Hi guys,
I have a 2022 F350 DRW with the 7.3L engine nearing 67k. Within the last day or two it's started making a noise that has me worried. Short phone videos below. I've checked the heat shields, pulled the flex plate inspection plate off to check the torque converter bolts, and removed the belts to see if the noise goes away without accessories running. So far, best I can tell, the noise is coming from inside the engine itself. Certainly sounds like metal on metal to me and I'm dreading what that might mean. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a lifter eating the cam. No error codes yet and I'm not noticing any misfires. Any one heard anything like it? Sorry for the crap quality. I might try to get better audio tomorrow.

Unfortunately, my wife and I live out of our truck camper (by choice) and we're out in the desert near Carlsbad, NM. Checking the oil for metal isn't really an option, and since we rely on the truck to move our home across the country, I don't really want to drop it off at a dealer. I'd also expect no help from Ford warranty wise because I'm at 67k without an extended warranty. My only hope, and I'm not expecting much, is that Arrow Ford, where I bought the truck from used, claims they have a lifetime engine warranty. They put the warranty sticker on the truck but I wouldn't be surprised if they came up with some excuse about it being a heavy duty vehicle and not covered. I'll call them tomorrow. If I had a house, I'd tear into the motor, but can't really do that living on the road. Rant over.

I'd appreciate any recommendations or thoughts.
Thanks

 

Follow up. I found this video and it sounds pretty darn similar to my noise.

On that note, anyone ever ordered a new engine from Ford to swap it themselves? Any tips?

 

Any CEL? Normally a cam/lifter failure produces a misfire resulting in a CEL.

If your concerned it is a lifter failing, you can perform a compression test to see if you can identify an cylinder outlier.

 

Brik, that’s a bummer. I haven’t hit a snag yet, have a feeling we all will be warranting our own 7.3’s down the road.

Many years ago I did a head gasket job on a lifted Chevy 2500 in a home garage. Only tip I have is to drop the front wheels and lower as far as possible.

Tasca has some decent prices on long blocks. Spitballing, I’d think it’s about a 10k job with motor, labor and fluids.

It really does suck, 7k over the mileage warranty, perfect for Ford.

 

Hopefully it’s a simple fix, GOOD LUCK!🍀

 

That sounds mechanical internal to me. I would find a shop now before it gets more expensive. Living on the road isn't easy and with issues like this even worse but not the end of the world if you handle now than at the mercy of the wolves. 😉

 

When a 7.3L gas can be mistaken for a 7.3L diesel, its time to see your nearest service center.

 

Quick update. Called the dealer I bought the truck from. As expected, Arrow Ford's Lifetime Engine Warranty doesn't cover you if you don't get your vehicle serviced with them. Checked with a different Ford dealership in Apache Junction, AZ, which is where we're hopefully headed, and they confirmed that Ford is unlikely to help me out because I don't have a record of spending any money with them. Had I purchased more vehicles and used them for service, might have been a different story.

At this point, going to hope things hold together long enough to get to AZ (~550 miles) and evaluate my options. If it is actually the lifter, I'll see what it costs to have Ford put in a new long block, and weigh that against just getting the block+parts and doing it myself in someone's driveway. I'll try to report back with any updates.

 

Good luck. If it was pronounced in the lower front it could be a cracked oil pump drive gear but mine was fairly easy to pinpoint the noise to the valvetrain and yours sounds pretty darn similar.
Does the noise follow the RPMs and get faster as you apply some revs?

 

You know... I was thinking the very same thing.

 

Almost all of those dealer 'lifetime' warranties require scheduled service from the selling dealer... that's how they 'pay' for that warranty, among other plusses for the dealership, including trade-in value, and resale.

 

Quick update for anyone interested. Made it the ~500 miles to AZ. The clattering, which I assume is a bad lifter, was pretty rough when we started out. Very noticeable at idle. By the time we made it to AZ we couldn't really hear the noise at idle but the engine still makes noise at higher rpms. Might be idling a little rough and maybe down on power a bit, but certainly drivable, for now. Called Ford corporate and they said there are no assistance programs available so I'm out of pocket for any repairs. I've called two dealers to give me quotes on replacing the long block, mostly to get an idea of what parts might cost. Having Ford replace the engine would get me a 3yr unlimited mileage warranty on the engine. First quote just came back at basically $12k by the time they add on taxes and whatever other little stuff. If I can find a place to work on the truck here in Apache Junction, I can likely get the parts for under $6k and replace it myself, and have $6k left to do it all over if it comes to that.

 

Thanks for the update. That was good you made it without any problem.

I would like to hear about your progress with the new engine install.

 

Pretty pathetic that only 7k miles out of drivetrain warranty that Ford won’t help out a little with an issue that they know damn well exists (if it turns out to be lifter or cam failure).

 

Sadly, warranty costs are eating Ford alive right now so they are probably trying to minimize their costs.