We had my sons 99 f-150 4X4 towed home with a serious knock inside. He said when it started it sounded just like a lifter clanking. I think it is a rod bearing spun. Ok for the question. We are old school Ford engine guys. I know nothing about the new mod engines. They are over head cammers, I know that much. Having not yet had time to study up as this happened last night, and at the risk of sounding really stupid. Are there indeed "lifters" as in the old hydraulic lifters involved in the over head cam engine. The sound is indeed the same as a totally failed lifter on an old V8. I'm still betting on a thrown rod bearing.
Just looking for advise on where to start.

 

There are hydraulic lash adjusters that are in the head that hold pressure on one end of the cam follower(rocker arm) while the other end rides on the valves. The cams are under the center of the followers and have a roller that rides the cam.
Occasionally I have seen the followers come out, but I don't think that it would make much of a noise laying in the head.

 

There are no actual lifters as in the olden days? I'm thinking oh no rod bearing is the sound I'm hearing!!!!

 

Could be, hard to say from here.

 

As can be read in other posts, my son and I decided the noise was way too expensive. Rods? Main bearing? Cam? Who knows what it could be. It is just LOUD. At 90 bucks an hour we cannot afford a rebuild. I was quoted 3600 by a rebuild shop. So the engine is coming out and a used one will be inserted. Either way the engine had to come out so that's what we're doing now. Thanks for the help guys. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Let us know what you find in the bad engine.

 

Update, a supposed good used engine has been bought for 500 bucks. It is a car engine, not truck, so many swaps have to happen. Intake and exhaust as examples.
Tonight the trashed 4.6 came out of the truck. The removal was not fun but it is now done. Exhaust mainfold bolts snapped at all 4 points. So I will have to visit a rebuild shop and see if they can extract and repace the rusted studs. Or purchase good used or heaven forbid new manifolds.
A key point on the removal was one last bellhousing bolt. The one above the starter. First you must remove the intake. Then the only way to get the bolt is to have one person inside the engine compartment holding a socket universal on the bolt. The guy on the bottom has to have at least a 16 inches of extensions to spin the bolt. It is really simple using this method.

A borrowed (or bought) engine puller crane is a must. Also I purchased an engine balancer bar from Princess Auto (Canada) for 39 bucks. I feel this was also a very important tool. We could very easily adjust the front rear tilt of the block as she came out. MAN that thing is in there tight. Hair's breath clearance.

Tip. Exhaust gaskets from a jobber 14 bucks. From Ford 150 bucks. Guess which we chose? FelPro has been making gaskets for many years. And the original Ford ones were clearly failed and cracked right through proving them no better than Asbestos. No way I'm coughing 150 bucks for Ford's "good"-- "quality" gaskets. Ford was however cheapest on intake gaskets and oil pan. Maybe they feel like fools to actually make these shoddy gaskets in the first place. The intake failing and the coolant leaking in to the oil has killed about a zillion of these 4.6's. And to think I've been a Ford guy all my life. Bad on you Ford!!!!!! Well I still won't turn to Chevy and Dodges around here are only Diesels or driven after sundown when nobody can see YA!

 

hi sounds like a big job but you guys did it i just wanted to say iam going to change my 4.6 to in spring got a quot from the dealer rebuilt for about 2800 got a small discout anyway hope all goes well

 

If those fel-pro gaskets aren't MLS(Multi-layer steel),then you'll be right back in there changing them soon,and the low price won't seem so nice then.Any dealer quoting you $150 for a set of exhaust gaskets is a crook. They're expensive,but not that much.
JL

 

just curious as to how many miles are on this engine?

 

The one in the truck that failed the bearing had about 175,000 KILOMETERS (We're in Canada) Thats around 110K miles. We don't really know the history of just how hard it was driven before my son bought it 18 months ago. Just know now it did not like hauling the 1/4 ton slide in camper he was so darn proud of. No he was not bagging the truck on his way to the lake, just crusing at about 60mph. The truck should have handled it easy. Problem could have been too thick of oil. He was running clean new 10-30. Now we learn the truck callls for 5-30 or even 5-20. We are used to running 10-30 in everything. Our temperature here runs from 85 above in summer to 40 below in winter. The day his engine dropped the bearing was about 70 above.