Ford 5.4 V8 Sound...

[GaryMc]

So, I've never owned an american gasser with a V8 and I'm learning as much as I can about the engine in my '99 E-250. It's cold here right now, being winter in Colorado. Heck it might even be winter where you are! Anyway, when I start the van in the morning it sounds kind of 'diesely', for lack of a better word. I'm just not used to that and am wondering it thats normal? After it warms up for 3-4 minutes it quiets down and sounds nice and smooth.
Am I worrying about nothing?

Thanks- Gary Mc

 

[Deleted member 9101]

The sound you are hearing is the over head cam, swap to synthetic oil and most of the sound will go away.

 

[GaryMc]

Thanks, J. It's got Castrol Syntec 10-30 in it currently. Good to know the noise is not anything to be too worried about.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Thanks, J. It's got Castrol Syntec 10-30 in it currently. Good to know the noise is not anything to be too worried about.

Yup... mine did it for 380,000K....lol. Part of the problem is the plastic valve covers. My Tundra has DOHC and thick aluminum valve covers so I don't hear it as much...lol

 

[Hill Bill E.]

My '02 F150 w/5.4 Triton calls for 5w20. I ran 10w 30 last summer (bought the wrong stuff, duh!)

It was fine for the summer, but come winter, it sounded like a dizzle when fired up.:elkgrin: I swapped back to the 5W 20.


I agree with the swapping to a synthetic, or going to a 5W 20.

I run Valvoline Maxlife 5W20, which is a synthetic blend.

Had to fire up the truck last Friday, to (gasp!!) jump start my Jeep.:snorkel:

It was -25*F with a windchill of more than -40*F. Truck fired up and ran fine right out of the gate.

 

[jonzer12]

My old 2 valve 5.4 always idled like a diesel. When I first bought the truck I used to worry it was piston slap. All I ever ran in it was quaker state full synthetic but the noise was always there.
Motor ran perfect for many years of hard service tho, I eventually just stopped worring about it.