i had ford do a diag. test today and they said it was a piston knock. now i know there are several options, and they all have there alloted funding range. i'm considering the jlp build block for 3599. but i will have to save for a while. what have ya'll done that have been where i am?. would it more cost evective to just take and rebuild my lower end with a forged bottom end? how would i know if the cyl. wall isnt already too far gone to do that? i'm so lost right now. help

 

just bumpin it up so that maybe some one has some ideas and will write something

 

does it only do it when you first start it?

 

If it only does this when you first start it up, I think Ford considers this to be a normal charecteristic refered to as "piston slap".

 

well parts alone ran me around $2k. ford racing forged crank MAY be a backordered item so you better check that beforehand if your gonna go that route. should run ya about $360 for the crank. i think the pistons, rods, and bearings ran me around $1300.
if you have it machined expect roughly 500 ball park for the short block.

 

DO NOT spend $ until you get a second opinion. I've seen Ford dealers screw up way too many diag's...

There are L experts in Florida, find one.

 

i was gettin it tuned when i was first told it was a rod goin out. (no i didnt get it tuned) and he only works on fords..maily lightnings and cobras. i'm stationed at eglin efb does anyone know of a trust worthy place?

 

The Ford racing crank is just a stock forged crank. Same crank that comes stock in all Lightnings and 97-00 F-150s.

 

Where did you go, RWTD? If not that's where I'd go. He's over in Mobile.

 

never heard of a rod going out...?

 

My two cents...if you rev it make sure you load it against the converter in gear. That's usually when you can really get the loose bearings to sound off usually on the mains. But pistons will swell with heat and lesson the sound. I had a loose bored 429 with forged and they sounded like a sewing machine rocking and clacking all the time even when it was up to 180 degrees, but you could not believe it when it was cold sounded like it was swapping holes.hehehe

 

never heard a RWTD i went to xxx motorsports in p-cola. and if is a rod i'm dont wanna take it to mobile. :/ but if need be i can. if you check the resent threats. i posted one i think it was called....rod knock...some one replied with a pic of the stock bottom end. and an explaination. i really ove this truck and i still owe like 9500 on it...it blue books for like 8500 but nada (the bank around here uses it) says 12500. so i have concidered selling it(if i can get enough for it) and try to get one in the 30,000 mile range. atleast that way i can start saving for built bottom end but at my own leasure. i'm only an a1c in the air force so i'm not made of money but i have expencive taste lol. anyone else know of anybody around my area? maybe even someone who would make house calls for a price?

 

yes sir! i merely had a non L block so i had to hunt down a forged crank, my crank was cast in my 02 block and didnt want to run that crank in a built motor.

edit: also, if there happens to be damage to his crank it may benefit him to know appx price of a new forged crank.