Tappa-Tappa-Tappa: Help Identifying Tapping Sound (with Video)

[BootyDo]

Hi All,

I feel like there are TONS of threads on not just this site, but all over with questions about tapping sounds. I religiously follow FordTechMakuloco and from some of his videos, I've been wondering if my truck is victim to the exhaust manifold studs breaking, the cam phaser, lifter tick, or something else.

I was changing my oil (just went with Valvoline this go around) this morning and figured I'd take advantage of the acoustics in the garage to fill a 1 minute video. Sorry for the quality. Lighting my garage is terrible. Very amateur, (I mean...it's cool if you're into that ).

Just a few notes: the truck is a 4.6L 2006 with about 91,000 miles. I swapped the coil packs and spark plugs about 2 1/2 years ago, (maybe like 10,000 miles on the current ones). The sound increases with throttle and unlike what I've read about the exhaust studs, it never goes away regardless of how hot the car is running. I use fuel cleaner pretty regularly.

Any help would be greatly appreciated - and please feel free to assume I'm not very knowledgeable with this stuff.

 

[Explorer_PL]

That does not sound like exhaust manifold. If it were, it would stop after about 30-45 seconds. That sounds like a valve train. Can you check compression on the cylinders ?

I would also check the studs between both manifolds and y-pipe, and between the y-pipe and the rest of the exhaust. When I did not tight enough the manifolds with the y, I had similar noise. Hopefully it's just that. Or maybe the donut gasket between the y and the rest of the exhaust.

 

[fordbluefamily]

Maybe its my computer, but that sounds like a big exhaust leak. Sounds like an old 3 cylinder tractor.

 

[BootyDo]

Thanks all for the input! Originally, from what I saw on the internet, I thought it might be lifter tick. But then I saw two FordTechMakuloco videos that made me think otherwise:

Exhaust Manifold Leak

(You can jump to 2:50 to hear the sound)

Phaser Knock

(You can jump to 1:25)

Two things that made me not commit to these being the issue: In the exhaust manifold scenario, the sound is almost identical. But mynoise is more at the top of the engine than the bottom where the manifold is. Also, unlike the other scenarios, my noise doesn't go away when the engine warms up.

With the phaser knock, the sound is similar, but maybe not as good of a match. And unlike the symptom of appearing after warm idle, my noise is always present.

So throwing it back out there. If it were an exhaust leak, why would it be at the top of the engine? Again, please feel free to talk down to me . Also, as far as the engine compression test, would that reveal an exhaust issue or just rule out a problem with the block?

Maybe its my computer, but that sounds like a big exhaust leak. Sounds like an old 3 cylinder tractor.

lol - um... you have no idea! Actually, it doesn't sound that bad under normal circumstances. I just figured the sound would be more apparent half in the garage. But the tapping is noticeable standing near it and more so when it's echoed like a drive through or next to a car at a light.

 

[fordbluefamily]

Most exhaust shops will take a look and give a quote for free. At least around here they do. That would be my first stop.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

if it is a leaking manifold wouldn't pulling the pigtails on coil packs cause the sound to vanish when you reach the one closest to the exhaust leak.... or at least change the sound from a tick to a pfft?

 

[BootyDo]

Thanks for the advice guys! Question though: Is there a way to try and identify an exhaust leak myself? Maybe with Seafoam or something? I'm definitely not opposed to taking it somewhere, but the most reputable dealer from me that I actually trust is a about a solid 1/2 hour away. Also, when you mention disconnecting the pigtails, are you referring to pulling the coil(s) while the engine is running or just disconnecting the harness one by one and firing up the engine?

Btw, do we have runner flaps in our intake manifolds?