noise at front passenger side of 4.6 - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

mtandrews · 05-29-2010, 20:12

Hello all, my name is Trevor and I'm a new dude here and I found this site on a GOOGLE search and I hope I can get some info. I have a 2001 Crown Vic with 84,000 miles on it. When I bought it in 03 it had 32,000 miles on it. Oil changed regularly with Mobil1 synthetic. Ran great up to last month where it developed a noise at the front passenger side. Was told that the chain tensioner was a common deal so I took the car apart and changed the tensioner, guide, and the follower on the passenger side and the guide and follower on the drivers side though the drivers side is quiet. Put it back together and its still making the same clacking type noise in the same area. Took the valve cover back off but left the front cover on sans serpentine belt and started engine. There is no noise coming from the cam/lifter area. The noise still seems to be coming from the front of the engine. Here's something else, there is no oil squirting out of the lifters or anywhere on the head for that matter but there is no noise there. The gauge on the dash shows the engine has oil pressure and there is no other noises and the car runs smooth, no smoking or nothing and it has never burned oil or water. I'm at wits end and I don't wanna dump the car over this as I really like this car (super clean and everything works).

**Bert** · 05-29-2010, 20:26

Did you try running it with the drive belt off?

mtandrews · 05-29-2010, 20:31

yes.

**Bert** · 05-29-2010, 20:35

How about the valve springs? We've had some break very low and it's like a weak spring and does make some ticking noise. Could be #1 cylinder.

mtandrews · 05-29-2010, 20:56

there is no broken valvesprings, the valvetrain is quiet, no noise whatsoever. It's not a tick, its a definite clack. As I stated in my initial, I'm running the engine with the valve cover off and the front cover on sans the serpentine belt.

**Bert** · 05-29-2010, 21:01

Not sure if we could hear it good enough to help, but if you could poat a recording of it, maybe we could get an idea.

**Bert** · 05-29-2010, 21:04

To add to this, I worked in a local government shop where we had over a 100 Crown Vics and never experienced anything that sounds like that. They were very trouble free. That's the reason I have one. I don't want to be working on my own cars.

mtandrews · 05-29-2010, 22:59

uh oh, I don't know how to record sounds let alone post it here but I'm good at following instructions. My buddy that is a fordnatic (Mustang dude) listened to it and was baffled himself and he bleeds oval blue! He's thinking oil pump but I would think it would be making more noise than that if it wasn't working. The best way I can describe the sound is a Chevy with a bad rocker arm.

**Bert** · 05-30-2010, 07:49

He may be right, since the pump is mounted there. We've never had one fail but anything is possible. Sorry I can't be of more help. Let us know what you find.

mtandrews · 05-31-2010, 17:54

removed front cover again, replaced timing chain. Put back together and now it's louder than it was at first!

Disassembled again and cranked engine over with front cover off (won't start of course...) and apparently the oil pump IS working because the chain tensioner on the drivers side pumps up and oil bleeds out of the um... er... bleed hole (proper name?) on the tensioner body. No oil at all on the passenger side. I'm calling it quits for tonite...