Harry Franklin

The passenger side VCT actuator is a common issue on the 17 3.5's, though the problem typical doesn't show up as a rattle similar to the OP's. Mine were replaced. Solved the issue we were trying to solve, but did nothing for my rattles.

Harry Franklin

Service writers come up with some of the craziest things sometimes.... Oil is everywhere it needs to be within seconds assuming you have a good oil filter. I have heard the exact same rattle and I am 99.9% sure I have isolated it to the transmission and not the engine.

DontCome2MyHouse

I have to respectfully disagree. If we're talking about the same sound in the video on the first post that is definitely coming from the top of the engine.

Harry Franklin

"Same sound" seems to be very subjective. I can here what sounds to me like the exact same sound clearly while laying on the ground under the transmission (along with numerous youtube videos with the same results) and not so much while listening under the hood. Some else claims the "same sound" was a bad wastegate, which isn't really the top of the engine either.

EDIT -After listening again, that may not be the exact same noise that myself and several others are hearing, but it occurs under the same circumstances.

RockyMountain

I am 100% sure the rattle I have that is identical to the OP is coming from the engine. When I was blipping the throttle with the Ford tech under the hood, he disconnected my VCT's on the passenger side and the rattle instantly disappeared. It is without a doubt the engine and related to cam timing. I do also have a tranny rattle on startup though haha. That noise is likely the pump that keeps line pressure during auto start/stop.

On separate news, I really don't know if replacing the VCT's, timing chains, and cam phasers will fix the problem or if it relates to other issues such as undersized or clogged oil passages that the VCT's are supposed to feed pressurized oil to the cam phasers. This could all originate from a bad batch of engine blocks/heads.

Harry Franklin

Have you noticed an engine knock coming primarily from the passenger side once the engine is warmed up? That was the primary symptom for the bad VCT Actuator for myself and a few others I have spoken to. Mine was replaced at about 500 miles, so I probably didn't have the truck long enough to notice any other symptoms of it being bad. Perhaps this noise was another symptom?

Harry Franklin

Have you listened for the knock I mentioned above? Disconnecting the solenoid made my issue go away as well. VCT actuators(phasers) solved it 100%. One of the popular tuners recently mentioned to me that they are now hearing about these bad passenger side actuators on a regular basis for the 17 3.5.

RockyMountain

I have not heard any knocking, but I wasn't really looking for one. If I get my truck back, I will definitely listen for one.

BaldMonkey22

the cold start trans sound is constant and goes away quickly, when I located the location of my sound I stuck my head in the wheelwells to verify it wasn't coming from the Wastegate, it's coming from the valve cover area both sides

RockyMountain

Same.