2013 GT500 engine tick. Need some help!

AbdullaGT500

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Picked this thing up needing some cosmetic work, however now that it's just about done I've noticed an intermittent tick. The tick is loudest under the car or from the driver side wheel well. You can see in the video, the tick comes and goes. It will tick for 10 seconds, then quiet down for a few seconds then come back. There are times where it will tick immediately when started, and sometimes it takes a minute or two until it starts ticking again. Car runs flawlessly. No hesitations, plenty of power, good compression on all cylinders, just this annoying tick that I can't figure out.

Only mods are ARH Long tube Headers with High-flow cats and a 3" Borla catback. I've listened with a stethoscope and it sounds loudest when I put the scope on the bell-housing, but I can't even hear it from the passenger side wheel well. It DOES NOT get louder with higher RPM, in fact it disappears, or is not noticeable over the exhaust.

Car has 3,500 miles on it.

 
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AbdullaGT500

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I'm posting this here since the GT500 tech section rarely nets any responses.

Picked this thing up needing some cosmetic work, however now that it's just about done I've noticed an intermittent tick. The tick is loudest under the car or from the driver side wheel well. You can see in the video, the tick comes and goes. It will tick for 10 seconds, then quiet down for a few seconds then come back. There are times where it will tick immediately when started, and sometimes it takes a minute or two until it starts ticking again. Car runs flawlessly. No hesitations, plenty of power, good compression on all cylinders, just this annoying tick that I can't figure out.

Only mods are ARH Long tube Headers with High-flow cats and a 3" Borla catback. I've listened with a stethoscope and it sounds loudest when I put the scope on the bell-housing, but I can't even hear it from the passenger side wheel well. It DOES NOT get louder with higher RPM, in fact it disappears, or is not noticeable over the exhaust.

Car has 3,500 miles on it.

 

GallopingFord

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May sound stupid, but is the manifold gasket leaking or possibly the header to the mid pipe not tightened all the way?
 

AbdullaGT500

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I've checked both. Header bolts are all tight and no leaks at the midpipe connection.

I wonder if something inside the transmission would cause it. Forgot to mention it does have an aftermarket clutch in it. Looks like a Mcleod, looking through the small opening at the bottom I can see the clutch is red.
 

Eel Mit

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Car running, in neutral, pump the clutch pedal. If the noise comes and goes with the pedal, it is the floater plate rattling when there is no load on it. This is normal for many aftermarket twin discs as they eliminate springs that more stock type clutches use to dampen noise.
 

AbdullaGT500

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Car running, in neutral, pump the clutch pedal. If the noise comes and goes with the pedal, it is the floater plate rattling when there is no load on it. This is normal for many aftermarket twin discs as they eliminate springs that more stock type clutches use to dampen noise.

It doesn't. Noise stays the same whether the clutch is pushed or not.
 

AlbertD

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Abdulla, that sound is normal. From what I understand some GT500s have that noise and others don't. Mine ticks louder than yours and I have been beating on it for 45k miles without a single hiccup. Mine is most pronounced under the driver side wheel well and has the exact same characteristics as yours. I learned to live with it.

From Ford...
2755 - 2007-2010 MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 NORMAL ENGINE NOISE
SOME 2007-2010 MUSTANG GT500 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 5.4L ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT CLATTER/TICK/TAP CHARACTERISTIC ENGINE NOISE. THE NOISE MAY BE CAUSED BY TOLERANCE STACK UP, NOT A SINGLE COMPONENT. DUE TO MANUFACTURING VARIANCES, ALL OF THESE ENGINES WILL EXHIBIT SOME LEVEL OF NOISE. AUDIBLE NOISE MAY BE MORE NOTICEABLE THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL, UNDER THE VEHICLE AND WITH AN OPEN HOOD, REFER TO WORKSHOP MANUAL (WSM) SECTION 303-00. UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS SUCH AS COLD ENGINE STARTS AND ENGINE STARTUP AFTER PROLONGED PERIODS, AUDIBLE NOISE MAY BE MORE NOTICEABLE DURING ENGINE WARM UP PERIOD. THOROUGH TESTING HAS FOUND NO DURABILITY OR PERFORMANCE LOSS FROM THIS CONDITION

An example of another GT500 with the tick...
 

AbdullaGT500

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Abdulla, that sound is normal. From what I understand some GT500s have that noise and others don't. Mine ticks louder than yours and I have been beating on it for 45k miles without a single hiccup. Mine is most pronounced under the driver side wheel well and has the exact same characteristics as yours. I learned to live with it.

From Ford...
2755 - 2007-2010 MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 NORMAL ENGINE NOISE
SOME 2007-2010 MUSTANG GT500 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 5.4L ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT CLATTER/TICK/TAP CHARACTERISTIC ENGINE NOISE. THE NOISE MAY BE CAUSED BY TOLERANCE STACK UP, NOT A SINGLE COMPONENT. DUE TO MANUFACTURING VARIANCES, ALL OF THESE ENGINES WILL EXHIBIT SOME LEVEL OF NOISE. AUDIBLE NOISE MAY BE MORE NOTICEABLE THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL, UNDER THE VEHICLE AND WITH AN OPEN HOOD, REFER TO WORKSHOP MANUAL (WSM) SECTION 303-00. UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS SUCH AS COLD ENGINE STARTS AND ENGINE STARTUP AFTER PROLONGED PERIODS, AUDIBLE NOISE MAY BE MORE NOTICEABLE DURING ENGINE WARM UP PERIOD. THOROUGH TESTING HAS FOUND NO DURABILITY OR PERFORMANCE LOSS FROM THIS CONDITION

An example of another GT500 with the tick...

That's what I've been reading and seeing, but every video I've found sounded different. I couldn't quite tell if it was the same as that video or not. I'm going to assume it's normal as the car does run perfect. I guess I'll have to learn to live with it.

It just seems so odd. This is my 4th GT500 and this is the only one that has made any type of noise.

Thanks for the input. If you can, please make a video of yours ticking, I'd love to compare.
 

AlbertD

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Yeah, I remember your Orange wrapped car. That one was my favorite. I'm quite surprised you hadn't heard the sound before on your others. Guess you were lucky.

As I said before, don't sweat the sound. My car runs like a raped ape and has been ticking for as long as I can remember. As requested...

 

AbdullaGT500

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Yeah, I remember your Orange wrapped car. That one was my favorite. I'm quite surprised you hadn't heard the sound before on your others. Guess you were lucky.

As I said before, don't sweat the sound. My car runs like a raped ape and has been ticking for as long as I can remember. As requested...


Awesome, greatly appreciated. Ironically, the lowest mileage one I've owned is the only one with the tick. It sounds really quiet in the videos, but in person it's really noticeable just standing there. I'll still probably run it by the Ford dealer just to get a second opinion. I'm sure they'll tell me it needs a motor and the headers voided the warranty. :nk:
 

black2008gt

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Got the same tick coming from my 2011 gt500; Using a stethoscope sounds like its coming from the the head, but you can only hear it underneath the car.
 

AbdullaGT500

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Got the same tick coming from my 2011 gt500; Using a stethoscope sounds like its coming from the the head, but you can only hear it underneath the car.

Have you tried getting underneath and putting the stethoscope around the bottom of the engine? Mine is loudest on the bell housing.
 

black2008gt

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I didn't hear too much from underneath the car. However my shifter vibrates like crazy, so I am sure i am getting some vibration from the tranmission. The tick sounds almost exactly like the old cobra head tick.
 

s8v4o

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Does it sound the same when you push in the clutch?
 

GallopingFord

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I'm familiar with the normal 5.4/5.8 tick, mine does it depending on ambient temp, but if this only does it on one side then that's strange
 

AbdullaGT500

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I'm familiar with the normal 5.4/5.8 tick, mine does it depending on ambient temp, but if this only does it on one side then that's strange

Really it's noticeable from both sides, but to me it sounds louder on the driver side. But like I said, if I had to guess I'd say it was coming from the bell-housing.
 

black2008gt

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Mines going into the shop next week for a mysterious burning/heat smell when I turn off the car. I'm going to get them to document the ticking just to cover myself.
 

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