2018-2019 Mustang GT Engine Tick: Should You Be Concerned?

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Ford’s mighty 10R80 and Gen. 2 Coyote combo may have its quirks but don’t go rushing to reflash anything just yet.

The video above comes to us from the Zander13 YouTube channel and it features Mustang GT owner and channel host Alex Alvord explaining why he doesn’t worry about the “engine tick” from his 5.0-liter V8 engine.

In a previous video, Alvord made a comment about how people shouldn’t be making videos about the 5.0-liter engine tick and some viewers took that as his way of saying that owners shouldn’t complain about problems. What he actually meant is that people who don’t have experience with the cars should not be trashing it online, but he reiterates that owners should absolutely report this problem to Ford.

He goes on to explain that his Ford Mustang GT has the engine tick but he doesn’t let that occasional noise keep him from enjoying his pony car.

Alvord Talks Mustang

Engine Tick

Around the three-minute mark, Alvord shares a short video of his Mustang idling when cold, and the engine tick is clearly audible. He points out that it doesn’t tick all of the time when cold and it always goes away when the engine gets up to proper operating temperature. More importantly, he has closely examined his used oil after changing it, and there was no sign of metal shavings or anything else that would suggest that there are internal engine issues.

New Ford Mustang GT Side

Since the problem is intermittent, it goes away when the engine warms up and the dirty oil is free of shavings, Alvord goes on enjoying his new Mustang GT with the plans of major modifications in the next year. He points out that some people run a friction modifier such as CeraTec, but he does not and he is unconcerned about the noise at this point.

10R80 Reflash

During the early portion of the video, Alvord mentions that he had to take his Mustang GT to the dealership for a reflash of the 10r80 automatic transmission. Later in the video, he explains that prior to the reflash, there was a loud clunk when shifting into fifth gear on a hard pull, but after the reflash, the sound is gone.

He also states that the car feels stronger but the bottom line is that reflash cleared up the clunking noise going into fifth gear.

New Ford Mustang GT Front

The video ends with a discussion of what is coming for the future of the car as Alvord drives to the barber for a beard trim, giving us a final look at his Ford Mustang GT in stock form.

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"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com


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