Worn Valve Guide - Rattling solved!

[DocG]

Good news and bad news. Anyone who might be familiar with my many threads about a metallic rattling noise...if not...and interested...search for my threads over the past 9 months. Finally found a Ford dealer that was worth a crap and a good shop foreman. Today he calls me and tells me one of the valve guides in the head is wearing out causing the rattling noise. Has to put on two brand spankin' new heads. Guess there is a TSB out on this. So good news is someone finally figured out why my car rattles....and other good news its still under warranty cuz I imagine this wouldn't be a cheap fix. Bad news is my stang will be in the shop for a few days at least.

Sooo....for you techies out there. Is it possible that a wearing valve guide could have caused any damage to any other component of my car during the past 9 months. The foreman said the damage would have been contained to the heads if there was any...unless the valve hit the cylinder or piston, which I would have known about real quick.

Also....any Ford employees out there...this fix will be covered until my warranty runs out in Sept. If there is a TSB out on this, is it likely this problem will happen to me again on the new heads a year or two from now?

Finally, for those with similar probs. My car made a metallic rattle noise...almost sounded like a broken heat shield or something. Did it in neutral and any gear. Would rattle between 2k and 3.5k rpms. Didn't matter what the driving conditions. So if you have a similar sound...might want to check into this as a possible cause.

Oh, and on another note...the code I'm getting for a bad fuel sensor...for now they're blaming it on the manufacturer of gas I've been using. Said to switch gas brands and if it keeps coming on to bring it back in and they'll replace the sender unit and pump.

 

[BooWFO]

Huh? never heard of this. AND don't be telling me my valve guides are going out. No shop would touch it. guess if it starts to do that time for some stg 2 heads.

 

[DocG]

If mine wasn't a warranty fix....I'd definetely be upgrading some heads and cams while I was at it!

We'll see...my luck, once its fixed the ****ing car will still be making this rattle noise. It'll probably end up being a loose bracket or something!

 

[DocG]

*tap* tap* Is this thing on *tap tap tap*

Any other comments?

 

[RedDaemon]

the last thing about the gas is total they cant tell you that, u should be able to buy gas from anywhere u want, if it doesnt work tell them to f'n fix it. you didnt pay 24k+ for a car with a fuel sensor that is faulty

what was the duration of the rattle? mine happens right as im accelerating from a stop slowly

 

[BurningRubber]

Oh, and on another note...the code I'm getting for a bad fuel sensor...for now they're blaming it on the manufacturer of gas I've been using. Said to switch gas brands and if it keeps coming on to bring it back in and they'll replace the sender unit and pump.

Thats the biggest crock of bull***** ive heard. They really will try to deny your warrenty through anything now a days, wont they?

 

[RedDaemon]

Thats the biggest crock of bull***** ive heard. They really will try to deny your warrenty through anything now a days, wont they?

aye

 

[DocG]

The rattle lasted for about 500 rpm's. Usually when cold it rattled somewhere in the 3k range....once warm it hit about 2.5k. When I really got on it....closer to the 3k range. I could sit in neutral and rev it to about 2.4k and it would rattle all day long if I could hold it there.

Don't worry....I'll be getting them to fix the fuel thing next week when I drop it back off for my new heads. I'll just tell them it kept stalling out. Someone else did post a reference to a TSB about certain brands of fuel.

 

[DocG]

Either way, this dealer seems pretty solid. Said if the fuel sensor truly was bad and showed more signs even after the warranty expired, they'd still fix it for me.

Think I should talk them into droppin some FRP parts into the motor while they have it opened up?

 

[fastback brian]

Just finished up an 04 with rattling problems. I know why the guides failed...one guide actualy broke and was bouncing up and down on the intake valve. This car over reved on the freeway, floated and bent pretty much all intake valves.. All it takes is one miss shift or over down shift to cause valve to piston to valve contact... And recently ford has been mentioning that certain fuels are contaminating the intake valve stems and can cuase them to stick.....

 

[Mike97gt]

worn valve guides will not cause any damage to the rest of the motor unless a valve hit. so your shop foreman is right..

and as far as a TSB.. NO there is not one.. in fact I have never heard of a modular motor with this problem.. It looks like you got the lucky one..

 

[stangGT97]

bah mine makes that sound a little bit at start up, maybe thats a reason to get headswapped lol

 

[baydo99cobra]

Same symptoms

My 99 4v is making a similar sound at the same RPM... Symtoms are exactly the same, my car has 98k on it. When I had it checked out by the local mustang specialists he said it could be 1 of 4 things. Piston slap, rod bearing, lifter, or timing chain tensioner... He said his bet was timing chain tensioner... I later listened with a stethoscope and was for certain its coming from the valve covers. I thought it was lash adjuster. I checked the spark plugs for signs and found that the front two cylinders-sparkplugs were dripping in oil.. I understand that oil on plug is from either by a bad ring or valve seal... I am going to do leak down test
If anyone has info or comments it would be greatly appreciated...

 

[DocG]

worn valve guides will not cause any damage to the rest of the motor unless a valve hit. so your shop foreman is right..

and as far as a TSB.. NO there is not one.. in fact I have never heard of a modular motor with this problem.. It looks like you got the lucky one..

Don't mean to sound like a smartass....just trying to figure this out.

Is this not a TSB for this problem? http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=519271&highlight=valve+guide+tsb

Oh, this damn rattle is so loud, I can hear it over my mac catback and O/R prochamber....with the radio on. I go thru a tunnel or ride next to a walll and it echoes....and it sounds like its falling apart. Rather embarassing