valve tapping at start up
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New User
Joined: Nov 2000
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valve tapping at start up
I have a 97 explorer with 40,000 miles. When I start the engine there is valve tapping for about 1 mile. This occurs if the truck has been sitting more than a few minutes.
This has been occuring for awhile and the dealer said it is normal and does not hurt anything...is this true? is there some fix for this issue?
This has been occuring for awhile and the dealer said it is normal and does not hurt anything...is this true? is there some fix for this issue?
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2000
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valve tapping at start up
This may or may not be the case. Where was your engine built? I had a 99 Lariat with a 5.4 Windsor. The problem is called piston slap. Ford's fix is to install a new engine in the vehicle. Check around on the web or give me a call, 337-855-4626, I am somewhat familiar with the problem. Not all dealers are aware of the problem, symptoms, or the fix for it.
You describe the exact symptoms of piston slap, a slight ticking sound on cold start that disappears very shortly after startup. Sounds exactly like a valve tapping. Do not wait for this problem to get worse, it will never get any better. I am not exactly sure of the long range ramifications, but, nothing good can come from piston slap. The problem was a bad batch of wrist pins that allows the piston to slap back and forth in the cylinder. This is not a new problem, Ford knew about it in 1998. There was no recall, but there are TSB's out about it.
Danny
You describe the exact symptoms of piston slap, a slight ticking sound on cold start that disappears very shortly after startup. Sounds exactly like a valve tapping. Do not wait for this problem to get worse, it will never get any better. I am not exactly sure of the long range ramifications, but, nothing good can come from piston slap. The problem was a bad batch of wrist pins that allows the piston to slap back and forth in the cylinder. This is not a new problem, Ford knew about it in 1998. There was no recall, but there are TSB's out about it.
Danny
New User
Joined: Dec 2000
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valve tapping at start up
I have the same problem. I bought a 97'F150 used and I noticed that had a valve tapping at cold start up. I took it as a normal thing for a 5.4L engine. Right now my truck has over 100,000 miles on it. Will they replace my engine also or is it a mute point. By the way I enjoy this site. I have learned some useful info from it. Thanks for the info.
