The tick

[imswheel]

Being an old school kind of guy I wonder if you could simply take the "ticking" heads to a competent machine shop and have the valve guides knurled or replaced? It has fixed many an engine over the last 90+ years.

If the tick truly is caused by premature valve guide wear the tick would instantly vanish and you could do the cooling mod while it was apart.

I agree with others that if it was a loose valve it would show up on a compresion test but the SVT engineer I have talked to says a compression test does not show anything on an engine with the "tick". Very strange to me.

03/04 engines are noisy (lifters, pcv, piston slap, thin exhaust mananifolds) and I think there is some level of "tick"-o- phobia out there.

50,000 miles and still running strong!

- Paul

 

[BigBeez03]

03/04 engines are noisy (lifters, pcv, piston slap, thin exhaust mananifolds) and I think there is some level of "tick"-o- phobia out there.
50,000 miles and still running strong!
- Paul

I agree 100%! My next question is, if the tick is caused by a faulty head then wouldn't aftermarket heads be the simple solution? However, I never hear of anyone talking about aftermarket heads for the 03/04 Cobras, are their none out there?

 

[V8Mustang]

If the tick truly is caused by premature valve guide wear the tick would instantly vanish and you could do the cooling mod while it was apart.

Even better if Ford would admit to their design flaw and do a little recall or extend the warranty so that we do not have to spend our money correcting their problem. I know, I know, they are too sorry to do that.

 

[rocketman]

Always had it

My car had the tick the first day I bought it. I don't think the tick has anything to do with wear. But I do think it would get worse over time. BTW, I got the left head under warranty and the tick went completely away. The only issue is now I can hear the right head ticking, it is not as loud though. My theory is both the left and right heads have the same problem, but the right head doesn't get as hot.

 

[bender460]

My car has the tick BAD. I feel embaresed in traffic. I'm going to take it in to the dealer so they can deny me warranty. The only chance I have is if ford admits to a flaw in the heads cooling. I have 2 mounths for this to happen. :nonono:

 

[V8Mustang]

My car has the tick BAD. I feel embaresed in traffic. I'm going to take it in to the dealer so they can deny me warranty. The only chance I have is if ford admits to a flaw in the heads cooling. I have 2 mounths for this to happen. :nonono:

Don't we all wish! Ford will do what they can to get out of repairing our cars... I have past experience with them. Be nice if we could get a little class-action going.

 

[Beetle6986]

Don't we all wish! Ford will do what they can to get out of repairing our cars... I have past experience with them. Be nice if we could get a little class-action going.

I have a decent dealer. I had no problem with getting the heads replaced due to the tick. However the tick is back.

 

[bender460]

Beetle6986 Did you also do the cooling mod when they were installed??

 

[Beetle6986]

Beetle6986 Did you also do the cooling mod when they were installed??

No cooling mod was done. The new heads are supposed to have better cooling passages.

 

[V8Mustang]

I have a decent dealer. I had no problem with getting the heads replaced due to the tick. However the tick is back.

Have you talked with SVT regarding the tick with the new heads? Just hoping that at some point we will all have a real fix for this issue.

 

[o1fastcobra]

I have a new head on my car the tick is gone. Im not sure what the diffrence is but ford did have a totally new part number for the head then they replaced it with the old part number. I know its not just a 04 cobra head. Does anyone know what the diffrence in the new head is.

 

[Beetle6986]

Have you talked with SVT regarding the tick with the new heads? Just hoping that at some point we will all have a real fix for this issue.

No, not yet.