My warranty will end in May.
I haven't got the 5.4 piston slap yet.
The 5.4 engine is from Windsor built 02-02-99.
19,000 miles on the odometer.
Regular oil changes with quality engine oil.

I have done a lot of heavy duty towing, since May 1999 I have towed 4,250,000 Lbs.
Will heavy duty towing speed up the process of getting a piston slap ?

Do you think it is still possible getting the 5.4 piston slap ?

 

It doesn't surprise me that you've been towing since May of '99.
4 million pounds is WAY over the limit for these trucks!
I'm surprised you can even go one mile per hour!
If I was you, I'd stop and throw about half the stuff off.
Get it down to least 2 million pounds then maybe you'll get someplace.

My 5.4L was built 3/23/99, now at 47,000miles no hint of slap.

I don't worry about slap anymore and neither should you.
At less than 7 thousand miles a year, I predict you'll have that truck for a long time.

( I do lay awake at night and wonder if I might develop a foot fungus)

 

Just out of curiosity, if your truck is running great with no problems why would you think it's going to develop piston slap all of this sudden? Man, you got that negative programming working against you!

 

I can't remember the last time I towed 4 million lbs.......but if it could I wouldn't worry about it slapping. The most I have ever towed is just under a million and no problem.

 

Most of the 5.4's that develop the slap do so by 10 to 12 thousand miles, though I recall one owner stated that his started at 28,000. My feeling is that even if it does develop slap, it most likely won't have much, if any effect on the life of the engine. What would be worse, would be the right side head gasket leak, which rarely can be permanently fixed with anything less than an engine replacement. I have a 99 5.4, with 18K on the clock, so far no slap and no leak. Looking at the threads on this board, I'm not sure gives a true picture of how many of the engines built actually develop these problems. More than should, certainly, but so far I have been unable to come up with a percentage figure. If any of you have access to any of the stats for the slap and the head gasket leak problem, I'm sure there are lots of us that would be interested!

 

Thanks Dvds,

My dealer checked on the head gasket leak about 6 weeks ago and everything was fine.
They also tried to locate the rough idle problem, truck was in for 2 days, cleaned and checked everything.

No luck, engine is running better but the rough idle is still there.
In drive engine is running steady at 600 rpm's but idle is not smooth enough for a V8.

Hehehehe and for the smart guys in here, especially the one from Virginia , I have towed, hauled, dragged or whatever you call it, a total of 4,250,000 Lbs.

 

Do yourself a real favor,

Pay for an extended warranty

 

I would not put another thought into the infamous piston slap or the oil leak. I strongly believe the percentage of engines which have these problems is very small. Of the, at least, 100 97 and newer F150s around here I am the only one on this board. Most of the other trucks are farm trucks that get the crap beat out of them. I know farmers, they would'nt all have F150s unless they were the best you could get for your money. Farming does'nt pay well enough to buy stuff you gotta fix all the time. A friend of mine has a 97 F250 (looks like an F150) with the 5.4 and routinely hauls a hay trailer around with 12 round rolls of peanut hay with the total weight of trailer and hay exceeding 12k lbs (maybe 25k kilos ) and he has had NO problems with the engine (replaced the tranny at 90 thousand miles) and he does'nt even take care of it like he should. Get some sleep and dont worry about it.

 

I would do that if I could.
It is not possible in Europe to buy an extended warranty.
At least, that is what my dealership tells me.
I was lucky to get a 3 years warranty in 1999.

Nowadays, you can get only a 1 year warranty on new trucks.

 

The way I see it....... You either gonna get it or not. Just like cancer.......... No one knows for sure on anything. It's all a numbers game, just like life. Don't lose any sleep over it. Nothing you can do about it anyway.