I have a 97 F-150 with 4.6L engine. The truck has 21,000 miles mainly because it use on weekends and for vacations. I usually run it on Saturday when the weather nice but the rest of the time it under cover. Recently I notice a knocking from the engine for about 5 to 10 seconds on startup when ice cold. The noise then fades and for the rest of the day its fine. I change the oil every three thousand miles religiously, using 5w-30 Vavoline. Does anyone have experience with this problem? I've read some articles on Piston Slap recently but from what I've read Ford doesn't have any answers. My next step is to contact the Ford dealer to get their opion. Would using a sythentic oil help? I'd appericate any input. Thanks in advance . . .

 

MY 4.6 makes the exact same noise, and no, synthetic will not improve or change it. mine is variable. left with dealer, but when we started next morning didnt do it. mine is a 99 with 12,000 mi.. let me know how it goes at your dealer, and good luck.

 

Just dropped my truck off at the dealer last night for "Piston Slap" analysis. Going to swing by tonight and see what the diagnosis is.

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1999 F150 4x4, dark blue, 5.4l auto, Manick brush guard, KC Hilites, tinted windows, K&N air filter without airbox, Gibson side swept exhaust, bedliner, toolbox, Uniden CB with whip, and now, a mild developing case of "piston slap", but that's OK, Big Blue says that he'll hang in there for a while...

 

Sounds exactly like piston slap problem. Noise on startup....goes away after a few seconds. Ford is replacing all these engines now - classic piston slap symptoms. Piston slap CAN be found in all V8-V10 engines manufactured at the Windsor Canada engine plant 97-late 99.

I had my 5.4L replaced recently and the FQR replacement is working very well. There is no way you should have engine knock with 23K. Keep us posted...

 

I'm from Canada, and a buddy of mine has a '98 F150 with a 4.6L and it was diagnosed with piston problems at low mileage too. After 8 mos. of BS the truck went in for a new engine, but Ford figured they would only put a rebuilt engine in. The truck has remained at the dealer since Aug.23/99 as my buddy refuses to accept his new truck with a rebuilt engine. Ford Rep says he should have read his warranty card. Apparently the piston manufacturer has defective pistons and all they are prepared to do is send Ford new pistons. In Canada, Ford built a new line to specifically rebuild the 4.6 & 5.4 engines so they can replace the bad ones. I've bought several new vehicles and my father was parts mgr. of a Chrysler dealership, I've never heard of a manufacturer not putting a new motor in a new vehicle when the motor is defective. Ford has a big problem and they are very reluctant to admit it. I am writing every chat group, news group, consumer advocate,newspaper, and every gov't group to tell them how unscrupulous Ford is about replacing new engines with rebuilt. Unbelievable!!!!

[This message has been edited by racecar (edited 11-19-1999).]

 

Racecar...I got my FQR engine from Ford recently (piston slap replacement) and it is awesome! I saw it before it was installed and it looked just like new. It has more power, burns no oil and runs just as smoothly as a new engine! There is obviously nothing wrong with a rebuilt engine if it is done properly.
Before I traded it for my Ford, I had a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee(bought new) which was the biggest piece of CRAP ever built on this planet. I 'll trade a little engine noise on start up any day for the aggravation I had with that vehicle! In 4 years I put on only 40,000 miles yet during that time I had the following problems; 2 bad transmissions, chronic fishy smell in summer that Chrysler could not fix, inconsistent idle they could not fix, tape player that constantly over heated and was replaced but the new one was not any better, poor starting in winter which is a problem WHEN YOU LIVE IN CANADA LIKE I DO, antilock brake module replaced 3 times and still worked on and off up to the day I traded it in, completely new bushings required at 20,000 miles, brakes that squealed no matter how many times they were inspected/replaced, and on and on... Either Chrysler builds the biggest pieces of crap or their dealers are incompetent...take your pick.

So before you go running all over the internet bad mouthing Ford about your buddy's problem (not even yours), just remember "people in glass houses..." you know the rest.

 

gjupin and andrews, both of you should see the thread titled "2000 engine in a 99 lariat". You both have piston slap. Fords fix is to install a FQR (rebuilt) engine in 97 and 98 model trucks and install a new engine in 99 model trucks with this problem. You will find threads all over this site about the symptoms of piston slap. Your description fits it exactly. No type of oil will cover or cure this problem. It appears that Ford fixed this problem about 4/99 as no engines built after that date seem to have the problem. You should find a sticker on your engine giving the build date, it should give the month and year. Good luck and stay in touch.

D

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99 Lariat, sc, 5.4, 3.55 ls,loaded,Superchipped, Flowmaster, K&N.

 

In response to ML: Your rebuilt engine more than likely will run fine, probably to quite a while too. But the next time you go buy a new vehicle and spend 35 grand, would you want a used engine? Because that is exactly what you are getting! Maybe it does have new pistons, rings, bearings and so on, but unless you know the engine was built with the same parts (heads, block etc) that originally were on that motor then its not the same. When an engine is started for the first time, the components heat up at different rates, warp a certain way, and finally wear at different rates(depending on the type of metal). Now when Ford or whomever dissassembles these engines I don't think they keep the left head from engine A and the right head from engine A, so they can go back together exactly how they came off of engine block A. They go into a cleaning station, then are spec'd and then they are stored and catalogued. So you end up with different components from a miriad of different engines being compiled to make up your FQR. They are NOT the same as new. And as far as "running around the internet bad mouthing Ford"... Think about it Einstein... Ford is giving you rebuilt for new... if this is ok, then maybe you should work in their PR department so you can sell this line of crap to the consumers...but not to me!

[This message has been edited by racecar (edited 11-20-1999).]

[This message has been edited by racecar (edited 11-20-1999).]

 

How can you find out where your engine was built? I am the oil burner column...and I also have noticed a slight knocking on start. and doesnt last long at all, but this is worriesome...I dont want to pay good money for a special ordered truck if I am going to have this much trouble getting the warranty work.. Mine is F150 4x4 fully loaded, step side wedgewood blue is awsome to look at but it really angers me to have these problems and the Ford dealerships saying they are normal..read oil burning...Please & thank you...

 

How can you find out where your engine was built? I am the oil burner column...and I also have noticed a slight knocking on start. and doesnt last long at all, but this is worriesome...I dont want to pay good money for a special ordered truck if I am going to have this much trouble getting the warranty work.. Mine is F150 4x4 fully loaded, step side wedgewood blue is awsome to look at but it really angers me to have these problems and the Ford dealerships saying they are normal..read oil burning...Please & thank you...

 

If you have a 4.6L check your trucks VIN. The eighth place in the VIN is the engine identification, the number 6 is the Windsor (Canada), a W is for the Romeo (Michigan).

 

Racecar,

Sound like a lot of ASSumptions to me.."maybe", "unless you know", "whomever does", "I don't think". Don't lecture unless you know...Einstein!

 

ML:
Are you on this forum to pick fights with people or pass judgement? I came here looking for some answers to questions about a problem Ford isn't prepared to discuss. You on the other hand seem to be in all the discussions adding wise *** answers and comments, go to the Jeep site and whine.

 

Racecar,

I don't own a Jeep any more Racecar. That is exactly the point! This site is predominantly made up of F150/Ford truck enthusiasts (I own 2 Ford trucks) who enjoy driving their vehicles and love to discuss all aspects of ownership...from customizing them, to finding good prices and yes, to fixing the problems that come up. I belong to a number of enthusiast sites as I own more than just "Ford" vehicles and the common theme in each case is "enthusiast". It seems we all have our good days and our bad days but we all enjoy "talking" to members, both new and old, and we even poke fun at each other on occasion.

Your very first post to this site was clearly hostile toward Ford and it rubbed me the wrong way! Instead of simply describing your issues, and asking Ford truck owners for help or input, in my opinion you burst in like some self appointed champion of beaten down Ford owners and crapped all over Ford, and by default Ford trucks. If I sound like I am pro Ford, you are right and I am proud of it. So if you want to go off and **** on Ford in public, do so, but don't expect me to buy into it. I sympathize with your friend's problem, it sounds like his dealer screwed him over royally (as detailed in another post) and it sounds like Ford hasn't helped the problem either. I even think it was honorable of you to help out your friend by investing your personal time to come to this forum and ask for help, but in my opinion you could have been more tactful. For certain you would have received a helpful post from me. You might still have received a helpful post from me if you had not mentioned Chrysler...it sounded to me like you were some self-righteous Mopar fanatic who gets his jollies kicking Ford guys when they are down..and with my Jeep experience...

So lets, start over...

I hope your buddy gets a new engine, it is clearly an emotional issue. I know...been there done that. My engine started knocking with very few miles on it (Feb 98) and I raised hell at the time too. Like your dealer, mine offered to replace the engine soon after the problem was diagnosed. Whether I would have received a NEW one or an FQR engine was uncertain, however they couldn't guarantee the "new" engine would be free of the slap because they were unsure of the cause/fix at that time...or so they claimed. I told them when they had a fix to let me know, in the mean time Mobile 1 helped to reduce the noise on start up and help keep me sane. My dealer followed up the problem with Ford each week for over a year and a half until Ford announced their fix in October of this year. In the mean time I have put over 40,000 miles on the vehicle and a remanufactured engine at this point in the trucks engine life (provided it is done properly) sounds like fair play to me. There is no doubt I am putting trust in their ability to do a good job in the remanufacturing process...only time will tell. As an aside, I have followed this issue on this and other sites for about a year and a half. Other posts have noted piston slap issues with Toyotas, Hondas, GMs and Chryslers. Not one of them talked about getting a replacement engine..they were told "thats just how these engines are". I hope you find what you are looking for and let's hope the Tabbies beat the crap out of the Stamps in a couple of weeks!

 

WOW ML!
A guy barges in looking for help for friend and gets put in his place by the site savior.
Serves racecar right for bad mouthing Ford, oh, I think thats what you did about Jeep?
And how inept of racecar to come to a Ford truck forum for help without asking for the savior's permission.
After reading the different posts by you and racecar, it looks like he is seeking help and you NEED IT. Grow up ML, and racecar; I just retired from Ford as a District Rep in PA, and yes Ford had a big problem with their Windsor manufactured engines,piston problems. We only replaced the faulty engines with new at our Harrisburg and area dealerships. I think it is couragous of you to fight for your friend, just don't get too caught up in your quest. Sit back and see what comes in on this forum and you could use a little growing up too.
Bandit

[This message has been edited by *Bandit* (edited 11-22-1999).]