What did Ford change in the exaust system to not make the new (as in 2002's ) sound like some was poping popcorn in the exaust system from the 1999's to the 2002's ?? I have a new 2002 and when I get home after a drive (brand new -- 100 miles) -- I don't hear the noise any more !
I still was hearing this even after my 99 had 28000 miles on it. I hope they didn't cheapen the system just to eliminate the noise!
Anyone know the answer to this one?

 

Does no one know the answer to this? Or just nobody looks at the exaust thread??!!

 

I'm thinking you hear this "popping" after you shut off the motor. This is probably the cats or the heat shields on the cats or a combo of both.

Those babies get damn hot, and when you shut it down, they start to cool down and it's just the metal and/or the ceramic material inside the cats that's now cooling off and contracting.

Just my guess. Maybe your new rig just isn't "broke" in enough yet? Don't know if Ford changed anything or not. I kinda doubt that they did. Give it some time, I'll bet you'll hear it soon enough.

 

Actually, it's not the metal cooling off. The A/C for the most part is always on when the outside temp is above 50 degrees, and the popping you hear is the water dripping out of the evaporator housing onto the cat heat shield. Somewhere's along the way, I vaguely remember reading something about ford redesigning the placement of the drain line or such. I've got a 2000 Lariat. When I brought it home the first time, all that popping scared hell out of me. Now that it's a couple years older and 35000 more mile, either the popping isn't as bad, or I'm just used to it (I vote for used to it), and the AC still can freeze me out.