V-8 tick sounds

[01EB5.0]

I'm new to the V-8 Explorer scene, but i have a question for you 5.0 owners.
My 5.0 has a slight lifter tick noise upon acceleration. it's pretty quiet, but if you listen you can hear it. Plus under heavy acceleration you get a vibrating sound around 3,000 RPM. i test drove a 96 5.0 Explorer in the spring and it had the same lifter tick noise, except lot louder. My engine has 42,000 and the one I test drove had 78,000. Any info would be helpful.

 

[WannaXP8]

Mine has it too, and so did my uncles, but he had his fixed at the ford dealer, its like the exhaust tube from the manifold to the collector pipe, and it develops a leak, Its not a cheap fix from what I hear?? He said it cost him like 500 dollars or more, I will just get headers if its that much...

 

[01EB5.0]

i have extended warentee until 100,000....hopefully it's covered....if they can even hear the problem

 

[james t]

let me guess-it's coming from the passenger side. yup, stock header leak. for some reason they (5.0) all do it. got a pair of FMS headers in the garage that will fix mine.

 

[01EB5.0]

you think it;s worth me sending it in for repair for that sound? I'd have to pay $50 deductable.....

 

[Jason_25]

I think it's worth it because the leak may get worse and cause some drivability problems.

 

[01EB5.0]

....I wonder if they would just put on a set of FMS headers for me instead of sticking a replacement part on that may have the same leak issue....hmmmm...lol

 

[james t]

i think its gonna be worth it just to shut up my D*dge freak neighbor. "Hey, sounds like you need to check the oil on that thing!" to which i reply "Hey, its August. Dont you usually get a new tranny every August?"

 

[GR899V8]

Mine leaked on the passenger side, I snugged them all down and it hasn't come back in 40K miles.

 

[james t]

bringing this back up as an update- i retorqued mine today to see if this would fix it, and nope. still leaking. but, with past header leaks, i have learned that once they leak over a period of time it will burn a notch in the gasket and leak until the gasket is replaced. FYI- mine had never been touched and ALL of them on the passenger side were 15-30 ft. lbs. not good. still have the FRPP headers, and will replace when i get the chance. im not sure now if mine have a cracked weld (like most) or were loose for so long it burned out a small portion of gasket. i can see no carbon spots on the head, but that doesnt mean thats not were its leaking...

 

[jbeckett]

I noticed a similar "tick" only after replacing the stock plugs with "Splitfires." I haven't had a chance to check it out thoroughly yet, but I think mine could be a bad (or loose) plug wire, or a cracked plug. Should be able to tell by using a spray bottle w/water & spray a fine mist around the wires & plugs, in the dark w/the engine running. If there's a bad wire or cracked plug, there will be noticeable blue arcing from the culprit. BTW, the Splitfires were a waste of money; absolutely NO diff. in MPG or perf., not to mention they look cheaply made, unlike Bosch. Any suggestions for a decent replacement plug?

 

[GR899V8]

jbeckett,
You should get a CEL light if you get a misfire, and it will tell you which cylinder is the problem. IMHO, stock plug wires suck.

 

[01EB5.0]

jbeckett,
I used the Bosch +4 plugs on my old 95 X and was very happy with them. I also dont; think you'll notice a big difference in MPG just by changing plugs..if thats what your goal is, i don;t think any plug out there can raise your MPG more then maybe 1MPG, and 1 MPG is hardly noticable.

 

[jbeckett]

Thanks for the tips. Any suggestions for replacement wires (brand, I mean)?

 

[01EB5.0]

Bosch premium core wires?? It's what I had with my Bosch plugs

 

[MikeTEC]

James T: Greetings from a fellow Texan. I grew up in Mt. Pleasant! Let me know what you think about your headers when you get them on and their effect on your low range torque. Still looking for a manufacturer who makes torque enhancement headers for our 5.0s. Mike

 

[james t]

wow, Mt. Pleasant is right down the road. been through there many times. i may be gettin' them on this weekend (proly Sunday) due to the fact that i WILL NOT be working on the early bronc for a couple of weeks... just sick of turning wrenches on that thing, and need a break. as far as torque goes, i would think these will do fine. they are almost the same as the stock headers, they just dont have the "dimples" in them and no heat shields. ill definatly report back with what i have found.

 

[MikeTEC]

James: About the only way I found to measure practical torque loss/gain is hook about 3500-4000lbs of trailer on an X and see if it pulls better on grades. If the tick is the headers, new ones will definately fit it! Rather than headers leaking, I have found a leak in my 5.0's collector gasket. (right in front of muffler) The collector has three bolts on it and looks to be an easy fix. Of course, any rusted exhaust parts are never easy. Ford dealer wants about 12 dollars for the gasket. Mike

 

[Robb]

Originally posted by james t
i think its gonna be worth it just to shut up my D*dge freak neighbor. "Hey, sounds like you need to check the oil on that thing!" to which i reply "Hey, its August. Dont you usually get a new tranny every August?"

OFF SUBJECT: I have to stop by this thread every now and then just to read that post..............it makes me laugh everytime!

Robb