I'm shopping for a newer F150, and I know I want the 5.4L, and this is scaring me (along with the reported leaky head gasket problem). I wonder if either problem would be covered under an aftermarket extended powertrain warranty? I would think that it would, and if so I'd definitely want to make sure I purchased one for the truck.....

 

If you find a truck you like make sure to stand next to it when the salesperson starts it up, and make sure the engine is cold if piston slap is present (Metallic knock that goes away when the motor heats up) stay away from the truck it's not worth the hasel. My brand new truck had it and had to have a new motor put in.

 

I have the same problem with cold engine knock in a 97 E150 Van with a 5.4. Does anyone have the Ford memo/printout that Ford produced that states "for persistant customers" Ford will replace the motor? I get no where with the local Ford Dealership.

 

I have a 00 5.4 in the garage that had less than 64k on it had a low end knock. They also have a reputaion for head gasket problems!

 

ok ill expose myself here anyway im a master ford tech to all you guys that have piston slap and it is piston slap i have tore down these motors myself and you cannot find anything wrong with them but what is happening is major engine design change compare a 351w piston and a 5.4 or 4.6 piston and youll see why they are having problem 4.6 and 5.4 are very short skirts and when you do that you run the risk of slap these motors will run for along long time i know some of you dont like this but consider the guy that said his truck wont be the same i feel hes right in some ways unless you have a trusted tech there are some hacks out there that dont care about your truck all they see is how fast can i do it! so i think unless your truck is really really bad 2 minutes or more i would leave it alone but hey thats me!

 

> ok ill expose myself here anyway im a master ford tech
>to all you guys that have piston slap and it is piston slap
>i have tore down these motors myself and you cannot find
>anything wrong with them but what is happening is major
>engine design change compare a 351w piston and a 5.4 or 4.6
>piston and youll see why they are having problem 4.6 and 5.4
>are very short skirts and when you do that you run the risk
>of slap these motors will run for along long time i know
>some of you dont like this but consider the guy that said
>his truck wont be the same i feel hes right in some ways
>unless you have a trusted tech there are some hacks out
>there that dont care about your truck all they see is how
>fast can i do it! so i think unless your truck is really
>really bad 2 minutes or more i would leave it alone but hey
>thats me!


let me ask you this fordmoparman!
For what reason are they using a short skirt piston in the 5.4?
other than fuel mileage and less reduction of hp.
we all know that they could have eliminated this in 99
why is it still going on?

Rich



Ford Trucks Built Tough!
not with rocks
Watch out "X" Mayor of Truckville

 

> ok ill expose myself here anyway im a master ford tech
>to all you guys that have piston slap and it is piston slap
>i have tore down these motors myself and you cannot find
>anything wrong with them but what is happening is major
>engine design change compare a 351w piston and a 5.4 or 4.6
>piston and youll see why they are having problem 4.6 and 5.4
>are very short skirts and when you do that you run the risk
>of slap these motors will run for along long time i know
>some of you dont like this but consider the guy that said
>his truck wont be the same i feel hes right in some ways
>unless you have a trusted tech there are some hacks out
>there that dont care about your truck all they see is how
>fast can i do it! so i think unless your truck is really
>really bad 2 minutes or more i would leave it alone but hey
>thats me!

It's not the slap that bothered me. It was the excessive oil consumption. Like a quart every 1000 miles. Or more if I towed with it or ran it hard in the dunes.. Like a quart a week on vacation. It steadily got worse and worse. I know that slap is just something that happens with short skirts, but the oil consumption and the loss in power as the engine ages is not acceptable to me when I'm still paying payments. I like the fact that a lot of these engines are running 150K miles or more. But with the rest of the problems I've had. I am no-longer a ford man. From now on I guess I'll drive something else until Ford fixes the modular engine or I can afford a powerstroke.

 

Ihave a 98 5.4 and have the same problem with my motor, it knocks for about a minute then goes away . But when I drive down the street it sounds like the the motor pings and rattles . I've put it on the computer and everthing is in specs. Should I try to get Ford to get me a new motor. It has 79,800 miles on it . Ido have an extended warranty that runs out in about 14,00 miles. Is there a recall of some sorts on this year motor? help!!!

 

My dad has a 2000 E350 with the 5.4. The Ford dealer told him that there was nothing wrong and that they would not replaced the motor. They did not give him the "if he is persistent" option. He is now looking for a different dealer to take it to. His makes the noise for almost 2 minutes when it starts up. I am happy and sad to hear that he is not the only one with this problem.

Bill

 

I have a '98 with a 4.6l. Bought it with 6,000+ miles on it. On cold start up it had piston "noise" that lasted 10 to 15 seconds.

I changed the oil to Mobil 1 (5W-30)and used the recomended Motorcraft oil filter with the anti drainback valve. The "noise" was gone immediatly
and 10,000 miles later never heard again.:-)

 

I have had the same engine noise mentioned here, but it kept getting worse. It is to the point now, I thought I had a lifter rattling, which I hear from time to time. Though when I give it gas, at about 1500 RPM it starts to really knock. It isn't a lifter, it sounds like a rod. I have 88,000 miles on my Eddie Bauer Expedition, and will most likely have major repairs now.

Tim

 

 

I have a '98 5.4L with 64K miles on it. No major knock, except for the overhead valve cams at start-up when I used conventional oils. I've since changed to synthetic.

Try this, it can't hurt. Use a synthetic oil, 5W30 or 10W40(higher milage), and a quart of Slick 50.

The sythetic oil will flow better and perform better than the conventional oils under all conditions. The viscosity, or flowability, of the synthetic will insure oil is flowing at maximun rates at colder temperatures. If the oil flows better when cold, then oil is getting to where it needs to be right at start-up. The synthetic does not change viscosity over temperature changes, which results in better engine performance under all engine temperatures, cold or hot, and conditions. You will also notice a faster cranking engine.

The Slick 50, which I've used for over ten years in ALL of my engines, is harder to explain, except that in every case, I feel the engine starts quieter, runs smoother and idles better. If an engine is "knocking", I would at least try a quart of the Slick 50, even if you stayed with conventional oils.

Synthetics are expensive, but Walmart does run specials that can cut the cost of the Mobile oil almost in half if bought in the 5qt jug.

I use the Fram brand of oil filters on all of my engines and Synthetic Castrol GTX.

 

Okay, I am pretty mechanically inclined and have tore down a few engines in my day but I want a little clarification on what everyone is hearing. When I start my truck that I just bought it sounds a little like a quite diesel. Does not last long but still sounds like a quite diesel. I just assumed that it is valve train noise because I am used to cast blocks and not aluminum. So is what I am hearing the piston slap?

 

I have owned three of these triton engines and they have all been noisey for the first minute or two cold. yes it is piston clearance noise, don't worry they go 100k easy without problems.