I'm here to whine, and maybe get some answers, regarding my '97 F150 Lariat with the 4.6 engine. It has 143,000 miles on it (I bought it with 30k). The head gasket was shot right after I bought it, leaking oil badly....the dealer fixed that. The services are performed regularly and I use only Ford dealer parts.

For the past year I hear a tapping occassionally from the left head, which I assume is from the lifters collapsing and pumping back up. The engine pings badly on anything but premium, and even then it does on occassion. I've never had a check engine light come on. Even after a total tune-up with OEM parts it's the same. I have learned to live with this extremely annoying issue.

Now when I start it in the morning, there is a knock from the bottom of the engine and it's gotten slightly worse over the last few weeks. It does go away after a minute or two of running but I have flashbacks of my wife's '93 Sable with the 3.8 that, at 81,000 needed new main bearings. I junked the car for a grand

I hate this engine, have from day one as it is loud, coarse and underpowered (for this truck). But I like the truck so my dilemna is...are my thoughts on the lifter and knocking problems correct and if so how huge a job is it to do each?
Thanks to all you guys!!
Tony

 

Sounds like you had a bad 4.6 experience. In most cases, they are extremely reliable but are down on power. Sounds like the perfect reason to swap in a 2 valve 5.4. That's my plan for my truck when my 281 kicks the proverbial bucket.

 

wow sorry to hear i got my 97 4.6 with 98,000 on it had some trouble with spark plugs for a while then went to motorcraft no motor probs to speak of have 151,000 on the clock now and my last oil change i used 10W30 instead of 5W20 because i was getting the slight rod knock at idle on start up and in park at idle i switched to 10W30 and haven't heard it knock or do anything since then.

When i got my F-150 i was confuzed. i had a 94 4.6 Grand marquis and the oil cap says 10W40 why would 3 years make a diff in the weght of the oil??

but i love my 4.6 would rather have the 5.4 but this 4.6 windsor has gone to hell and back *many times * Hell, MI its ran on 4 cyls in the drive way. 6 cyls on an 80 mile trip and just keeps comin back for more. Now on 8 cyl i get 18MPG city and 20-22MPG highway. it was getting 10MPG when i first got it.

Sorry to hear about your 4.6 being crappy.

As 4.6 punisher said time for a 5.4 2V i have a 5.4 2V short block out of a 2002 F-150 just need heads and that will go in when my 4.6 kicks the bucket.

 

well you've got to admit even after YEARS of your abuse the motor is still running

 

2v 4.6's are poop on power n/a
but very reliable, got mine with 128k back in 07 now i have almost 220k on it and with tune, cai and exhaust i recently got 17-18mpg with over 500lbs in the bed going to new mexico

 

Sounds like you got a bad one. That sucks

 

Unusual. Someone hurt it before you took over, - that's my guess anyway. - Then traded it in. It happens.

 

Sounds like a good time for a PI 5.4 swap. That will make you love your truck all over again.

Kinds sketchy putting money into fixing a thought to be head issue on an underpowered tired motor. Head gasket job at 30k is never a good sign. I'd do a compression check before you go throwing more money into it. Look around for a 99+ 5.4L. For an overall cost of around 2k, you can have that thing back alive again. Just my opinion.

And did the 97 4.6L have lifters? Not sure if they did as I am not familiar with the 4.6 as much as the 5.4. Were the cats replaced when the HG went bad? Or inspected.. A bad HG can toast the cats pretty quick.