Failure mode - Ford 6.2L Boss Gasoline (Super Duty 2011-2019, SVT Raptor 2010-2014; continued 2020-2022)

Exhaust manifold leaks (broken manifold bolts)

Reliability tier: aggregated - verify before ordering, see /disclosure/

Symptoms

ticking at cold start that quiets as metal warms
exhaust smell / soot trace at the manifold flange
reported on SD gas trucks as a recurring Ford-truck pattern

Compare with the other causes of the same sign on this engine: ticking, knocking, rattle or whine (2 causes)

Root cause

Broken manifold bolts and flange leaks recur across Ford truck gas engines of this era including the 6.2; owner/vendor record. Annoyance tier in most cases; sustained leaks can cook plug-well hardware.

Diagnosis

listen at cold start per runner; look for soot trails at the flange
confirm exhaust (warms-and-quiets) vs valvetrain (constant) tick

Fixes

replace broken bolts and gaskets ()

exhaust-manifold - more than one option: 6.2L Boss Exhaust Manifold, left (OEM), 6.2L Boss Exhaust Manifold, right (OEM)

Prevalence

common

Parts for this repair run about $810: see them next to the other repairs on this engine in repair costs.