You can get a ticking on the passenger end of the engine if the timing belt is hitting the timing cover. This shouldn't make it overheat though. Place your hand on the black plastic timing cover at the passenger end of the engine, and see if you can feel the belt slapping the cover. Otherwise, a ticking noise accompanied by overheating could be caused by insufficient oil being pumped. Hope that's not the case.

95 Contour Zetec, ATX (wrecked, sitting in the barn) 95 Mystique Zetec, MTX 2000 Taurus SEL 3.0L Duratec 1994 Crown Victoria LX 4.6 V8 1993 Chevy Silverado 4.3 V6