I just bought my 5.4 2004 F-150 SC in Dec. and finally got around to changing the oil. The engine only has 37k on it (bought it with 33k) and since the oil looked pretty dirty I decided to do the engine flush to start off clean from here out. I poured in a can of the old 5 min. engine flush, ran it for 5 mins. then waiting 30 minutes to cool down. When I drained the oil I did'nt see much but dirty oil but when I was pouring it from the drain pan to some jugs it was CHUNKY!! Not just dark, black, dirty, or thick... BUT CHUNKY!! The oil almost came to a stop at times as I poured it into the one gallon jugs from the drain pan. I have had about 30 cars in my life and this is the second newest, and I have never in my life seen a worse batch of oil. I have had some of the crappiest beaters you will ever see and 100k miles is usually my starting point with a car, and this is the worse ever. Please someone tell me that this is common in the 5.4 or something because I feell like selling this thing now. It has always run well except the diesel sound that seems to be the norm with the 5.4 according to the dealer and this forum. I have always heard that fords were the worse for brownie in the engine but c'mon is this really how quick they can gum up? I have not started it back up yet since I seem to have bought the wrong filter and would never put the one I just took off back on since it is probably clogged. I am already planning to rechange the oil again in a week or maybe less.

anyone else seen this????

John
2004 F-150 SC Lariat 5.4 2x4

 

I have two suspicions:
1) Something to do with this 5 minute flush stuff you used.
2) Negligence by the previous owner.

"Chunky" oil is definitely not common (in fact I would have to say this is the first time Ive heard of it...short of blown engines with chunks of metal coming out).

 

You need to take that truck back!!!

 

probably this miracle solution in the oil will cause oil sludge.. dirty air filter or long term use of a K&N filter will cause engine sludge up.. PCV needing replacement... poor matinance on the vehicle or cheap oil filters... but id take the truck back. or drop the pan on it clean it out and the oil pick up/screen.

 

That's the thing about used cars, you just don't know how they have been maintained. Sounds like the oil had not been change until you did so.

 

You are right about that. It had been done at least once since it was not the ford filter, but when? I just am shocked that there could be that much sludge to dislodge in only 37k miles. I am just used to foreign cars that practically never sludge even with 50k miles on the same oil. This truck had to have at least one oil change and had lots of sludge coming out with a flush. It also ticks as loud as ever, probably a stuck lifter. No return on this baby (bought it on e-Bay) and I have had it too long, and Fords 36k warranty is only good if they left a main crank bolt loose at the plant. even Yugo engines would run at least 36k miles. It is AFTER that when the vaseline is needed. Hopefully I can clean this ones engine and get it back on the right track. The funny thing is that the lifter tick only happens after the engine has been running a minute or so and goes away as soon as you rev it up.

John

 

Mine does the same lifter clicking noise. It goes away if you rev the engine.

It's not the oil's fault. You can leave your oil in the truck for 30,000 miles without building up chunks. Sounds like somebody may have poured something else into the crankcase that didn't mix well with the oil. I guess that it could also be gumming up your lash adjusters maybe.

I don't know how good this will be for your engine, but, you could try mixing a 50/50 blend of diesel and oil and run that in the engine for a minute or so. It would break up the sludge, but it may not be good for the engine.

I would ask a mechanic what to do to clean it out, or maybe take it by the Ford dealership. Whatever you do, DON'T RUN PURE DIESEL IN THE ENGINE!!!!!! Doing so can shorten its life considerably and abruptly.

 

Could it be that something was in your drain pan before you drained the oil into it? Just a thought.

 

I was also thinking that.

You waited 4k to change oil you didn't even know the age of (for sure anyhow) ?? I change the oil within the first week of buying a used vehicle.

Good advice (as long as you didn't find any metal in there). And change the oil every 1k the next 3k.

Just my advice.

 

word to the wise... I'm a certified ASE mechanic... there's a couple problems at work here.... First, you obviousily do not know what the previous owner did to the vehicle. There are a couple of simple things you can do to ensure your engine runs the best it can and lasts as long as possible. The number one thing is use the factory advised weight of oil, and use quality oil. Also keep in mind that you should NEVER switch between different oils. Pick your brand and type, and stick with it. All oils have additives and different formulas that are designed to work in a specific fashion. When you go mixing oils, or frequentily changing brands/types of oil the detergents and additives can counteract eachother. This is often times the reason for buildup and sludge in an engine. Second thing... NEVER NEVER NEVER put the so called "magic in a bottle" junk into your engine. There are no liquid fixes for mechanical or physical problems. That "5 minute flush" might do a good job of breaking down all that sludge, but think about it for a minute, if it's breaking down build up, what is it doing to your oil? Oil cleans, lubricates and cools your engine; you should never need to add some additional type of cleaner. The worst think you can do is have all that sludge and chunks floating around in your oil, getting passed through your oil system, cloging your pick-up screen, oil filter, and oil passages. The oil industry spends millions of dollars a year on research; if there were some way to improve their product, they would do it. Everyone that sells additives are just lining their pocket book on your misfortune. And the third and final thing... Always change your oil every 3mo or 3000 miles. Contaminates do get into your oil, the rings on your pistons allow a small amount of blow by, which is usually carbon; this is why your oil becomes dark. It's important to get that carbon out of your engine before the oil becomes too loaded with it; that is also another common cause of buildup. And keep in mind that everytime your engine heats up and cools down you get a small amount of condensation in your crack case; so as time goes by, you get small amounts of water in your oil. Follow these three rules with your engine oil and you'll be problem free.

 

I have been really busy after buying this truck and wanted to have the time for the oil change. My Expedition for instance is required to spill 1 qt. of oil all over the underside of the frame and ground when you remove the filter and worm it out of it's hole. Then you have to spray down the engine and driveway if you didn't put 10 sqft of newspaper down first. I figured this truck would be the same but it was actually a little better. Only problem was I was given the wrong filter the first time and had to go get another (in the Expedition). I plan to keep cleaning and changing oil until it stays clear for a day or so, then every 3000 miles as usual. I noticed that this truck calls for 5w20, maybe the last guy used 20w50 or something in it. I don't believe in the magic potions either but 5 min. flush does what it is suppossed to. I hate to break that stuff loose but it has to come out. Once I get things right buildup should not be a problem. I am thinking of going synthetic after this. Any opinions? I hear synthetic won't sludge up like dino oil, and that is going to be a factor to be aware of it seems.

John

 

my dads Ford Master Certified... and the cleaner ford approves is B12 Chemtool pour the can into the crank case and let the engine idle for a few min then change the oil it breaks down crude and dosolves it. works wonders.

 

Sounds like the previous owner put his own miracle in a bottle in before he sold it. Like possibly one of those tubes of gunk that look like a grease tube that is supposed to stop the ticking?

 

Dyno oil doesn't sludge up unless you do something really weird to your engine. You're just wasting money if you switch to synthetics. IMHO

Regardelss, Just change your oil and you will be fine. Even dollar general oil is good as long as you change it periodically.

 

It sounds like maybe this engine got to see many cold start, short drives and created the problem that you have. The chunks, as such, are probably hydrolized water that comes from condensation that has built up in the engine. I would suggest getting a quality 5w-20 oil of your choice and drive it. If there is much more sludge in the engine, driving will dry it out via the PCV system. If the oil looks nasty quick, use a blotter test to see if it is really contaminated. Put a drop on a paper towel and watch as the oil spreads. If you have a dark ring at the outter edge, it's time to change oil. If the ring is a brownish color and is consistant, the oil is okay. If you still want to flush the engine, there are several safe ways to do it. Using a synthetic oil that is a PAO basestock or ester will slowly clean the junk out. For this I would suggest using Mobil One, Royal Purple, or Redline. Another way to flush is to use a product known as Auto Rx. It has the same esters in it as the esters in a PAO basestock oil. It will slowly but gently clean the engine. I think the link is www.auto-rx.com. What I find interesting though, no one has mentioned your lifter noise. You don't have any. The 5.4 is an OHC engine. You either have piston slap or a noisy follower. My guess is the follower and the Tritons are noted for having this noise. Mine makes a ticking noise occasionally and my oil analysis is usually pristine. Unless it is excessive, I wouldn't worry about it.

Oh yeah, if you go to the Auto-Rx site, be aware of wild exotic claims. The product is good, the advertizing hype is BS. Don't read a lot into the information provided. It is a good, safe, cleaner- nothing more.