Weird clicking/popping sound coming from my engine

[StangLou]

Ok guys, I need some help. Im normally on the 4.6L boards, but Im having an issue with my '90 5.0 here lately. Since I bought my '03, the '90 has been garaged back home in Greensboro NC. I live in Cary NC, and try to go home every few weekends to start her up and drive it around a bit to keep everything running. About 2 months ago I took her out and noticed a popping/clicking sound. I cant hear it when Im driving but once Im still and have the hood popped, I can easily hear it. I cant pinpoint a specific place its making the sound, but I can tell its coming from the engine, somewhere around the intake it seems.
Its not the cam hitting the lifters, it does that as well, but after about 10mins of running, that smooths out.
Its not constant, it just happens every now and then, and the sound is very sporadic(sp). Sat was the first time in 2 months its done it .
Any ideas what this could be?
Could it be a rod about to go, or something like that?
Thanks guys !

 

[jerry beach]

My hood hinge makes a noise when the hood is up. You will just have to listen for it, hard for anyone to tell you what it is from over the net. Hood hinges are something to think about though, if it doesnt do it with the hood down.

 

[IndyBlk5.0]

i had a header gasket that would make a clicking noise when i was at idle. i couldnt hear it when i was driving... could be a loose header bolt go through them all and tighten them up... or other exhaust leak...

 

[bmorrisj]

could be a bearing or something, water pump? alternator?
my 87 is making some wierd noise and dad says it may be the water pump...

 

[haze187]

sounds like your thormostat, mine does that too.

 

[Fox Saleen 163]

Turn up the stereo and wait for something to break.

 

[bmorrisj]

classic, im waiting for my hatch to blow off...

 

[DirtyD916]

-exhaust leak (need a new header gasket)
-could be a loose header bolt
-intake leak??? (is this even possible)
-loose thermostat

 

[DirtyD916]

oh ya and it could be a bent pushrod hitting the block or head. But this is highly unlikely, but still dont count it out.

 

[HaggardGT]

A friend of mine had the same noises on his 95 F250 with a 351. He decided not to worry about it because it wasn't causing performance problems. The thermostat was replaced just because of a regular service and it went away.

 

[TwoToneTerror]

I personally am a fan of the stero method...
What's really neat to do is take like a stethoscope (sp, one of those doctor dealies that they listen to your heart with... you know) and you can pinpoint noises really good (sorta cool to listen to air rushing in the intake). If you had a nurse/doctor friend who you could "borrow" one from (w/o telling them what your gonna use it for ;-)) or i belive they sell specific ones for auto mechanics that have a longer pickup tube or something, might be worth checking out. that's what i'd try to do to figure out what the noise is coming from...

Good luck!
-Bart

 

[chevyeater]

piece of hose will do the same as stetescope. put in ear and listen to areas of the engine. but sounds like spark off of coil wire or plug wire. one may have come loose or gone bad. raise hood at night and look at the wires for sparks.

 

[88stangnut]

My stang is doing the same thing, like a electical connection clicking on the back of the intake, my thing is maybe its the headers leakin off the head or maybe the pcv valve being very loud, i dunno but im gonna try fixen the header gaskets i think thats what it is, this is from somewon having the same problem

 

[StangLou]

Thanks for the info guys, I just got home from work and its my first time reading these responces so keep em coming .
I am worried that its what dirtyd said, but I dont know how a rod would have got bent from sitting around and occasional driving. The car didnt have a weird sound to it other than the cam tapping the lifters when it was cold before I put it in the garage.
I put a new thermostat in it like 4 years ago, can they go bad that fast?

88stangnut...
I asked a buddy of mine when I first heard this noise and he said something about a bullet shaped valve that could be going bad. He said its in a hose/tube that runs from each manifold/header back that forms like a Y. He said this little bullet valve is right after the fork where the Y starts the straighten up. I put the car on ramps that weekend and hunted everywhere for that freaking thing but couldnt find it. Im about to buy one of those haynes manuals to try and find it. Just another hint of something to look for. I just dont see it being this since it did it like 2 months ago, and then last week. Thats a long time for a valve to go without making a noise if its busted

 

[88stangnut]

that little valve your talkin about is the piping going to the h pipe for pullution and then to the air pump. But if your car has a o/r h-pipe you probly dont have it anymore like me, because my friend had a 89 cop car wit that crap and we had to jimmy rig alot of hose to kinda fix it lol. but if you got cats and that valve is leakin it would sound like a exhaust leak right from the back of the motor, but from what you say it sounds like my problem , like a clicken, mine does it more noticalbly when its idlein below 1000 , i still think its a header gasket and the sound is just boucyin around the engine bay, hope i could help, any more ?'s my aim s/n is hondalowrider3 (yea dont ask i owned a honda before the stang is the screenname stuck lol) hope to hear from you soon