The dreaded "head tick" lives on.....

bbrence · 08-02-2006, 08:49 PM

The September issue of Road & Track has a strange piece on the 1876 James/Younger gang and a new Shelby GT500 convertible. The review of the car is mixed at best. When describing the convertible's diminished performance versus the coupe, they say, and I quote: "We think our test car's supercharged 5.4L V-8 was a tad soft.....a suspicion enhanced by a nasty ticking noise coming from the engine."

Hmmmmmmm, sounds like all current Ford DOHC engines have the potential to suffer from the dreaded tick. Having the engine of a $35,000 SVT Cobra ticking like a $500 junker, is bad enough......what if you spent $150,000 plus for your Ford GT.....or $50,000 plus for a GT500 convertible???

Ford needs to figure out what the hell is wrong and fix the %^$#(*&^ things!!

bbrence · 08-10-2006, 02:14 PM

Hmmmmmmm, I guess nobody cares.

mrpork · 08-10-2006, 02:24 PM

well i have an 04 vert an i dont have a ticking noise i have around 18000 on her now how many miles do you have on yours

**cobrabitn** · 08-10-2006, 08:36 PM

I think the tick is sporadic so some may have it and some may not!

COBRAkid · 08-26-2006, 12:08 AM

the kind of gas that you use has a lot to do with it.... i have found that Sunoco gas around my area is the best to use and its cheaper than most places i go to for premium

Terminator X · 08-28-2006, 09:55 AM

Wasn't this tick associated with the 03's? Or was it 03's and early 04"s?

mrpork · 08-28-2006, 07:32 PM

spoke to soon have head tick on start up

Terminator X · 08-29-2006, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrpork

spoke to soon have head tick on start up

GTFOOH! What's your build number?

mrpork · 08-29-2006, 11:58 AM

my vehicle is #978 out of 1896 according to my svt certificate

bbrence · 09-04-2006, 01:35 AM

My car is an early 04.....#132 of 3768.

The tick seems to occur in Ford DOHC 4.6 & 5.4 engines pretty much accross the board. I guess it was more common in early 03 Cobras.....but still happens in later cars. I doubt the gasoline used has anything to do with it. As long as you use high quality [Chevron, Shell, Arco, etc] premium unleaded gas. I doubt that the oil you use has anything to do with it, as long as you use good quality oil [& filter] and change it at recommended intervals.

It occured in my car, with a nearly bone stock engine, at about 7,800 miles and I do not abuse the car in any way.......don't over-rev or lug it. In my car, Ford elected to replace the driver's side head. Ford has also agreed to give me a 75,000 warranty on the engine.

It is a puzzling issue. The tick is quite common, but it doesn't appear to occur in every car. Also strange that Ford would replace the entire head, rather than fixing the part making the noise. Some cars have it on start-up......my car "ticked" only when warm.

mrpork · 09-05-2006, 05:44 PM

i just got off the phone with a SVT tech. i asked him about the tick.

he said THAT ONLY IN THE EARLY EARLY 03 DID IT HAPPEN THAT AN 04 IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AS OF NOW THEIR IS NO BULLETIN ON IT. SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE. SOME CARS WILL GET HEADS AND OTHERS WONT

. OR IS IT UP TO THE DEALER IF SO YOU BETTER BE NICE TO THE DEALER

ausie · 09-06-2006, 11:51 AM

I may drive my car hard at times but I normally do not over do it. I have also taken it down the quarter mile about 30 times since I have owned it. At every start up when the motor is cold I give it 5 minutes of warm up time before driving it. On rare occasions I may hear a slight bit of piston slap a minute after start up but that is normal. Only once did I hear a loud tick or tapping comming from the engine (seemed to emminate from the passenger side head). I immediately shut down the motor, went out and bought some motor flush and added that to the crank case. Within the 10 minute run time of the motor the noise had stopped. Then followed that with an oil change. Have not heard it return yet. I think that was about 6k miles or more ago.

From what I recall about the dreaded head tick was caused by a design flaw in the in the coolant passages in the heads The revised heads do not have the same cooling passage issues so the tick may be something else probably valve train related.

mrpork · 09-06-2006, 05:39 PM

what type of oil do you use

ausie · 09-07-2006, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrpork

what type of oil do you use

I use AMSOIL series 2000 racing oil 20w-50 or Royal Purple 10w-30. When I heard the noise I had used something else Lucas synthetic oil 10w-30. I do not believe it was the oil that caused the noise. I also used an oil additive which what I thought was the lucas pure synthetic oil stabilizer but it turned out I got the wrong additive which was the tacky oil stuff (Heavy duty oil stabilizer, bottle looks almost the same). After 500 miles, tick, tick, tick and I dumped the oil immediately before any more issues would be created (probably too late but so far no tick or noises from the heads). I have used the lucas pure synthetic oil stabilizer (only a few ounces at a time) without any problems. I tried that stuff while I had the air/oil separator on the car and noticed that the canister did not fill up with oil. I would not recommend the lucas heavy duty oil stabilizer since that will thicken the oil and may cause problems. However the lucas pure syntetic oil stabilizer is a good product if used sparingly. Actually any oil additive is not necessary since most motor oils are loaded with additives to start with.

jeffS. · 09-29-2006, 06:56 PM

I own an 04 cobra and there does seem to be a little valvetrain noise, I've also noticed it on a 04 Mach-1 that I test drove before settling on the cobra. I'm guessing it's definately a 4 valve thing, although mine did it brand new and also does it now. I don't worry about it, and it doesn't get any worse hot- cold ,new- old, maybe cause I've gotten used to my 63 1/2 galaxie with the solid liftered 427 over the years. Run it hard and show it who's boss.

08-10-2006, 02:14 PM	#2
bbrence Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Vancouver, Washington Posts: 50	Head Tick Hmmmmmmm, I guess nobody cares. __________________ 2004 Screaming Yellow, SVT Cobra Coupe Mods: K&N air filter Various billet interior pieces Cobra floor mats Cobra trunk mat Cobra stainless Laser-cut pulley cover Billet gas filler door Stainless polished letter inserts Cobra sport bra 2003 Windstar SEL

08-10-2006, 02:24 PM	#3
mrpork SCMC Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: rhode island Posts: 408	well i have an 04 vert an i dont have a ticking noise i have around 18000 on her now how many miles do you have on yours __________________ ENGINE:2.3whipple 3.25pullie,60lb injectors,spec 3+clutch,fidanza aluminum flywheel,liberty 26 splineinput shaft,fiore firewall adj.clutch quadrant kit,4lb lower, upgraded h/e,upgraded intercooler,k&n cold air kit,hyperflex ploy motor mounts. FUEL SYSTEM:fore fuel hat,twin gt40 pumps, fore fuel rails,upgraded fpdm(stage2) INTERIOR:cdc light bar, mgw shifter. SUSPENSION:h&r race springs,brembo big brake kit up front,poly thru out the irs,billet flow irs brace/irs brackets. EXTERIOR:fr500 anthracite, kdw'2(275front,295rear) cobra billet hood vents,black out tail light tint,hid plate light. AS ALLWAYS MORE MOD'S TO COME

08-10-2006, 08:36 PM	#4
cobrabitn Dr Jekyll on the street, Mr Hyde on the track Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rock Hill SC Posts: 14,649	I think the tick is sporadic so some may have it and some may not! __________________ Cobrabitn 2016 Ruby Red Metallic with Caribou accent F-350 Crew Cab Stump Puller! 6.7 Diesel Automatic with Chrome Package, Off Road Package, 3.55 Locking axles, and Ultimate Lariat Interior Trim Package! 2017 Shelby GT350 Coupe - track car! Mods: JLT True Cold Air oil catch can 2009 Vista Blue Shelby GT 500 Coupe - Garage Queen Tinted Windows JLT True Cold Air Kit Pro-Dyno Tune 526 rwhp - 511 rwtq 1994 Rio Red Indy Pace Car #22 "Runabout" Snake in the grill MGW shift knob 1996 SVT Cobra Wheels 1969 New Lime Mustang Mach 1 Sportsroof - Second owner - bone stock with shaker. One SVT Cobra, one Shelby GT500, one 69 mach 1, and a Shelby GT350 is better than nothing! Custom Data Plates for your Mustang or Ford! Buy "Cool Merchandise" at Data Plates Plus www.dataplatesplus.com See my MSR Video here!

08-28-2006, 09:55 AM	#6
Terminator X Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 12	Wasn't this tick associated with the 03's? Or was it 03's and early 04"s? __________________ 2004 Oxford White Cobra Convertible Born on: Feb 21st 2004 Build #: 1256 of 1896

08-28-2006, 07:32 PM	#7
mrpork SCMC Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: rhode island Posts: 408	spoke to soon have head tick on start up __________________ ENGINE:2.3whipple 3.25pullie,60lb injectors,spec 3+clutch,fidanza aluminum flywheel,liberty 26 splineinput shaft,fiore firewall adj.clutch quadrant kit,4lb lower, upgraded h/e,upgraded intercooler,k&n cold air kit,hyperflex ploy motor mounts. FUEL SYSTEM:fore fuel hat,twin gt40 pumps, fore fuel rails,upgraded fpdm(stage2) INTERIOR:cdc light bar, mgw shifter. SUSPENSION:h&r race springs,brembo big brake kit up front,poly thru out the irs,billet flow irs brace/irs brackets. EXTERIOR:fr500 anthracite, kdw'2(275front,295rear) cobra billet hood vents,black out tail light tint,hid plate light. AS ALLWAYS MORE MOD'S TO COME

08-02-2006, 08:49 PM	#1
bbrence Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Vancouver, Washington Posts: 50	The dreaded "head tick" lives on..... The September issue of Road & Track has a strange piece on the 1876 James/Younger gang and a new Shelby GT500 convertible. The review of the car is mixed at best. When describing the convertible's diminished performance versus the coupe, they say, and I quote: "We think our test car's supercharged 5.4L V-8 was a tad soft.....a suspicion enhanced by a nasty ticking noise coming from the engine." Hmmmmmmm, sounds like all current Ford DOHC engines have the potential to suffer from the dreaded tick. Having the engine of a $35,000 SVT Cobra ticking like a $500 junker, is bad enough......what if you spent $150,000 plus for your Ford GT.....or $50,000 plus for a GT500 convertible??? Ford needs to figure out what the hell is wrong and fix the %^$#(*&^ things!! __________________ 2004 Screaming Yellow, SVT Cobra Coupe Mods: K&N air filter Various billet interior pieces Cobra floor mats Cobra trunk mat Cobra stainless Laser-cut pulley cover Billet gas filler door Stainless polished letter inserts Cobra sport bra 2003 Windstar SEL

08-26-2006, 12:08 AM	#5
COBRAkid Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Purcellvile, Virginia Posts: 20	the kind of gas that you use has a lot to do with it.... i have found that Sunoco gas around my area is the best to use and its cheaper than most places i go to for premium

08-29-2006, 11:58 AM	#9
mrpork SCMC Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: rhode island Posts: 408	my vehicle is #978 out of 1896 according to my svt certificate __________________ ENGINE:2.3whipple 3.25pullie,60lb injectors,spec 3+clutch,fidanza aluminum flywheel,liberty 26 splineinput shaft,fiore firewall adj.clutch quadrant kit,4lb lower, upgraded h/e,upgraded intercooler,k&n cold air kit,hyperflex ploy motor mounts. FUEL SYSTEM:fore fuel hat,twin gt40 pumps, fore fuel rails,upgraded fpdm(stage2) INTERIOR:cdc light bar, mgw shifter. SUSPENSION:h&r race springs,brembo big brake kit up front,poly thru out the irs,billet flow irs brace/irs brackets. EXTERIOR:fr500 anthracite, kdw'2(275front,295rear) cobra billet hood vents,black out tail light tint,hid plate light. AS ALLWAYS MORE MOD'S TO COME

09-04-2006, 01:35 AM	#10
bbrence Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Vancouver, Washington Posts: 50	Head tick My car is an early 04.....#132 of 3768. The tick seems to occur in Ford DOHC 4.6 & 5.4 engines pretty much accross the board. I guess it was more common in early 03 Cobras.....but still happens in later cars. I doubt the gasoline used has anything to do with it. As long as you use high quality [Chevron, Shell, Arco, etc] premium unleaded gas. I doubt that the oil you use has anything to do with it, as long as you use good quality oil [& filter] and change it at recommended intervals. It occured in my car, with a nearly bone stock engine, at about 7,800 miles and I do not abuse the car in any way.......don't over-rev or lug it. In my car, Ford elected to replace the driver's side head. Ford has also agreed to give me a 75,000 warranty on the engine. It is a puzzling issue. The tick is quite common, but it doesn't appear to occur in every car. Also strange that Ford would replace the entire head, rather than fixing the part making the noise. Some cars have it on start-up......my car "ticked" only when warm. __________________ 2004 Screaming Yellow, SVT Cobra Coupe Mods: K&N air filter Various billet interior pieces Cobra floor mats Cobra trunk mat Cobra stainless Laser-cut pulley cover Billet gas filler door Stainless polished letter inserts Cobra sport bra 2003 Windstar SEL

09-05-2006, 05:44 PM	#11
mrpork SCMC Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: rhode island Posts: 408	i just got off the phone with a SVT tech. i asked him about the tick. he said THAT ONLY IN THE EARLY EARLY 03 DID IT HAPPEN THAT AN 04 IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AS OF NOW THEIR IS NO BULLETIN ON IT. SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE. SOME CARS WILL GET HEADS AND OTHERS WONT . OR IS IT UP TO THE DEALER IF SO YOU BETTER BE NICE TO THE DEALER __________________ ENGINE:2.3whipple 3.25pullie,60lb injectors,spec 3+clutch,fidanza aluminum flywheel,liberty 26 splineinput shaft,fiore firewall adj.clutch quadrant kit,4lb lower, upgraded h/e,upgraded intercooler,k&n cold air kit,hyperflex ploy motor mounts. FUEL SYSTEM:fore fuel hat,twin gt40 pumps, fore fuel rails,upgraded fpdm(stage2) INTERIOR:cdc light bar, mgw shifter. SUSPENSION:h&r race springs,brembo big brake kit up front,poly thru out the irs,billet flow irs brace/irs brackets. EXTERIOR:fr500 anthracite, kdw'2(275front,295rear) cobra billet hood vents,black out tail light tint,hid plate light. AS ALLWAYS MORE MOD'S TO COME Last edited by mrpork; 09-05-2006 at 05:47 PM. Reason: FORGOT

09-06-2006, 11:51 AM	#12
ausie Don't let the dog drive Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kinston, NC Posts: 1,883	I may drive my car hard at times but I normally do not over do it. I have also taken it down the quarter mile about 30 times since I have owned it. At every start up when the motor is cold I give it 5 minutes of warm up time before driving it. On rare occasions I may hear a slight bit of piston slap a minute after start up but that is normal. Only once did I hear a loud tick or tapping comming from the engine (seemed to emminate from the passenger side head). I immediately shut down the motor, went out and bought some motor flush and added that to the crank case. Within the 10 minute run time of the motor the noise had stopped. Then followed that with an oil change. Have not heard it return yet. I think that was about 6k miles or more ago. From what I recall about the dreaded head tick was caused by a design flaw in the in the coolant passages in the heads The revised heads do not have the same cooling passage issues so the tick may be something else probably valve train related. __________________ 2004 SVT Cobra, Silver, February 2004 SVT Build # 2485 out of 3768 SLP Loudmouth Cat-back UPR double lock firewall adjuster UPR GMS extreme double hook quadrant Wheels: Ford SVT 10th anniv. wheels (track duty) SVE 10th anniv. style 17x9F, 10x10.5R BBS RK Plasma 18x8.5F, 18x10R (retired) (retired) 2001 black SVT Cobra, October 2001 missed but not forgotten

09-06-2006, 05:39 PM	#13
mrpork SCMC Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: rhode island Posts: 408	what type of oil do you use __________________ ENGINE:2.3whipple 3.25pullie,60lb injectors,spec 3+clutch,fidanza aluminum flywheel,liberty 26 splineinput shaft,fiore firewall adj.clutch quadrant kit,4lb lower, upgraded h/e,upgraded intercooler,k&n cold air kit,hyperflex ploy motor mounts. FUEL SYSTEM:fore fuel hat,twin gt40 pumps, fore fuel rails,upgraded fpdm(stage2) INTERIOR:cdc light bar, mgw shifter. SUSPENSION:h&r race springs,brembo big brake kit up front,poly thru out the irs,billet flow irs brace/irs brackets. EXTERIOR:fr500 anthracite, kdw'2(275front,295rear) cobra billet hood vents,black out tail light tint,hid plate light. AS ALLWAYS MORE MOD'S TO COME

09-29-2006, 06:56 PM	#15
jeffS. Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 9	I own an 04 cobra and there does seem to be a little valvetrain noise, I've also noticed it on a 04 Mach-1 that I test drove before settling on the cobra. I'm guessing it's definately a 4 valve thing, although mine did it brand new and also does it now. I don't worry about it, and it doesn't get any worse hot- cold ,new- old, maybe cause I've gotten used to my 63 1/2 galaxie with the solid liftered 427 over the years. Run it hard and show it who's boss.

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