'06 5.4 3v w 263,000 miles... mostly hwy before the last 7 years. CHANGE MY OIL 2 X A YEAR, I do about 5-6,000 miles/year now... fluids, fluids, fluids!
If the kiddo doesn't know yet who he's learning from, here's a small read up for him: Two years ago I was sent to Saudi Arabia on behalf of an engineering firm, and we were given an allocation of two Lincoln Town Car automobiles. One of those TCs took a dump on us in a week, and so, we were directed to bring it into a specific Ford dealer. While waiting for the dealer to come back with a document stating what was going to be done to the car, what do I see? A Filipino tech of theirs standing beside the Town Car watching a Fordtechmaculoco video on his laptop about some transmission stuff. It then dawned upon me that Brian is actually putting food on many many people's tables...globally.
I live in Saudi Arabia, and I can tell you that whatever they are reading, it is not working. Most of the million cars in tashliya (the wreckers) died through neglect and poor maintenance procedures. Mostly through downright abuse. These videos are good stuff an all, but this place has the worst 'mechanics' in history. Torque wrench? What's that? Just tighten it till one snaps, then you know it's good. Harmonic balancer spitting its rubber? Let's snot weld the outer to the inner with some mismatched pieces of angle line. What oil does the manufacturer recommend? That's not important. What's cheapest is the key. Let's roll these timing chains and camshafts around in the sand before we put them back in the engine we never covered during the last three dust storms.
Man Brian's son is very lucky to learn from one of the best in the industry. Just knowing there will be another "Brian" for years to come is peace of mind. Bravo sir great job as always
My 2007 Ford Expedition with 305,000 miles still sounds good. I recently replaced the valve cover gaskets, and mine was clean inside. Of course, I change the oil every 5,000 miles.
The old saying, pay me now, or pay me later still stands. As an old timer with many miles under his belt, proper care of any mechanical equipment will save you money in the long run, wishing you a speedy recovery. brother.
I bought an old 1975 ford LTD back in 90. It had a little knock in it so I took the valve cover off and it looked just like this. So dig this. I took the other valve cover off and blew all the sludge out. Then I started engine and let the oil fly while adding diesel fuel to the oil pan. I just kept running it and blowing it off as the sludge kept on coming out. After a few minutes it cleared up. New valve cover gaskets and an engine cleaning and it was ready to go. I drove that $400 car 120 miles a day for two full years. What a car!
AS long as you don't plug the oil pickup with the crap out out of the head. Did that with a '69 440 Chrysler T&C Wagon. It was not that noisy if it ran below 1200 RPM. What sucked was pulling the oil pan. That meant pulling the engine. It also had only 90,000 miles on it. It went to a engine re-builder for another life in a Charger. The body got scrapped. Guess it was a company car. They do just enough routine maintenance to make it to the next round of tax write offs
I saw this in the engine of a mercedes 108 minibus and wondered why the mechanic was trying to scrap all the sludge off the engine. the answer i got was "this is what you have to do to help people out ". top man brian
They spent the money for a "cheap" timing chain repair (aftermarket parts, not really a cheap procedure), but wouldn't spend the money on oil changes?! Fascinating! 🤑
Pretty good engine. Not too likely to see as many of them in the shop lol. The rear cylinders have inadequate cooling and can hurt pistons if it gets too hot. There is a coolant bypass kit for the back of the heads that makes a big difference
Its so great that your son is learning the trade! Thank you for the detailed look at what an engine looks like, especially with the oil wasn't changed. That sludge looked incredibly gross!
Brian , wishing you a speedy recovery! Man that was thick sludge Thanks for the video. I'm going to do a timing job on my 06 5.4 3v 294k thanks to you ! Your contributions to my automotive knowledge has made a huge difference in my diy success and confidence. Thank you !
My second comment on this video, one of your best I learned so much here with you explaining the operation of each part plays in the total picture. Your son must be a rockstar at school with his dad being the Wayne Gretzky of Ford vehicle's
You are a continuing blessing to us all, thanks for the skilled reporting. There are obviously some engineering problems that "can" pose problems with that engine family. But when you see comments of people getting big mileage in many cases you have to have some suspicion about the basket cases that show up. Ignoring proper maintenance is the main culprit. Going the Ford interval for oil change is a significant contributor to engine failure too. I love the way you continue, over the years, to pound home the truth about engine performance, transmissions and other associated components on the fords. I hope you recover well from your recent surgery.
I worked in a machine shop in the late 80s and once we had a local AMC/Jeep dealer bring us an AMC 360(or 401, can't remember for sure) that looked like that. Engine has less than 40K miles on it and needed a complete rebuild. Story from the dealer was that the owner had never changed the oil since the vehicle was bought new from them. Crazy.
im currently driving a subcompact which got it's pdi and no other service for 75k resulting in coil packs failing and subsequent engine requiring a rebuild . she was too busy having babies to service the car.
I have an old, relatively simple Ford 4.2L V6. At just under 320,000 miles, I had to open one rocker cover to repair a valvetrain issue. Failure was not due to lubrication failure, just looked like metal fatigue and (or) latent defect. There was NO varnish and very little sludge at all. Mostly just clean aluminum and steel. I've been using synthetic oil (whatever is on sale, usually Quaker State) and OEM filters for the last 200k miles. I've been using a 7,000 mile change interval, supported by used oil analysis. I've always though of synthetic oil as a "can't hurt, might help" situation, but now I am a true believer. Also, transmission is original, never needed any internal repairs. I change the fluid every 30-40k and avoid beating on it (though I'll drive hard if necessary).
You Brian are truly a class act that us Ford 3V owners can't afford to lose............so you take care of yourself! Just know that I definately appreciate all your skills & caring for this vastly misunderstood Ford Mod Motor engine class to go thru the efforts to inform all of us as to how to properly TS, operate & maintain them to save us a TON of money & aggravation w\ these 4.6L\5.4L 3 Valve engines...................................
@@Jim.D I agree!! But I would have to ship him my truck and not have it for at least a month or more because of how busy he is. And I really can't afford a new one.
Son I wish there could be more guys like you around, honest who care about doing things right the first time, who care about their work and treat people the way they want to be treated. I have a 2005 F150 5.0 3v and have learned a ton about my truck from watching your videos. I wish you were near by cause I would certainly bring it to you for repairs. I might just ship to you next time. You are probably slammed full of work but it would certainly be worth the wait.
Thanks Brian. Rest up from surgery bro, we'll all be OK for awhile. Take care of yourself my man, and your boy looks like he's got his dad's talent gene.
Thanks for the heads up. I have a 2006 F-150 Lariat with 252,000ish mikes. Have always done the maintenance routinely it it runs great. The only issue I’ve had is a ticking noise on start up. I believe it has something to do with the timing chain and oil delivery.
It's great to see a dad teaching his son auto mechanics., like my father taught me the skill some 45 years ago. I remember I was looking at a 1976 Olds 98 back in around 1983 for around $500.00 and it was a super clean car with a strange knocking noise. I recall calling my dad to take a look at it and he put his hand on my shoulder and he said to me "Listen to that noise very closely and always remember it. That's the sound of a rod knock. That motor is dead.,,, turn it off and let's go." Very oddly... a gen 1 351 Windsor alternator bearing can make the exactly same noise. And yes I pulled all the crank bearings and they were fine.. then the alternator seized up and the noise went away. Which is when I learned to always pull the belts before trouble shooting an internal engine noise. Every once in a lifetime, harmonic resonance will fool you.
I had the valve covers off my well maintained original owner ‘09 5.4 for the first time ever several months ago to change out the VCT solenoids. After seeing some of your videos I was somewhat anxious about what I might find when I pulled the covers off, however I almost couldn’t believe it as everything looked shiny and still like new inside. There was no discolouration or sludge to be seen anywhere so faithfully changing the oil since new, the first 8 years with Motorcraft and then Pennzoil Platinum has certainly paid off.
@@dperr338 I did the same interval as you but now that I’ve owned the truck for so long with good results I stick to the lower end of that range. Usually my engine oil isn’t even fully black on the stick after 3-3,500 when I change it, maybe due to the engine being clean inside since new. Some people may say that’s to often but with these Tritons I don’t mind paying for oil instead of repairs.
@@squangan Mines usually brown when I change it. People who buy into those 10,000 mile oil changes and lifetime fluid is ridiculous. I’ll never understand that crap. They will be over there promoting the whole reduce and reuse bullshit then promote an oil change schedule that will reduce the life of your vehicle. Old dirty oil can be recycled and used for something else. Throwing out an entire vehicle more often requires more resources. My dad bought a new truck and they told him if he didn’t do the recommended interval of 10,000 miles then he would end up paying for it. It’s all just planned obsolescence.
All I can say is that Henry Ford is looking down on you and smiling 😊 Another great video to help teach us and Alex. Best wishes for 2023 Brian, kind regards from Galway, Ireland 😉👍🍻💚 💙💛
Great video Brian. Your son Alex is lucky to have a great dad and teacher to show him the experience you have learn from when you had worked at the Ford dealership. Proper oil changes are the key for maintaining an engine’s life. I hope you have a speedy recovery from your surgery.
I never knew that you had a son. Good for you Sir! Another great video as always. I'm a backyard mechanic and my father drives 2006 ford fusion. It's such a nice feeling that I can pay him back for all he has done for me. Referring to doing his automotive repairs for him.
Years ago my father bought a van from a old man. As soon as he got it he changed the oil an coolant just so he would know when it was done. Almost as soon as it was started up it started losing oil pressure. When we pulled the oil pan the pickup was full of sludge like the new oil washed it all down. After a call to the previous owner we found he had issues and all stemmed from lack of maintenance. That van was a learning experience
My first car was an ugly 1962 slant 6 dodge dart passed down to me from my grandfather in 1970 when I entered college. It was leaking a little oil from the valve cover so I decided I would replace the gasket. I removed the bolts and was surprised at how heavy the valve cover was when I lifted it off. I flipped it over and you could see the molded imprints from all the rockers and valve springs in the thick black, wax like substance that filled the entire valve cover. The oils back then were not that great and apparently my grandfather didn't believe in changing the oil. Very satisfying to scoop and scrape that thick, waxy goo out.
Great video! Thank you, Brian! Your son is lucky to have such an awesome teacher. Get some rest, I hope you have a speedy recovery from your surgery. God Bless.
This guy is very specific on how to take care of your vehicle…I needed to change my steering shaft on my 2008 f150 and had never done this before, but after watching his video, it was very easy! My truck has 264,000 miles and has never given me any issues…yet…but like one fellow said, keep your oil changed every 3000 and it will take care of you. I listen to this mechanic all the time and very impressed at his knowledge of all fords. Keep making videos bud and your business will take care of you.
Brian, get well soon (it hurt listening to you). Thank you so much for showing the value of a diagnostician, and the critical value of oil changes. Sending this to my wife and son.
You are, by far, the best mechanic on RUclips, especially when it comes to Fords. I learn more from your videos than anyone else on RUclips, when it comes to my own Ford. And, seeing videos like this is exactly why I change my oil every 5K miles with Pennzoil Ultra on my 2019 F150 Roush with the 5.0L Coyote. Thanks for all your informative videos and I hope you continue to get to feeling better real soon, brother.
I worked in a small shop rebuilding engines in the early '70's. We would see sludge like that often and at around 50k to 70K miles - the oils were that bad. I'm shocked to see a modern engine this bad!
That engine only had 1/3 the sludge that a used Caprice I had bought in the early 80s. My brother in law was an excellent mechanic and told me how to clean out the sludge with a putty knife and scrapers, then to use coat hanger wire to unclog the drain holes. We ran 5 qts of straight kerosene for 5 minutes instead of oil and changed to oil with only 1 qt kerosene for the second flush. Was able to get the engine back to running condition. Learned to change oil on all my vehicles on a regular basis for the last 40 years. Change your oil and filter regularly on reasonable mileage intervals.
Another great video!! Being an OF, recall seeing and working on all of the flathead Fords as will as the 6 cylinder Blue Flame Chevys with massive sludge build up even with the then recommended thousand mile oil changes. They all seemed to run "forever", or, maybe,100K miles, whichever came first. Of course if they had the always optional oil filter, it was a bypass type instead of full flow - and were always full of sludge. Even the early 265-327 Chevy's and 239-312 Fords had heavy sludge problems (especially Fords with their crappy head oil passage and rocker shaft design)
As an ex chrysler tech, I've seen plenty of spun rod bearings. But this is the first time I've seen the bearings stack themselves. Impressive failure! Really says something for Ford quality for the engine to still be running after all this. I would have expected a window in the block a long time ago.
Piggyback spun rod bring is common if you keep going. Usually on old Mopars piston will impact head. When it does that impact is so loud you can't hear the rod rattle.
Reminds me of the engines from the the 1950's and 1960's. Oils back then were no where's as good as today's oils so depending on maintenance back then would determine how much sludge was in the engine. This engine had a bad life. Thanks Brian for this video. Memories!
My grandpa used to talk about the Buick straight 8 he bought used. I guess he took the valve cover off and the sludge was so thick it was actually a mold of the valve cover. I remember him saying he had to build a small fire under the oil pan to get it to crank when it was really cold outside. 🥶 Can you imagine that today 😳
@@TheBigdog868 my buddy did same thing. 56 Chevy with NO OIL FILTER took valve cover off and it said Chevrolet in the sludge. He then got a bucket and spoon. It was still good, though. Underneath the sludge build- up.
Had a buddy who's a retired Ford Racing engine builder identify and demonstrate the sound of piston slap on a stock mid 70's Ford 302. In park or neutral, you could hear the sound as the engine rpm's dropped after a quick rev. Was really interesting.
brotha, you are the man.....I just got done replacing the timing chaings on my 99 f150 2v with a 310k, along with the oil pump and valve cover gaskets....you are the best on youtubes covering the f150.....thank you thank you thank you........looking to get 500k out of my truck.....also, freaking awesome that you have your son working with you.
Witnessing the damage sustained on that 5.4 3 valve reminds me of this Econoline cutaway shuttle bus used by the local airport in my area, it came in on the flatbed with the concern of engine noise and no oil pressure. Inspect found the engine still had the FACTORY oil filter on it, FL820 with the square symbol on it, the buss was 3 years old and as I tore into the engine it looked just like that but in addition the timing chains and cover looked like the bank 2 side of the 5.4 3 valve. I ended up installing an hour meter and gave them the proper calculated hours when the buss required service since it idles from what I understood practically 24/7. Crazy how oblivious oversight can cost so much money.
When I first saw the short the other day, I quickly shared it to my Instagram story with the friendly PSA to change the oil on time. Last I checked, the average used vehicle price is a little over $28,000. Assuming you have the oil changed every 5,000 miles at the cost of $75 per oil change, and you drive the average 14,263 miles per year like the average American, it would take 134 years for you to spend the same amount of money as what the average used vehicle costs in just oil changes. Moral of the story, keeping up with the maintenance intervals will save you thousands on your vehicles in the long run.
Thanks for sharing. You and your son would enjoy "I do cars" on youtube. He takes apart all kind of engines as he runs an auto recycle shop in St Louis. He is quite entertaining and is also preaching for people to change their oil.
Sorry to hear you needed surgery, hope all goes well with the recovery. I can honestly say, that is definitely in the top five worst s engine internals I’ve seen in my 20 year career
Thanks for sharing your work and please Brian take care and get healthy. Your health I paramount, if you don't have it to you then realize how important it is to enjoying everything else no matter how large or small! Great evening and I hope that you heal up quickly, God bless you all and we enjoyed your hard work.
This is not a fault of the triton. No motor could withstand this level of abuse. Things did not escalate to this level of severity overnight...not even over a week. Outright irresponsible vehicle operation. The regular driver(s) heard this thing jackhammering for at least a month, fair bet. Even before that, there must surely have been oil pressure light, check engine, rough running, rattling of 16 maracas, possible overheating... And nothing was done. I am in the group who's not a fan of mechanics-in-cans. But even some attempt of oil treatment would have greatly reduced the quantity of that mud. Just an oil change. Urinating into the valve cover would have thinned some of that crap. That poor motor was driven, for hundreds of miles, literally screaming for attention. It received none.
True old school mechanic ethic. I had a tech doing a clutch job for me on a Mustang one time. After he got the job done, he told me that he needed to leave early. We found out the next day that the old clutch had fallen out of the car onto his toes. It bent the steel toe and partially severed his big toe. It happened at the start of the job but he kept working because he knew the car had to go that day and he wanted the 4 hours labor that put him at his bonus level. I have several stories like that with the old school guys I've worked with.
in my opinion, this kind of sludge is caused by motor oil absorbing combustion by-products (soot). Some soot acts as blow-up past the cylinder rings and is absorbed into the oil. When the oil becomes too contaminated it leaves these kind of sludge deposits. Also the piston ring gaps get so slugged the rings no longer seal correctly. And the oil scrapper ring passages gets plugged up, preventing the oil to return through the piston properly so the engine ends up burning oil. The easy way to prevent this is to change your oil!
I just tore down my 1998 Ranger 2.5L 300k miles to check and replace worn parts. I changed the oil every 3k with conventional oil and a couple splashes of Lucas oil treatment. It was mint inside. Replaced rings and one hydraulic lifter. And all bearings. Oil pump. Rebuilding the wire harness now.
As the owner of a 2005 F150 5.4 with 325,000 miles and no engine problems I will say one thing… CHANGE YOUR OIL!!!
As a 2017 5.0 F150 owner I’m glad to hear your input on that number. Thanks
Definitely 🛻👍
Had a 2005 f150 5.4 had 232,600 did cam phasers guides and chains at 200k plugs are a nightmare to do
I have the same year F 150 5.4, 314,000 on mine. Yes, change your oil.
'06 5.4 3v w 263,000 miles... mostly hwy before the last 7 years. CHANGE MY OIL 2 X A YEAR, I do about 5-6,000 miles/year now... fluids, fluids, fluids!
If the kiddo doesn't know yet who he's learning from, here's a small read up for him: Two years ago I was sent to Saudi Arabia on behalf of an engineering firm, and we were given an allocation of two Lincoln Town Car automobiles. One of those TCs took a dump on us in a week, and so, we were directed to bring it into a specific Ford dealer. While waiting for the dealer to come back with a document stating what was going to be done to the car, what do I see? A Filipino tech of theirs standing beside the Town Car watching a Fordtechmaculoco video on his laptop about some transmission stuff. It then dawned upon me that Brian is actually putting food on many many people's tables...globally.
What year town car was it
and good food too. Education should never be an embarrassment even for a seasoned tech.
@@CoyoteFTW I'm calling third-gen
@@CoyoteFTW 2010 with about 28k KM on it.
I live in Saudi Arabia, and I can tell you that whatever they are reading, it is not working. Most of the million cars in tashliya (the wreckers) died through neglect and poor maintenance procedures. Mostly through downright abuse.
These videos are good stuff an all, but this place has the worst 'mechanics' in history. Torque wrench? What's that? Just tighten it till one snaps, then you know it's good. Harmonic balancer spitting its rubber? Let's snot weld the outer to the inner with some mismatched pieces of angle line. What oil does the manufacturer recommend? That's not important. What's cheapest is the key. Let's roll these timing chains and camshafts around in the sand before we put them back in the engine we never covered during the last three dust storms.
Man Brian's son is very lucky to learn from one of the best in the industry. Just knowing there will be another "Brian" for years to come is peace of mind. Bravo sir great job as always
Hopefully Brian can take it easier in a few years, he is looking overworked
I agree Walter. I'm very jealous of the education he is receiving from his dad
My 2007 Ford Expedition with 305,000 miles still sounds good. I recently replaced the valve cover gaskets, and mine was clean inside. Of course, I change the oil every 5,000 miles.
My Marquis just rolled over 450,000. It is clean as well, but the chains have play in them. Need to get a timing set installed.
Love the fact that you provide content that helps your son to get more than theory and classroom.
Wishing you a speedy recovery. Thanks for the great videos.
You are a hardcore RUclipsr with great 5.4 knowledge. Praying quick recovery over illness.
The old saying, pay me now, or pay me later still stands. As an old timer with many miles under his belt, proper care of any mechanical equipment will save you money in the long run, wishing you a speedy recovery. brother.
I bought an old 1975 ford LTD back in 90. It had a little knock in it so I took the valve cover off and it looked just like this. So dig this. I took the other valve cover off and blew all the sludge out. Then I started engine and let the oil fly while adding diesel fuel to the oil pan. I just kept running it and blowing it off as the sludge kept on coming out. After a few minutes it cleared up. New valve cover gaskets and an engine cleaning and it was ready to go. I drove that $400 car 120 miles a day for two full years. What a car!
That’s a really interesting process and I wouldn’t have guessed diesel fuel in the oil could ever be a good thing, I was proven wrong lol
@@bryanyokofich5021 We used diesel or kerosen to flush out those old VW engins,
AS long as you don't plug the oil pickup with the crap out out of the head. Did that with a '69 440 Chrysler T&C Wagon. It was not that noisy if it ran below 1200 RPM.
What sucked was pulling the oil pan. That meant pulling the engine.
It also had only 90,000 miles on it. It went to a engine re-builder for another life in a Charger. The body got scrapped.
Guess it was a company car. They do just enough routine maintenance to make it to the next round of tax write offs
I saw this in the engine of a mercedes 108 minibus and wondered why the mechanic was trying to scrap all the sludge off the engine. the answer i got was "this is what you have to do to help people out ". top man brian
Hope you recover quickly.
Thats some engine abuse/neglect right there. So sad. Hope u have a speedy recovery. Thx for sharing.
They spent the money for a "cheap" timing chain repair (aftermarket parts, not really a cheap procedure), but wouldn't spend the money on oil changes?! Fascinating! 🤑
Wishing a speedy recovery! Love the 5.4 content. As an owner of a 5.0 I would love more content on that motor.
Pretty good engine. Not too likely to see as many of them in the shop lol.
The rear cylinders have inadequate cooling and can hurt pistons if it gets too hot. There is a coolant bypass kit for the back of the heads that makes a big difference
Its so great that your son is learning the trade! Thank you for the detailed look at what an engine looks like, especially with the oil wasn't changed. That sludge looked incredibly gross!
Brian , wishing you a speedy recovery!
Man that was thick sludge Thanks for the video. I'm going to do a timing job on my 06 5.4 3v 294k thanks to you ! Your contributions to my automotive knowledge has made a huge difference in my diy success and confidence. Thank you !
I did mine 5 years ago still running good over 210k miles, makes sure you upgrade the oil pump he recommends
You had major surgery last night and your still working! You’re a true working hard playing hard shit kicker American 🇺🇸
My second comment on this video, one of your best I learned so much here with you explaining the operation of each part plays in the total picture. Your son must be a rockstar at school with his dad being the Wayne Gretzky of Ford vehicle's
We are just happy to see that you are okay and you get well and heal soon!
You are a continuing blessing to us all, thanks for the skilled reporting. There are obviously some engineering problems that "can" pose problems with that engine family. But when you see comments of people getting big mileage in many cases you have to have some suspicion about the basket cases that show up. Ignoring proper maintenance is the main culprit. Going the Ford interval for oil change is a significant contributor to engine failure too. I love the way you continue, over the years, to pound home the truth about engine performance, transmissions and other associated components on the fords. I hope you recover well from your recent surgery.
rest up get better young man , we send our love from Alberta Canada.
I worked in a machine shop in the late 80s and once we had a local AMC/Jeep dealer bring us an AMC 360(or 401, can't remember for sure) that looked like that. Engine has less than 40K miles on it and needed a complete rebuild. Story from the dealer was that the owner had never changed the oil since the vehicle was bought new from them. Crazy.
im currently driving a subcompact which got it's pdi and no other service for 75k resulting in coil packs failing and subsequent engine requiring a rebuild . she was too busy having babies to service the car.
My daughter leases cars and doesn’t change the oil unless the dealership hounds her! Don’t assume a leased car ever had maintenance.
Hope you feel better soon Brian, I wonder if the 5 or 6 oil changes he skipped was cheaper than a new motor?
🤣
Oil is cheap. Engines are not.
That's a lot of sludge!
I bet they only added oil and never changed it.
@@Markomyt1 Probably never checked the oil until the red light comes on
Black gold, Texas tea. Thanks for showing the tear-down and hope you're feeling better.
Brian hope your ok from your surgery and wishing you the best and quickest recovery.
Awesome video Brian. Take it easy and get some rest so you heal properly the first time. Speedy recovery.
I have an old, relatively simple Ford 4.2L V6. At just under 320,000 miles, I had to open one rocker cover to repair a valvetrain issue. Failure was not due to lubrication failure, just looked like metal fatigue and (or) latent defect.
There was NO varnish and very little sludge at all. Mostly just clean aluminum and steel. I've been using synthetic oil (whatever is on sale, usually Quaker State) and OEM filters for the last 200k miles. I've been using a 7,000 mile change interval, supported by used oil analysis. I've always though of synthetic oil as a "can't hurt, might help" situation, but now I am a true believer.
Also, transmission is original, never needed any internal repairs. I change the fluid every 30-40k and avoid beating on it (though I'll drive hard if necessary).
I’m NERVOUSLY asking, what was your valvetrain issue?
Feel better and speedy recovery. Great video and wonderful teaching your son and properly equipping him for life . Bravo as a father !
Hope surgery went well. Pray you heal up quickly. Your a good guy!
Speedy recovery buddy. Thanks for making videos
Feel better Brian!
You Brian are truly a class act that us Ford 3V owners can't afford to lose............so you take care of yourself! Just know that I definately appreciate all your skills & caring for this vastly misunderstood Ford Mod Motor engine class to go thru the efforts to inform all of us as to how to properly TS, operate & maintain them to save us a TON of money & aggravation w\ these 4.6L\5.4L 3 Valve engines...................................
I wished I lived closer to you Brian. I have 2006 Ford with the 5.4 3V with 110,000 miles and have you go over the whole truck!!
I, too have a 2006 5.4 3v with 105,000 and would like his opinion on my truck.
@@Jim.D I agree!! But I would have to ship him my truck and not have it for at least a month or more because of how busy he is. And I really can't afford a new one.
Praying for you. Hope everything is better. Thanks to you, I am able to keep my truck running. God Bless.
Following the last comment 253k no problems, service when do and change the oil.
What a mess.
Thanks for showing us what not to do.
Hope you're healing well Brian...thanks for the video!
Son I wish there could be more guys like you around, honest who care about doing things right the first time, who care about their work and treat people the way they want to be treated. I have a 2005 F150 5.0 3v and have learned a ton about my truck from watching your videos. I wish you were near by cause I would certainly bring it to you for repairs. I might just ship to you next time. You are probably slammed full of work but it would certainly be worth the wait.
Prayers for a speedy recovery Brian.
Brian,get well soon. Also as the saying goes oil is cheap, engines are not.
its great your son is following in your foot steps.... plus he`s got the best situation to learn, all your years of experience
Thanks Brian. Rest up from surgery bro, we'll all be OK for awhile. Take care of yourself my man, and your boy looks like he's got his dad's talent gene.
Hope your feeling better soon Brian
That spun bearing was crazy, I was like there is no way it wore its self away and yet it did. Hope your feeling better soon!
Thanks for the heads up. I have a 2006 F-150 Lariat with 252,000ish mikes. Have always done the maintenance routinely it it runs great. The only issue I’ve had is a ticking noise on start up. I believe it has something to do with the timing chain and oil delivery.
It's great to see a dad teaching his son auto mechanics., like my father taught me the skill some 45 years ago.
I remember I was looking at a 1976 Olds 98 back in around 1983 for around $500.00 and it was a super clean car with a strange knocking noise. I recall calling my dad to take a look at it and he put his hand on my shoulder and he said to me "Listen to that noise very closely and always remember it. That's the sound of a rod knock. That motor is dead.,,, turn it off and let's go."
Very oddly... a gen 1 351 Windsor alternator bearing can make the exactly same noise. And yes I pulled all the crank bearings and they were fine.. then the alternator seized up and the noise went away. Which is when I learned to always pull the belts before trouble shooting an internal engine noise. Every once in a lifetime, harmonic resonance will fool you.
I hope all is well with your health great video thanx again take care!!!!!
I had the valve covers off my well maintained original owner ‘09 5.4 for the first time ever several months ago to change out the VCT solenoids. After seeing some of your videos I was somewhat anxious about what I might find when I pulled the covers off, however I almost couldn’t believe it as everything looked shiny and still like new inside. There was no discolouration or sludge to be seen anywhere so faithfully changing the oil since new, the first 8 years with Motorcraft and then Pennzoil Platinum has certainly paid off.
What was your oil change intervals? I change mine 3-5k.
@@dperr338 I did the same interval as you but now that I’ve owned the truck for so long with good results I stick to the lower end of that range. Usually my engine oil isn’t even fully black on the stick after 3-3,500 when I change it, maybe due to the engine being clean inside since new. Some people may say that’s to often but with these Tritons I don’t mind paying for oil instead of repairs.
@@squangan Mines usually brown when I change it. People who buy into those 10,000 mile oil changes and lifetime fluid is ridiculous. I’ll never understand that crap. They will be over there promoting the whole reduce and reuse bullshit then promote an oil change schedule that will reduce the life of your vehicle. Old dirty oil can be recycled and used for something else. Throwing out an entire vehicle more often requires more resources. My dad bought a new truck and they told him if he didn’t do the recommended interval of 10,000 miles then he would end up paying for it. It’s all just planned obsolescence.
All I can say is that Henry Ford is looking down on you and smiling 😊 Another great video to help teach us and Alex. Best wishes for 2023 Brian, kind regards from Galway, Ireland 😉👍🍻💚 💙💛
Anytime I have a problem with my truck I go to your channel because you are the world 🌎 ❤️ best Ford man mechanic.
I agree I hope you have a speedy recovery!!
Great video Brian. Your son Alex is lucky to have a great dad and teacher to show him the experience you have learn from when you had worked at the Ford dealership. Proper oil changes are the key for maintaining an engine’s life. I hope you have a speedy recovery from your surgery.
Brian take it easy, speedy recovery.
Major surgery yesterday and you’re working. Dang man get some rest and feel better, work can wait.
Glad to see you're back & OK there Brian!
your son is very lucky to have a great mentor to teach him.
I never knew that you had a son. Good for you Sir! Another great video as always. I'm a backyard mechanic and my father drives 2006 ford fusion. It's such a nice feeling that I can pay him back for all he has done for me. Referring to doing his automotive repairs for him.
That sludge was gnarly
Appreciate you making this video when you are recovering. Hope you get well soon.
Years ago my father bought a van from a old man. As soon as he got it he changed the oil an coolant just so he would know when it was done. Almost as soon as it was started up it started losing oil pressure. When we pulled the oil pan the pickup was full of sludge like the new oil washed it all down. After a call to the previous owner we found he had issues and all stemmed from lack of maintenance. That van was a learning experience
Driving a 4.6l po interceptor 185 on the clock change oil all the time 3000 or less. No oil burning .daily driver 50 miles a day. Just change the oil.
I started working in my dad's welding shop when i was 13 yrs old. Working for dad is foundation of my career.
Get better good buddy. I religiously look forward for your new content!
Feel better, Brian!
"...a record groove." 🤓👏👏👏 FTM is the man for knowing a record has only one groove per side! Good knowledge!
My first car was an ugly 1962 slant 6 dodge dart passed down to me from my grandfather in 1970 when I entered college. It was leaking a little oil from the valve cover so I decided I would replace the gasket. I removed the bolts and was surprised at how heavy the valve cover was when I lifted it off. I flipped it over and you could see the molded imprints from all the rockers and valve springs in the thick black, wax like substance that filled the entire valve cover. The oils back then were not that great and apparently my grandfather didn't believe in changing the oil. Very satisfying to scoop and scrape that thick, waxy goo out.
How long did it work for afterwards? Or did you sell it?
Great video! Thank you, Brian! Your son is lucky to have such an awesome teacher. Get some rest, I hope you have a speedy recovery from your surgery. God Bless.
This guy is very specific on how to take care of your vehicle…I needed to change my steering shaft on my 2008 f150 and had never done this before, but after watching his video, it was very easy! My truck has 264,000 miles and has never given me any issues…yet…but like one fellow said, keep your oil changed every 3000 and it will take care of you. I listen to this mechanic all the time and very impressed at his knowledge of all fords. Keep making videos bud and your business will take care of you.
What symptoms were you having that lead you to replace the shaft?
Heal up and get well soon Brian.............
Brian, get well soon (it hurt listening to you). Thank you so much for showing the value of a diagnostician, and the critical value of oil changes. Sending this to my wife and son.
Major surgery, hope you are doing well Brian. Thank for the video
Wishing you a speedy recovery brother.
Couldn't have had a better teacher thats for sure !
You are, by far, the best mechanic on RUclips, especially when it comes to Fords. I learn more from your videos than anyone else on RUclips, when it comes to my own Ford. And, seeing videos like this is exactly why I change my oil every 5K miles with Pennzoil Ultra on my 2019 F150 Roush with the 5.0L Coyote. Thanks for all your informative videos and I hope you continue to get to feeling better real soon, brother.
Like the old Fram advertisment Said pay me now or pay me later in most cases a lot more later especially if you use the cheap Fram filter
Even the cheapest fram filter with proper oil changes at that many miles, it would look new still
never had issue with fram
Oil is cheap, engines are expensive..fantastic video! Your son is lucky to be learning from the best. Get well
I worked in a small shop rebuilding engines in the early '70's. We would see sludge like that often and at around 50k to 70K miles - the oils were that bad. I'm shocked to see a modern engine this bad!
The bottom end are nearly indestructible on a stock 5.4. It takes real concerted negligence to thin out the rod bearings.
That engine only had 1/3 the sludge that a used Caprice I had bought in the early 80s. My brother in law was an excellent mechanic and told me how to clean out the sludge with a putty knife and scrapers, then to use coat hanger wire to unclog the drain holes. We ran 5 qts of straight kerosene for 5 minutes instead of oil and changed to oil with only 1 qt kerosene for the second flush. Was able to get the engine back to running condition. Learned to change oil on all my vehicles on a regular basis for the last 40 years. Change your oil and filter regularly on reasonable mileage intervals.
Another great video!! Being an OF, recall seeing and working on all of the flathead Fords as will as the 6 cylinder Blue Flame Chevys with massive sludge build up even with the then recommended thousand mile oil changes. They all seemed to run "forever", or, maybe,100K miles, whichever came first. Of course if they had the always optional oil filter, it was a bypass type instead of full flow - and were always full of sludge. Even the early 265-327 Chevy's and 239-312 Fords had heavy sludge problems (especially Fords with their crappy head oil passage and rocker shaft design)
As an ex chrysler tech, I've seen plenty of spun rod bearings. But this is the first time I've seen the bearings stack themselves. Impressive failure! Really says something for Ford quality for the engine to still be running after all this. I would have expected a window in the block a long time ago.
Piggyback spun rod bring is common if you keep going. Usually on old Mopars piston will impact head. When it does that impact is so loud you can't hear the rod rattle.
Your son couldn’t have a better mentor than you, he’ll be a great technician.
Reminds me of the engines from the the 1950's and 1960's. Oils back then were no where's as good as today's oils so depending on maintenance back then would determine how much sludge was in the engine.
This engine had a bad life.
Thanks Brian for this video. Memories!
My grandpa used to talk about the Buick straight 8 he bought used. I guess he took the valve cover off and the sludge was so thick it was actually a mold of the valve cover. I remember him saying he had to build a small fire under the oil pan to get it to crank when it was really cold outside. 🥶 Can you imagine that today 😳
Pennzoil and Quaker State were sludge builders in the 70's when I worked at a GM dealership.
@@TheBigdog868 my buddy did same thing. 56 Chevy with NO OIL FILTER took valve cover off and it said Chevrolet in the sludge. He then got a bucket and spoon.
It was still good, though. Underneath the sludge build- up.
@@uncledoug9934 Was the single viscosity SAE 30 or 20 a bit better?
Valvoline ?
Was "DeLuxe" 10w - 40 the worst ?
@@davidpowell3347 it was mulit-viscosity 10-30 and 10-40 we used back then.
Had a buddy who's a retired Ford Racing engine builder identify and demonstrate the sound of piston slap on a stock mid 70's Ford 302.
In park or neutral, you could hear the sound as the engine rpm's dropped after a quick rev.
Was really interesting.
"Major surgery" Geeze, take care of yourself and don't worry about us RUclipsrs!
Get well my man!
brotha, you are the man.....I just got done replacing the timing chaings on my 99 f150 2v with a 310k, along with the oil pump and valve cover gaskets....you are the best on youtubes covering the f150.....thank you thank you thank you........looking to get 500k out of my truck.....also, freaking awesome that you have your son working with you.
Great info. Does my heart good to see the "Dad-kiddo" thing too. 👍
Brian ; video is another Great presentation.
More importantly God has given you a A+ Core !
Don’t know what was wrong but Glad your OK !
Joe
Witnessing the damage sustained on that 5.4 3 valve reminds me of this Econoline cutaway shuttle bus used by the local airport in my area, it came in on the flatbed with the concern of engine noise and no oil pressure. Inspect found the engine still had the FACTORY oil filter on it, FL820 with the square symbol on it, the buss was 3 years old and as I tore into the engine it looked just like that but in addition the timing chains and cover looked like the bank 2 side of the 5.4 3 valve. I ended up installing an hour meter and gave them the proper calculated hours when the buss required service since it idles from what I understood practically 24/7. Crazy how oblivious oversight can cost so much money.
When I first saw the short the other day, I quickly shared it to my Instagram story with the friendly PSA to change the oil on time. Last I checked, the average used vehicle price is a little over $28,000. Assuming you have the oil changed every 5,000 miles at the cost of $75 per oil change, and you drive the average 14,263 miles per year like the average American, it would take 134 years for you to spend the same amount of money as what the average used vehicle costs in just oil changes. Moral of the story, keeping up with the maintenance intervals will save you thousands on your vehicles in the long run.
Thanks for sharing. You and your son would enjoy "I do cars" on youtube. He takes apart all kind of engines as he runs an auto recycle shop in St Louis. He is quite entertaining and is also preaching for people to change their oil.
Gracias por tus consejos cambiaré el aseite más seguido en mi for f150 06 5.4
Best wishes for a speedy recovery
I hope all is well, thank you.
Sorry to hear you needed surgery, hope all goes well with the recovery. I can honestly say, that is definitely in the top five worst s engine internals I’ve seen in my 20 year career
Thanks for sharing your work and please Brian take care and get healthy. Your health I paramount, if you don't have it to you then realize how important it is to enjoying everything else no matter how large or small! Great evening and I hope that you heal up quickly, God bless you all and we enjoyed your hard work.
This is not a fault of the triton. No motor could withstand this level of abuse. Things did not escalate to this level of severity overnight...not even over a week.
Outright irresponsible vehicle operation. The regular driver(s) heard this thing jackhammering for at least a month, fair bet. Even before that, there must surely have been oil pressure light, check engine, rough running, rattling of 16 maracas, possible overheating... And nothing was done.
I am in the group who's not a fan of mechanics-in-cans. But even some attempt of oil treatment would have greatly reduced the quantity of that mud. Just an oil change.
Urinating into the valve cover would have thinned some of that crap. That poor motor was driven, for hundreds of miles, literally screaming for attention. It received none.
That is one tough engine to be running in that condition.
Probably tried the B&G flush and drain, No Bueno!!!
I just had major surgery last night. Gets up the next morning and heads to the shop...
True old school mechanic ethic. I had a tech doing a clutch job for me on a Mustang one time. After he got the job done, he told me that he needed to leave early. We found out the next day that the old clutch had fallen out of the car onto his toes. It bent the steel toe and partially severed his big toe. It happened at the start of the job but he kept working because he knew the car had to go that day and he wanted the 4 hours labor that put him at his bonus level.
I have several stories like that with the old school guys I've worked with.
in my opinion, this kind of sludge is caused by motor oil absorbing combustion by-products (soot). Some soot acts as blow-up past the cylinder rings and is absorbed into the oil. When the oil becomes too contaminated it leaves these kind of sludge deposits. Also the piston ring gaps get so slugged the rings no longer seal correctly. And the oil scrapper ring passages gets plugged up, preventing the oil to return through the piston properly so the engine ends up burning oil. The easy way to prevent this is to change your oil!
I just tore down my 1998 Ranger 2.5L 300k miles to check and replace worn parts. I changed the oil every 3k with conventional oil and a couple splashes of Lucas oil treatment. It was mint inside. Replaced rings and one hydraulic lifter. And all bearings. Oil pump. Rebuilding the wire harness now.