I posed this question some time ago but didn't get the responses I was looking for and have had some new devlopments so here goes:

After working with my dealer for nearly a year now they have ordered a new engine for my truck (the cure for the infamous piston slap). My question is has anyone had any experience with or knowledge of the FQR engines? The dealer says it has new pistons that are "guaranteed" not to make a sound. Well, I'll beleive it when I see it (or is that when I hear it - well sh*%, you guys know what I am talking about)

I don't want to be the first sucker to try out the second version of these new motors. I was already a test pilot for the 5.4 and got burned. Help!

------------------
'97 F150 Lariat, Flareside, SC, ORP, 5.4, Mods: 305/70/16 GY ATS, AR Baja wheels, dual exhaust, Smittybilt nerf bars, Edelbrock IAS Shocks, K&N Filter and fog light mod.

 

Also, the dealer said that the engine is coming from Texas. Does any one of the thousands of people who come here everyday work at this "Texas" engine plant. What about soemone that knows someone? I would like to know exactly what they are "rebuilding" and what they are replacing with new.

Thanks!

------------------
'97 F150 Lariat, Flareside, SC, ORP, 5.4, Mods: 305/70/16 GY ATS, AR Baja wheels, dual exhaust, Smittybilt nerf bars, Edelbrock IAS Shocks, K&N Filter and fog light mod.

 

Complain, call, write e-mails, talk with others on the board etc. I wish I could tell you that Ford will say "hey, this guy needs a new engine, lets get him one" but they won't. Not if my experience is any indication of Ford's attitude on this problem.

My service department as been really excellent through this whole thing. I can't imagine trying to work through this with a crappy one (and there are alot out there.)

Keep us posted. Maybe If you get stuck at a certain level I can provide some alternative contacts or ideas to get you moving again. Bottom line is that it will take time, it will be frustrating and you will have to talk to alot of people. Good luck!

------------------
'97 F150 Lariat, Flareside, SC, ORP, 5.4, Mods: 305/70/16 GY ATS, AR Baja wheels, dual exhaust, Smittybilt nerf bars, Edelbrock IAS Shocks, K&N Filter and fog light mod.

 

I posted this on another thread last night...

Has anyone thought of contacting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at their web site (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/) to have them look into this? This is about the only way to really get this problem solved..if there truly is one. Currently, there are no active investigations into this..(just received a reply to my e-mail to them) and I would seriously doubt Ford will do anything until N.H.T.S.A. gets involved.
Fill out the complaint form: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/ivoq/default.htm

"Please provide your name, address, and phone number, as well as specific details about your vehicle and the problems you encountered with it. We would like to have a telephone number where you can be reached or where we can leave a message. This is necessary to obtain more detailed information when required for our investigative efforts. You may want to have your owner's manual handy as you proceed through the several screens of the questionnaire. Required information is marked with *. "

I have a 1998 Ford F-150 XLT, 5.4L V-8, 16,000 miles..and have not heard any piston slap at all. No problems at all from this truck. A friend of mine had a 97 F-150 XLT..4.6L V8..with 67,000 miles on it and he also never had a problem with piston slap. He had warped rear drums from pulling trailers..but that was all.

 

I'm guessing but I bet the NHTSA wouldn't do anything. The piston slap is not a safety issue.

Don't get me wrong, Ford IS replacing the engine in my truck. It was a long process to get to this point and I'm not sure why. It could have been that it wasn't something they knew alot about and they just didn't want to jump into a fix that wasn't well thought out (smart business move.) More than likely though they have saved millions from the people who just "gave up."

The main point of this post though is to find out exactly what they are going to replace my defective motor with. Someone, somewhere has to know someone who works at the Texas facility or Ford for that matter and can tell me how they are building these replacement motors.

Secondarily this post is intended to keep the interested members up-to-date about the piston slap problem. I know there are alot of you out there with varing degrees of slap.

I will know more in about a week once they get the new engine in. I told the service manager that I wanted to see it before they shoe horned it into the truck. Unfortunately I wont know what's on the inside (i.e new crank, valves etc.).


------------------
'97 F150 Lariat, Flareside, SC, ORP, 5.4, Mods: 305/70/16 GY ATS, AR Baja wheels, dual exhaust, Smittybilt nerf bars, Edelbrock IAS Shocks, K&N Filter and fog light mod.

 

I am taking my truck to the dealer today for the piston slap problem. What steps did you take to get Ford to replace your engine. I hope it don't take over a year for me. Any help would be appreciated. Hope you get a better engine this time.

------------------
97 F150 XLT, 5.4, EXTANG,SUPERCHIP, EDELBROCK SHOCKS,
GIBSON SPLIT REAR,
HELLWIG SWAY BAR,
AIRAID, BOSCH +4,
SONY ES-CDX880 HEAD,
SONY ES-XM5046 AMP
BOSTON PRO'S 6.5 FRONT

 

KKIRT1, Was your engine knocking all the time or just at start up. We just now had some cold mornings (50's) when I heard mine knocking, but durning the day never heard any more noise.

------------------
97 F150 XLT, 5.4, EXTANG,SUPERCHIP, EDELBROCK SHOCKS,
GIBSON SPLIT REAR,
HELLWIG SWAY BAR,
AIRAID, BOSCH +4,
SONY ES-CDX880 HEAD,
SONY ES-XM5046 AMP
BOSTON PRO'S 6.5 FRONT

 

UPDATE: 1st time taking my truck to the dealership for the piston slap problem, the dealership called me back this morning and said they heard the noise!! They called the assembley plant to find out what should be done about this problem. Will this be where the fight comes in or will they just replace the engine?

------------------
97 F150 XLT, 5.4, EXTANG,SUPERCHIP, EDELBROCK SHOCKS,
GIBSON SPLIT REAR,
HELLWIG SWAY BAR,
AIRAID, BOSCH +4,
SONY ES-CDX880 HEAD,
SONY ES-XM5046 AMP
BOSTON PRO'S 6.5 FRONT



[This message has been edited by INDY (edited 09-04-1999).]

 

Indy: Hopefully my first impression was correct. Maybe Ford just needed time to make a decision about what they wanted to do. They aren't the only business that has problems making decisions at the top and I bet this one went all the way to the top!

Good luck!

Still waiting for someone with even a rumor about what is being put into these engines down in Texas.

------------------
'97 F150 Lariat, Flareside, SC, ORP, 5.4, Mods: 305/70/16 GY ATS, AR Baja wheels, dual exhaust, Smittybilt nerf bars, Edelbrock IAS Shocks, K&N Filter and fog light mod.

 

UPDATE: My dealer called me back tonight and said that Ford authorizied them to install a new(rebuilt) motor. The dealer said they put one on order and would let me know when it shows up. Wow Iam still mad about a buying a new truck and have major engine problems but when I get this type of service I guess I can't complain. I feel sorry for those of you that waited a year and fought with Ford but thanks to you guys/gals maybe this is why Iam getting my engine without any hassel. Gut luck to everyone!

------------------
97 F150 XLT, 5.4, EXTANG,SUPERCHIP, EDELBROCK SHOCKS,
GIBSON SPLIT REAR,
HELLWIG SWAY BAR,
AIRAID, BOSCH +4,
SONY ES-CDX880 HEAD,
SONY ES-XM5046 AMP
BOSTON PRO'S 6.5 FRONT

 

Now is the piston slap only happening on the 5.4 engines? How about the 4.2 engines? I hear a little clicking in the engine in the morning. It sounds more like tappets or timing belt. Can't imagine having an engine problem yet with only 4500 miles.

 

I got OK'd for a new 5.4 engine just a month ago. They said mid-Sept. Just talked to MY service guy and ford told him to call back after the 19th. Another service guy claims Ford is "having trouble" putting the new engines together... Hum? Whatever that means. He suggested it might be until mid-Oct before the engine arrives. Didn't know there even an engine factory in Texas. (My dealer has never refered to any of this an FQR program.)

 

Way to go, kkirt 1! You got your new motor and you deserve it. A bad batch of early engines - hey, I can understand. Not fully tested, I can understand that too, and forgive. After all, it's a GM tradition: Use the first years' customers as the proving ground. Remember the Fiero? By the time it got a V6 and real suspension, it was un-sellable. And the Corvair? And maybe one day they'll build a passenger van that doesn't fold up like a tin can in a head-on?

It's just a great injustice that you, and FrankP and INDY and others, had to fight for a year or so to get satisfaction. All you guys with early 5.4 piston-slappers, you paid - what - $5,000 - for that motor out of the cost of the whole truck? And it's an optional motor, though that shouldn't matter.
You deserve satisfaction.

At the very least, any company with an interest in its future should express concern with a possible defect, investigate, promise to take back any product that fails to satisfy and, if something proves defective (and it can happen to anyone, ask Chevy Blazer and S-10 owners about impossible-to-fix ABS), they should tell you up front they will MAKE IT RIGHT. No run around. No BS. (Hey, I can be patient.)

If the replacement product is not available; if they don't know what the problem is but are investigating; if - WHATEVER! - the company owes you, as its "valued" customer, basic honesty and NOTHING LESS. Along with a satisfying ownership experience at the end of it.

Car companies, and Ford in this case, seem to have forgotten that customers have memories. And they tell their friends, including their Internet friends, about their experiences with a vehicle, good or bad. And they don't come back when they're jerked around. Wow! I feel better now. (Good thing I didn't throw my TV out the window!!)

I love my truck - and never owned a GM or Dodge. I just wish I wasn't dealing with their cave-man, f&*k-you mentality in the service departments.

------------------
1998 XL SC short-box 4.2 5-speed 3.55LS, Pacific Green, A/C, factory box liner, factory dark tinted rear glass (like the XLT), cassette, carpet, Canadian XLS package (split bench, chrome wheels, side mouldings, box light, tailgate lock), sill guards, Windstar (driver's) wiper blade (the one with the air scoop). Oh ya: snazzy Tweetie Bird floor mats.

New 2000 F-150 on order, same as the current one except black and XLT. Great trucks!

 

Shifter: Damn, you got me all worked up too

I appreciate your support. These trucks are awesome. Best trucks on the road today - bar none!

I am just glad I will finally be able to put this behind me. Good luck to the rest of the "piston slappers." Don't give up!

------------------
'97 F150 Lariat, Flareside, white/sliver, SC, ORP, 5.4, Mods: 305/70/16 GY ATS, AR Baja wheels, dual exhaust, Smittybilt Nerf Bars, Edelbrock IAS Shocks, K&N Filter and Carbon Fiber Bug Gaurd. Rigged the fog lights too.

 

if my 4.6l goes out for the prob, any chance they would replace it with a 5.4?