Ticking Noise and Misfire: Opened valve cover, what to do next?
05 5.4l 3v s.crew lariat
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,505
Likes: 672
From: fl
You need to get torque pro then see mode six . It will tell you the raw computer counts by each cly by number . It will tell you how many counts to set a code , it is quite high number . Yes it is misfiring .
You are on the right track , dont forget it can be an injector causing misfire. You can lay the rails out on dry newspaper and turn key on none should drip . . I am on my third set at 270k miles . One was shooting a solid stream another was dripping .
Roller followers are another thing to look at , also with valve covers off start it and observe oil flow .You need to drop oil pan check for broken guides, thrust washer in pan. crank end play and plugged oil pickup . I would think you have high mileage on this truck and poor oil pressure ,maybe bad /broken guides. Your chain tensioners are plastic and have bad leaking seals causing poor oil pressure most likely . Putting the old steel ones in is better, adding a melling hv oil pump really helps . But a lot depends on what you find in oil pan . Thrust washers in pan means excessive crank end play and too much damage to fix . Thrust washers will not stay after damage so then you need a reman . Don't put any money in it until you drop oil pan .
You are on the right track , dont forget it can be an injector causing misfire. You can lay the rails out on dry newspaper and turn key on none should drip . . I am on my third set at 270k miles . One was shooting a solid stream another was dripping .
Roller followers are another thing to look at , also with valve covers off start it and observe oil flow .You need to drop oil pan check for broken guides, thrust washer in pan. crank end play and plugged oil pickup . I would think you have high mileage on this truck and poor oil pressure ,maybe bad /broken guides. Your chain tensioners are plastic and have bad leaking seals causing poor oil pressure most likely . Putting the old steel ones in is better, adding a melling hv oil pump really helps . But a lot depends on what you find in oil pan . Thrust washers in pan means excessive crank end play and too much damage to fix . Thrust washers will not stay after damage so then you need a reman . Don't put any money in it until you drop oil pan .
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 1
Likes: 1
I have a 2006 F150 V8 5.4L Lariat. It's been making a ticking noise and it jerks after it switches to 4th gear around 45-55 mph. Jerking is noticeable when I ease on the throttle at that speed. Seems like a misfire. Ticking noise is present whether engine is hot or cold on the passenger side. Here is a video but the ticking is louder in real life than in the video:
COLD engine tick:
HOT engine tick:
After changing the oil back to back and using few engine treatments, the noise did not go away. I want to make a cross country trip so I took it to a few mechanics. 90% of shops will not work on this truck. Ford dealership said the engine needs to be replaced. Quoted me $8500. After watching youtube I decided to open the valve cover myself. I wanted to inspect the rocker arms. None of the rocker arms seem loose. All lobes on camshaft are smooth. One of the ignition coils was really dirty and had a different screw on it. I'll be replacing that and the spark plugs. What should be my next step to find the source of the ticking noise? What's going to resolve the jerk at 45mph? I have not put the valve cover back on.
Truck has was owned by my wife before I met her. She didn't change the oil for 3 years or 20,000 miles. I have since changed the oil several times but not driven the truck much.
Here are some pics:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MS3...usp=drive_link,
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SHx...usp=drive_link,
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Rx...usp=drive_link,
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rJP...usp=drive_link
COLD engine tick:
HOT engine tick:
After changing the oil back to back and using few engine treatments, the noise did not go away. I want to make a cross country trip so I took it to a few mechanics. 90% of shops will not work on this truck. Ford dealership said the engine needs to be replaced. Quoted me $8500. After watching youtube I decided to open the valve cover myself. I wanted to inspect the rocker arms. None of the rocker arms seem loose. All lobes on camshaft are smooth. One of the ignition coils was really dirty and had a different screw on it. I'll be replacing that and the spark plugs. What should be my next step to find the source of the ticking noise? What's going to resolve the jerk at 45mph? I have not put the valve cover back on.
Truck has was owned by my wife before I met her. She didn't change the oil for 3 years or 20,000 miles. I have since changed the oil several times but not driven the truck much.
Here are some pics:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MS3...usp=drive_link,
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SHx...usp=drive_link,
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Rx...usp=drive_link,
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rJP...usp=drive_link
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 10
Likes: 3
From: Chico, CA
YES! I ended up removing the valve covers on both sides (not an easy job - there's a helpful YouTube video that walks through it). I inspected the cam lobes and rocker arms and everything looked normal. I also manually rotated the engine and didn’t observe anything abnormal.
Since I was already working in the area, I decided to replace the spark plugs. That's when I found the issue: the tip of one spark plug was damaged. The J-electrode was missing. I’m assuming the missing piece was in the cylinder, so I vacuumed it out.
I replaced all spark plugs and the ignition coil for the affected cylinder. The engine is now running normally.
Since I was already working in the area, I decided to replace the spark plugs. That's when I found the issue: the tip of one spark plug was damaged. The J-electrode was missing. I’m assuming the missing piece was in the cylinder, so I vacuumed it out.
I replaced all spark plugs and the ignition coil for the affected cylinder. The engine is now running normally.
