Hello folks. Im an occassional writer and everyday reader of the board. Its really agreat forum. Im one of the unlucky L owners with piston slap. It sounds a little like a diesel esp when cold. Dealer listened and SVT has sent me a new motor complete with new supercharger mounted. All with matched serial numbers. They want to analyze my motor so are anxious to take it apart. I doubt that I will ever find out what was really wrong. I still dont understand how,why they didnt solve this potential problem when they tore these 5.4s down to install the forged pistons and crank. They knew that some of the 5.4s had this defect. Go figure. Im a little nervous about this whole thing cause the truck really runs great.
Ive been waiting for this saga to come to an end before I do any mods.

Have any of you seen a "lightning" receiver hitch cover?

I'll keep you posted regarding the swap, if you are interested. It should be this week.
I dont write often but at least I write long. smile
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99.5 white bone stock except for billet grills. Mods soon.

 

Know exactly how you feel. Lost my 1st motor at 4500 miles. Drove a 4cyl Contour loaner for 3 weeks and was miserable. But, when it was all over, I got to fall in love all over again! Hang in there brudda.

 

No lightning hitch cover, but if you find one, I want one in black, billet preferred.

The best i have found so far has been a billet Ford Oval w/a black background. I would love to find one with the Lightning bolt logo like on the fender of the 99's.

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Chuck 'Wyldman' Shelton
wyldman@houston.rr.com
Black 99.5 Lightning Build # 1273, DOB 5-14-99, NLOC #315
CD Changer; Tow Pkg.; Lojack; Sal's custom nitrous chip; G-Tech/Pro; SnugLid; BedRug; Invinca-Shield, full kit; NOS KIT 80 hp shot (currently); Clear and smoke Lexan fog light covers; 3M Ti Window Tint; Bel radar detector (shouldn't be an accessory); PowerStack cone filter (a.k.a. supercharger waker upper); American Auto Designs ram air hood; Cal-Tracs traction bars

 

Hey Peter, Sal here. Don't sweat it. I put a new motor in my 99 at 2200 miles. Even though I put it in myself, I was still a bit nervous about the whole situation. But the new motor made just as much power as the old, and supposedly has the "updated" pistons and such. I swear I still hear the noise at cold start up, but it's so faint, it doesn't bother me. What I'm hearing now is probably the timing chains anyway. How did you get matching tags on your motor? I bitched and moaned like a little girl about not having the original, numbers-matching motor in there (actually, I really just wanted to keep the old motor, but they were VERY interested in tearing it down because they had not seen one with this problem with such low milage). I'm sure you'll be nervous all week, but when you get the truck back, you'll just be that much happier

As for the hitch caps, I have though about making them because I don't tow with my truck and wanted something cool to fill the hole myself. I was thinking about a black cap with the chrome SVT emblem used on the 95 Lightning tailgate (and on the truck of any Cobra). I didn't want something too big, just something that covers the hole, but if you guys give me your suggestions, and seem interested, I'll start making some nice hitch caps.

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SAL
13.35@103mph
All stock with PSP 99 Lightning Chip and Filter Kit

Power Surge Performance--- Your SOURCE for SVT Lightning EFI Tuning and Performance!! http://members.aol.com/NLOCsvt/svt.html

 

Hey Sal, I like your idea for the hitch cover. Definately don't want anything too big.

 

Sal, I agree nothing too big, but it's definitely something I would buy from you.

Mike

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99.5 Black Lightning
PowerSurge Cone Filter
JBA Jet-Hot coated headers
Flowmaster muffler
Lo-Jack

 

count me in on that one! not to big like everyone else says. Oh ya put the check in the mail for your PSP Chip! sssshhhhh dont tell me, my wife bought it for me for Christmas, & I am not suppose to know about it. hehe

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99' Black Bolt
Clear Corner lenses
PSP Filter
SVT #3443


[This message has been edited by Yoda (edited 11-29-1999).]

 

Sal, I'm thinking that the tailgate already says SVT . What do you think of a stainless steel oval with a black or ford blue tightly corregated backgruond and a raised polished script Lightning underlined by a L. bolt.(like a small fender plaque) A raised polished border at the edge of the oval. Maybe thats too many letters to keep it small.

I was pleasantly surprised that the new motor came with a new SC and with matching serial numbers.
Hope the finish it this week. Its tough to go from king of the road to loaner countour. It seems that all the people I wanted to get next to at the stoplights in my L
were waiting for me to be in the contour. On the way to the dealer in the L I lined up with a Tarus, a six cylinder t/a , and a camery. On the way home in the contour it was a new camaro ss, a 96 C4 vette
and a M3. I just sat low in the seat and looked straight ahead. Lifes a beach.

 

well picked up my White L with new motor on friday. Has matched #s and was supposedly hand picked and tested to be perfect. I'll be danged if I dont still hear a little engine rattle during the warm up! Im not sure what to do now. I think I will just break it in properly, change the oil at 600 miles and see what happens.
Interestingly, the squeek in the bed is now gone. go figure! I wonder if they will make that the standard fix proceedure for a squeeky bed ie replace the motor.

 

I'm not trying to start any bad vibes by writing this, so please have an open mind when reading this. Wow guys reading this sure makes me nervous. I've always been a chevy truck man and must say have had absolutely outstanding luck w/chevy trucks (cant say the same about their cars). Over the years I have caught much flak around the campfire on our ATV trips from all the diehard ford friends about how much of a piece of junk chevy trucks are (they truly were that blatent about it), but for years I could never be a part of the campfire conversations, cause all the ford guys would talk about all night was how many problems they have had with their trucks and how many times they were in for service. I always told them the only time my chevy was at the dealer was to purchase it new. Anyhow, long and short of it. I have a 00 L on order and this will be my first ford product. It truly scares the heck of me to read about some of you that have had such a major problem with your motors. I have absolutely fallen in love w/the L and cant wait to get mine. I do understand and have had personal experiences with other new products having problems when they release a totally redesigned product. The 99 being totally new, were there some "early build" problems that were later resolved. I've never believed in extended warranties (bought an aftermarket one once and will never do that again), but being the high performance nature type vehicle this vehicle is (and some of the major probs I've read about), do you guys recommend going with the premiumcare warranty? I typically keep my vehicles many many years and sounds to me that an ESP would be a good investment. In closing I just want to say that I am in no way trying to say anything bad about ford, but just want to make sure that this L will be an awesome experience. One thing I must say is that it is very impressive to me the way ford handles the problem, I'm sure there are other manufactures that would simply repair/replace the bad components.

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Peter B. Ive had 6 ford products stangs and trucks with absolitely no problems. The noise in my engine was of questionable importance, it ran fine. Ford replaced the motor with no hastle anyways. I had a little squeek in the bed fixed with a squirt of WD 40. These trucks have so much going for them that we are willing to put up with a few hassels. Besides the 99 was the guinnie(spelling) pig year. Your 00 should be perfect.

 

Peter, I was a die hard GM man all my life. As an x auto mechanic from the 70's I hated Ford's with a passion. BUT THIS FORD ROCKS!!!I love this stupid piece of metal so much that when I go anywhere, even with my family, I don't want to go if I can't drive my L! I have 7000 miles on mine and except for the poping in the front end, and a little too much road noise, it is perfect.
I don't think I would worry about it. Come on over to the other side. It dosen't hurt any more after you dust a Vett. or two.


Jerry
(damn I wish the thing would let me modify my sig.)

 

HEY GUY. THIS REALLY SUCKS , YOU SPEND 30K TO GET ONE OF A KIND ORIGINAL AND THE MOTORS ARE BAD,
YOU REALLY ARE SCARING ME I HAVE #3700 WHUTE AND MY ENGINE HAS A LOWER END KNOCK WHEN COLD AND ISNT EXACTLY QUEIT WHEN WARM.I AM HESITENT DO HAVE A NEW MOTOR SEEING I WANT THE ORIGINAL IN THE TRUCK.DOES ANYBODY KNOW IF THE CHIP GETS RID OF THE REV LIMITER? I THOUGHT THE KNOCK WAS OK BUT NOW IM SCARED.THANKS ALOT , SOMETIMES NOT KNOWING IS BETTER THAN KNOWING THE TRUTH, KINDA LIKE CHEATIN ON YOUR WIFE LOL LOL