Since I have had no luck finding out when Ford incorporated the piston slap fix for new production enginges, I'll try another approach. For those of you that currently have, or have had the piston slap problem previouly corrected i.e. new engine. What were the build dates on your defective engines? Were any of them built in 1999, and if so how late in the year? Maybe this will provide some insight as to when the problem was corrected. The build date on my motor is 5/9/99, so far so good. Knock on wood, not on pistons.

Bob P.

[This message has been edited by bob.pellegrino (edited 10-11-1999).]

 

I most be missing something here. Why is it that so many people talk about having the piston slap problem, but I can't get so much as a single reply regarding your engine build dates? Someone call a doctor I'm not sure this forum has a pulse.

Bob P.

 

Bob, I'm here and I have a pulse but I don't have an answer. I DO have the same question though. Did Ford fix this permanently on new engines and when? You're on the right track... or backtrack, to find out by engine build dates and 'slap' noise correlation, when, or if, Ford fixed this. Must be the engineering background, eh?

C'mon guys, and gals, we can nail this down once and for all.

 

Sorry, if I had a 5.4, i'd tell you my build date. About this site having no pulse, we do, its just Some people are on most of the time and some arent.

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Fast46Triton

1999 Ford F150 XLT Supercab, Shortbed, 4x2, 4 wheel disc brakes/4 wheel Anti-Lock Brakes, Cloth Seats, Amazon green, 16" All season tires, Soft Tonneau Cover, CD Player, 4.6 liter Triton V8, 3:55 ls, towing package, 4 speed auto, K&N Airfilter
Future Mods:
1)Superchip
2)Airbox Mod
3)Gibson Exhaust

 

Bob, I haven't been officially "diagnosed" by DR Ford with acute piston slap, however I suspect that I'm coming down with symptoms of it. My build date on my motor was 10/98, I know your searching for build dates in 99, at least this will give you a baseline.....

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1999 F150 4x4, dark blue, 5.4l auto, Manick brush guard, KC Hilites, tinted windows, K&N air filter without airbox, Gibson side swept exhaust, bedliner, toolbox, Uniden CB with whip, and now, a mild developing case of "piston slap", but that's OK, Big Blue says that he'll hang in there for a while...

 

I have 2500, miles no piston slaping noise. My engine build date is 4/22/99

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99 F150 XLT 4X4 s/c orp 5.4 automatic 3:73
Ford soft tonneau cover rubber maid bed mat and mud from the dirt bike

 

I don't think anyone wants to win this one Bob.

 

Bob,

my 99 5.4 sc has an engine build date of 020299. I don't think I have it....if I do, it's so slight that I have trouble hearing it ...although ocasionally I hear something very very faint (I'm afraid to investigate at this point...9,000 miles) but I think I hear it mostly the next morning after reading piston slap threads...


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Eric
'99 Lariat SC 5.4 4x2 3.55ls Tow-pkg
Oxford White/Harvest Gold

 

Just a comment for those wishing build dates--my 5.4 was built on 6-10-97--no piston slap.

 

3/23/99 10,000 miles, no slap.

(I hope I never have to edit this one.)

 

I'm glad to see some replies to my build date query. I think the only way to get a resonable idea of when Ford corrected this piston problem is to examine the only factual information we have ready access to, that being our engine build dates. I certainly would feel better knowing if I could resonably rule out the potential of developing this problem, as would many others with late model 5.4L's I'm sure. So please post your engine build dates and status, it should not take long to collect enough data to nail down the approximate date that this problem was corrected. Thanks again. ( 5/9/99 engine build, 1500 miles no problems 17mpg )

Bob P.

[This message has been edited by bob.pellegrino (edited 10-19-1999).]

 

Engine Build date of 6/15/99 - 3500 miles, no slappy!!

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99 F-150 4x2 S/C, 5.4L, Lariat, Black / Gold, 3.55 l/s, Tonneau, Ford Duraliner, small salt and pepper schnauzer named Burnee...more to come!!

 

98 model 5.4L s/c XLT 17,700 miles...no piston slap (so far). Build date 4/18/98.

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00 5.4L XLT s/c in 5 days



[This message has been edited by Dustoff (edited 10-19-1999).]

 

Well........Unfortunately...and with sick stomach....Unlike Raoul ....I must ammend my post from last night. I had to go to the dealer today to meet with the "quality whatever" technician who's job it is to detect with me the noise/condition that the reqular tech could'nt find. My truck was in for a slight clunk in steering column. Well, I couldn't go in last night, so the truck sat parked all last night and most of today. The guy seemed like a knowledgeable "down to business" type of person...so before he started my truck I asked if he had heard piston slap before. He said yes, and I asked him to pay attention to it when he started it. Well to my great shock... he started it, listened for about 10-15 seconds...then very matter-of-factly stated: "yep...that piston slap".. His straitforwardness surprised me after having read so many posts on this board on Ford's attitude.
He said 99s get new engine's off the line, and 97 or 98 get FQR engines. I haven't decided how to pursue it at this point because it's not very loud...but I imagine that I'll have the engine replaced... It really bugs me that I have the slap. I took my chances though...I listened closely when I bought it and couldn't hear it. ...So once again my build date is 020299 (engine)...I guess I jinxed myself..huh..
sorry for the long post


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Eric
'99 Lariat SC 5.4 4x2 3.55ls Tow-pkg
Oxford White/Harvest Gold

 

Hey Eric, it ain't Cancer. Sounds to me like you're in the best of worlds. Your slap was detected early and your dealer gave you no grief.

Who knows how many of us are riding around with slap to slight to detect that will finally be diagnosed at the reading of 36001.

My engine was built a full seven weeks after yours so I'm fat and happy.

Well, fat anyways.