[Stagray]

Got a LOUD ticking coming from my motor. When at idle its good. no nosie, when you rev up and shit and keep above 2500RPMs I am getting the fuckin annoying ticking noise. Now I have had 2 partys look at it. 1 says its the rear main bearings and 1 saying its the Timing chain. 98 Cobra is the car, anyone had any problems with either? Is a timing chain hard to do on these?

[MustangMatt96GT]

Sounds like etheir a lifter or a timing chain. Did you use a hose up to your ear and see if its coming from the top or the bottom of the motor?

[Stagray]

No, not sure where to stick the damn thing too. I need to get the car to NC (200 miles) if possible and get it fixed while Im there. If its just a chain, it wont be an issue, if its bearings, then it becomes a big issue as I dont want it to kill the crankshaft.

[Stagray]

oh and its hard to make it rev when I got a hose stuck to it LOL. Maybe I can get a friend to step on the gas for me..... I hope

[96Snaker]

I've got the same motor (96 4 valve) with similar symptoms. High mileage (85K) is the culprit on mine. I'm thinking worn lifters, or timing chain, or both. I've heard our timing chains are real pain in the asses, I hope that's not true, but the way our engines are so cluttered, I can only imagine.

[JohnC]

Originally Posted by Stagray oh and its hard to make it rev when I got a hose stuck to it LOL. Maybe I can get a friend to step on the gas for me..... I hope

Stick something then between the throttle stop like a dime and then stick a hose to your ear and listen.

[ujslost]

I know you described this as a ticking noise. Im gonna 2nd guess you here and ask you, would you call it a knocking or ticking? If ticking I wouldnt think the bottom end, they usually knock.

[TheUNZippee!]

Ticking could be a bad injector. As ujslost said, bottom end noises are usually a knocking sound....one of those sounds you hear where even if you don't know much about cars you say to yourself "Fuck. This can't be good."

[aikined1]

My 98 cobra makes the same ticking as you're describing. Please let me know what you find out, so I'll know. It's been doing it for about a year now and hasn't gotten any worse yet. It did it about 30,000 miles ago and Ford dealer replaced the timing chain tensioners and I had 4 fried rod bearings, but that's cause I let it get 4 quarts low on oil. My 93 cobra had a low oil idiot light before it got a quart low. By the way, I'm a CNC machinist and I saw the supposed (worn out) chain tensioners and they didn't look worn to me. It quit ticking after that, and now it's back again, and it hasn't been a 1/2 quart low on oil since then, and I can't imagine the tensioners worn out again.

[ujslost]

you wont see the tensioners worn out. they are hydraulic. you must be confusing those with the chain guides which are plastic on one side. and yeah they do wear out.

I like how you describe them as "supposed" worn out tensioners , but then in the same breathe tell us how it quit ticking afterwards! Sounds like they were worn.