so what if the truck was bulit in like june or july of 02 is it safe. so what the main differnce for the L's that were built in may compared to June, what was changed the heads or what. This freakin figures - I'm going to look at a 02L this weekend.

 

The build date on your L don't mean a whole lot when it comes to the engine. My 2004 has an engine built in mid 2003 there is a tag on the drivers side bank that shows the engine date. I'm sure many parts are built inadvance and used as needed.probably the reason there's a 04 model. ford is using up old parts

 

What Buckstop 515 said!!!!
Don,t worry about the truck build date check the motor tag for the motor build date. Your motor might miss the bad period altogether. You might get lucky!!!

 

You guys really got to stop digging up old post like this,
you scared the Schitt out of me AGAIN,
then I saw where I answered this post over a yr ago

I guess Ford still hasn't fessed up over a yr later hu

 

just so I understand what is the difference form the different months and why does the rod break is it something with the spark plug threads and the heads

 

SORRY to keep this post going I know it's old but it's got me all worried. I am going to look at a 02L on Sat. Tomorrow I am calling the SVT # to see when she was born. If this L was made during Feb-May should this be something that I maybe don't get. I don't want to be all worried in my new 20k truck ya know. Why are the rods so weak, why are the better in the trucks made in june, I'm confused. Sorry again....

 

This story is a bunch of hoooya! Buy your 02 and be happy.

 

I think it is all....BS and no falg even after a year...NO TSB's or real documentation just Lightning Urban Legend ( which there is alot of ) just buy your truck and be happy if it blows up get a built motor and be even happier
I really love alot of these threads especialy when I am on night shift. This is up top with the threads in the cyl heads. I know every owner doesn't post but what was there 7-15 trucks thats this happend to out of 01-02's 9000+ and everyone wants new heads belive me if it were a real problem (like IC's on 99-00's) it would be rectified(not sticking up for FORD)
Sorry for the rant I usually don't chime in but I'm really bored it's my last night at work...and my 02 never had loose plugs, bad fogs,clunk,crooked bed alignment,shakes @ 60-80mph,window molding, ect or any other symptoms that arrive here by others maybe I'm lucky or iggnorant to these problems just enjoy your new truck thats whats important
Slick

 

so than there is nothing different about the rods or what, again I'm sorry but I just want to make sure I don't get a lemon, just clarify for me whats the difference

 

Not that I ever hear I think alot of this came from when the Cobras came out and had manley rods from factory ...everyone got all pissy I am sure that it is our trucks weakest link (when modded and aggressive or poor tune) I dont think there are to many failures of stock trucks to my knowledge and if so its under 5 trucks
Just buy it and enjoy my 02 is fine and have had no problems (knock on wood...lol) just the oil from pcv which is just the way its going to be I am not gonna go nuts like others to fix it
Slick

 

Thanks for the advice, seems like that was a lot of hype.

 

ND4SPD

I wouldn't lose sleep over it, and I still believe most if not all
of the plug failures are lack of proper installation from Ford in assembly, and that may be true to some Rod failure's too.
There are cases where the main or rod bolts were never even properly tightened, (in some cases some were even found in the oil pan). There are other issues to show proff of schitty assembly like with a brother here where a Ring was actually missing from a Piston.

As for plugs TONS OF US find Numerous plugs are lose when the truck was brand new (even with zero miles on it)
so again I blame Ford and the assembly. One poor Brother posted here where he spit a plug in front of the dealership they second he TRIED to drive away from picking up his new L.
I changed my plugs at 500 miles, 3 were loose, one was hand loose. We all know they lack serious quality control in tightening bolts, the shifting front end for yr after yr proved that, and I still have a large chassis bolt or two that fell off mine in my driveway that I have no clue where they go. Then there's my windshied gasket that fell off within the first few weeks, the rear window gasket, and oh ya, my third brake light was found dangling the night I picked mine up. So no one can ever convince me that they actually double check ANYTHING. There is a much longer list of known issues of common problems most of us had, above are a few, but again don't lose sleep over it. oh ya my tail gate gasket un clipped and came loose too. I FIXED EVERYTHING MYSELF, FORD WILL NEVER EVER WORK ON MY L.

AS for your interest, here you go
99 00 01 02 (and some very early built 03's) have the original design heads ??? They DO NOT have enough threads in the heads for the spark plugs and can basically spit a plug at any given second due to it, it's happen to many many many....
it was FINALLY FIXED in 03 and now seems to hold the plugs in.
(FU FORD, GIVE ME HEAD, GIVE US ALL HEAD)

99 00 are known for having stronger rods, but they are also
the troubled years for --> "leaking intercoolers".
As for why the rods hold up better, my guess is Ford prob started using some crappy material they got a penny cheaper in the later years.

01 02 ended the intercooler prob's but appear to have prob's
with leaky head gasket's, and these weaker Rods ""although that was never proved"" of course we also have the no thread head.

03 bought possibaly the best year yet, a new design block with more surface area for the head gasket to seal against. Also the new and improved heads (plenty of spark plug threads) And Also a new and improved Head Gasket. There has also been talk from the Tuners/Engine Builders that the Rods seem better.

There you have it



If someone wants to go dig up this post, what he's showing and telling us (5.4 S/C HD ENGINE BTW) is that the missing bolts found in the oil pan, have absolutely no signs that they were
EVER threaded in the hole they belong in.


Make of it what you want, but no one can ever convince me anything less than when you see that on a brand new engine that blew, the only place to point a finger is at the ******* that put it together in the first place

 

WOW, I just want to say THANKS for all that info, that's why I love forums like this because there is always someone out there to help you, this is probally one of the best I have ever been to at that. I go look at her on Sat, hope all is good....

 

Thats the reason i use ford motor craft 5-20-w will not throw rod and i am putting out 500hp at the wheels with 15# of boost ha ha ha

 

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