(Audio included) Tapping noise on 2005 4.6

[yeet1331]

Well, my 2005 Limited is making a tapping noise and I'm not sure what it is so I included some audio for the well-seasoned Modular guys to try and diagnose. It weirdly enough sounds perfect on a cold start but let it warm up for about a minute and boy it gets pretty bad. It's not crazy loud but there's definitely something wrong. It performs and runs like a clock though but the issue is most likely a ticking time bomb I don't wanna take a chance on.

 

[Davies0202]

I’d get it checked out before you continue driving. Although it does sound like if anything your issue is in the head. A bearing wouldnt rattle or knock that fast so whatever it is it’s most likely in the head. Go out start the car and put a screw driver on both valve covers with your ear up to it and listen. Does it get louder? If so theres you issue. Hard to tell what a noise is with just audio and not being there but something is definitely broken in yours. At first it kind of sounded like an exhaust leak but towards the end it really sounds like it’s ticking.

 

[yeet1331]

I’d get it checked out before you continue driving. Although it does sound like if anything your issue is in the head. A bearing wouldnt rattle or knock that fast so whatever it is it’s most likely in the head. Go out start the car and put a screw driver on both valve covers with your ear up to it and listen. Does it get louder? If so theres you issue. Hard to tell what a noise is with just audio and not being there but something is definitely broken in yours. At first it kind of sounded like an exhaust leak but towards the end it really sounds like it’s ticking.

Crazy part is Friday I drove it really hard on the interstate doing 90-95 and was constantly accelerating aggressively in town and I got home, got out while it was still running, and the noise was really soft almost nonexistent. I've only been taking it out once a week or so but it seems like the more I drive it the better the problem gets. Confusing but yes I'm going to see where the sound's really coming from.

 

[Davies0202]

Crazy part is Friday I drove it really hard on the interstate doing 90-95 and was constantly accelerating aggressively in town and I got home, got out while it was still running, and the noise was really soft almost nonexistent. I've only been taking it out once a week or so but it seems like the more I drive it the better the problem gets. Confusing but yes I'm going to see where the sound's really coming from.

Yea I’d stop driving it hard until you get it figured out the noise is there so the damage is done it’ll only get worse id take it into a mechanic if you aren’t capable of beginning to tear the valve covers and timing covers off. Noises don’t typically fix themselves unless your wearing away whatever’s rattling

 

[Davies0202]

Yea I’d stop driving it hard until you get it figured out the noise is there so the damage is done it’ll only get worse id take it into a mechanic if you aren’t capable of beginning to tear the valve covers and timing covers off. Noises don’t typically fix themselves unless your wearing away whatever’s rattling

Stop driving at all actually when something goes internally every time you run the motor it’s gonna get worse

 

[yeet1331]

Stop driving at all actually when something goes internally every time you run the motor it’s gonna get worse

Yeah I know... I haven't been going many places recently so that definitely helps it. Being 16 and always playing around with stuff valve covers should be easy for me. In fact I wish I'd have done my valve cover gaskets myself now knowing how simple it is. My first step will be spending $20 and an hour to replace the idler pulley to the left of the alternator to eliminate that possibility. Easiest thing to do and it could potentially solve the problem. If that doesn't do it I'll go from there

 

[Davies0202]

Yeah I know... I haven't been going many places recently so that definitely helps it. Being 16 and always playing around with stuff valve covers should be easy for me. In fact I wish I'd have done my valve cover gaskets myself now knowing how simple it is. My first step will be spending $20 and an hour to replace the idler pulley to the left of the alternator to eliminate that possibility. Easiest thing to do and it could potentially solve the problem. If that doesn't do it I'll go from there

Good luck! That noise did sound internal though just based on the rhythm of the tapping so I’d check the valve covers before you do the tensioner as I don’t think that can even make a noise like that. That Audio clip definitely sounds like your issue in inside the head. My tensioner failed already entirely and it was more of a nasty high pitch squeal . A bad belt tensioner wouldn’t tap like that it would sound more like whine or an inconsistent slapping noise or just freeze up.

before you spend the money on the new part I’d just run the engine without the belt and see if the noise goes away. Don’t run it for long without the belt but it’ll be fine long enough for you to see if your noise is gone

if it was the tensioner it would sound like this your noise sounds an awful lot like metal on metal and it’s very in rhythm with the rpm while the failed tensioner would be more of an unsteady slap also the belt slapping is a lot louder and nastier of a noise.

 

[drdoom]

If you could get @boominXplorer on here he will know what it is.