jprevat

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys, I have a chance to buy a 2009 screw 4x4 with the 5.4L. I have combed the truck over and driven it about 200 miles over the past few days.

I am having a problem diagnosing one issue and need y'alls help.

Between 1k an 1.3k rpms I am getting a rattle under light load. It sounds like a valve or cam phaser issue but I thought that was ironed out by 09. If the truck is idling in gear or park it is so quiet and smooth I had to check the rpms to make sure it was running.

Any help or opinion would be great so please let me know.

JerseyGray

jprevat

iTrader: (1)

I have been reading a lot into it today and honestly I need to get under the truck and check. I also read that it can be the 4wd system losing vacuum.

Thank you for the suggestion. I have the truck through tomorrow morning so hopefully it is something less serious than engine internals.

RLXXI

Have you scanned the system for possible stored codes? Does the check engine/service engine soon amber light prove out during start up?
.

jprevat

iTrader: (1)

I have not scanned for codes as my reader bit it last week but I will take it by advance in the morning. The SES liggt is intact and working.

thank you for taking the time to give me a direction

rrp0968

How many miles currently on it?

jprevat

iTrader: (1)

It has 225k but other than that damn rattle it's in perfect shape. It was very well taken care, has maybe 2 scratches in the paint over the whole truck.

I can probably pick it up for 8k.

Rougen123

I'd still pass on it because it's a 5.4....But that's just me. Not trying to start a huge debate. Rattle could be exhaust related. If it was 4wd vacuum issues the noise would get worse with increasing speeds. The heat shield around my spare on my truck vibrates around that RPM range when I'm at shuttling speeds.

I wouldn't rely on any issue being "ironed" out by '09

jprevat

iTrader: (1)

I took it back to the dealer today. I went over all of the heat shields I could find and they are all tight, couldnt find any loose vacuum lines either, and then I found a pair of needle nose pliers sitting on the intake and cam cover this morning. When I first cranked it up it was so quiet and smooth that i thought the problem was solved. It was... until the engine got to operating temp, then the rattle returned. I got under the hood and listened while someone else applied minimal load to the engine and it is definitely coming from the front top of the cam cover.

So I took it back to Ford and talked to the GM about it. I told him that if they were to fix the problem I would be willing to talk price. So they are going to get someone on it today or tomorrow and we will go from there.

Thank you all for your informed opinions and for taking the time to share them. I really appreciate it.

1stTruckGuy

With those kind of miles, it's probably in need of a timing set. I bet it needs new guides and or tensioners but you replace everything under the timing cover if you are going that far. But it could just be a VCT solenoid under the valve cover. Unplug them one at a time at the front of each valve cover and see if noise goes away. Much cheaper and easier fix than timing set. If it rattles briefly at cold startup, it's definitely timing chain set time as that indicates broken guides or leaking tensioner seals.