HELP!!!! - replaced tensioner, cobra sounds like a diesel still

[Bill9000]

hey y'all - I am not new to mustangs, this is my third, but my first Cobra, it runs excellently, but listening to it running in the arage, and such, it idling, sounds like a diesel, just a faint clatter type sound....

first of all, is this normal for 4V engines???? I've never had one? maybe with so many valves and such they just tick????

then,. during driving, it sounds and runs good, until 3,800rpm, right at 3,800 and through 4,500 it clatters, the sound moving with the rpm of the engine... (this isnt a loud noise, doesnt sound like a rod or anything) but if the radio is off, and the top's up you can hear it....

I really wanna know if this is normal!?

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

I had that. It ended up being an exhaust leak on the passenger side header to
H-pipe...there is a donut gasket in there. I had this tick on another cobra I had too...that was a header leak in between the cylinder head and the exhaust manifold. Both cars were fixed, and the motor sounded smooth and there was no more tick.

 

[pj 87GT]

My 96 had a sound that was a combination of a "clack" sound and pinging, like from bad gas.
All the techs I bought it to said it was definitely the heads/valves, and possibly piston slap.

Ford needed to replace both the tensioner and the idler pulley, now the noise is gone...

Try taking off the belt, startup the car, let it run for a few seconds, see if it makes the noise then...

 

[RedVNM]

Yes mine had a tick the exhaust leaks on cobra could be mistaking for something more serious.