Guys I am new here and I am new to Gen 2 L's.I have been driving Gen 1's for 5 years and I just got a mint 99 L from an old man.Front bumper does not have a single chip or scratch.

But I have some exhaust leak coming only from the pass side and it will only make the flapping sound under boost(2,000 rpm or more).I have got under the truck and covered the tips and I cant find the leak anywhere or even duplicate it in N or park.Only driving down the road with the window down is when I really hear it.Still not a loud ticking or popping like I am use to hearing with leaks.

When someone else drives my truck past me while I am standing on the road i can hear it under power faintly and when the tips get in front of me,the exhaust drowns it out.

I have read all the search topics and none seem to match mine.I am in horror of the plug issue.But all the plug sounds I have read about were sounds in front of the firewall or under the hood.Mine has no sound at all except for the light ticking of injectors and i cant make this sound while under 2,000 rpms.

I also noticed with window down only,I could hear a little burp between shifts from the exhaust side when I am stomping it.I can live with the muffled noise if I can know for sure it is just an exhaust leak.

I found one black place on my exhaust under the truck.It is where the square U bolts connect the pipe coming from the muffler to the cats.It looks like a leak,but I covered the tips and felt around that area with my hand and didnt feel anything.

I posted a topic last night and got no reply so please help me here guys.I have a truck that was kept under a cover and looks brand new inside.Motor is still tight.49k miles.This is killing me.

 

Is this truck stock? chip? Pulley? etc...?


the noise you hear during the 1-2 shift is normal, some refer to it as a "fart" noise. Ford programmed the computer to cut out 4 cylinders during the 1-2 shift to prolong the life of the tranny. This "power cut" results in a "fart type" noise.

Most people have this turned off via a chip.

As for an exhaust leak I don't know.. you'll be able to tell on that one whether in park, Nuetral, drive, it won't matter, unless the engine is twisting during reving (like all cars) and creates a gap int he exhaust) Doubtful

As for the spark plug.... CHANGE THEM. you don't know if they are the original or not. Better to err on the side of caution.
If you truck is stock I wouldn't worry TOO MUCH about losing a spark plug. Suavy ran 26# of boost through his engine and never had a plug pop out.

Take it to a dealer and have them change them, it will be expensive, but they warranty their work. If it pops out when they did it, it should be covered under warranty.

 

I don't have an answer for you but I do have the same problem with my 00L. My truck did the same thing and I had to listen to that noise for 8 hours while I was travel. It happened everytime i hit the throttle. I thought it was an clogged cat converter. So i order brand new Magnaflow mid pipe section and still the same thing. Mine only made the noise around 2800RPM or around 80MPH on the interstate. It never made the noise just driving around town. I hope both of us can find an answer to this problem.

 

My truck is modded out with 6lb pulley, JLVB, 95mm, predator, new plugs etc etc. It had just came off the dyno right before the trip. Had absolutly no problems on the dyno.

 

The little burp or fart sound is normal, (it is your torque reduction, and is turned on by the factory and is perfeclty normal).

Now for the rest could it be denotation? What kind of gas are you using?

I have a fluttering type of sound, that sounds like an exhasut leak as well, (have not searched for it) but I am assuming that is what it is on my truck. I know that it is not denotation (I know what that sounds like) and because I can duplicate that sound when the truck is in park, and when it is not under boost.

It could also be a spark plug, I would check them to make sure they are tight. Launching spark plugs are common for these trucks (99-02). Good luck.


****EDIT****
Check this thread out, I dont know if I believe it, but could be the problem. Click here
****EDIT****


Later
brian

 

I checked my plugs and they are tight. Also I thought it was detonation so I made adjustments on the predator( I have a custom tune by the way) and it did not get better. Same noise at 80MPH.

 

My truck is bone stock 99.I have only had it a few days and the flapping sound I am hearing could be the normal tone of the exhaust for all i know when under boost.It is a 1 owner.

 

Was the intercooler recall performed?

 

Hmmm....I have no idea.What would be some signs if it had not been changed?Was there some noticable problem with the ones that were recalled?


As for the other post about replacing the plugs since I did not know if they had been changed before or not,the truck still has the factory zip ties around the fuel rails holding wires in place all the way back to the firewall so I am pretty certain given the history of the truck they are the ones that came in the truck.

I have a folder of oil changes and tire bal/rotation services on this truck from the old man and it looks like the longest it went between changes was 2408 miles.The records are from 1700 miles to 2408 dating all the way back from May of 99 when it was bought new.

I looked for a Gen 2 for months and I never found another L. that was this mint.Even the used 01-03 trucks I looked at with less miles were in much worse shape.But now I wish I had the 03 sparkplugs/threads

I called and spoke with several Ford dealers in different states today and asked about the spitting plug problems.I had one place tell me they had not had any come back with the problem and the other 2 both said they had 1 or 2 come back years ago with the problem.One of the guys I spoke with has helped me a ton over the past few weeks.We both have the same mustang racing background and we hit it off so he has been very upfront with me and honest.He has had 2 F150 with 5.4 since they came out and never had any problems with them.

He did tell me that both trucks they had come back years ago had very distinct warning signs,but the owners never had the plugs or anything checked out when they heard the loud ticking and pressure sounds coming from under the hood.

I told Him about the black area around the connection on the exhaust and He said to have it welded up and see if that cured the noise.He told me the same thing I was thinking....when the boost kicks in,the pressure is much greater and that is why the leak is only making the sound when running.

I hate that I have to always have the plugs in the back of my mind now that I have a gen 2.My career keeps me towing a boat all over the south east spring through fall and I will always be thinking about those plugs when I am headed to or home from tournaments

And I want to thank all of you for trying to help me figure this out.Please keep the posts coming.I am getting some well needed feedback from guys that seem to have the same sound I do,but nobody knows what is causing it.I have some peace now since I know the fart between shifts is normal and since I have no noise coming from the front of the firewall or under the hood.Keep the info coming and I will let you know if i get the weld done and how it goes.

 

03 WHite Lightning.....I read that post last night and it does not sound like what mine is doing.I hear nothing from under the hood or in front of the firewall.I keep reading more and more about people with some similar sound like mine.I wish I could just get it to make the sound sitting still.I have not drove my truck all day and i have only had it for 4 days.

I am hoping it is just the place where the cat pipe connects to the muff pipe.THat seems to be a trouble spot on the trucks and where I found the black place on the pipe where the crappy square U bolts are.

The sound is not loud and I could live with it if I could just know that was the source.Nobody that rides in the truck can hear it but me.Driving me nuts.

 

Well if you are hearing nothing from the engine, I would take it to a muffler shop and let the check for an exhaust leak, I believe that is what you and I have. Good luck.

later
brian

 

Check your intercooler tank while the engine is running. If you have a foamy substance in there, it is now leaking. You will see no leaks on the ground... it burns through the motor and can cause huge problems. All 99/00 intercoolers were produced with the wrong number of coolant tubes, thus causing them to crack open and leak. The revised intercooler has an extra row, and has no issues. Call a Ford dealer and have them run the VIN through OASIS and see what work has been done. If it has not been replaced, do so immediately so as not to subject your motor to more risk. ALL 99/00 intercoolers will leak if left in the truck... the new 01 and up intercooler will run you no less than $800 as well assuming you can get your hands on one of the recall kits made for the 99/00 trucks. A standard 01 up intercooler is not a direct bolt up to the 99/00 style.

 

Trust me, you want the intercooler recall done........

01B81 is the Ford program recall number.

This will cause major problems down the road.