ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

my 89 GT is ticking, i've gone over all the exhaust bolts. it sounds like an exhaust leak, but i'm not sure what it is. here is the description when its cold and it first starts it ticks like an exhaust leak, when its warm out and the engine is warm it goes away, unless i'm driving up hill. timing is at 10 degrees advanced, and fuel pressure is set at 38 psi. stock HO topend, 104,000 miles, replaced spark plugs, and can't think of what else would tick. a friend told me that it could be the metal smog equipment tubes on the back of the heads, another friend said head gasket, i dont' know let me know what you guys think, oh yeah its not using water, and the crankcase is oil not milkshake. thanks
jay

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

I maybe way off, but could it be one of the fuel injectors going out?

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

Lifter(s)?

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

I'd suggest you check your lifters out.

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

Dido,
Ryan

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

If it is his lifters, how long could he continue to drive with his motor in that condition? I was under the impression that lifters in a pushrod motor rarely ever completely fail, but just continue to make noise until a point of being obnoxious.

Check your header gaskets, they can leak and make a wonderfully annoying "ticking" sound.

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

it sounds like its coming from the back of the motor where that POS pipe for the smog equipment is, but I could be way off. Has anybody had one of them crack, and it sounds like an exhaust leak.

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

The smog tube on the back of my passenger side head cracked and made a nice noise.

I removed all the smog equipment and plugged the holes in the back of the heads. best move i ever made.

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

I had (have) the same ticking in my 88, the worst it got was when the PCV popped out of the block in the back- very loud. Now it's just a combination of the crappy off-shore produced Ford Racing Hydraulic Lifters (my friends average about 2-3 sets before they find a set that has all non-tick inducing lifters since the quality tolerances have dropped since their Michigan production, apparently) and a missing header bolt. My car actually got quieter when I loosened the header bolts slightly to "snug" from "tight." Good luck!

Re: ticking driving me nuts!!!!!!!!!!
 

Tightning exhast bolts does not cure a busted gasket. Check them. Also a ignition leak will tick, crank it in a very dark place and look for spark leak. It could be a rocker, an injector, or even a lifter. Try the old broom stick test to try and isolate the noise. Let us know what you find.