Per Ford (officially) the 2011-2019 F150/Mustang 5.0 “Typewriter Tick” is a normal characteristic

[K4fxd]

True, how hard would it be to say in the SSM what the cause was.

Most likely they don't know the source of the noise. They warranted many engines in the beginning and I'm sure the engineers went over them with a fine tooth comb. Then they probably ran several through the initial durability test.

Look it up it was brutal.

When they all passed and they still could not positively identify the cause they called it a normal operating characteristic of the engine and stopped replacing engines.

If they had identified the cause they would have made a running change and the problem would not affect the 2024 engines.

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[TruckandaMustang]

Most likely they don't know the source of the noise. They warranted many engines in the beginning and I'm sure the engineers went over them with a fine tooth comb. Then they probably ran several through the initial durability test.

Look it up it was brutal.

When they all passed and they still could not positively identify the cause they called it a normal operating characteristic of the engine and stopped replacing engines.

If they had identified the cause they would have made a running change and the problem would not affect the 2024 engines.

I think it's more related to the friction level of the oil, but the viscosity can also play a role in terms of "cushioning" moving parts. That's why adding as little as 150 mL of Ceratec (a friction modifier) makes the ticking go away almost instantly due to the change in the friction level between moving parts. The way the rod big ends behave on the crank journals may be effected at lower RPM by the friction level of the oil. Some motor oils have better friction reducing additives (like Moly) than others, so using a motor oil with a relatively high Moly content may help reduce the ticking. My theory is that the way the rod big end moves around on the crank journal is effected by the friction level of the oil. And if the rod side clearance is on the max end of the clearance range, or slighlty out of spec, that magnifies the ticking.

100% agree, I have had the ticking on my 2021 GT since the beginning. I just added 300 ml of Ceratec after my oil change and the tick was gone in seconds. That sound made the car sound like shit, now it just purrs.

 

[ice445]

Can anyone let me know if I can add the ceratec to my 2021 GT after I just did an oil change? Meaning that I have the full 9.5 litres of oil in there now is adding the 300 ml of Ceratec too much or will it be okay?

Yes you can. I suggest starting with half the bottle and seeing if that's enough to cure the noise.

 

[PSI]

For what it’s worth, my 2016 ticked after the first oil change I gave it, using 5W30. Next change I switched to Mobil 0W40 Euro and I haven’t heard it since.

 

[GT 550]

You’re missing my question.

You're actually asking about volume, right i.e. will adding CTec overfill? IMHO up to 300ml would be ok but if you add 600ml it might be worth draining that amount of oil first.

 

[95CobraR]

I have owned a bunch of 2011 Ford 5.0 engines. It's the Coyote engine.

This is the First Gen while the Second Gen Coyota is more excellent. And the 3rd.

The design can take well over 1000 Hp. It's a famous engine:

(206) 2000HP Coyote BEATS Lambo & GTR on the STREET! (FFRE Coyote Mustang Ridealong) - YouTube

 

[K4fxd]

Knowing the industry from the inside, not Ford in particular, I believe my synopsis is the correct answer.

 

[shogun32]

Meaning that I have the full 9.5 litres of oil in there now is adding the 300 ml of Ceratec too much or will it be okay?

You can run 11qts no problem.

 

[95CobraR]

I say the Coyte engine has been good since day 1. I have no dog in this fight as I own a Voodo.

The tall DOHC (dual over head cams) works well. I have rebuilt five of them. They are easy to work on as a normal gearhead.

You find TDC (top dead center) and mark it. No complicated other stuff.

 

[GT Pony]

Most likely they don't know the source of the noise.

Ford engineers aren't that inept. They know what it is, they just won't say. If it's from the rod side clearance being a bit out of spec then people would be screaming that the engines were not built to specs. I think it's something like that, along with the oil friction level factor as I've pointed out before. Why do some engines never tick, and some do? And why do many start ticking right after an oil change? Because when you change the oil, the friction level is changed by the new oil ... it strips the previous anti-friction tribofilm off of parts, and has to build up that anti-friction tribofilm again. That's why some guys say the ticking slowly goes away as the new oil gets more miles put on it.

It has to be a clearance related issue, and also an oil friction factor on top of that. If the friction level wasn't a factor, then adding as little as 150 ml of Ceratec wouldn't do anything .... but it does, almost instantly as many have describe. In the early days of the Coyote, the Ford field techs were telling dealers to add a bottle of Motorcraft XL-17, which was an oil friction modifier. It's not available anymore, but there is Ceratec which is also a friction modifier.

 

[K4fxd]

In no way am I implying the Ford engineers are inept.

If it were tolerance stack it wouldn't affect the amount of engines it does. There is an engine design engineer in my immediate family. So I have some inside the industry info, just not directly Ford.

 

[GT Pony]

Saying that Ford engineers don't know what the real cause of the BBQ tick is implies they don't really understand engines or the very engine they designed. I'm sure they know what the cause is. They just won't say exactly what it is because it would most likely create all kinds of controversy ... especially if it's clearances that are out of factory service manual specs. Some guys who had short blocks installed under warranty (when Ford was doing that) got rid of the BBQ tick, so that says it's in the bottom end rotating assembly. Excessive rod side clearance has been my theory for a long time.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/gt-tick.108931/

If you do some searching on excessive rod side clearance from engine builders, they confirms that excessive rod side clearance can cause a low RPM ticking noise.

I've followed this BBQ tick issue ever since 2015, and based on all the information about it, there are some key aspects that point to the friction level of the oil being a big factor. The engines that don't have any BBQ ticking may have tighter clearances, and don't tick with any motor oil. The ones that do exhibit the BBQ tick most likely have clearances on the loose side (might even still be within manual specs), and the friction level of the oil can either "set off" the ticking, or silence it. Adding a friction modifier like Ceratec in very small quantities (as little as 150 ml in 10 qts) can make the ticking go completely away in mere seconds. Even the Ford field engineers knew that a friction modifier (Motorcraft XL-17 at the time) quieted down the BBQ tick in the first Gen Coyotes ... back when the BBQ tick was first seen. The only conclusion with a result like that is that the oil's friction level has a direct effect on the BBQ tick. Also, some people have had success in using motor oils with high levels of Molybdenum (a friction modifier) to silence the ticking. As mentioned above, some guys tick slowly goes away as the oil gets more miles put on it, because the anti-friction tribofilm on moving parts is building up with miles on the oil and decreasing the friction level. Friction level between moving parts is a key factor on the tick either happening or not in many of these engines. And if there are clearances that are on the large end of the spec (or slightly out of spec), that most likely doesn't help.

 

[K4fxd]

Ask a design engineer.

 

[GT Pony]

Any mechanical engineer should understand clearances, moving parts and maybe some oil tribology too if they have studied it.

 

[K4fxd]

So they get 100 engines back with the tick. They tear them down and find nothing out of spec. They put some of them back together and run the torture test. All pass and still tick. They get torn down and they find nothing out of spec

They get 25 more back and run them through the test. All pass they tear them down and find nothing out of spec.

They declare the tick a normal operating characteristic of the engine.

I do know the above has happened with a different manufacturer.


Think about, if it were a rod clearance they would make an adjustment to the machining process. Management does not like complaints.

Whatever it is they can't fix it and it causes no harm to the engine.

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