Surfref32

It does this on startup, only after it's warmed up, and then sits for a few minutes. The sound goes away completely in 10 seconds or so. Truck runs perfect but has been making this noise for about a year. What does it sound like to you?

Bert

Sounds like it could be the belt. Have you tried it with the belt off? Only run it a VERY short time with it off.

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Bert

Surfref32

it does sound like that but yes it sounds the same with the belt off.

Bert

It may be the timing chain. If you get a piece of haeter hose and listen through it, try to pinpoint the location. It'll take some time but that's the best way to locate the area. Someone else may have an idea meanwhile. The newer 5.4 had cam phaser problems that would do that but they started making them in 2004.

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Bert

Surfref32

It's definitely coming from the right front corner of the engine. I can NOT hear the noise through the oil fill tube. I had a guy at the Ford dealer listen to it and he said he could hear it through the oil fill tube and that it sounded like a cam chain tensioner. My neighbor owns an auto shop and he said cam chain tensioner. I didn't buy that but after listening to it for all this time I started to worry. In the last month it started to sound worse. Last weekend I replaced both cam chain tensioners. This 135k mile motor is very clean inside and the chains and guides look perfect. The noise is still there. The problem with pinpointing the noise is you have very little time to listen because it goes away in 10 seconds or less. Then you have to wait at least 5 minutes, sometimes 10, for it to do it again.

NoLeaks2001

My audio isn't too good but it sounds like piston slap from here.Or a wrist pin. If it was a tensioner or a belt or some other accessory why would it be perfectly rhythmic,one click per rev.(it seems) at the end of the clip?

Surfref32

The noise is gone. It was something you would never believe could make noise like that. That video doesn't show how bad it really sounded. I'll post a pic of the culprit soon. Any more guesses?

R.S.LOGAN

Starter motor pinion sticking on shaft and hitting ring gear for a few seconds?

Surfref32

good try but no. The location of the problem mentioned above was correct.

Surfref32

well, here it is. This broken exhaust manifold bolt cam from the #1 cylinder top bolt. I put around 20 k miles on the truck since the noise started and I'm sure the bolt broke when the noise started. I put a wrench on the bolt and it was loose. After a few turns I pulled it out with my fingers. I immediately fired the truck up and the noise was GONE! After I narrowed it down to the exhaust manifold number one cylinder, but before I touched the bolt, I had a friend come over and listen to it. I told him what it was and he said I think you're going wrong with that and started talking about cams and junk. That's how much strange this noise sounded.

Attached Images

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