V6 Engine Ticking
 

Hey guys,

So, let's start from the beginning. I drive a 2006 Mustang V6 with 117k miles on it. A few months back I was driving and my thermostat housing blew, tossed all of my coolant under the hood of the car. Drove it ASAP with water to my mechanic. Less than 2 miles.

I was told there was no damage to the engine. They filled it up, replaced the parts, and it runs fine. I have driven it across the country from Oregon to North Carolina without any issues or engine lights or over heating.

That being said, ever since the coolant blowing, there has been a light tick in the engine anytime the rev is past 2500 rpm. As in there is a sound with the rev in every gear and in neutral. It sounds like it's coming out of the valve train. I have had it looked at by another mechanic and was told their is no issues.

I am driving it back across the country and just want to double check that there isn't anything I should look at last minute or check out. I can post a video w/ the sound if that would help.

Probably just the injectors firing. If the noise gets loud you can start to worry:-)

could be the timing chain(s) loosening up.

My son has a 96 v6 that had a ticking also. Everyone we got an opinion from said it was either the lifters or the injectors. Turns out they were all wrong. The ticking he had would increase with acceleration or revving, etc. We also noticed over time that low to no oil pressure would make it worse. Ended up being the camshaft bearings and main bearings were worn thin. He was still drive it like this for 2 years back and forth from Washington. Where he's stationed Southern California when he'd come home on leave but would baby it as much as he could and added 710 OIL additive every so often until he had the money to rebuild the engine. Don't know if yours has the same kind of tick but just throwing it out there.

If you overheated the motor, there can be slight damage, but nothing that will
go wrong immediately. The heads are aluminum, and would be the first
problem area. Then it depends how long you ran it hot. You have this
injector and timing chain noise replies, which DID NOT address the thermostat
blowing, which would NOT cause those issues. Overheating could damage the
timing chain joints and the chain elongated. They DO NOT stretch, they
get longer as the link joints wear. It's not the fuel injectors if it was not
doing it before.

Coolant spraying all over the engine, well, now you have it all over the place,
pulleys, belt, alternator... I had a goofy noise, sounded like a tick, but was
the logo on the back side of the serpentine belt as it got to the water pump
pulley. When the logo wore off, the noise stopped, how goofy is that...

You could have slightly damaged a valve or rocker... Heat will kill all this stuff
if you ride too long overheated. If the oil has not been changed, and you are
close to the interval, change it. Heat will break down oil, and thin it out.

Car Hood Vibrating
 

Totally different motor, higher pressure fuel injectors, they do click louder.

Also depends on what you hear through the valve covers... All OHC motors make
ticking and clicking noises if you listen closely, be it some valve noise to the fuel
injectors.