When I am operating my vehicle with (ahem) enthusiasm, I am sometimes hearing what sounds like valve rattle (for a second) as I get back on the throttle after an upshift.

She's stock, regularly maintained, and is usually running Shell 87. I selected Shell because they're one of the partifcipating brands in the Top Tier gasoline initiative (www.toptiergasoline.com).

Any thoughts regarding the rattle? All things being equal, I don't see much point in going to 89 octane, since she's not tuned for it.

 

I hear all kinds of wacky noises from the engine making me paranoid too I 'think' I hear rod knocking under light load sometimes and valve ticking up high. I got to get it to the track and beat the crap out of it a few times with it stock and have one of our tech gurus double-tripple check everything. If all is well at 5k miles, I'll start doing CAI/CMCV and tune. I think some of it is the tranny making noise at times too. I think it's more or less a manly car making manly noises. I have become hyper-sensitive, but with over 2000 miles I don't really worry about it anymore as it always sounds exactly the same. It may be the transition of the VVT system you are hearing. You can bring it into a dealer and request an engine expert investigates any suspicious noise. Have someone check it out next time you bring it in for service.

 

Mines been in and out of the shop the past 2 months with clicking sounds at idle(when hot) and through 1,2,3rd gears. Nothing loud enough for passengers to hear but I know its there... Ford has NOOO idea whats wrong and the engine has been opened down to the pistons. They think its a bad lifter or head but no signs of it just sounds like it. Ima take it in later to have it pressure tested to see if its making sound due to lack of pressure. They've mentioned several times of a new motor. So yeah

Right now I have interior rattling noises

 

Don't rule out the gearbox. My TR-3650 is a noisy SOB.

 

I get a rattling sound that starts about 10 seconds after I start up and the sound lasts for about 3 seconds long. Is that something you guys have heard of? Could it be the AC or something else starting up?

 

Kevin, I was thinking of the VVT too. As long as the sound doen's change (get louder, last longer etc.) I'm not going to worry too much.

It certainly doesn't stop her from gettin' up.

 

The VCT generally makes a whirring sound, like your car came with a blower out of the factory. I don't hear any startup rattle, but I do hear ticking like a sewing machine.

The gearbox rattles like a **** below 1200 RPM.

 

I have only heard in under the valve covers with hood up on both 05 as well 07 gt's

 

Anyways I find the best solution to these problems is louder exhaust and/or music

I had completely forgotten about the gearbox/valve whine when I was on my stingers. When I put the stock mufflers back on I was like "what is this sound I'm hearing? oh yeah..."

 

From your description it sounds like you are getting detonation. I would try some 89 octane and see if it goes away. You could also try different 87 octane.

 

ticking noises can also be the air compressor, normal on the 4.6 and 5.4's made by ford and put in lincolns, etc... Check out the tsb on this issue

 

Overhead cams engines do tend to make more noise than pushrod engines as all the valve gear is up top where in a pushrod engine much of it is burried under the intake manifold. Mine makes similar sounds but I have no concerns about it.

 

Yea they do. VTEC Hondas make a ton of racket after a few miles on them in particular, they sound like they have no oil in it for a few minutes when cold. I get used ones all the time and I would be terrified if my car sounded like that, but they always check out ok.

I put the GTA's on today and funny enough, it sounds a lot quieter at idle. I also found the front tag rattling a bit and put a small piece of foam tape behind it. Not so noisy already! The fuel injectors tick like an SOB on all modern engines, I really think the noise I am hearing is during the VVT's transition and some of it was from the exhaust note reverb under the car. I also have super ears so I do notice the tiniest changes in frequency. Saliva, Earshot, Puddle of Mud, and some Rob Zombie in the cd changer has fixed just about all the noises anyway.

I am getting something like a very faint rattle in the exhaust under very certain circumstances, but nothing touches and everything is tight. I whack the tip with my hand and I can barely hear it, but its an ultra low frequency thing, may just be the soft rubber, and it probably did it with the old exhaust. Although its another one of those sounds that apparently I am the only one that hears it, who knows....I do know the GTA's are going to rock when they break in, I can hear the tone changing already after only about 50 miles of driving...

 

My Dodge Stealth DOHC has some wicked lifter tick. It sounds like a shirt factory under the hood until it gets warmed up.

 

mine had a very low freq hum briefly at upshifting when new- when underneath undercoating, bumped into the heatshield on the floorpan over the exhaust- same hum...just gave it a firm 'push' to bow it a little, and it seemed to stop...


on the startup ticking: any chance you are running full synthetic? I think I recall a couple guys mentioning that as the synth flows so much easier, more of it tends to drain back or something like that, and the dry start can be a bit more noticable...

 

My '05 GT (i have a '07 GT/CS now) didn't make any noise at all until i went with full synthetic 5-20. (@ 5,000mi). Then it started to tick at a cold start for about 30sec's. I went back to Fords semi-synt 5-20, the noise was not as bad. But did not go away, thats part of the reason i traded it in for the C/S.