Well after two weeks in the shop they finally diagnosed my 2001 Expy with piston slap. They said that it was normal and that Ford did not have a fix for it yet. I guess that the problem with the 5.4 has not been corrected as they had said. I can barely hear it when i am setting in the truck but when i am outside by the passenger fender well it is loud and clear. You would think that with Ford making 4 billion in profits last year they would be able to find an engineer that could fix the problem.
I talked to the V.P. of my dealership as well as someone who would know something (mechanic) and they both gave me the same story. Teflon coated pistons that shrink up when they get cold therefore they have to get warm before they swell and fill out the cylinder wall. What kind of POS design is that???????? My 76 ford doesn't knock when i start it up and it has 100,000 miles on a rebuilt motor. Guess they do not build them like they used to.
Anyone else haveing any problems?????????
I did not hear it until i was parked up next to a wall and had the window down one morning. You may want to listen.

 

Piston slap is not normal. Reseach this board on how others dealt with the problem. Ford was replacing engines with piston slap.

 

Yes it is not normal but the option of a FQR motor is not appealing at all.
My major irritation is that Ford has known about the problem since 1997 and has yet to fix it. I used to believe that Ford was true to their statement of Quality is Job 1. Now I think they are like every other company in that Profits are JOb 1. They still have the best product line but my faith has been shaken, especially after my difficulties and the Exploder fiasco.

 

I have owned 3 newer Fords.... In '99 the Cobra 4.6L engine suffered from the slapping sound to the point that the owners were up in arms.... One thing that seemed to work well was either 5W30 Synthetic or even 0W30 (Mobil 1)... Getting the lubrication around the pistons when the engine was cold reduced the slapping greatly.....

Hope it helps (at least a little)

 

I have a 99 with only 15K on it. Started hearing what is most likely PS, though I have not had it in yet. Will wait for cooler weather. I've read a number of posts where the engine has been swapped, only to have the same problem occure again, and I believe there was one post that said he was on his third slapper. I'm just not sure its worth all the hassle, only to wind up with the same problem. An engine swap is a major hassle, and the chances of winding up with oil leaks, and electronics that don't work just right seems to me to be high. There were also some posts that claimed mileage reduction on the new engines. I sure don't want less than the poor MPG's I'm already getting now!!!!! Anyone with some experience here??????

 

Will someone please describe what it sounds like.

I have a strange noise in my 01X, but its only under hard acceleration and it sounds like a loud exhaust leak with a faint tapping on under the drivers floorboard.

Thanks
Greg

 

I have a '99 EB 5.4 with less than 20K. Before I new what PS was, I heard it mostly in the morning. At 10K, I change over to 10-40 AMSOIL synthetic, as I have in all my new cars for almost 20 years. No more PS. I recently just changed to 5-30 because that's what the manual sugggests, plus what I'd read on the F-150 board. I know it sound far fetched, but it kind of makes sense to me. The synthetic "sticks" on the moving parts better after the motor is shut down. Try it. Can't hurt.