Engine "Ticking"

[user50285925]

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[woodie1]

Could just be the normal sound of injectors opening and closing.

 

[nismotigerwvu]

Did you check your oil level?

 

[cvrefugee]

Valves tapping?

 

[thedarkwolf]

hydraulic lash adjusters/lifters. Some cars are really picky about oil and some just have crappy lifters like my miata and are very prone to lifter tick. I'd check a mustang board and see if those dohc mustangs have ticky lifters.

 

[alfa147x]

try changing you oil and see what happens

 

[heymrdj]

My 5.4L in my 2004 Expy has this lifter tick as well. Does it more with dyno oil than synthetic oil. Going back to synth next change and seeing if it gets rid of it like it was with the original synth it had in it when I bought it.

 

[overst33r]

On a related note, what is the ticking when the car is shut off? It ticks for a few mins depending on how hard it wad driven.

 

[mayonnaise]

It's most likely the lifters, as mentioned. My 3000GT had that problem and it got better/worse depending on oil level/freshness/quality.

Originally posted by: mariok2006
On a related note, what is the ticking when the car is shut off? It ticks for a few mins depending on how hard it wad driven.

Metallic items (like exhaust) cooling down. The metal expands when heated and contracts when cooled.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: mariok2006
On a related note, what is the ticking when the car is shut off? It ticks for a few mins depending on how hard it wad driven.

nvm, didn't read all of the above post.

 

[user50285925]

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[fstime]

Lexus/Toyotas all have a ticking noise from the injectors, 100% normal.

Could be the lifters too like others said, a ticker oil usually solves the problem(I think).

 

[alfa147x]

Originally posted by: BouZouki
Lexus/Toyotas all have a ticking noise from the injectors, 100% normal.

Could be the lifters too like others said, a ticker oil usually solves the problem(I think).

ticker or thicker?

This is a real question

 

[Elganja]

it's piston slap... it should go away once your motor warms up. nearly all 99-01/03-04 cobra's and mach 1's (99/01 cobra motor) have this issue. It is nothing to worry about is and is quite normal.

edit: my 99 cobra and 03 cobra both had it, you can read on svtperformance.com or modularfords.com for more information on the subject.

 

[LennyZ]

It's ticking because it's a ford and getting ready to blow!

 

[user50285925]

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[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: Elganja
it's piston slap... it should go away once your motor warms up. nearly all 99-01/03-04 cobra's and mach 1's (99/01 cobra motor) have this issue. It is nothing to worry about is and is quite normal.

edit: my 99 cobra and 03 cobra both had it, you can read on svtperformance.com or modularfords.com for more information on the subject.

Isn't piston slap a factor of poor tolerances on pistons and cylinder walls causing gaps?

It might explain how Ford gets such a small amount of power out of a big V8.

 

[bwatson283]

Run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RGUN]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: Elganja
it's piston slap... it should go away once your motor warms up. nearly all 99-01/03-04 cobra's and mach 1's (99/01 cobra motor) have this issue. It is nothing to worry about is and is quite normal.

edit: my 99 cobra and 03 cobra both had it, you can read on svtperformance.com or modularfords.com for more information on the subject.

Isn't piston slap a factor of poor tolerances on pistons and cylinder walls causing gaps?

It might explain how Ford gets such a small amount of power out of a big V8.

Pistons of differing material from the block routinely experience 'piston slap' during warm up as a result of thermal expansion differing between the piston and cylinder material. This means that when cold the clearance has to be larger, and the slap will occur, but once up to operating temp it will be within spec.

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: RGUN


Pistons of differing material from the block routinely experience 'piston slap' during warm up as a result of thermal expansion differing between the piston and cylinder material. This means that when cold the clearance has to be larger, and the slap will occur, but once up to operating temp it will be within spec.

I thought the engine block and pistons were both aluminum?

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: heymrdj
My 5.4L in my 2004 Expy has this lifter tick as well. Does it more with dyno oil than synthetic oil. Going back to synth next change and seeing if it gets rid of it like it was with the original synth it had in it when I bought it.

My F150 is doing this currently. It's time for an oil change. There's a bit of exhaust leak in there, too.

 

[Elganja]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead
Isn't piston slap a factor of poor tolerances on pistons and cylinder walls causing gaps?

It might explain how Ford gets such a small amount of power out of a big V8.

yes... ford has a huge 281ci v8 that makes no power

fyi... on my 03 cobra I made 635rwhp and 589rwtq... that was on a completely stock block. point being, power can be made...

 

[Elganja]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead

Originally posted by: RGUN


Pistons of differing material from the block routinely experience 'piston slap' during warm up as a result of thermal expansion differing between the piston and cylinder material. This means that when cold the clearance has to be larger, and the slap will occur, but once up to operating temp it will be within spec.

I thought the engine block and pistons were both aluminum?

i think you are right but even then, maybe different types of aluminum shrink and grow at different temperatures? i dunno... all I know is that the general consensus is piston slap that sounds like a tick when the motor is cold. but it does go away after the motor has reached operating temp.

 

[thedarkwolf]

The block maybe aluminum but the cylinders will be sleeved. Aluminum wears out too quickly with the rings rubbing on them. Think the old 70s chevy monza was the last aluminum engine that tried it without sleeves and they didn't last too long.

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
The block maybe aluminum but the cylinders will be sleeved. Aluminum wears out too quickly with the rings rubbing on them. Think the old 70s chevy monza was the last aluminum engine that tried it without sleeves and they didn't last too long.

How is it, then, that none of the Foci I have ever sat in have this problem? Or my dad's Mazda3?

Originally posted by: Elganja


fyi... on my 03 cobra I made 635rwhp and 589rwtq... that was on a completely stock block. point being, power can be made...

Well, yes. I'm guessing that you used parts with lower tolerances, reduced weight, and greater strength. My point is that there's nothing wrong with the Modular V8 - they could just build it a little better.

I would think that if you used the weight-reducing tricks they've applied to the LS7 (plastic air bits, mostly) and built the engines to the same tolerances as, say, Audi, you could get a very light engine capable of producing quite a lot of power.