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Had a customer's 2008 F-150 throw a rod during a test drive Tuesday
I was taking this guy's truck around the block in Austin to verify his knock complaint, and about a mile in the engine just let go with this horrible bang. Pulled over, popped the hood, and there was oil everywhere and a hole right through the block. Ended up having to tell him the motor was toast before we even got back to the shop. It really drove home for me how important it is to always take a customer along on a test drive if there's any weird noise. That way you're not the one stuck explaining something that went wrong on your watch. Has anyone else had a motor blow mid-test, or am I just unlucky enough to hit that jackpot?
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the_william7d ago
The 2008 F-150 has the 5.4 Triton which is known for timing chain issues, but a thrown rod is more common from oil starvation than a design flaw. Taking the customer along is smart though, covers your butt for sure.
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bell.felix7d ago
Right @the_william, did you ever have a 5.4 that went through oil like crazy too? My buddy's 2008 ate a quart every thousand miles before the timing chain finally let go. Taking customers along on the tear down definitely saved him a headache when they saw the sludge buildup firsthand.
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