I have been told that this noise is a warped passenger manifold. It has been known to warp in a few models especially 04-05. About 3 guys I have talked to over forums said putting a new manifold on passenger side fixed this problem.

 

WEll it's a common problem in fords. dont believe your mechanics when they say its not the manifolds. both of my fords 98 and 2000 and my uncles 06 with the 4.6 have/had the same ticking noise. it IS in fact your manifold OR your flange between the manifold to the exhaust piping. as for the down shift theory. its because of the exhaust leak. you are losing upto 20% of your over all power with the leak.

 

So this is a leak between the manifold and the exhaust pipe? I thought it was possibly between the manifold and the engine? I have heard many problems, but always had dealer fix it so no one could tell me exactly where.

Is there any way to do testing to verify that this is the problem? I would like to fix this soon, its annoying and it does seem I have some power loss.

 

I found it!

It was the exhaust manifold on the passenger side.

It was really hard to find because its so noisy, but i could see the black marring where the exhaust has been pouring out.

(yes, between the manifold and the engine)

Thank you guys for all your input.

 

Awesome, glad you found your problem. Good luck getting it fixed. You plan to do it yourself, or take it to the Stealership?

 

Well dang, i just had mine pulled, new studs and gaskets

Is there any way to test for a leak between the manifold and pipe?

 

The ford trucks are notorious for leaking passenger side manifolds. My 95 f150 had a 305xxx miles on it when I sold it back to my brother and bought my 07. I know the passenger side leaked on that and my 07 is already starting to leak. A few friends of mine have had the same issue no matter what generation you have, always seems to be passenger side. Try to get it taken care of when it starts cause if you let it go usually the studs can break off flush and creates even more headaches

 

Just a thought, but i've heard the cam phasers on the 04's+ make that noise when theyre bad... Apparently they arent built very well, and the aftermarket ones actually help HP ratings... I believe you can get them from summit or jegs. Dunno how much, but thats my .02

 

Had the same problem. Took it to the mechanic who looked at it and drove it for two hours, I was with him and he thinks it is the cat converter but not 100%. If any body knows it would be very helpful if you posted.

 

I have the same symptoms on my '98 F150 with 250k miles. Ticking is most pronounced when giving it a little gas, in gear, when the engine is cold. Recently fixed a valve leak that seems to have helped a little, but the ticking is definitely still there. It sounds very light weight, almost like plastic or a small metal part. Also thought it could be an exhaust issue at first.

I dont know much about the manifold but am reading up thanks to the info on this thread. Also suspect it could be the valve heads and springs? Maybe louder ticking when the engine is cold because of poor oil circulation? I use 5w30 since it's thinner and try to keep it close to topped off. Not sure what else to do.