F-150 Valve Tappets(?)

[Egon]

Cost is a consideration, but I can buy a lot of oil for what an overhaul will cost.

I would suggest the oil change but my knowledge is limited.

The lifters will not stay full so your valves will opening late, closing early and not opening fully. Not by very much though. The clacking should be because of the slight gap between the follower and the valve stem??

 

[carpenter383]

Take a stethiscope or long screwdriver and listen to the valve covers and all over the engine this will help you track the "noise" down.

 

[flusher]

My manual is 400 miles away, but I remember it calls for 5W-30.

I didn't think a minor change like that would have that big an effect.

Anyway, the remaining question is can I wait a month to change it, or should I do it right away, knowing that another change is coming up in a month anyway?

I can live with the noise if it isn't doing any permanent harm to the engine.

I checked the 2000 F150 manual

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/results.asp

It calls for 5W20 super premium motor oil.
Same as my 2001 F150. My Ford dealer handles my lube needs and refills with Motorcraft 5W20 QSP oil.

 

[Eagleview]

I would change the oil again . Otherwise you are only assuming it is oil viscosity related . It could be something more serious and until you change the oil to rule it out as the cause , you will only be guessing .

 

[mscott]

I'm with Scooby074.......Both the plugs and the manifolds are known issues in the 5.4 Triton pre 2003. Google blown sparkplugs in these engines. I have a 1999 but it just turned 70,000 miles and so far so good.

 

[flusher]

I'm with Scooby074.......Both the plugs and the manifolds are known issues in the 5.4 Triton pre 2003. Google blown sparkplugs in these engines. I have a 1999 but it just turned 70,000 miles and so far so good.

Interesting.
I'm wondering how common that sparkplug blowout problem is.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Interesting.
I'm wondering how common that sparkplug blowout problem is.

Main problem was lack of threads on the spark plugs and idiots over torquing them. Some had as little as 3 threads. I have owned 10 plus Ford trucks and my family has had another 10 and none of us ever had a problem but guys who change the plugs and cross thread them or over torque, most spark plugs need only 7-10 pounds of torque which is very little, had problems. People over torque them and strip them out and they blew. To combat this Ford redesigned the head to fix the issue around the 03 model year.


Chris

 

[flusher]

Main problem was lack of threads on the spark plugs and idiots over torquing them. Some had as little as 3 threads. I have owned 10 plus Ford trucks and my family has had another 10 and none of us ever had a problem but guys who change the plugs and cross thread them or over torque, most spark plugs need only 7-10 pounds of torque which is very little, had problems. People over torque them and strip them out and they blew. To combat this Ford redesigned the head to fix the issue around the 03 model year.


Chris

Thanks for the info, Chris.

I ask because I'm shopping for a one-ton flat bed truck, F350 or equivalent, 1995-2000 vintage. These typically have well over 100K miles on them which make me wonder if this sparkplug blowout problem is relate to high milage. Or is it just due to screwups in replacing and tightening plugs?

Researching this problem I discovered that undertightening the plugs can cause blowout too since the loose plug apparently hammers the threads in the aluminum head causing them to fail.

 

[mscott]

I've wanted to change my plugs for awhile but it runs ok and not only it being a pretty tough job to get to some plugs think i'll go on if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[bp fick]

If it started the very day you switched to what admittedly is a wee bit out of range of recommended oil for that engine, why indeed wonder any longer?
Neither Ford, Honda or most OEM's have recommended anything close to that Xw40 spec for an awfully long time.

Drain the stuff, go back to what you were using. If the sound persists, you aren't any better off, but if it goes away, Bingo! problem solved for the cost of a jug of oil. Yup, our family has this same truck in the fleet. The other weaknesses are pretty well known. Still, a good truck though.