My engine is making making loud ticking noise, and it sounds and smells like a gocart
 

Hey y'all, so my 2002 4.6 f150 has been making a subtle ticking noise upon acceleration, and was progressively getting louder (the sound was coming from the right side of the engine). The truck was still idling and running fine at this point, however I was getting about 8.6 mpg. It started to get much louver very quickly until I look it on the highway and heard a pop and the truck immediately was loud and sounded like a go-cart. I pulled over to look try and figure out where the problem was coming from and the engine and truck were shaking and seemed as if the engine was struggling to not stall at idling speeds. I drove it home (about 4 miles away) and I had trouble getting power from it when I started moving, and the ride home the cab smelled like gas. The engine drove fine on way home, but I had to rev the engine at stops to keep the truck from shaking. Can someone please help me figure out what the problem is? Thanks guys

Here is a youtube link of my truck's engine running currently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMqr...ature=youtu.be

sound like exhaust manifolds to me. they will tick like mad if they have a hole in them.

Check your spark plugs, sounds like on is about to blow. I would advise to replace the plugs and coils of you have not recently

28-32 pound ft of torque required if not they WILL blow out. No coating of grease or anything.

Here is a youtube link of my truck's engine running currently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMqr...ature=youtu.be

He has a 4.6 not a 5.4

either way, the 4.6 has spark plugs too lol

my truck has 80xxx miles on her so I havent changed out any plugs yet, but I had to replace a few coils a few months ago as they were failing.

that's where I would start. I had one blow a while back it's no fun. Do you have an engine light on? If so get a code reader and see what codes it throwing

That plug already blew, probably just laying in there. That's not at all subtle as you say, - if you ask me. Closer to catastrophic lol.

Did you say sounds like a go-cart? I agree, that's what it reminded of. That and Putt-Putt.