Please don't flame me here, I'm sure this has probably been brought up once or twice. I've searched the forum but haven't found an answer yet.

Short story is I notice a ticking sound coming from engine when I accelerate or under a load. Once the trans shifts down I don't hear it, it is only present when the truck is say in OD and I give it just enough gas to speed up, but not enough to shift down a gear, it starts to make a ticking sound until the trans shifts into a lower gear. Is this the lifters?

I never noticed this until I changed my oil the other day. I put mobile one 5W-20 which is the weight that ford recommends. Could going from covential to synthetic cause this? Truck only has 10,000 miles on it......Thanks for any input - Andy

 

So, it only happens in fourth gear ???

not at idle ?

 

Right, Only in fourth gear. It doesn't happen at idle as far as I can tell....

 

was this the first oil change? does the gauge show oil pressure when it does this? what brand oil filter? what motor do you have?

 

**This was the 2nd oil change, first one done at dealership around 5000 miles.
**Guage shows normal oil pressure
**Motorcraft oil filter
**5.4 engine

 

sure its not you hearing the noise ?

What I mean is, its human nature to kind of be listening for "something" after doing anything to your truck. We get noise complaints fairly often. Most often its nothing, or was there before hand, customer just noticed it after the service. Heck, i have found myself doing it to my own truck a number of times. Listening for "something" wrong or out of normal. Just a thought.

Can you "feel" the tick through the steering wheel ? through the pedals ? Through the seat of your pants ? Or is it just the noise you hear ?

Does it require the engine to be warmed up ? Or can you take it out on the highway fresh and cold, and still get the tick ?

Its not a lifter issue, or doesn't sound that way anywhow. Not with that low of miles on it and with no noise at idle. If ya had a bad one, you'd hear it at idle.

Are you 4x4 ?? If you are, does it make the noise going in a straight line in 4x4 high ?

If it ONLY happens in 4th gear, it makes me think its maybe in the transmission. Do me a favor, put your trans in "manual" 2nd (not drive, but the number 2) gear. Drive, accelerate normal. See if you can get that "tick" to come back. Let me know if you hear it in manual 2nd.