5.4 Detonation and fix

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AZ SVT

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I did a search, I didn't find anything, so if this is old news, you can't say I didn't try,

The issue was mild to moderate detonation (pre-ignition/knock/ping) at all speeds while accelerating (even a little bit). Fuel mileage remained nominal, spark plugs look OK, and no codes. Seriously, if I were def I wouldn't know there was problem.

As I racked my not-so-sharp brain, the only thing that made sense was the cam timing was off. I'm an old push-rod guy, but I understand variable cam/valve timing motors (kinda), I just never really had to work on one. So I start reading and looking at YouTube to find a clue. Slowly, (very slowly), I start to see how this thing works, and I'm thinking maybe I'll just turn the radio up and try to forget about it.....

Before I pull the trigger on rebuilding this bad boy, I go see my uncle, the best retired mechanic I know. He's seriously retired, like he won't touch a wrench, but he will drink your beer and tell you what to do. He hears my story then hands me a can of ***** and tells me to pour it into my crankcase. I call it "snake oil," engine oil additives that are supposed to cures everything from bad gas mileage to ******. Mostly out of respect for the old dude, I dump the prescribed amount of magic engine fixer into the Raptor and 200 miles later the detonation and pinging are all gone. It's not magic, that crap cleans crud off of sticking actuators and what not, correcting the valve timing. I'm not a snake oil salesman, so pick your own poison. I'm sure they all do the same thing.
 

Snowsled

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Sounds like regular oil changes would have the same effect... Pouring a bunch of diesel/detergent into your oil and having that fix an issue is a sure sign proper maintenance has not been kept up on. Hope that junk didn't damage your bearings because it thinned the oil too much...
 

Otis857

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As an old rocker arm guy meself, I'm guessing he gave you a can of Rislone or Marvel Mystery Oil? Old school fix all decrudifiers that worked pretty well back in the day.
 
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AZ SVT

AZ SVT

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As an old rocker arm guy meself, I'm guessing he gave you a can of Rislone or Marvel Mystery Oil? Old school fix all decrudifiers that worked pretty well back in the day.

I used Sea Foam. I've used the stuff for years as a fuel stabilizer in my boats, ATVs, generators, and other 4-strokes.
 

Ruger

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I used Sea Foam. I've used the stuff for years as a fuel stabilizer in my boats, ATVs, generators, and other 4-strokes.

Sea Foam in the CRANKCASE?
Holy cow.
If you haven't changed your oil since you did that, now is certainly the time.
 
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AZ SVT

AZ SVT

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Sounds like regular oil changes would have the same effect... Pouring a bunch of diesel/detergent into your oil and having that fix an issue is a sure sign proper maintenance has not been kept up on. Hope that junk didn't damage your bearings because it thinned the oil too much...

Yah, well, you would be wrong. It's been over a year, and 14,000 miles of operating in some pretty tough conditions, and it's still running great. This truck MUST start and operate at 30, 40, 50 degrees below zero, because, as cheesy as it sounds, breaking down in the middle of nowhere is seriously dangerous up here, (and I'm completely surrounded by the middle of nowhere). At 146,000 miles, this truck is on it's third set of shocks, 3rd set of tires and 2nd set of breaks, and I've poured a tanker's worth of oil into the little 5.4 since I bought it new in 2010. Out of an abundance of caution, I just ordered new front axle assemblies that'll go in as soon as they get here. Full disclosure, my wife drives the Raptor most of the time. When the first snow flies, she puts it in 4x4 and she leaves that way until spring. Lots and lots of miles in 4x4 and, in her world, CV's are born to die...... Maintenance? I got me some maintenance :flipthebird:
 
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AZ SVT

AZ SVT

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Sea Foam in the CRANKCASE?
Holy cow.
If you haven't changed your oil since you did that, now is certainly the time.

Holy cow; read the can!

Don't you worry too much about my truck, if the motor was going break, I'd have broken it 10 times by now. Just last week I hooked our 1000 pound tire drag to it and pulled it through a foot of snow for 10 miles just to keep my road open. And next time the wind blows or snows, I'll do it again. This ain't no garage queen, the old Raptor has been collecting pin stripes, scratches, dents and small animals for almost 8 years. When it breaks, I fix it. Except for warranty work, (ran out long ago), no other mechanic has ever touched my truck(s). I'll let them rotate the tires, and maybe put air in them; but that's it! So, just for future reference, I'm not an idiot, and though I tend to be humble and a little self deprecating, I made the Top 10 Best Mechanics I've Ever Seen list for like the 25th consecutive year! Let's see you top that! :rockit:
 

Snowsled

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Holy cow; read the can!

Don't you worry too much about my truck, if the motor was going break, I'd have broken it 10 times by now. Just last week I hooked our 1000 pound tire drag to it and pulled it through a foot of snow for 10 miles just to keep my road open. And next time the wind blows or snows, I'll do it again. This ain't no garage queen, the old Raptor has been collecting pin stripes, scratches, dents and small animals for almost 8 years. When it breaks, I fix it. Except for warranty work, (ran out long ago), no other mechanic has ever touched my truck(s). I'll let them rotate the tires, and maybe put air in them; but that's it! So, just for future reference, I'm not an idiot, and though I tend to be humble and a little self deprecating, I made the Top 10 Best Mechanics I've Ever Seen list for like the 25th consecutive year! Let's see you top that! :rockit:



And you poured a can of sea foam into your crankcase????????

Good Luck, that is about the dumbest thing (close second to R1 brake products) I think I have read on this forum yet.
 

ROCKETW19

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I'm feeling a cunty sort of vib from you, Snowsled. Yah, defiantly ****-like. You should work on that.

he can't help it he's a lil fruit that talks smack behind his computer screen. ****-like lmao I'm gonna use that one on him from now on thanks.
 
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