Piston slap on my 2012...

[ridenfish39]

Discuss this with me...
I have just read way too much on it from searching and my head is spinning.
Some say it's not a bad thing, some say it is. I have piston slap when I first start the car and drive away...only at light throttle and around 2300 rpm. I don't beat on my car until it's fully up to temp. I try to drive around it keeping my rpms under where it happens, but sometimes I accidentally make it happen. (It's funny I rarely beat on the car, my girlfriend teases me about why I have a fast car if I'm gonna drive it slow. )
The noise is just annoying and my mods are in my sig, 14k miles, my car put down 397/391 on a happy dyno and it runs strong. No FRPP 'ping'' either. I have an intake and off road pipes at home and I plan to do somebodies tune in the future, but the piston slap issue I have has me worried about the longevity of the motor.

 

[konablue11gt]

I used to have it as well ... After the Vortech install and Lund tune it disappeared ... Use to drive me nuts till it warmed up

 

[Fullboogie]

How do you guys know it's "piston slap"? There's a bunch of things that can rattle and make noise when a car is cold. With the piston to wall clearance on modern engines, I can't imagine that this is normal.

 

[BruceH]

Mod motors make alot of noise, especially when cold. Are you sure it's not something else?

 

[ridenfish39]

Mod motors make alot of noise, especially when cold. Are you sure it's not something else?

I've done an epic amount of reading today (didn't have shit to do last two hours of work) and I'm almost positive it's what I have. You can hear a distinct metallic rattle, only at light throttle, and only at certain RPMs. It goes away completely once the car is warmed up. I try my best to drive around it because the noise is painful to me to hear....

 

[konablue11gt]

I've done an epic amount of reading today (didn't have shit to do last two hours of work) and I'm almost positive it's what I have. You can hear a distinct metallic rattle, only at light throttle, and only at certain RPMs. It goes away completely once the car is warmed up. I try my best to drive around it because the noise is painful to me to hear....

I had the same exact noise on mine I was told it was piston slap and i searched a ton of videos on it every vid i found of piston slap matched my car's sound...It can be tuned out ...mine went away with tuning and a S/C install. It is a very annoying sound when it is first started when cold ...I would granny shift the bejesus out of it for a couple miles

 

[Bill220]

How can piston slap be tuned out? Piston slap is too much clearance between the piston and bore.

My bet is spark knock. I remember that sound well from the 70's.

 

[Scuba-Matt]

How can piston slap be tuned out? Piston slap is too much clearance between the piston and bore.

My bet is on light detonation.

Not likely at idle. Detonation happens under load.

Gen 2 Lightning 5.4's had piston slap too, Caused by the short skirt design on the piston. And noisy fuel injectors.
With the VCT and 4 cams in the new 5.0 mod motor. It could be a number of things. Like stated above Mod motors are noisy when cold.

 

[Bill220]

Not likely at idle. Detonation happens under load.

Gen 2 Lightning 5.4's had piston slap too, Caused by the short skirt design on the piston. And noisy fuel injectors.
With the VCT and 4 cams in the new 5.0 mod motor. It could be a number of things. Like stated above Mod motors are noisy when cold.

Meant spark knock. Fixed.

 

[VTXFrank]

I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say they have piston slap when really, it's just valves rattling around until the metal of the motor warms up.

 

[VTXFrank]

How can piston slap be tuned out? Piston slap is too much clearance between the piston and bore.

My bet is spark knock. I remember that sound well from the 70's.

In my experiences, it isn't so much "tuned out" as it is the forced air induction keeping the pistons from slapping. You'd think with short skirt pistons and F/I, it would increase the issue. But as long as the crank case is properly vented, it can make it go away.

 

[Fullboogie]

OP - I'm assuming you checked the tranny separator plate?

 

[BAKnBLK2010]

OP it is piston slap you are hearing. My 2011 had it and my 2012 has it now. It only happens when the weather turns colder. It's nothing to worry about.

 

[slowlyrolling]

Check your exhaust for leaks, could have a faint tapping sound at low RPMs.

 

[fake]

I have it to. Happens on a stone cold engine and only at 2100 Rpm's. Lasts only for a mile or so.

 

[Jeff Rosen]

I have it as well. Bothers the shit out of me. It does disappear when coolant temp reaches mid way. I just baby the heck out of it till operating temp is reached. Manual gearbox fussy till warm as well in cold ambient temp. Makes for a terrible drive for five or so minutes.

 

[702GT]

I have it as well. Bothers the shit out of me. It does disappear when coolant temp reaches mid way. I just baby the heck out of it till operating temp is reached. Manual gearbox fussy till warm as well in cold ambient temp. Makes for a terrible drive for five or so minutes.

Thread revival from hell?

 

[eighty6gt]

if you drive hard right away everything warms up faster and stops wearing out while you pussy foot around.

 

[RocketcarX]

The early Coyote engines were trash, they were always having issues with out of round cylinders. Still the reason I don't mess with them. They're like a Nissan, either they run forever with zero issues or the are junk.

 

[eighty6gt]

Dropping valves!