Alirght so heres my problem...my company truck is an 03 f250 supercab 4x4 w/5.4 gas engine. There is a loud ticking noise coming from the passengers side on the front. It sounds exactly like an exhaust leak. Gets louder and faster as i accelerate. After having the truck looked at i was told that the head gasket needs to be replaced. But the job would be expensive as in $800-1800 depending on how it goes. The mechanic told me that if the cant get the bolts out or the break then they will have to take the head off which will make it lean towards the higher end of the estimate. Also, the truck is getting rediculous gas mileage...it tends to range anywhere from 4.5mpg-9.2 mpg or 200 miles to a tank on a really good day. Could the gasket problem be effecting this? My question is, im considering buying the truck from my boss. Is this a big deal? Easy fix? I have a basic knowlege about engines is it something i could do myself? Are head gaskets and exhaust gaskets the same thing? I dont even know what or where the hell the head is! Please Help!

 

its not a head gasket its only a manifold gasket and yes those studs can break but the head does not need to come off to remove them.

 

First off, if he replaces the head gasket you have to take the head off to do it....period. If he is talking about replacing an exhaust manifold gasket rather than a head gasket and the low end is $800 then he is absolutly raping you. I honestly think you need to go to another mechanic ASAP.

Second I have never in my life heard of blown head gasket causing a popping or ticking noise. It sounds to me from your description its a cam phaser thats making a noise. Its pretty common on later modle F150s, so I suspect it could easily be the problem on yours.

However nothing you have mentioned would cause the truck to get such terrible MPG...so there is a major problem somewhere else.

No...totaly different things. Replacing the exhaust gasket is nothing, replacing the head gasket is major.

Short answer....NO. Changing the head gasket I believe would be way out of your league judging from your very limited knowledge of the subject.

On the other hand if its a exhaust manifold leak then you should be able to...I think my wife could figure that out. There really is nothing to it.

 

How does it run? Are the spark plugs still there? Some of the older 2V 5.4L V8's and 6.8L V10's had a prob where the spark plug would be popped out of the head. I thought that was only for 2002 models and earlier though.

Not trying to scare just some info.

 

The truck runs great. Still has power and no loss of torque. I actually plowed with it for 14 hours on friday and it ran like a champ. Except for the fact that i drove 120 miles and the gas light turned on! The mechanic made it seem like a huge job. I understand how the exhaust system works and have had vehicles with exhaust leaks before, and to me, this is exactly what it sounds like, just in front of me and on the passengers side, where as generally an exhaust leak would be coming from behind me at the muffler or wherever else. Would i get a noise like this from the head gasket? Could this be throwing of a sensor and causing the engine to call for more fuel? Im guessing if it was the exhaust manifolds it prob would make a noise like this but wouldnt effect the gas mileage, but as for a head gasket whatever that its, im obviously not too sure. Thanks for the help!

 

I guess theres no one better to ask than you guys, what should i expect for gas mileage? I would think somewhere around 10-11. Its an 03 5.4 w/67k

 

Sounds about the mark for gas mileage for a work truck. Does it have alot of extra weight?

 

I have seen a blown head gasket do this on a 5.4. It was loosing cylinder pressure out the side. Sounded just like an exhaust leak. But I'll bet it's just broken exhaust studs on this one. Very common.

 

Im hoping that its not losing pressure out the side but in the back of my mind i think that it is because it would explain the gas mileage and such. But just for the hell of it, if i lat under the truck, will i be able to see the broken exhaust studs? what am i looking for? This is my pathetic attempt to do just about anything to not get screwed by yet another mechanic!

 

passenger side exhaust manifold. Rear studs. They are probably broke and exhaust leaking around rear port. Probably black soot around port.

 

ok...ill check it out tommorrow...Thanks!