I don't remember if I posted anything about this back when it happened.
My pickup is a 99 F150 with the 5.4 under the hood. I bought the truck about 5 years ago. The kid I got it from seriously mistreated this truck! At 111,000 miles he spun a bearing. He was out tearing up some mud in the country and spun a bearing. His buddies with him said it was out of oil. Either way he put a rebuild in it. When I got the engine it had about 30,000 miles on it.
Last May I noticed when I first started it I heard a rattle on the front end for a few seconds after starting it, and it had a slight tick or rattle on the front of the engine when idling.
In early June I was pulling our camper, a 30 foot travel trailer weighing in at about 9,000 pounds. I was pulling into a 30 or 40 mph headwind, so of course I was pushing hard! It was running up over 3,000 rpms part of the time. Suddenly I lost oil pressure. Pulled over and heard a terrible knock and squeel from under the hood. Let it sit and cool off for a while, and re-started it. It ran fine, carried oil pressure until it warmed up and the knock came back.
I got it home and pulled the engine. When I pulled the pan I found 2 rod bearings chewed up. The oil pan was filled with metal filings, and the pickup screen was clogged with metal filings. One of the plastic timing chain guides broke and allowed the timing chain to run the timing cover, which I think is where the metal filings came from.
So, has anyone else had this problem? Is there any other common problems I need to look for? I am just about ready to drop in a reman crank kit and a new oil pump. I am going to try to flush out the oil system without pulling the top end apart. It only has about 70,000 miles on the engine now, so the top end should still be in decent shape.
Opinions or ideas appreciated!

 

If this was mine....I'd pull the heads too and have them checked and freshened up as well. make sure the cams didn't get damaged.

Those metal filings and gritt get E-V-E-R-Ywhere. and I'd most likely remove the pistons and clean that block out completely. Making sure you don't have a scored piston or cylinder wall.

I mean you already have the engine out....go a few extra steps and make sure things are done right. Ask yourself why did those rod bearings get chewed up?

 

That has been my delima. As far as I can tell the rod bearings got chewed up because the metal filings from the timing chain rubbing clogged the pickup screen, and running between 3000 and 4000 rpms steady for 20 miles pulling the heavy load starved it of oil.
I have been really kicking myself around about tearing down the entire engine and checking everything. The only reason I am questioning it is I can replace the crank and oil pump for under $500. It took me 4 months but I finally have the 500 saved up. The top half will be another 500 or more.
I put less than 3000 miles on this truck each year. It is my hunting and trapping rig, so it usually doesn't go too far from home.
I also wondered about how far into the engine the metal filings would have went. By the time I am done I will probably take your advice and pull it down the rest of the way and see what other damage has been done, I am just hating the thought of more money! LOL!

 

My unprofessional advice is to buy a junkyard motor for <$1,000. It'd be plug and play and cheaper than trying to rebuild and not get all the metal grit out. Simply an opinion. Best of luck to ya!

 

i would worry about trash in the aluminum cam bearings--- damage.

 

I have checked local junk yards for used engines. One junk yard had 1 engine. It had in excess of 160,000 miles. They had not tested it as it had been in a front end collision and cracked the oil filter housing. When they put oil in it and started it to test it, the oil pumped out, so they didn't test anything on it. That engine was $1000. The only other engines I have found have had over 180,000 miles, for $1200. I have been looking for a good junk yard find, but if I am going to spend 1200 on a high mile engine that I know nothing about, I will just rebuild this one.
One thing I am wondering. If the oil pan had the metal filings in it, the filter is right behind the pump. Would the filter catch anything before it got up to the top end and the cam bearings?
I am grateful for all of the input here, it brings up some ideas that I haven't thought about!

 

$1200??? wow... have you checked ebay? Things really have gone up in price. Try a reman and see what comes up? I'll keep my eye out for NPI 5.4 for you.

 

Last winter I replaced the 5.4 in my wifes expedition. I picked up a rebuild for just under $2200.
I have thought about Ebay and other places for a used engine, but my problem is not knowing what I am buying. At least the local junk yard has a 30 day warranty on their used parts, so if I get an engine and it turns out to be weak......
I have started wondering tonight as I am looking at my engine, is this a common problem for this guide to break? Is it often a sign of a tensioner problem?
The more I read from you guys, and think about my situation the more I think I will pull the top off the engine to make sure everything gets cleaned and checked out. I checked the odometer and see I only have just under 50,000 miles on this engine, a lot less than I thought when I first posted!
Anyway, enough rambling, has anyone found problems with the chain guides on these in the past?

 

Sure would think so... IF the filter wasn't so loaded up with crap that it bypassed. I'm assuming oil filters still have a spring-loaded bypass valve in them, I wonder now. (I'm not talking about the anti-drainback valve).

 

If the link works, here is the listing from the local junk yard for a 5.4.
If the link does not work, it has 156,000 miles, part grade A. Price is $1428.70.

Search Results

EDIT: I see my link is not working. I live in a rural area. There are 3 salvage yards all about 50 miles away in different directions. This is the only one of the 3 that has a 5.4.

 

I had a 2001 5.4 wiht 235k miles that i sold 6 months ago. Never had any noise or problems with the cam chains. I have a 2002 now and it has 105K miles and quiet as a mouse.

 

I have not done any work to this yet, I still need to pick up a manual before I do anything.
I was wondering though, it is on my engine stand flipped upside down. Now, how can I pull the crank out without pulling the heads? If I pull the timing chains off, when I turn the crank to access all of the rod bolts, won't it mash a valve?
Should I leave the chains on until I have all of the rods loosened, then pull the chains?
I haven't started any work yet, I was just sitting in my shop and this thought came into my head.
Is it even possible to pull the crank without pulling the heads?

 

Oops, wrong topic

 

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