Engine clacking/rattle during idle

[Benjamin Hundred]

Hey guys, have a 2018 Ecoboost, it’s been making this weird rattling noise, started today, wasn’t too bad this morning, now after driving all day it sounds like a loud ass tractor. Dunno what’s going on, hopefully someone knows.
I’m about to move to LA for several months atleast, and I really don’t want to sound dramatic, but I have no means of fixing it once I’m in LA and absolutely no funds to pay someone else either. I keep thinking something to do with the fuel system… but honestly don’t know. I thought maybe the fan rattling, but it didn’t stop when I turned off the AC and drove it around for a while. So far only consistently gets worse.

Sponsored

 

[Benjamin Hundred]

Oh also it seems to run totally smooth and fine other than sounding embarrassingly loud clattering.

 

[tdstuart]

Does it depend if the car is warm or cold? Does it sound different if the car is cold or warm? Does it happen constantly or only at idle? Can you hear a general area where the noise may be coming from (engine bay, under car, etc.)?

My initial thoughts are an exhaust leak.

My dealership will charge about $150 to diagnose something like this.

Also what’s with the gt500 bumper, hood, and steering wheel . Tricked me until I reread its and ecoboost

 

[daSNAK3]

Walk around the car and see where it is coming from, engine bay? rear? middle of the car?.. then try to pin point it... if you can't then post up a video once you have a better idea where its coming from.

 

[Skye]

Any mods to the car?

Any recent changes or maintenance?

How many miles?

You're the original owner, yes?

TIA.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Have you checked oil level?

If you're not going to be able to either have the time or funds to fix once you move, then why not make an appointment with a Ford Dealer now to get a diagnosis?

Hard to say what the noise is over the internet from a video.

One thing to check is make sure the e-brake cable hasn't come loose and is rapping on the trans tunnel or near drive shaft... That is a common issue and it would sound like something really drastic.

The e-brake attaching assembly is found under the driver side trans tunnel. This has been a known source of tick/rattle as well and is hard to replicate unless in a certain RPM range. When the cable is loose, it vibrates or raps against the trans tunnel under certain conditions OR could be touching exhaust mid pipe. How to adjust the cable and assembly:
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/how-to-adjust-your-parking-brake.25204/

 

[StangTime]

I think your GT500 is missing 4 cylinders.

Seriously though, do you have any means of data logging like with Forscan? I hope you figure it out before you move.

 

[Benjamin Hundred]

Hey guys, thank you so much for all the replies, wasn’t expecting so many

I may have left out a few details, I was up almost 24hrs over tired and didn’t want to leave some rambling post ha ha

It’s coming from the engine area, I’ve already popped the hood and looked, couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Oil, all under hood fluids and filters were checked yesterday morning before driving. Maintenance is flawless, fresh Amsoil SS at 7K OCI’s, trans oil and filter, diff fluid, engine and cab air filters, fresh OEM spark plugs, fresh coolant, brand new Brembo brake system with pads. Probably more too all within the last 5K miles.
Also only do Shell 91

It only makes the noise at idle from what I can tell goes away as soon as I drive. I’m very careful to always let everything warm up, before driving and don’t take it over 2.5-3K until everything’s warmed up completely. I did accidentally have my foot slip for the first time and rev it to 4K after it had only been running ten minutes, even though that never happens I doubt that’d cause it from happening once.

I’ll check that e-brake cable too, I also have ForScan that I can try. No dash codes/lights though, and like it said, drives smooth other than the noise.

 

[Benjamin Hundred]

As for the car looking like a GT500, that was the goal. It’s not just a bumper hood swap but an OEM spec Shelby wide body, hood, fenders, bumper, lights, supports and all the underlying parts had to be replaced to convert the front end and 2” spacers to fill the wheel wells. The goal is to have an exact replica GT500, but as a convertible since they don’t actually exist, then eventually do a drivetrain swap in the future at some point. Also the entire interior is swapped from a Shelby Super Snake. There’s more details here in this forum all about the process, but I do need to update it.
Custom GT500 Convertible Build

 

[Benjamin Hundred]

Just spent the last several hours tearing apart the front end.
I checked everything over myself and had a second set of eyes and we both narrowed it to the front of the engine block. It runs silky smooth and shows zero mechanical issues when driving besides the noise that is only noticeable at idle.
Oh also I disconnected the fan and checked the radiator, Intercooler, charge pipes all around that area, not the culprit either.
maybe something to do with the pulley/tensioner?

Here’s a video a took, I think it’s something in this area but don’t know what.

 

[luca1290]

To me it sounds like an injector, anyhow, use a big screwdriver to pinpoint it's source.
put the handle to your ear and the tip on top of the component you want to listen.

Remove any loose clothes so you don't end up embedded with the belt.

 

[Benjamin Hundred]

Well, spent several more hours looking around and it appears to a bit louder in these areas (photos). At this point I’m gonna see if I can even access the parking brake adjustment with the exhaust in the way. I just can’t believe how loud but stealthy this issue is.

Update: Appears to not be the parking brake cable. Took it to a local mechanic that’s very reputable and my family’s used. It made a whole noise show the entire way and then STFU as soon as I pulled into the mechanic.
It ever so slightly made the noise and they said it sounded internal, possibly a bearing.

(Feel like I’ve been writing a lot on this thread, don’t know if it’s all read but would like to be fully thorough incase it helps someone else later on in the same situation)

 

[Benjamin Hundred]

To me it sounds like an injector, anyhow, use a big screwdriver to pinpoint it's source.
put the handle to your ear and the tip on top of the component you want to listen.

Remove any loose clothes so you don't end up embedded with the belt.

Gonna see if using one of the automotive stethoscopes works better for me to get closer. Seems to be coming from the bottom of the engine towards the back, around the oil filter area. Or atleast that seems to be the loudest spot so far I’ve found for the noise.

Besides that the noise seemed to have gotten louder and now has a whine that goes with RPM audible at lowers speeds of around under 3K RPM and the car is moving.

Been tirelessly reading forums and following other members threads. After hearing about (mainly) GT owners getting rid of engine noise with Liqi-Moly CeraTech I decided to give it a shot. I normally run Amsoil but went for PPHM with the additive to see if that or fresh oil helped. Members seemed to largely mention the noises started after an oil change, I had a similar situation, after my recent oil change it made a split second but VERY loud and harsh squel and then ran perfect until the noise now that started at about 2K on that oil (now at 2.8K). I always prefill the filter and change the oil when the engine is hot.

So far only found one dude here named EcoMax who had an almost exact same sound, but after following his threads ended with his engine blowing after the dealer and mechanics couldn’t ever figure it out even after swapping the bottom end. So that wasn’t too promising
Also people couldn’t hear the sound in his videos, but I totally can hear it. It’s almost like the noise the injectors make, just massively amplified and that’s actually what I originally thought it was. To me it sounds similar to a fan rattling and the grinding noise I hear is almost just like what you’d hear if you stuck something into the blades slightly, and it all just changes in intensity (although the Ceratech seems to have quieted it some so far). Which is why I’m pretty darn sure it’s something that’s rotating, possibly inside the engine, so I guess that helps narrow things some.

 

[Benjamin Hundred]

This shows the sound better, while driving. Lmk if y’all have any input on this, leaving tomorrow afternoon for SoCal.

 

[luca1290]

If you can go and remove the belts.
Water pump will not rotate so keep and eye on CHT, stop before reaching too high temperatures.

This way you can isolate for sure if it's some pulley or something internal to the engine. Many things will stop moving this way.

If internal to the engine I will stop driving it until you can figure out where it comes from because as you already mentioned it could fail catastrophically.

Sponsored