It's probably the balancer as said - BUT, check your PCV valve. If your running a FRAM or any other vender's valve besides Motorcraft - It could be plugged. Unlike the Motorcraft - Other replacement valves have very tight margins compared to correct Motorcraft replacements. When you shake them when new , they barley rattle. There suppose to sound like an empty paint can when you shake them, if there good.

You might want to check that out, just in case.

 

Listen near the starter and where the trans bolts up to the engine. Your starter may not be retracting and the flex plate coud be hitting it. Also there is a plastic plug at the back of the engine valley ( the area directly under thr intake manifold) If the plug is not there a tool or spare part of some sort could drop in around the flexplate and cause a noise. The flexplates almost always have a slight warp to them from the process of welding the ring on them. This can give you that intermitten noise if it is hitting something such as the starter gear or as mentioned a bonus tool or part. Another thing is sometimes a crankshaft counter weight can make contact with a oil pan baffle if the pan gets distorted from jacking the truck up with a jack under the oil pan. Something you never want to do but I have seen it before. It dosen't sound like that to me but just a thought. Also there is a metal baffle under the cam covers to prevent oil spry from entering the PCV valve and causing excessive oil consumption. If the baffle comes loose it will make contact with the followers and cam and generate a intermitten noise. This doesn't sound like an internal engine noise as it is pretty tinny sounding. Usually an internal engine noise is more muffled from the block mass. Anyway these are just a couple of things to check. Good luck.

 

Thanks a lot dynotech & everyone else. The noise really seems to be coming near the front part of engine more on the passenger side. Im taking it to a different shop that a friend recommended later next week.

 

My wag is the crank sensor ring hitting the front cover.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

It is possible this could be the problem, but then the balancer would have to be loose. It is what pushes the ring back on the timing chain gear. Could be though. After listening more and more I am wondering if this could be the rh cam gear coming loose and wobbling a little. Or the bolt from it hitting the front case if it has backed off? This is just a wag on my part. It is a tough one just by listening to the sound clips. If the baffle in the rh valve cover is secure, I am at a loss by what it could be...I would really like to know what the outcome of this one comes to be....

 

I just realized that you have a second video which gives a better audio of the noise. This video does make it sound more like a sparkplug or defective damper as others have been suggesting here. Regarding a loose cam gear bolt. It does happen but the rattling noise it generates sounds exactly like a diesel engine running. We do find what we call chirpers once in a while but it is caused from a non cleanup issue to a cyl bore. The rings moving over the defective area of the bore makes a chirping noise. These are very noticable when an engine is tested in the plant cold test process and would be present from day one in a new engine and quickly rejected. A HDR wheel could also make the noise but the wheel would most likely make the noise until the softer front cover aluminum was ground away. Then it would become an intermmiten noise. Excessive end play could allow the HDR wheel as well as the damper to make contact with the fromt cover. In any event I am sure the mystery will be solved and when it is please let us know what you find. Thanks

 

Hi all, havent had time to drop truck at mechanic, but I was fiddling around a little & I hope I came across the problem. I was playing around with the injectors & when I unplugged the 3rd one down on passenger side the chirping noise became a lot less. I also took a stethascope over that same injector & it seems to be loudest.

Now my question is.......

Anything I should look out for when I change it.?

How hard of a job is it....? (looks easy, but looks can be deceiving)

Can I get away with changing 1 or should I change them all...?

Is an injector capable of making this annoying noise...?

Thanks again everyone.

 

I don't think it's the injector, you probably just countered motor vibration unplugging. Did you check EVERYTHING that's been posted ? At least the easy stuff ?

 

Yes jbrew...I pretty much checked the easy stuff. The belt, the pulleys, & the plugs.

When I disconnected the first 2 injectors it was still making the noise but when I unplugged the 3rd injector the noise lowered considerably. I was hoping this might be the problem.

 

Idunno, maybe - Anyway, you can find a set of 19's on ebay relatively cheap.

4 8mm bolts on the rail (2 on each side) loosen it up. Relieve pressure @ the shrader valve on the rail/ lay a bunch of rags around the bottom area of they injectors. You can pull just one side if you want - leave the other bolted.

After the battery is disconnected/ fuel pressures relieved/ rail bolts are removed, rags are in place and electrical connector is unplugged, pull straight up on the rail and you can then remove the injectors on that side.

 

Thanks jbrew...

I will let you know the outcome.

 

After changing the injector the noise was still there. However I knew the noise was coming from somewhere around there, so I once again checked to make sure the plugs were tight & the #3 sparkplug WAS a little loose, I tightend it & the noise is gone. I have to go buy a tourque wrench & tighten it to the right specs.

Anyways thanks to all who helped me through this endeavour.

 

Yea , I forgot about that. That usually sounds like an air leak or manifold leak. But that happens quite a bit.

16' lbs MAX