Easterisland posted an interesting Poll on NLOC ... I thought I would borrow his idea and post it here.

Easterisland - Hope you dont mind me posting this - I assumed you would have if given the chance.

Too much boost?
Too lean?
Bad parts?
Driven too hard?

You can pick more than one option

This will last only as long as it stays civilized

Doug

 

Good poll!

I think a combination of pushing too much boost/lean conditions.

I don't remember hearing of too many blown motors a year ago except for the occasional over-doing of the giggle juice...

 

I think we need to add that Owner Ignored Signs of Trouble. This has got to be the worst thing anyone could do.

 

usahooters

That would be covered under driven too hard

Doug

 

In my honest opinion, I believe we are over boosting these "stock" bottom end motors. We have come from accepting 2-3 lbs. boost increase as a safe haven in 99, to spinning the ***** out of the same blower 2 years later, with an additional 6 lbs. of boost. Go figure.....

Come summer, in the heat, I wouldnt be surprised to see many, many more "stock" bottom end motors letting loose.

 

I have the same feeling. more will blow this summer. I do feel safer with the new motor I have now though. I took the truck and had it dataloged for the chip. The chip was pulled twice and reburnd after the tests to make it perfect.


TO
Everybody that has had a blown motor,

Did you have an over the counter chip? Or did any of you have the truck tuned on a dyno, or have it dataloged???

 

Stock bottom end is the problem other than the pistons, we have the same short block as the standard 5.4. Ford claims 380hp but that is bull I have seen about a 100 dynos on the 2001 L motors making between 340 to 360hp at the rear wheels. Is it a wounder the engine in the new GT40 claiming 500hp has custom H-Beam rods and billit steel crank. I just trashed my rods last night on the highway and there was no warning it was gona go just a loud pop and and a lot of shaking. I am only running a 3# pully, JL intake and Diablo chip.

 

I would bet, plug and play

 

Ford claims 380HP at the flywheel for the 2001, 360HP for '99 and '00. If you get 340 to 360HP at the rear wheels you will be little over 380HP as advertised.

 

I think it is a combination af the boost and the driving.If you look at the motors that are blowing up the vast majority are drag racers.WOT till the traps then closed throttle think what is happening to the rods.Plus these motors are on the edge from the factory and adding more boost just makes it that much worse.
And before anyone says it,if they did put better rods in these, the price would be working toward the 38 to 40,000 dollar range.After all look at what people mark things up and I would think Ford would too.Stan

 

My impression is it is a lean condition caused by bad programming. In my opinion there appears to be one chip that is in more of the blown engines than the others; however, I have no documented proof of this and I am not trying to start a flame war and I will not name it. It would be interesting if we could get a definative list of all the mods on all blown engines including the chip makers.

It may be over boost but what is over boost. Last year I ran a 2 lb pulley with no problem. This year I am running a 4 lb pulley. I believe that overboost will throw the rods in these engines but where is it? +2, +4, +6, +???? Time will tell the answer to that question as not many were running much more than 2 last year, but now we have quite a few running 4 and even 6.
noelvm

 

A combination of so many things...hmmm.

Today, I ran it 'hard' for the first time since Nov.(at the track)

I spent 4.5 hours two weeks ago replacing the stock plugs with BR7EFS(.040) because of my fear of running too lean(or too 'hot') with the new 5lb pulley. I also replaced the 'stat with a 160F. And, I pay extra for Royal Purple #11(5W20) Racing oil for its superior synthetic properties. I also add Torco Accelerator(unleaded) Concentrate to the 93 oct. fuel for its oct. increasing abilities. (Ran a new best today--see sig.)

I don't know if this has anything to do with the problem but, how many engs. are blowing--on the street--or on the track? I think that more are blowing on the street???

Dan

 

Dan you pose a good question. It would be interesting to know whether they were blown on the street or at the track.
noelvm

 

Bad parts and driven too hard in combination with either a too lean condition, or too much boost. How hard and how much more expensive would it have been to put in a stronger bottom end and to beef up the trannys in these things at the factory anyway.

Another thing.....These things have the aerodynamics of a cynder-block. Driving them at more than 100mph for an extended period of time has got to be alot harder on the drivetrain than it would be for a sports car. Somethings gotta give eventually.

 

I gotta tell ya. Sitting here looking at this poll, I also agree that there are too many hard driven L out there. Dont get me wrong...drive it like you stole it.
I dont post much, up until recently, but I have been running nitrous in my L for some time without a glitch. And of course following the board.
It seems to me that there are too many folks out there beating on their truck through the course of a fun night out with the friends or what, and not paying attention to every last detail that is going on with the truck. You need to listen for detonation (as if some didnt know) and keep an eye on temperatures to keep everything within check.
I have had plenty of cool nights just testing different things and running back to back to back 140 mph blasts up and down the highway. And the one thing that always bit me in the *** was the ocassional burnt plug from time to time, and if you catch it in time, you avoid problems. No matter what plug you have,Plugs heat up, without enough coool down you'll spit a plug, a rod,.......or something.

My stupid point was " listen and know what your truck is doing at all times"

Tuners are giving us what we want, so they have nothing (kinda) to do with all this crap. IMO