I have a ticking noise...lost...please help.

[01dbsc2]

Ok guys i have an issue, my 97 mountaineer with the 5.0l V8 is ticking, this came out of no where. I even resorted to taking to a local shop, they claimed it was detonation, new plugs wires and coils would fix it up. You dont want to know what they were gonna charge. I Changed coils, plugs and wires. Noise didnt change AT ALL. Started putting a steel rod on different parts of the motor to hear where it was coming from, no out of the ordinary sounds on the head, block, or exhaust. I cant see an exhaust leak. So i ran some lucas and seafoam through the tank, did nothing, except cause the cats to start to ping and crackle. (an ex ford mechanic told me that trick) so im back to square one, a tick that sounds like detonation, but its not. i have no loss of power that i can notice, doesnt sound like a diesel, and hg hasnt popped YET. So my question to you is what is the probability of the injector making the noise, i can only listen to 4 (front two on each bank) they sound normal? this is a tick, not top end, or anything like a lifter. Also i cannot see any exhaust leaks, its been colder here and not one fume comes from anywhere but the tail pipe. Any advice would be helpful, want to get my mounty on the road again. sick of driving my girls saturn vue.

EDIT: The truck has 188,546 miles on the clock.

For those that will say TLDR heres the cliff notes:
97 mounty, 5.0l awd, ticking noise, did tune up nothing changed, could my injector be making this noise. It wasnt there one day, and the next day it was. Thanks in advance.

 

[ragajungle]

if you suspect injectors you could unplug them one at a time to see if it stops

 

[01dbsc2]

For me to get to them, it looks like i have to remove the upper intake manifold. I dont think my truck would run without that. it wasnt happy starting with the air box disconnected.

 

[ragajungle]

use a plastic length of tubing (like the stuff they put around wires under the hood-a loom?) and use it like a stethoscope - works better n metal rod imo u shud b able to give a listen to injectors then

 

[ragajungle]

oh forgot to mention pcv valves get noisy too my bronco's pcp valve ticks like crazy

 

[98 5oh XLT]

my 5.0 has been ticking for ages. I asked on this forum actually and general concencous was that the ford engines as they age, they just tick. Ive had ticking for the past 7k miles, no fuel economy hit, no power hit, still runs strong. Not saying you dont have a problem, but also saying that it may just be the motor showin her age.

/my2cents

 

[swetrid]

Exhaust manifolds crack and the gaskets burnout. Sometimes you can't see the leaks but is very common on the 5.0L.

 

[ErnieX]

Had similar mysterious tick on my 95 F150 5L. The tube that ran from the EGR to the top of the manifold under the plenum had a crack/leak in it. Was hard to diagnose but was a cross betwen a tick and an exhaust leak. Common on 5L engines of this time set up this way.

Just a thought - check it out.

EE