Uh.....Guys?

[Condor1970]

If you have the "tick".... try this...

https://lmr.com/item/LRS-8620DK/ford-mustang-a-c-tensioner-pulley-kit-5-0l-11-14

Older TSB:

https://latemodel.cachefly.net/downloads/tsb05-14/tsb12-08-14.pdf

I can confirm this kit will fit and work perfectly on the 2018 Mustang GT.

Well, it took a whopping hour to install. So, first I'll write down the basic steps I used to install it.

1. Remove engine cover. Two 10mm nuts on the front under little covers you can pop off with a screwdriver. Then, the rear of the engine cover just pops off.
2. Remove Air Intake by unclipping from the filter box, unclip and remove the two vacuum hoses and sound tube. Just set them aside. Fully loosen the big hose clamp on the throttle body, and pop off the intake. Set the intake aside gently, so you won't need to unplug the MAF sensor.
3. loosen both 10mm bolts holding the coolant expansion tank in place, and gently set it forward on top of the radiator. You really don't need to disconnect the little overflow hoses if you're careful.
4. Remove the main serpentine belt.
5. Remove A/C stretchy belt. I just used a box cutter.
6. Install the tension arm first, using the position hole that puts the arm in the lower position. The upper position will not work, as the belt is not that long. I recommend you loop the belt over the top of the tensioner as you install it, because it is almost impossible to route the belt behind the pulley when the tensioner is fully tightened.
7. Install the upper idler pulley.
Note: I believe both are torqued to 18ft-lbs per the TSB.
8. Install the belt per the diagram in TSB 12-8-14.
9. Reinstall the main serpentine.
10. Reinstall the coolant expansion tank.
11. Reinstall the Air Intake.
12. Reinstall the engine cover.

Ok...Done!!!


So, what are my results?

Well, the results were immediate. I warmed up the car, and did not notice any idling tick while warming up. One would think not much would happen just from adding a belt tensioner, but...the whole tone of the engine at idle changed. ALL idling tick is GONE!!!
As I went for a quick 20 minute drive, I noticed virtually ALL of the "rattle" I was getting around 2,000rpm is seriously subdued by about 80-90%. It still seems to be slightly there, but it's actually much harder to hear now.

Now, as for the tick while blip revving in neutral...GONE!!! It might still be there, but I honestly can't hear anything that wouldn't be considered normal. My ears are good, but not THAT good! It's virtually negligible.

I honestly wish I had done this the moment I bought the car. Maybe it would have prevented a lot of the ticking issue to begin with. I have not found any metal in my filters, or in the oil pan yet. So, I'm hoping/praying there's no damage to the engine. I may talk to the dealer to see if they can at least bore scope the cylinders, just in case.

But aside of all that, it does sound so much better.

And, for those wondering, this is where I got the idea to do this.

https://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/2011-2014-mustang-talk/996793-engine-tick-fix.html

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[GT Pony]

Sounds promising ... would be interesting to see if a bunch of other guys try it and get the same results.

 

[Condor1970]

Sounds promising ... would be interesting to see if a bunch of other guys try it and get the same results.

Well, considering it was an actual TSB issued by Ford for the exact same problem with the earlier 11-14' Mustangs, I'm hoping a few more guys will do it, and hopefully have similar results. Maybe the public outcry will force Ford to issue another TSB for the 2018+ without everyone having to spend $120 to fix a problem on their own that Ford should have fixed from the very beginning.

 

[accel]

Well, considering it was an actual TSB issued by Ford for the exact same problem with the earlier 11-14' Mustangs, I'm hoping a few more guys will do it, and hopefully have similar results. Maybe the public outcry will force Ford to issue another TSB for the 2018+ without everyone having to spend $120 to fix a problem on their own that Ford should have fixed from the very beginning.

can you take a picture that would let 15-17 guys understand if the pulley fit our cars?

I mean, how can I figure out if it is applicable to my '17 engine?

p.s. but you also have ceratec in it.

 

[Condor1970]

can you take a picture that would let 15-17 guys understand if the pulley fit our cars?

I mean, how can I figure out if it is applicable to my '17 engine?

p.s. but you also have ceratec in it.

Yes, I added Ceratec about a thousand miles ago. It subdued the tick, but it was still there, and very noticeable. The idle tick still occured on warmup, and the blip revving was VERY noticeable. Also a rattle around 2,000rpm.
The Ceratec helps by enhancing lubrication, but certainly doesn't fix anything.

The only way to see if it works on your 15-17 GT, is to look at the timing cover. If it has a spot above the A/C compressor machined to accept a tension arm, and a machined peg above that for an idler pulley, then it should work.

 

[Condor1970]

Do you have a before and after video? My engine doesn't have a tick or typewriter joise at idle but it does have the rattle.

No, I'm sorry I didn't do a video. I don't do online videos. But, if you follow my basic instructions, and look at the diagram in the TSB, it isn't very hard to do. If you're not very good at wrenching, then try to find a friend to help out.

 

[GT Pony]

can you take a picture that would let 15-17 guys understand if the pulley fit our cars?

I mean, how can I figure out if it is applicable to my '17 engine?

It would be interesting for someone with a 15~17 with the BBQ tick to try this tensioner.

The big question is why did Ford not continue to use this setup if they knew it fixed an engine noise?

 

[Condor1970]

It would be interesting for someone with a 15~17 with the BBQ tick to try this tensioner.

The big question is why did Ford not continue to use this setup if they knew it fixed an engine noise?

LOL...Please tell me you're not that naive. That answer is easy...

A: Money.

 

[GT Pony]

LOL...Please tell me you're not that naive. That answer is easy...

A: Money.

Sure a lot cheaper to Ford than bad press and replacing short blocks ... LOL. Gotta wonder sometimes what kind of geniuses are running that company.

 

[Condor1970]

Sure a lot cheaper to Ford than bad press and replacing short blocks ... LOL.

I work with bean counters. Trust me. If they can save the company $5mil by using stretchy belts, and only have to spend $2mil through cost analysis by replacing small/long blocks, they most certainly will.

And the bad press? When you're dealing with a younger digital population that forgets everything they did 15 minutes ago, then there's nothing some good TV commercials with Brian Cranston won't do to fix that problem.

 

[Stormtroopin5.0]

Interesting....suppose it could make some sense regarding the impact to crankshaft torsionals as a result of belt tension on the damper. It would be interesting to see if anyone fixed the tick with this and no oil additive. Will be monitoring for a few others to join in the fun and gauge effectiveness. Good work OP.

 

[accel]

apparently my '17 engine has pulley placeholders based on visual check. View attachment 321617

 

[barron64]

This sounds interesting... So Ford uses a "stretchy" belt with no tensioner needed, to drive the A/C compressor? Brilliant! So after a few thousand miles the "stretchy" belt stretches a little and develops a harmonic vibration that may sound like a tick or causes the compressor to vibrate sounding like a tick? AND Ford already issued a TSB for this in earlier models but did not incorporate the changes going forward thus costing them millions trying to solve the tick noise that they had issued the TSB for years earlier? Sounds plausible, lol. All of us forum techs may be two steps ahead of Ford on this! Anybody else tried this TSB? The A/C compressor is on the bottom/Passenger side of the engine, exactly where the noise is the greatest. BUT...How is Ceratec working so well on the tick then?

 

[Condor1970]

This sounds interesting... So Ford uses a "stretchy" belt with no tensioner needed, to drive the A/C compressor? Brilliant! So after a few thousand miles the "stretchy" belt stretches a little and develops a harmonic vibration that may sound like a tick or causes the compressor to vibrate sounding like a tick? AND Ford already issued a TSB for this in earlier models but did not incorporate the changes going forward thus costing them millions trying to solve the tick noise that they had issued the TSB for years earlier? Sounds plausible, lol. All of us forum techs may be two steps ahead of Ford on this! Anybody else tried this TSB? The A/C compressor is on the bottom/Passenger side of the engine, exactly where the noise is the greatest. BUT...How is Ceratec working so well on the tick then?

No, the tick is not the belt itself, or the A/C compressor. The tick is "piston slap".

Think about it like this. The connecting rods are connected to the crankshaft perpendicularly with journal bearings and pistons riding up and down in a cylinder at 45 degrees off vertical. To prevent issues, the crankshaft must stay perfectly aligned to the engine block at all times. Now, look at both serpentine belts. The Main serpentine has its auxiliaries mounted to the left and upward to the crankshaft. Those auxiliaries are pulling upward and to the left by the tension arm to the up and left of the crankshaft. Now, the problem is the A/C compressor is mounted 90 degrees to the right, and the belt is pulling the crankshaft directly to the right, not up and to the right, like it really should. The stretchy belt tension directly to the right is causing the entire crankshaft to be slightly misaligned from a perfectly aligned position to the block. As it gets pulled to the right, the connecting rods instead of staying perpendicular, are now being slightly twisted and pulled radially to the side by just a tiny bit in the thousandths of an inch. But even if it is pulled off center just a thousandths of an inch, it technically could cause an issue as the pistons having such tight clearance start having more contact to the cylinder wall in one area vs being evenly centered. This would cause piston slap, and eventual cylinder scoring. Thus, your ticking noise.
Now, because everything is twisted just slightly, it may also explain why a few journals have gone bad as well, as clearance is affected by improper positioning of the connecting rod. However, "I think" the primary issue is going to be piston slap, as that is the audible noise we are hearing.

As of last night, almost all of the audible noise I could hear before, is gone. However, time will tell. After my next oil change, I will not use Ceratec. I want to be able to drive my car without needing additives to quiet it down. These engines should not need additives to run properly. My only hope, is that there is no irreparable damage. I would hate to need a new engine because of this.

 

[Condor1970]

Interesting....suppose it could make some sense regarding the impact to crankshaft torsionals as a result of belt tension on the damper. It would be interesting to see if anyone fixed the tick with this and no oil additive. Will be monitoring for a few others to join in the fun and gauge effectiveness. Good work OP.

The guy with the 2015 model in my first post, did previously use additives of various types. But to no avail, like me. It helped, but only to a certain extent. When he also installed the tension arm, it stopped the noise immediately. I don't know if he currently had additives in, or not.

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