Engine Ticking noise

Hey everyone,
I have a ticking noise in my engine, any ideas? Ford told me it was the manifold gasket and manifold as well as air controll idle. All these were replaced at a cost of 1000 dollars, and the problem still exists. They told me the tech unpluged the wire to the 4th piston and the problem stopped.

Saw on another site, someone had a ticking noise and the engine had to be replaced.

This started as a minor tick but now loud.

However if it was a piston or something of that sort, would my check engine light be on?

The car only has 50,000 miles on it, and its a 2000.

Possible plug or plug wire?

Thanks

Could be numerous things...

-Spun rod bearing is a common problem with these motors. Sounds like a knocking noise.

-Could be a lose spark plug

-Exhaust leak

Have you tried just putting a full tank of the highest quality gas in it? Sometimes thats all it takes.

What excatly is a rod bearing? And where is it located?

I have not tired a tank of the highest quality gas, but have also heard that you are not supposed to put over 89 octain in these cars.

But I will give that a shot as well.

Ford thought it was an exhaust leak to, coming from my manifold gasket, however I do have a leak just in front of my catalytic converter, a post busted off some how.

just curious, since they werent able to fix your problem, did they still charge you?

What excatly is a rod bearing? And where is it located?

I have not tired a tank of the highest quality gas, but have also heard that you are not supposed to put over 89 octain in these cars.

But I will give that a shot as well.

Ford thought it was an exhaust leak to, coming from my manifold gasket, however I do have a leak just in front of my catalytic converter, a post busted off some how.

well chances are thats what your hearing.

a rod bearing is a bearing that allows the piston to move freely around the rod. (i.e. 1 degree of freedom) However, when you spin a bearing, the piston can still move freely around the rod but now it can move up and down (2 degrees of freedom) and everytime the cylinder fires, the piston slaps the rod, which makes a knocking sound. You should be able to tell if the motor is knocking compared to a ticking.

In case your still lost.

Uninstalled rod bearings. They come in halves.
http://www.ronsraceshop.com/products/images/Rod%20Bearing%20Set(3).jpg

Fresh bearing ready to be installed.
http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~sequin/CS285/IMGS/RodBearing.jpg

Piston and rod connected. In order for these to move together with lubrication a bearing is installed.
http://fireandfuel.com/modified%20piston.jpg

Spun bearing: notice the scoring on the bearing
http://www.twingles.com/ett/newest/spun_bearings/Screwed_Bearing1.jpg

They were going to charge me, but when I called to see if my car was ready, and they told me that wasnt the problem I said so im gonna pay you 1,099 dollars and you didnt fix my problem? He said well Ill see what I can take care of.

So i ended up paying a diagnostic charge of 254.00, even though I paid a diagnostic charge of 93.00 to have them tell me it was the manifold and gasket.

But they have now diagnoised it to be the fourth piston. The compression in that piston is 100, all others read between 150-160. All work has since stopped. They unpluged the fourth piston and the noise stopped. And now since they messed with my exhaust, it seems to be twice as loud as when it went it.

Would a spun rod bearing make me lose compression? Any idea on how much it would run to have that fixed? I put engine restore in there to see if by chance that would help, hasnt yet.

Another question, does the cougar have two Catalytic Coverters? Is an L.S. Converter the same thing?

Another question, does the cougar have two Catalytic Coverters? Is an L.S. Converter the same thing?

It has 3. Two precats and one main cat.