GEN 2 Startup Rattle and Front Hub Grinding

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smurfslayer

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I agree. However, going off the 5.4's history, it *can* cause issues. The fact that Ford supposedly has a new part coming out and is rebuilding three engines at this point is cause for concern tho, no?

Neither me nor my service manager want to tear into a perfectly functioning engine to fix an intermittent sound - that said, I also don't want timing chain problems down the line (after warranty expires) because of this issue. Hopefully I can just get it noted on my file so that if it happens after warranty it is covered. I dunno how that works.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the noise is not causing any issue other than embarrassment. The underlying problem that causes the noise may, or may not be an issue and the noise itself is nothing more than an observed symptom, all to often misdiagnosed by self proclaimed, internet dwelling power train engineers with a diploma from the Wile E. Coyote School of Engineering Greatness. At least on other fora, internet superheroes get shut down quickly, whereas here they’re allowed to hang out and spread misinformation that would impress even the Hillary Clinton campaign.

To your point, yes, the noise can indicate a problem, or it can indicate normal operation within tolerances and the engine will run like a top for hundreds of thousands of miles. My Lightning had piston slap, so did numerous other L owners. Never had a problem with it. My ancient 4.0 pushrod Exploder sounded like it was coming apart from the day I bought it, with at least 130k on the clock - probably 230k from the shape it was in, but I couldn’t prove that. I put 60k on that thing before getting rid of it and never had to go into the motor - did lose a cat that made it even slower, which I didn’t think was possible for a 90’s exploder.

Note it now, monitor it to see if the noise gets more prominent or worse, and be cognizant of any new symptoms. Take regular video / audio and document it - video is very inexpensive.

Don’t put too much faith in a revised part yet, as we don’t know what Ford is doing here. They may be releasing a new part to be more quiet - remember the old timing chain gears with nylon overlays? H*ly F*ck. I found shards of plastic in a v8 oil pan I tore down, all came from the damn timing chain gears.
years ago, but don’t put it past a manufacturer to replace a part that just fails more quietly. Seriously, I think many of these are being torn into because of panicky customers + unfamiliar engine techs which = lots of manufacturer warranty work and for a questionable ROI.
 

Gargamel

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I agree. However, going off the 5.4's history, it *can* cause issues. The fact that Ford supposedly has a new part coming out and is rebuilding three engines at this point is cause for concern tho, no?

Neither me nor my service manager want to tear into a perfectly functioning engine to fix an intermittent sound - that said, I also don't want timing chain problems down the line (after warranty expires) because of this issue. Hopefully I can just get it noted on my file so that if it happens after warranty it is covered. I dunno how that works.

I think you could also say that going off the 3.5 ecoboost history, it definitely causes issues.
The cam phaser VCT failure stuff causes enough damage for $3500 - $4000 worth of work. The design of this area hasn't changed, and this is about the price current rattler owners are payy to fix. You could do it in a weekend for $2000 in parts, but it is not a fun job.
 
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Onemoosehorn

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I think you could also say that going off the 3.5 ecoboost history, it definitely causes issues.
The cam phaser VCT failure stuff causes enough damage for $3500 - $4000 worth of work. The design of this area hasn't changed, and this is about the price current rattler owners are payy to fix. You could do it in a weekend for $2000 in parts, but it is not a fun job.

The 3.5 Raptor’s EcoBoost.....? You sure do hate the EcoBoost motor don’t you? You never have a positive thing to say about it.
 

wreedsvt

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Was the time chain stretch issue ever addressed at the factory? Like would a 2017 3.5 have the problem?
 

Gargamel

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Was the time chain stretch issue ever addressed at the factory? Like would a 2017 3.5 have the problem?

The timing chain was never the root of the problem. Once the cam phasers rattled and broke, the result was a stretched chain. And, no, the problem was never corrected. Ford has redesigned cam phasers at least twice before and they have a "new" version coming soon to address the latest issues.
 

df4801

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The timing chain was never the root of the problem. Once the cam phasers rattled and broke, the result was a stretched chain. And, no, the problem was never corrected. Ford has redesigned cam phasers at least twice before and they have a "new" version coming soon to address the latest issues.

MGD (sasquatch), is that you my old friend???
 

df4801

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The timing chain was never the root of the problem. Once the cam phasers rattled and broke, the result was a stretched chain. And, no, the problem was never corrected. Ford has redesigned cam phasers at least twice before and they have a "new" version coming soon to address the latest issues.

MGD (sasquatch), is that you my old friend???

And if so, would a weep hole help?
 
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