Hi , I'm a newbie and this my first post so i'll try to be as accurate as i can be . I have a 04 Screw Lariat(new body) 5.4 with about 123k on it , I am the third owner . Runs pretty good and i have your typical cam phaser tic which doesn't bother me but now i have a actual fairly loud knock ! The knock only comes on when the truck is warm and between 1200-2000 rpm, over or under that rpm range no knock and from what i read way too loud to be the phasers . Sounds like banging on the frame with a hammer, could it be a rod knock ? Any help would be greatly appreciated .

 

I have the exact same issues. Loud knocking once it gets heated up, it doesn't do it on my 3 mile trip to work in the morning, but will on my way back to work from home during the afternoon. If I put it in neutral and rev it about 1000 RPM it stops. I got one code P0345 I believe and replace both cam phase position senors, no help. Then Friday I got a P0012, replaced both VCT soleniods, no help. My confusion is why will it only do it when it is hot? I have a motorcraft filter and run 5W20, I do have the rattle at start up which is sometimes worse than others. Could it be a timing issue? Sorry not to hyjack your post just letting you and others no what I have unsuccessfully tried.

 

The only code i have is P0420 and it's been on awhile long before the knocking began, someone told me that code was related to the banging . He said the o2's on bank 1 was the problem so i changed them both and cleared the code but banging didn't go away and the code came back!

 

When I got home last night it was doing it, I let it sit there for around 4-5 min. hoping to get a code, no luck. I hate to keep throwing parts at it. I've thought about replacing the timing chain, chain guide, chain tensioner. I have read about the lash adjuster not sure what it looks like...any help/ideas......thanks!

 

P0420 is cat efficiency. Bang on your cats with a rubber mallet and see if you hear rattling. One or more of your cats may be self-destructing or worse, plugging up. Clogged cats can be diagnosed by a competent muffler shop with an infrared tester.

 

Got another P0012 code.....already changed both VCT's

 

A few mechanic buddies are telling me i got a rod knock and to start shopping for a engine and with my P0420 i need cat's to most likely !

 

The knocking is very common, you should look into changing both cam phasers, chain tensioners and guides, a tensioner that's not holding the chain in place will make noise. Cam phasers create that ticking noise in the motor when they go bad, due to I believe they have something to do on controlling the motor oil. The labor is not that crazy as every one states it is, the hardest part is placing the timing chain on the sprocket of the cam phaser and crank due to it's specific location on the sprocket. I did it on my truck on a cold day. Try this dude it's better than getting a new engine and don't believe the hype! The only thing that could mess that engine up is poor oil changes or the problem with the ticking wasent address on time and caused engine failure but that's uncommon of, just my 2 cents. Good luck!

 

Cam phasers don't make a tick noise, they make a knocking sound.

See the video link in my sig, Flat Rate Tech...

 

I meant to say knocking not ticking, if you read what I said in my first sentence I started off by saying knocking! FYI, injectors tick, which is normal.

 

Yep. I think most get worried when they hear the injectors firing, but it is a normal sound. Knocking from the cam phaser is normal as well, but when they throw codes it's time to take them in.

Ford dealers love to replace noisy cam phasers. $$$

People just want a noiseless engine. What they don't know is the cam phaser noise is normal.

 

Don't know if I agree with you 100% stealth, Knocking sound on a push rod motor is not normal I know that for a fact. Just using my knowledge from what I know from a push rod motor. Am not a modular motor guy nor am a fan of it but I heard that before from a ford guy at ford service center that the knocking sound is normal but I disagree with that.
Why is it when I changed my cam phasers that knocking sound went away?? Ford co. Agreed with the problem. There's a tsb on those cam phasers! On the other hand I could be wrong because those mod motors are noisy, I seen it happen to people with 30k miles with the knocking. My preference is a quiet motor with a loud exhaust!

 

I'm not talking about that type of knocking. Look at the Flat Rate Tech link in my sig, you'll learn a thing or ten.

The cam phasers will make a knock noise at warm idle, and they all do it, but some louder than others. When they throw a DTC code there's a problem, but if an owner wants the 'noise' to go away dealers will gladly replace the cam phasers. $$$ It pays well for them. $$$

 

call me old school, but I been in the mustang game for a while, going back to the mid 90's raced at the track broke down rebiult, back to the track again over and over and I never heard of knocking being normal unless it's diesel. Those light knocks from cam phasers eventualy get louder which you would have to change em out anyways. If the knock was normal they would of knock straight out of the Ford dealer when new.

 

Sounds like you need to study up on them. Look at the vid first, then continue from there.