Hello and Merry Christmas ...

Hey .. either someone has just dumped a box or rocks into my engine, or I have the dreaded piston slap. I have read the engine tag on the valve cover and know it is one of the slappys.

I have a 1998 5.4, that just turned 20k miles .. and would be my luck .. it is 3 months out of warranty. Warranty ran out in the summer .. and you know ... sounded fine then. It also sounded fine last winter.. but this winter it is NOT fine at all.

My question is .. does anyone know what Ford is doing, if anything, for those of us out of warranty? I mean, they HAVE admitted that there is a problem, and have replaced many engines... but what about us out of warranty people. Is there a pro-rated replacement plan?

I really like my truck .. but OMG .. that sound when it cold starts .. breaks my heart. I am an old mechanic .. and I know .. that can't be good.

Thanks for your help.

Russ

 

I have a slapper that popped up out of warranty... Out of warranty...out of luck as I found out.

I dramatically decreased the slapping by using a high-flow oil filter like Mobil 1 or Purolator Pure 1 and Mobil 1 0w-30 in cold weather and 5w-30 in warm weather.

I used to use Castrol Syntec 5w-30 and it made the slapping 10 times worse, at least...

Try the Mobil 1 combination, it defintely worked for me. The slapping was barely noticeable for about 45 seconds or so this morning when I left for work. It was 9 degrees outside and my truck was not in the garage (I'm working on my 4 wheeler in there right now).

Give it a try, it worked for me...

 

Does the piston slap thing apply only to the 5.4l? I have an '01 Scab, 4.6l and I hear a faint ticking sound when I start it up and during acceleration. It is not loud, just a faint, background noise coming from under the hood. It's been there since new so I didn't worry too much about it but would still like to know what it could be. Almost sounds like one of the old Boss 351 engines with solid lifters. Also, I'm using Amsoil 5w-20 and an Amsoil SDF-11 filter.

Any ideas?

Natty

 

As I remember from the Ford bulletin the slapping problem was fixed in late 1999 so the 2000 and 2001 5.4's are fine. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Just to help put your mind at ease a bit. There's still not evidence that piston slap is bad. There are a lot of people out their with "slapping" engines with over 100,000 miles on them.

If I had an engine that slapped out of warranty, I'd do what others have suggested and try a higher quality oil/filter. Otherwise, I'd ignore it.

 

That sound you hear is most likely your fuel injectors.

 

My 98 4.6 slapper started about 50,000. It was slapping strong when I sold it last month with 120,000 to get a 2002.

 

As I understand it, PS is caused by a slight collapse of the piston skirts, on some 5.4's, 97's, 98's and some 99's. This fix, if you want to call it that is a teflon coating on the piston skirts, to sort of mask what is noise from a sloppy tolerance. I'm not so sure it really fixes the problem, so much as makes it inaudible, at least for awhile. I don't think my 99 5.4 slaps, but it does exibit the slight ticking I hear described, when cold, on acceleration, and under load only. Never when first started or at idle. It seems to be worse, if the engine was shut down after an extreamly hot run, IE over 100 degrees, and was run at high speeds, and left overnight, so is it slap or ??? I have an extended warrantee, so it should be covered for another three years, so I'm not too concerned. I do not like the idea of an engine swap, too many things can go wrong, leaks etc, and this one runs great. Any thoughts out there.

 

Thanks everyone for your help .. I too had slight ticking that I suspected could be slap ... I hear every tick that engine makes .. I am soooooooooooo aware .. like the dog waiting for the paperboy .. but piston slap .. is not really a ticking .. as I explained .. it sounds like loose stuff in there.. lol .. not a good sound from an old mechanic's viewpoint .. and oh what memories .. 351 Boss with solids .. miss those days .. anyway one question Ron .. you are listing the higher bottom viscocety for the colder weather .. is that right? That sorta goes against my upbringing ... I will try the Mobil 1 for sure .. and thanks for the replies.

Russ

 

I am not for sure you read Ron's post right. It kinda caught me too but look close. Ron was saying in colder weather he runs the brand Mobil 1 in a wieght of 0w-30 but, with it all together it does look like he missed type and said Mobil 10w-30.

Don't worry happens to the best of us. LOL

 

Actually I did say 0w-30... It's the bottle with the grey cap. I've been using it the past 2 winters and it really makes a difference with cold starting. It starts a lot easier and the engine runs a lot smoother when it's first started when it's really cold outside. I use 0w-30 in cold weather and the normal 5w-30 in warm weather.

The 1999 model year recommends 5w-30 year round but I understand the newer models recommend 5w-20. 0w-30 has the same API rating as 5w-30 so no warranty issues with using it. I might mention that my engine don't burn oil with it either since I could see that question coming...

And ,yeah, the slapping problem is worse when you run the truck at speed for a length of time on the highway, for example, and then shut it down for the night. I was told by my local mechanic that the higher temp of the oil causes more of the oil to end up back in the pan as opposed to clinging to the internal engine parts. Makes sense but I'm not a rocket scientist so can't offer proof of that...

 

I'm still trying to decide if I have PS or something else. RussK, you said you had the ticking, which I hear in mine, but not every day, never when first started, and at different sound levels. Did your ticking get worse before the bag of rocks started, or was it just one morning there it was? I too am an old mechanic, goes back to the 272 and 312 days, so I may go back farther than you, but this ticking doesn't sound like anything I'm familiar with. I've got 17K on the truck now, its been doing this since about 10K, and does not seem to be getting worse, or better for that matter. I run Mobil one 5W-30 year round and Ford filters, never burn any doesn't leak, and runs great. I just hate the thought of jerking a good running engine out and maybe replaceing it with one that carries its own set of problems, not to mention all that could get screwed up during the change. I have heard some horror stories regarding replacement engines, some of which owners say, start slapping again and sometimes worse than the original, after a few thousand miles, even with the (teflon fix).

 

Has the piston slap ever been a probelm with the V6 4.2 litre?

 

Thanks!

Natty

 

Hey RussK.....the way you describe that noise makes my whince just thinking about it. I'm no mechanic so I don't have a clue if this PS is a real bad thing or just a nuisance but I do know it would bother me as it does you.

Sounds like the M1 is a good, inexpensive start.

Good luck! And yea, bring back those Boss Mustangs!

Natty