Think I Threw a Rod....

[Rp930]

This is supposedly why they won’t use my Ford Performance Exhaust, to help save me money, because it’s apparently “Off Road“ only... the lady said, there should be something in the box, stating so... well, here it is... so I have to pay for a new stock exhaust, after purchasing their performance exhaust, that I’m going to replace anyway, because its not going to put me back into warranty mode etc... Then she asked me, would I like to keep all the parts that I’ve purchased?? Are you serious?? No, go ahead and throw them all away so that I can repurchase them again to bring my truck back to where it was... I want to thank Stage 3 for helping me through this... Ford’s people are just reading a pre programmed statement and phone numbers, keeping you in a constant circle of who to talk to next... It’s Fords‘ game.... Thank you Stage 3, for standing by my side... ??

Still blaming Ford I see.

Sponsored

 

[2ford]

Still blaming Ford I see.

No I'm thinking the dealer whos ripping him off. Example the money he shelled out for diagnostic and the posted photos they gave him.

 

[Rp930]

No I'm thinking the dealer whos ripping him off. Example the money he shelled out for diagnostic and the posted photos they gave him.

Now that I could understand. Best of luck to him. They looked like nothing more than poor bore scope pictures.

 

[Trigganometry]

Now that I could understand. Best of luck to him. They looked like nothing more than poor bore scope pictures.

Only speaking for myself here. If 5 Star is stepping up to the plate and honor the replacement then they should also get the trashed motor since they’re paying for it. Then tear that thing down and find root cause as best you can and then look at the greater picture. You have in front of you all the weak points of this engine displayed for you. Use that information when tweaking your tunes as there is a limit of what’s possible and what’s predictable.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Now that I could understand. Best of luck to him. They looked like nothing more than poor bore scope pictures.

Hi Rick,

Not sure what I was looking at but agree it looks like something when through the cylinder and had nothing to do with a failed oil pump. Makes me wonder if it was detonation related which caused a valve to come apart. There was a test procedure at one time (Not sure if it is done anymore) called the death rattle where the spark was cranked way up to cause detonation and the motor run under load until it broke. Then pull the head and do a look/see...looked somewhat similar to what I think I am seeing in these pix.... Does not look like the dealer did any real teardown unless we can see a pix of the head pulled off the block and a pix of the offending cylinder if it is top end related at all.

Bottom line....we are still left to speculate what happened...no root cause yet determined.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Project Midnight]

Still blaming Ford I see.

Lol Rick, not blaming Ford... I just have a new Ford Performance exhaust, and they are are requiring me to buy a stock exhaust to regain my warranty... so I have to buy a brand new stock exhaust when I already have a brand new Ford Performance exhaust ready to install.. let me know if you have any more questions...

 

[Rp930]

Lol Rick, not blaming Ford... I just have a new Ford Performance exhaust, and they are are requiring me to buy a stock exhaust to regain my warranty... so I have to buy a brand new stock exhaust when I already have a brand new Ford Performance exhaust ready to install.. let me know if you have any more questions...

Yeah that’s a little over the top. Wish somebody with a take off exhaust was close enough to help. Anybody?

 

[TORQUERULES]

Hi Rick,

Not sure what I was looking at but agree it looks like something when through the cylinder and had nothing to do with a failed oil pump. Makes me wonder if it was detonation related which caused a valve to come apart. There was a test procedure at one time (Not sure if it is done anymore) called the death rattle where the spark was cranked way up to cause detonation and the motor run under load until it broke. Then pull the head and do a look/see...looked somewhat similar to what I think I am seeing in these pix.... Does not look like the dealer did any real teardown unless we can see a pix of the head pulled off the block and a pix of the offending cylinder if it is top end related at all.

Bottom line....we are still left to speculate what happened...no root cause yet determined.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Looks like severe detonation or maybe LSPI?

 

[Project Midnight]

Only speaking for myself here. If 5 Star is stepping up to the plate and honor the replacement then they should also get the trashed motor since they’re paying for it. Then tear that thing down and find root cause as best you can and then look at the greater picture. You have in front of you all the weak points of this engine displayed for you. Use that information when tweaking your tunes as there is a limit of what’s possible and what’s predictable.

Hi Rick, I’m not keeping the motor, but I am paying the core fees for all my aftermarket parts, so that it helps 5 Star... thats a good idea about the engine to 5 star, I’ll see if they’re interested in having the motor... unfortunately, Ford just tells me, ”all the mods”... I’m just going to believe that Ford will never tell me what caused the failure, and will hide behind “all the mods”... I wasn’t tweaking a tune, I just purchased a standard 93 octane tune, and was happy with it, and I’ll be buying another one when I get my truck back, plus reinstalling all the AFE parts once again... It’s just been a damn headache, and I want my truck back ?

 

[Project Midnight]

Looks like severe detonation or maybe LSPI?

Hi Matt,

I never heard any pinging while driving, I always run 93 octane, I’m actually putting that into my rental cars ? That’s just how I am I guess, I feel like every car has a soul, and it’s just good Karma... I take care of you, and you get me home when I need you lol Midnight got me home ?

 

[Project Midnight]

Looks like severe detonation or maybe LSPI?

Hi Matt, what is LSPI?

 

[Project Midnight]

Those are about the s****iest pictures ever. Lol. It really does look like a borescope pic. Something definitely let go and hammered the hell out of the chamber and the piston from the looks of those pics. Too bad they are not clearer.

I am glad 5-Star/Stage 3 is helping out, but I honestly would not mess with 5-Star again with another tune. I was all in for them at first, but as things progressed it seemed that they were chasing issues that they had no idea how to fix and were caused by tuning parameters that they may have best left alone. If it was something that I was asking for that was not doable, then I should have been told, but honestly I did not ask for anything beyond what I have asked any other tuner. When I started getting spark knock almost constantly with 5-Star I set them to work on it, but could get no feedback, other than a customer service person relaying my logs, etc. to the tuners, and no new version for weeks so I went with Unleashed. Unleashed may not feel as hard-core, but it is much more drivable and without weird hiccups. Power-wise I think there is very little difference if any, especially considering how much smoother things are now. Plus the responsiveness of service is amazing. I am not sure if 5-Star has gotten too big too fast, or is only tuning for certain conditions and not considering all variables, or they are trying too much at once. I just know that I finally did get a revision from them and I put it in the other day for kicks and giggles and it was horrible. The transmission even made a weird "woosh" sound when slowing down like it was doing something weird with the line pressure and/or converter. Once I heard that I promptly pulled over, went back to stock and then reflashed the Unleashed tune.

That’s good to know, but I’m not going to abandon a company that had my back, when I needed support. And Ford left me high and dry... I will be asking for details for my next tune with Stage 3... I just want my truck back, and I WILL be buying a Stage 3 again... ?

 

[VAMike]

That’s good to know, but I’m not going to abandon a company that had my back, when I needed support. And Ford left me high and dry... I will be asking for details for my next tune with Stage 3... I just want my truck back, and I WILL be buying a Stage 3 again... ?

Did you ever actually talk to someone who works for Ford, or just the dealership?

 

[TORQUERULES]

That’s good to know, but I’m not going to abandon a company that had my back, when I needed support. And Ford left me high and dry... I will be asking for details for my next tune with Stage 3... I just want my truck back, and I WILL be buying a Stage 3 again... ?

Totally understand. I think each person's experience is different. Mine was good with them at first and then went south, so it could have just been my dumb luck. I have seen others have the same experience with 5-Star and others who have had things go fabulously. I have seen this with a lot of performance vendors over the years. Makes little sense, but seems to be how things are. You roll the dice and hope you have a good experience.

 

[TORQUERULES]

Yes, low speed pre-ignition. A killer of GDI turbo engines...

Sponsored