Recall for 2021-2022 2.7L - Broken Intake Valve

[Freedom]

Just saw this:

Aug 31 (Reuters) - Ford will recall 90,736 vehicles as engine intake valves in the vehicles may break while driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Saturday.
The recall impacts certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine, the NHTSA said.
As part of the remedy, dealers will perform an engine cycle test and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge, the regulator said.


Reuters Article

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[fordtruckman2003]

Yeah, I'm fairly sure I fall within this one. ?

Could be related to the SSM I posted previously?

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...ver-area-of-the-engine-after-cold-soak.24643/

Attached NHTSA info for the recall.

 

[kb2755]

Just got a recall notice in Gas Buddy about this one. Yikes.

 

[Probity]

Interesting. The NHTSA bulletin from Ford notes production dates from May through October 2021 for the potentially affected Lima plant 2.7's/3.0's (over 1/2 of the ~90k engines in F-150's). From about a year ago Ford 2.7L EcoBoost Faulty Valve Investigation Expands from Bronco to F-150, Explorer & More - Ford-Trucks.com:

"The problem with these particular engines is that they were built with engine intake valves made from a material called Silchrome Lite, which is an alloy that “can become excessively hard and brittle if an over-temperature condition occurs during machining of the component,” according to the NHTSA, at which point those valves can fracture and lead to a loss of power, or worse – total engine failure. Back in October 2021, Ford addressed this issue by switching the intake valves used in these engines over to an alloy called Silchrome 1, which is reportedly less susceptible to over-temperature during machine grinding. The automaker notes that the majority of engine failures caused by the faulty valves have likely already occurred, but the NHTSA is taking a deeper look into the situation, regardless.

The recent (a week ago) associated Ford chronology RMISC-24V635-2546.pdf (nhtsa.gov) has more detail - evidently another infamous 3rd party supplier issue - using/substituting Silchome Lite for intake valve manufacture. Supposedly changed to Silchrome 1 after October 2021.

"Based on an analysis of returned fractured valves from failed engines, Ford identified that the potential root cause of the failures was engine intake valve failure due to valves that exceeded the designed specification for hardness, were brittle, and more likely to fracture. Ford determined that this was due to the supplier’s grinding processes and the sensitivity of the intake valve material to grinding processes that were not within control specifications. The intake valve material was changed for vehicles produced after October 31, 2021. The new material increased the valve’s robustness to keeper groove grinding processes outside of control specifications."

A little more detail on what happens Ford Bronco & F150 EcoBoost Engine Valve Failure (aa1car.com) :

"Ford says the intake valves in these engines were made from a special weight-saving alloy called Silchrome Lite. These valves must be carefully heat treated during manufacture because getting them too hot can make the alloy too hard and brittle, increasing the risk of cracking and sudden failure. The Silichrome Lite alloy has since been discontinued and replaced with a different alloy called Silchrome that is less prone to cracking and failure."

Almost need to be a metallugical engineer - martensitic intakes, austenitic exhausts Valves – In the Flow: Part I - Allmond Marine

"Martensitic steels have the benefit of being hardenable and have good strength properties at room temperatures. This makes them a good choice for intake valves, which run cool, most often a few hundred degrees. Silchrome-1 is a very popular material used in engines for intake valves. Having a hardenable material is nice, since the valve tip needs to be 52-54 HRc min to carry the contact stress of the rocker arm. The valve can be hardened locally in the tip area. The rest of the valve can be left softer and ductile."

The conspiracy theorist in me smells a covid link - why was decision made sometime in 2021 to go to "Silchrome Lite" - it being a "weight-saving" alloy? Really?

Just makes me wonder what the 2.7 intakes were made from during 2015-2021.

 

[Snakebitten]

Wow.
Nicely researched and well summarized for us. Thanks for the effort.

 

[fordtruckman2003]

I think mine was a May 2021 build. Not sure since I bought it used but I suppose it is on a sticker in truck somewhere. I know first owner purchased it May 31 2021 as custom order.

 

[fordtruckman2003]

Ford wants dealers to check the number of engine cycles. Then force engine to run high RPM and see if it breaks. That tells me they probably don't know which trucks have the bad heads.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. The original thought process they had was that if it was going to fail it would have already failed. If they do this dealer process and run it hard to get off recall list, and it still grenades on me a year from now, I'll me pissed. ?

 

[JExpedition07]

Ford wants dealers to check the number of engine cycles. Then force engine to run high RPM and see if it breaks. That tells me they probably don't know which trucks have the bad heads.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. The original thought process they had was that if it was going to fail it would have already failed. If they do this dealer process and run it hard to get off recall list, and it still grenades on me a year from now, I'll me pissed. ?

No way I’d let the dealer do that

 

[Probity]

Because I'm just curious, I looked hard but still have no idea whatsoever Silchrome 'Lite' is, how it differs from Silchrome 1 ("a chromium silicon martensitic steel, commonly called Silchrome 1 or Sil 1"). Didn't realize Silchrome for valves isn't exactly a modern phenomenon, been around 100 years or so.
Open and Close | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings

"Since thermal loading on the inlet valve is less severe, this valve is generally made from low-alloy silicon-chromium steel. This alloy, known as Silchrome, was invented in the U.S. in 1926; it combines 3 to 3.5 percent silicon with 8 to 9 percent chromium and 0.4 to 0.5 percent carbon. For very light-duty applications, a mix of 1 percent chromium steel may be used. A one-piece valve constructed of these materials would be locally hardened for tip, groove or seat-wear resistance, while the stem may be chromium plated."

Who knows what intake/exhaust valves are made from. From Engine Builder magazine 16 years ago Microsoft Word - Understanding Valve Design and Alloys (sbintl.com) :

"SAE classifies valve alloys with a code system: “NV” is the prefix code for a low-alloy intake valve, “HNV” is a high alloy intake valve material, “EV” is an austenitic exhaust valve alloy, and “HEV” is a high-strength exhaust valve alloy.

Unfortunately, you can’t always tell what kind of alloy a valve is made from because different valve suppliers use different alloys as well as their their own proprietary names for their valve materials. Thus one manufacturer may call their intake valve material a “422 stainless alloy” while another refers to it as an “NK-842 stainless intake material.”

Without a thorough metallurgical analysis, you can’t really compare one manufacturer’s valve material to another’s. But frankly, as long as the alloy does what it is supposed to do, does it really matter what they call it?"

Like most engines these days it gets complicated. Here is just some of the materials used for ICE engine valves, a mix of martensitic, austenitic, high nickel alloy, etc

 

[fordtruckman2003]

I'm guessing "lite" was done during supply shortages during covid and the thought was that it would be fine. Probably altering the alloy with a different mixture that turns out not to be able to hold up properly with machining.

 

[SilverPigeon]

Or neglecting to change machining parameters to account for the lower temperature requirements of the material.

 

[PPK]

i looked at this AFTER i had my '22 in hand.. My motor was built 30 Dec in '21.. But i did the warranty for 9 yrs and 100k... My first '16 ecoboost leaked oil so much it almost put me in the hospital. several times.. do the warranty and move on... those motors are all out of an ohio plant for ford i believe.

i did go GM for my '23 Tahoe a few months ago. I just afraid of an expedition having lots of things too.

 

[WhiteLightningnshitshadow]

So what happens if they redline your shit, find its "okay", then it fails at 100k? Am I covered because it was under a recall that was performed unsuccessfully?

I had the headlight recall done 3 different times unsuccessfully, taking up a ridiculous amount of miles and time out of my schedule, only to have the AIPM replaced on the 4th visit.

 

[spiritrider1]

Ford wants dealers to check the number of engine cycles. Then force engine to run high RPM and see if it breaks...

Where did this info come from? Is this an actual Ford diagnostic procedure? If so, it would be a cold day in hell I'd let them have my vehicle to test like that without offering an unlimited mileage warranty to back up the damage they'll do in testing. I could see a massive class action brewing...

 

[fordtruckman2003]

Where did this info come from? Is this an actual Ford diagnostic procedure? If so, it would be a cold day in hell I'd let them have my vehicle to test like that without offering an unlimited mileage warranty to back up the damage they'll do in testing. I could see a massive class action brewing...

It was attached above.
If engine fails testing by the wording we get entire new engine. Seems extreme when they could just swap valves, but it is probably easier for the dealer to do an entire engine swap.

Description of Remedy Program :
Dealers will inspect each vehicle to determine its cumulative number of engine cycles. For vehicles that do not meet the engine cycle threshold, dealers will accumulate high revolutions per minute (rpm) engine cycles per a service procedure. Engines will be replaced on vehicles that do not pass the engine cycle accumulation.

How Remedy Component Differs
from Recalled Component :
Replacement engine assemblies are manufactured with intake valves that are within specification for hardness.

The concern I have is if I have an engine that has met this magical threshold of cycles. How am I to know it won't grenade on me in a couple more years due to valves being bad? I do somewhat agree with Ford logic that if it was going to fail it would have already failed, but reality has proven that was not the case. Continued failures are what lead to this recall.

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