The past few days it has been colder than normal (single digits at night and teens in the morning going to work). When I start my truck there is a ticking noise that sounds like a card in a bicycle wheel coming from pass. side of the engine. It is gone before then engine even reaches operating temperature. Anyone know what it could be or had this happen before ? It is a 2002 4.7L

 

lack of oil at start-up, til the oil pump get things going??, exhaust leak at manifold/head or manifold/pipe.

just guessing

 

how long has the oil been in? some motors use that to tell you it's time to change.

 

Probably typical 4.7 lifter tick or exhaust leak at manifold gasket due to broken header bolt(s). Both are very common.

 

I don't think its lifter tick because it usually has a quiet tick that you have to be paying attention to hear it, this is way different. Oil level is good and I am 5,000 since change but it has been on full synthetic for a long time and it shouldnt need changing yet. How would I diagnose an exhaust manifold leak and fix it if that's what it is ?

 

could be a bit of piston slap from the cylinders being a bit worn at high mileage.
one of those stethoscope's with a probe on it is good for finding the noise and can be had cheap at the autoparts store.

 

I thought my engine was fixing to come apart, I put the scope over every square inch of my engine and had normal sound, finnaly put it on a injector and it sounded like a diesel, IDK why but they are loud as can be at first start up. I have never heard injectors this loud before

 

The injectors on my Titan were the same way; very loud. Irritated the crap out of me.

 

I have a thread around here somewhere discussing the same exact thing.. on my 5.2L only thing I could conclude was not enough luberication at startup when its really cold.. only get a few tick's then it goes away right away.. that tells me its lubrication related on the rocker/lifter.. or what ever.