I went out earlier tonight to pick up a few things. This was the first time I drove the truck all day. I started it up and OMG that engine was knocking like crazy, sounded literally like a diesel. I've been noticing this more and more as the weather gets colder but tonight was just embarrassing.

I am aware that these 5.4 F150's tend to knock alittle when the engine is cold but damn! pardon my french. I do not beat on my truck, It just had an oil change about 2 weeks ago. My mind tells me this can't be right but is this really normal for these trucks?

 

My 4.6 did something like this the other day and I shut it off and then it would only have turn over and made a sound similar to a starter not engaging.I called up the shop for a tow and went back to start it after a while and it started up fine so I drove to the mechanics anyway. They looked it over and said it could have been a coil pack, Which I figure would make only half the plugs fire thus causing the what the f__k is wrong reaction.
Any way this engine is new to me having mostly run 4.9 early 90's 150's so I am going to look into replacing the coil packs on my 99. it has 138k on it

Eric
99 F150 4.6 XLT

 

so your saying the coil pack could be causing my knock issue? I don't see how that relates? my truck runs fine and doesn't miss a beat. I still hate it though.

is it just simply the nature of these engines or what?

 

more info there aspen... what year is the truck?? i see the 5.4L, it could be the cam phasers. post this in the '04-'08 forum. lots of knowledge in there.

 

Sorry I confused just knocking with missing and knockig which I had happen.
But no it should'nt be knocking like that in my opinion. Others with more knowledge hopefully will address your problem.

Eric
99 150

 

did it go away when the engine warmed up? If so it is the slap.

 

What kind of oil filter is on the engine? It could be the anti drain back valve is allowing the oil to drain from the filter causing dry starts.

 

What year, what oil, and what filter?

Mike

 

Sounds like cam phaser if doing it when cold. If you use aftermarket filters it will cause a noise also! You should use a FL-820S (can buy at Wal-Mart for cheap) Have seen in some cases where people have used aftermarket filters for some time and cause a camshaft issue, if I were you I'd not drive it if has started after an LOF, as you will cause damage. Their is a TSB for this concern which starts with the filter and leads to many checks if continued driving harms more.

 

In a 3V 5.4L, the defective cam phasers will be quiet when its cold. They will start making noise after the engine warms up. Once warm, the phasers will make noise under about 1500 rpms. Over that speed, you should not be able to hear them. If you get noise when its cold, It is probably valvetrain noise, and that will also lessen when the engine warms.

CAM timing chain can be very noisy on engines that are not using a oil filter that has a very good Anti-drainback device built in. Motorcraft filters have a very good Anti-drain device built in, as such, highly recommended by almost everyone on the forum for the 3V 5.4L.

I have recently started running 5w30 in my 98K mile 04 XLT. It does seem to quiet the phasers somewhat when the engine at operating temps.

p.s. 2V 5.4L (pre-2004) do not have cam phasers.

 

I have seen a truck that was so bad it did it cold / warm, advanced the timing to max, misfired on #6. I realize that the pre 04' do not have phasers, but I do not know what year the rig is. If you have an oil filter that is not built to the FL-820S filter (motorcraft filter for this engine, you can have engine failures (have seen it first hand a few times from people going to quick LOF places. Running 5w-30 in a vehicle that calls for 5w-20 will lose fuel economy and may not be lubricated as well.

 

I started reading this thread because of the "noise" issues. Wifes 4.6 Gran Marq make a little rattle at start up and it has been babied. A little disconcerting for me as an old non-modular engine guy.

I am having a big problem finding common ground on this oil weight thing. I am aware of the economy issue with heavier viscositys. But down here if Fla and the heat, I cannot get comfortable with the lower rating of 5, as in 5W-20 or 5W-30. Thats the lowest viscosity that the oil will reach when heated, which can happen down here. A good oil will NOT completely drain off the surfaces, only the excess. The lubrication film will not all drain off. I believe that spec is especially good on the synthetics or blends.

There is one rating of oils that I dont see many people recognizing and that is the ability of an oil to cling to a surface and not drain off. For that reason, I cannot buy into this "starving for oil" on a cold engine. Now certainly you cant start a cold engine an go immediately to 6K rpms. You should ALWAYS start the engine and give a few seconds for oil to pump throughout. That has been true since engines were started from the front with a crank handle, and has not changed, simply good sense.

If you start your engine and give it a few seconds and are suffering damage, you need to do some research of the specs and CHANGE oil brands.

My ~.02 anyway

 

The way I look at it, that's the weight it was designed to use. That's enough for me right there. The guys that came up with every inch of the mod engines had that 5 weight in mind.

Also that 5 weight is good for getting from the pan to the top of the engine and those cams really quick. I'm not sure about this, but I've heard that the cams don't actually have bearings on the ends, but ride on a film of oil.

Mike

 

I agree with the part about the design. Maybe that is what causes me a problem. I try to not get caught up in the old school thinking and realize that they designed them this way. Then again, there is so much emphasis on economy that I wonder if they would try to sell us anything for the sake of it, even to the point of compromising some durability for the sake of a few more MPG. I guess that I should also consider that oil technology has improved and that extra weight (viscosity) isnt what it used to be. Prob synthetics help a lot with the lighter oils.

I think you are correct, the cams do not ride in bearings. Read an article not too long ago the the V10 viper engines were that way also---maybe all mod engines.

 

Go look at some of the used oil analysis that people are doing on the 5w20. They are very good, most are reporting better than the 5w30.

I think the most important thing is using what is recommended as far as viscosity goes. Running 10w40 because it's thicker or something like that is like running diesel in a gas engine because it has more BTUs.

After some Googling, I found that the mod engines are all like that. It gives me even more reasons to keep the 5w oil, especially when cold starting in well below freezing temps.

Mike