01 Ford F150 5.4L engine.
109K miles.
Engine starts and runs fine, but I can hear a taping sound that is rpm related.
When I start the truck in the cold it's pretty loud but as it get warm is not as bad but still there. More noticeable under a load or during acceleration.

I know these things are known for broken exhaust manifold bolts. What I want to know is this something I can live with for a month or two or should I get it looked at right away. It's snow season and it's the only vehicle that will get me in and out of my drive.

Wedge

 

i had mine broken off for about 3 monts, don't know if that caused any trouble but it was just annoying driving it like that, but i would just go ask the exhaust guys that you would have fix it if there is anything wrong with it... bad thing is if you wait you might have to buy a new exhaust manifold and not just the gasket and bolts... cause if you wait to long then it will warp under the heat and cold and they you have to get a totally new one like i did.. and that cost about 600 bucks for everything...

 

My passenger side was making noise for a couple of years..... Yeah, yeah... I know... I finally had the passenger side done, as it finally got to the stage where it was getting really loud.. The drivers side still has one busted stud, but it's not making any noticable noise at this point since the pass side is quiet now!

Mitch

 

Yep just had mine done as my ext warranty was about to run,... You can drive like that but it gets annoying. Dealer wanted like $700 - only cost me $100. They cautioned that bolt CAN break upon extraction and fall into engine - requiring MUCH more work. When I said taht was their problem - they didnt respond - but again I had a warranty company involved who would help me beat dealer up. Everything went smoothly after initial diagnosis despite my telling them what it was. Drove mine with the ticking for 5k miles but it was progressively getting louder and I found it embarassing.