Here goes... My Alternator went on vacation about 2 weeks ago. Popped a new one in and all is good as far as that goes. I also changed out the DPFE sensor due to a P0401 code, and it cleared that up. Ever since that day, I have a ticking (sounds like lifters) sound that gets worse on acceleration. I've flushed out the engine and changed the oil... added a bottle of engine fixer-upper crap thinking it might just be sludge or something. Nothing seems to be doing the trick.

Seems odd that this would start after changing the alternator and DPFE.

'99 F-150
4.2 L
191,000 KM

Todd

 

May sound silly, but check your spark plugs and make sure none are loose or broken.I had one come loose one time, and it ticked like mad until I cold stop and find it.

 

Can you tell a difference in how fast the ticking sound occurs?
Does it vary with engine speed?
Does it vary with the transmission / vehicle speed?
Does it tick in neutral and while in gear?

Buy a cheap kids play stethescope. Pull the round hickey off the end. Pull the guts out of a Bic ink pen and stick the hollow plastic tube in the end of the play stethescope hose. You now have a very cheap tool to help isolate the ticking sound.

You'd be suprised just how closely you can narrow down the source of a noise.

I easily isolated a bad bearing in the water pump of my wife's Lexus.

 

Yes, the ticking is there constantly. Gets worse under load and faster as well. Doesn't matter if it is in gear or not. I tried the scope and it sounds like it might be coming from the passenger side exhaust manifold near cylinder #2. I'm going to pull the manifold and check it out.

Thanks for the reply.

Todd

 

Good deal.
I do seem to remember a few guys around here having leaking exhaust manifold gaskets. Hope you find it there and it's nothing worse than that.

 

This worked on my wife's car, it may help you. She had a constant ticking, and I was unable to find where it was coming from. We took it to a shop, paid the guy $300, and it turned out that she was low on blinker fluid, and the ticking was the blinker clicker constantly going...