Hi guys. I'm still trying to sort out the engine issues with my 05 Expy. I posted here last December but there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then. Here's the latest. Thanks for reading.

Please bear with me as the story's kind of long.

The patient is a 2005 Expedition with 122k miles that's developed a tap. I've been listening to the cam phasers and fuel injectors click and putter like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for years and this isn't that. I've watched a couple of videos of the same engine with failed lash adjusters and that's exactly what it sounds like to me. In addition to the noise it's developed a slightly rough idle and a 1 to 1.5 mpg drop in fuel economy. There's one other thing I've experienced five or six times in the five or six years I've had it; a loud grunt at start up. Happens so rarely I forget about it but thought I'd mention it on the off chance it's a factor.

Okay. Those are the symptoms. Here's the rest of the story.

I first noticed the rough idle with no other symptoms (no unusual noises) mid-December and took it to a Ford dealer. They pulled a stored cylinder two misfire code (P0302)and swapped around the plug, coil and injector to eliminate those as possible issues. No problems there so they ran a relative compression check. I don't recall the numbers but two was down four percent so they ran a wet compression check then handed me a $500 bill and told me I needed an engine. This was pretty much all the info they gave me. I paid them, shook my head and laughed then walked.

After I'd had time to ponder things I called to ask for a better answer and basically got nothing more, but before I hung up I asked if they'd checked the oil. The response was "they'd better have" so I left it at that. I drove it a few weeks and during that time the new tapping noise developed so I took it to an independent mechanic who's familiar with those engines. The first thing he did was check the oil which turned out to be just under two quarts low.

I called the dealership to express my displeasure and was promised a call from the service manager. After several days and no call I emailed the Relationship Manager who promised to have someone call me. After another week and no call I emailed him again, then after another two days of radio silence I sent another email asking if I needed to file a complaint. Shortly thereafter I received a call from the shop foreman who asked if I'd be willing to bring it back in for a second look.

I dropped it off the next morning. There were no stored codes. They performed another relative compression check and all cylinders were even (again I don't know numbers) so they didn't proceed further. I can picture them all standing around scratching their heads. The shop foreman did agree there was a slight rough idle and said the tap sounded to him like lash adjusters and seemed to be coming from the passenger side which I think would be consistent with the bank housing cylinder two. I asked him to prepare an estimate for replacing lash adjusters, cam phasers since they'd be in there anyway, and timing chains due to the issues folks have had not with the chains but with the components. The estimate is $5100 which isn't much less than a reman engine. $2500 of it is replacing the chains. If I had them do anything I'd make them take $500 off the total for the initial debacle.

Told ya it was a long story.

So, here's what I need help deciding. Should I:

1. Let them replace the lash adjusters? If so, all of them or just in bank one where the noise and misfire were noted?

2. Let them do lash adjusters AND cam phasers? I thought I read the procedure as per the notorious cam phaser TSB was to replace lash adjusters while replacing cam phasers and the cost should be around $1500 (their estimate is $2100 for lash adjusters and cam phasers).

3. Let them do all the work estimated at near the cost of a reman engine (think I know the answer to that one)?

4. Turn up the tunes and drive it? What are the chances it grenades on me at the worst possible moment in the worst possible location? I have no qualms driving it as is except that possibility lurks in the back of my mind.

I love the truck. It's paid for of course. Mileage is low. All other major components including tranny seem fine and I planned to rack up at least 200k. But, I take it to remote places packed to the roof with camping gear and canoes and kayaks on top with my twelve year old daughter by my side. In the summer I tow our party barge while hauling my wife and daughter and often friends. In other words, I use it like it's supposed to be used.

Thanks for sticking with me and for whatever wisdom you can impart.