[classicbronco74]

I have a 1999 Cobra Mustang that has a ticking noise coming form the front drivers side of the engine. I have tried to research what it could be but there are way to many things people are listing. Taken it to several mechanics but they are about as helpful as doing a broad search on the internet. The noise has always been there from when i bought the car. Would happen when i would start the car in the morning and last 10 to 20 seconds and then go away. then one day at a stop light it started making the ticking noise and has never gone away. Ticking goes with rpm of car as rpms increase ticking increases in speed. Noise sounds like a lifter tapping on cam/valve cover. Pulled cover don't see anything. looked at timing chain don't see any slack that would make me think its a tensoner but i do see small ( if you took a file to a piece of metal) flakes of metal on chain when i turned engine by hand. not sure if this is a sign but coolant light came on for about six months of driving still on. car has about 40,000 miles i stopped driving the car when the noise started happening all the time. I didn't notice any performance changes. Does anyone have any helpful advice or had same issues?

 

[2Manystangs]

well it's more than likely the infamous "head tick"...it's a worn valve guide that is well documented in the "C" head found on 4.6 dohc engines post 98...some people live with it, some get the head replaced or rebuilt...

 

[LTNGHRSE]

I have to agree with the top dog on this one. It would have to be a lifter there's nothing else it could be. If you have any trustworthy shops around you that redo the valvetrain I would recommend taking it to them and see if they can just redo the valves and cure it. I don't think you should have to redo the entire head, but then again I'm not a mechanic that's just my educated opinion.

 

[2Manystangs]

the engines don't have lifters...it's a flaw in the head design that doesn't allow enough cooling to that area of the head...it does require pulling the head and having the valve guides redone and the cooling passage revised to prevent it in the future...or getting a "revised head" from late 2004

 

[classicbronco74]

Thank you for the information. I think that i will have to have someone with more knowledge than what i possess take a look under the hood. A guy i know is the shop manager at a large well known dealer and they called a friend at Ford who told them of a bulletin out for a problem with the lifters when they get a small build up on them that will cause them to make a tapping noise when oil hits on bottom side of them. Cure is to run mobile 1 for 500 miles. Told him if that was it i would pay someone to kick my a**. Is there something that i can do to test and see if it is the head to make sure before i start tearing into any more on the car? What is the cause or what should i check into as far as the small metal shavings that i found on the timing chain? Any thoughts on the chain tensoners being the culprit? I really appreciate the advice.

 

[96SVT]

Like 2manystangs said, the DOHC doesnt have lifters. So i guess the bulletin would be irrelevent. Not too knowledgeble on 99 and 01 cobras but it could be an exhaust leak like my 96 has