Changed my oil yesterday, looked at a squeeky rear brake, and while I was in there messing around, I checked to see if the MAF needed cleaning.

When I disconnected the MAF wiring, I noticed the rubber plug that goes into the air box (where the wires pass through) was dislodged. It was not even close to being inserted into the hole.

Today, took it for a drive, and WOW!

More power, much more throttle response, etc.

That rubber plug must have been allowing unmetered air to get past the MAF and caused the truck to run lean. No check-engine light either.

So, guess what else that fixed? The loud ticking in the headers! I thought it was just something I was going to have to learn to live with, but I guess not.

The lean condition was causing fuel to burn even after the exhaust stroke - so the "tick" in the headers was related to unmetered air causing a lean condition.

Truck is nice and quiet now.

What a difference in power too...

Amazing. That plug must have been loose since I did the headers.

So, just a word of caution - if you change your air filter, or for any other reason you're around the air box, make sure that rubber plug is fully seated in the hole. At least, in the '99-04's anyway

Sounds like a new truck...

 

Wow, great piece of advice. Glad your truck is running better and sounds better.

 

Thanks. I have an '05, but the info you provide is good to know.

 

I think I'll check that out tonight. Cleaned it a couple of miles back and I didn't notice the wiring at all. Do you have a pic of that wiring?

 

You said you were getting a tick in the headers? When was this happening? I have a tick that occurs right around the first couple shift points??

 

Basically with any sort of a load - just empty accelerating...

Typical header noise, I thought - turns out it was running lean.

 

That sounds about like what mine does occasionally. Something I'm going to look into tomorrow, where abouts is this MAF plug located besides the air box? (left, right, center, or the ever popular on most vehicle underneath)

 

I doubt it's got anything to do with your tick, but the plug I'm talking about is a big rubber stopper sort of thing, on the bottom of the air box, towards the rear.

 

I'm confused??? Didn't you say that the after plugging yours back in it cured the/a ticking problem in the engine?? Not saying either of us are wrong or right, but doesn't it sound like an obvious/easy possible fix to the problem?? Maybe I miss understood what you are saying, but that didn't sound right to me?

 

I'm talking about exhaust noise in the stainless cheapo eBay headers I put on a few months back.

 

Did you reset the computer after cleaning the MAFand installing the boot correctly?

 

Nope. I didn't clean the MAF - just stuffed the boot/plug back into the hole.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude, but I was confused as to why it could cure your noise and not fix mine. Didn't mean to offend anyone.

 

No offense taken

Sometimes I forget to include a smiley ...

 

Super big thanks! I changed plugs today and even dusted outer part of air box and totaly missed what i found because of the thoughtful orig. post. It took a mirror to see from driver side. Its on the bottom of mine. Although only one side of mine was out 1/8th " or so, this is not the kind of thing ya just see thanks again. My 04 thanks you to. Hats off to this site and all involved.