Where is everyone #5

If it is a flex fuel (e85 capable) ( nearest e85 station is in ottawa), they use a virtual calculation to calculate actual ethanol in the fuel. I've seen that get fubar if you get a bad tank of fuel. -8 is really close to setting a rich code...

 

Under coast bank 1 is -8.6 and bank 2 is -4.5ish. Under cruising throttle bank 1 is about -3.6 and bank 2 is around -1.6.

I did pop the plugs off the coils 1 at a time and start the truck. Each time the truck idled like a bag of ####. Tried reving it up a little.

Not sure how Ford numbers their cylinders but am under the impression #1 is front passenger side, making bank 1 the passenger side????? Anyways, 2nd coil from the front on the driver's side seemed to make a difference in the ticking noise the most but not enough to convince me to change the coil.

Seems like it started going away after idling in the driveway a bit though. It was really noticeable after stopping after a rip down the Henday. Again only under light throttle at lower RPM. If I put my foot into it sounds normal.

Exhaust manifold leak sounds very plausible. Its got aluminum heads and cast manifolds so its not outside the realm of possibility that its developed a leak. The studs I could find thru the wheel well look to be about 10 mm on the front and rear, possibly 8 mm on the center 2.

Another interesting thing. Unplugging a coil does not trip a CEL on these Fords.

 

Oh BTW, my scanner reads ethanol content at about 11%.

 

Ford #s their cylinders different then everyone else. Bank 1 will be 1234, bank 2 is 5678. I've spent most of my career avoiding fords. They always seem to make me bleed and piss me off. I spent wayyyy to much time in a gm dealer. My off brand experience comes from a few smaller shops I've worked at nights when i was an apprentice, working from time to time at my uncles shop, and the 5 or 6 times i ran out of gm s to fix at the mine.

 

Here's the kicker. My numbers seem to indicate something on bank 1 being the issue (making that the passenger side of the truck). However, the noise I'm hearing seems to be coming from the driver's side (bank 2). Now my scanner is a little out of date (2010 model year, truck's a 2017) so I've been going under the Global OBD 2 option. So with this scenario, could being under the Global OBD 2 option cause bank 1 and 2 to be switched around in the scan tool since Ford is backwards of everyone else?

 

They have to be unplugged for a pretty fair amount of time to trip a light.

The ethanol content is pretty #### close to what most stations advertise it to be.

 

I've honestly never heard an exhaust manifold leak on a gasser before but after watching a few youtube videos it sure does sound like one. Only difference is it seems to do it hot rather than cold and its not a steady tick, more randomish.

Thinking back to earlier this evening when I popped the hood at idle I thought I noticed a faint bit of very light smoke rising from the engine but just wrote it off to my eyes messing with me in the low light.

So is it possible for an exhaust manifold to leak more when hot vs cold? What about the more random ticking pattern?

Thinking about air getting drawn into the exhaust, causing a false lean. The trim numbers seem to indicate otherwise since its pulling fuel to correct a rich condition. Can excessive exhaust leaking before the 02 sensor cause a false rich?

 

I cant really speak for the o2 sensor readings but an easy way to check the manifold would be to take a grabber tool and grab a piece of tp and put it around the manifold flanges and see if tufts around anywhere and that'll show you your leak. It could even be on the manifold to y pipe flange and the engine torqueing can cause it to shift and leak vs not leak.

I suppose a leak could cause such a large difference between banks which could create the false reading of it being richer on the opposite bank of the leak.

 

Its been raining pretty hard here all afternoon. Hopefully it dries up a bit tomorrow. I'll crawl under and see if I can find anything.

 

Sigh. Had to think back to trade school (25 years ago) and do a little googling. An exhaust manifold leak in theory can add oxygen to the exhaust and cause a false lean.
What was the issue with the original injectors you had replaced?
Does your scanner have any bi directional capabilities? Injector cut out or flow test?
I'm not sure I'd be to excited until it sets a code, and they certainly will if there is an issue.
This is the unfortunate part of life of being a mechanic. Most tend to pay way too much attention to our stuff. Maybe time for some chewing gum for the brain lol