away as the manifold expands then you've nailed it. If it doesn't then go back to the valvetrain again

 

otherwise if it's only after an oil change then maybe one of the hydraulic lifters (assuming it's still hyd anyway) just needs t pump itself back up again. Otherwise if the timing chain wasn't on and spinning true then that will always make a racket.... there really are a LOT of possibilities here....

 

If the '79 Ford is a Ranchero or Econoline, the 351W was available in both. If an F100/350 or Bronco, the 351W was swapped in.

351W's not installed in F150/350 & Bronco until 1981, have 6 valve cover bolts per side.

351M/400 have 8 valve cover bolts per side, installed in 1977/79 F100/350 - 1978/82 Bronco - 1980/82 F150/350.

351M/400 (and 351C) do not have a timing cover per se, just a flat engine cover plate. 6B070 in parts catalog pic.

The fuel pump bolts to the left (drivers) side of the engine block, its bolt pattern is at 12 & 6 o'clock. These were the only fuel pumps to have this pattern.

 

out of curiosity, can you still get cast iron manifolds 9430? grinding a section off makes them reversible and with a x-over pipe makes a turbo install a piece of cake, but all the ones I've come across so far have all been full of holes and not worth trying to fix!

oops.... /hijack....

 

Incorrect terminology on my part.

 

whingers have a timing cover don't they? or is that only the 5L?

 

Every 1969/97 351W has a timing cover, so do FE & FT engines, Ford Y blocks, Lincoln derived Y blocks, 221/260/289/302/370/383/401/429/430/460/462/477/534 and any other V8 you can think of.

351C/351M/400's have a timing cover, but it's not referred to as such. It's: Cylinder Front Cover Plate

 

that's what I thought because they always crack/split in our 90's model falcons

 

I hope it's a manifold leak. Try a stethoscope (or hose and screwdriver). If it's got a lot of miles on it like it seems from the conditions you describe, try an oil change with one part diesel to three parts oil and idle it for fifteen minutes to loosen any stuck lifters.
Eric

 

Thanks guys I really appreciate it, and yes it is a 351w its been swapped in, 6 intake bolts per side. The odometer reads 87k and some change. BUT since the engine isnt stock we really cant know the exact mileage. May i add the exhaust manifolds are extremely rusty. Therefore i seem to have a little idea maybe i have a pinhole or bad gasket. Like I said, it hasnt been drove since that oil change/timing chain/ plug wires/ so I cant hardly believe it'd be a drivetrain issue but as you suggested it may be.

 

Do NOT believe the miles shown on the odometer, as it reads to 99999.9 then returns to ZERO!

 

hey going by that my truck has only done 3000km

lol