valvetrain noise

[PSG]

Recently bought an 03 marauder with 15000 mi, car is in excellent shape runs good, no mods except for tinted windows. The only thing that concerns me is , at idle the engine seems to have what I feel is excessive ticking in the valve train.I checked the oil PSI with a remote gauge, and its over70 PSI so thats not an issue. I talked to a friend who has a couple of newer cobras, and he said its nothing to worry about, but I did find a service bullitin on the 03 mustang mach ones with a problem with the driver side exhaust cam not being shimmed properly on cars built before 11 of 02 which would cause a tick. There was nothing on the marauder though. Has anyone else had this problem, or is this noise common?

[Kennyrauder]

:) I just had my hydraulic chain tensioners changed out on warranty. The right tensioner was shot allowing the timing chain to have way too much slack... 15 degrees of slack. My Mararauder was noisy on start up & was getting real sloppy performance wise. This part has been updated ... check with your Ford Store & Good Luck . Kennyrauder.

[Shora]

Mine was built before 11/02. I have 37K miles and I hear a slight ticking sound from the engine. Took the car to 6 (six) Ford and Lin/ Merc dealers with TSB in hand and all refused to even look into it.

Truth of the matter the car drives perfect but if there is a known defect in the driver's side head then Ford should at the very least look into it since I am still under warranty.

If this car wasn't so good looking, fun to drive, and if it weren't for this site and MCM.Com I would be driving something else for sure.

[Drewstang]

I've got a small slight tick on the driver's side head as well. Its common and not harmful on these engines. I just turn up the radio. :)

[RoyLPita]

Mine ticks when it is cold. I have coverage until 60k.

[PSG]

The car seems to run good compaired to the others i test drove. my only concern is that I only got a 90 day warrenty , so if theres going to be a problem I want to address it quick.I'm not worried about the work, I just don't want to have to spend $2000 on a new head and set of cams a week after the warrenty runs out. I'm a mechanic and body man for a municipality so I do a lot with the cop cars, they really take a beating, thats one thing I liked about this car, I know the basic car back and forth, and with a all the wrecks, I have a pretty good amount of parts to draw off( just stripped an 06 with 2000 mi. on it)

[HwyCruiser]

Mine had a tick (06/02 build), so I had the cam guide cap bolts re-torqued to factory spec about a year after purchase and that took care of that. This was after a few others reporting the same problem and fix, not to say this is the only thing it could be. I also have a start-up chatter ever since I can remember so I may have to look into the chain tensioners - thanks for the heads up Kenny.

[sabtaj1]

I have start up chatter too, and It drives me nuts.

[grzellmer]

Used to have the ticking sound and blue smoke on start up. The heads were replaced under warranty at 24K. Now at 50K miles and continues to run nice and quiet.

[Paul]

I have a slight tick as well. 71,700 miles.

[Marauderjack]

Slight ticking can be injectors or normal valve train noise??:rolleyes:

I think the bad valve guides were a pretty pronounced noise from the left front wheel well at idle and up to about 1500 RPM's??:confused:

Marauderjack:burnout:

[PSG]

the noiuse is definetly coming from the drivers side head, I'm gonna call the dealer this week and make an appointment.We'll see what they tell me, I'm sure that since it was a used car there gonna try and do bare minnimum but who knows.The biggest thing is that the dealer is an hour and a half away. also I got an 03 police car on my flatbed, hit real hard in the drivers side, I'm in connecticut, if anyone needs anything le me know. (pondstgarage@aol.com)

[rocfan1]

I just started to hear that tick I took it right to Long BEach lincoln mercury and told them they better figure it out because they just serviced it I never heard that noise until now!! but it seems like a common problem!! on our Marauders.

Is it ok if I take a printed out version of this thread with me to the dealership? does anyone have a problem with me doing that?

[PSG]

not at all, but i actually decided not to do anything, after the dealer told me that they probrably wouldn't do anything about it because the car still runs fine, I decided that it wasn't worth the risk of someone that isn't farmilliar with the motor ( it wasn't a ford dealer that i got it from) messing around with it. I also went and talked to a guy that has a cobra that has the heads with the problems and never got it recalled, and let me tell ya if my car sounded like his i would burn it! little side note you can tell the recalled heads because they painted the side of them blue along the exhaust side but the guy i talked to a the ford dealler insists that the bad heads never came on a marauder.

[whd507]

mine ticks when hot on the passenger side. irritation to be sure, but it runs ok. 5k miles left on warranty...

[sabtaj1]

Sorry to dig up an old thread. Anyways, I just recently noticed a tick coming from the d.side head. I can hear it inside the car with the radio off. sounds like its coming from behind the dash. When I first start the car its fine but once it warms up it brings the tick with it. I do have a slight exhaust leak on the d.side near the h-section. Dont know if that would cause the head to tick though. What should I do? should I be worried? I just put spray on it but so you know it started before I was even finished with the install. sounds like it may be coming from the rear d.side of the head. Thanks, and sorry for the re-hash of the thread.

[MERCMAN]

Bend down next to the driver's side wheel well, if the noise is more pronounced there, you have the "infamous" tick on the DS head. Ford should replace it under warranty. I had mine done at 9K and the only noise I have now is the normal fuel rail clicking.

[sabtaj1]

ok, I will check it out. Thank you. I will let you know what I come up with. Have to drive it a nd warm it up so it does it. Thank you! Too bad I am out of warranty. :-(

[sabtaj1]

no tick down there. I can hear it pretty good where the cowl meets the windshield. Could it be there is something in the back injector? When I pulled out the shrader valve I noticed the pipe tape or goop on it. Maybe some went into the fuel rail and is stuck in one of the injectors. I cant remember if it started after I installed the fuel feed line or not. I am guessing this could be the culpret. So I am not using the juice, Only tried it like 5 times. just through 1st and 2nd. I like it but wont touch it untill I figure out what the tick is. What do you think??

[sabtaj1]

OK, took it all apart and put it all back together. still the same. I am gonna pull the exhaust and fix the little leak. Maybe its pushin the sound up from underneath and doin it? I have no idea.Thanks.

[sabtaj1]

For anyone interested in the tick. I cant believe it. well I was sittin on the porch havin a peacfull smoke and lookin at my car while the kids were inside. And I was thinkin about the tick. I came to the conclusion that the tick came after I installed the fuel feed line. You arent gonna believe where the tick was comin from. Well, the fuel feed line is kinda runnin to the back of the motor then behind the brake booster then to the zex box. well, I started the car and with the door closed I could hear the tick very well. I got out with the car running and pulled the fuel feedline out into the open and got back in the car and the tick was gone. The damn injector pulse sounds were traveling up the feedline and being amplified on the firewall and the booster. Cant believe that was the sound. I am very relieved. fn crazy. Thanks