My dad has an 03 1500 4.7. It heated up on him one day.He turned it off and it wouldnt start, water pored out the water pump. The next day I changed the water pump and got it to start but there was a heavy top end knock on drivers side. Towed it home remove that head and a valve seat had fallen in and trashed the head and did some damage to top of piston. Got a remaned head and various parts, got it together. It started, didnt knock but ran rough. Took for test drive and sounded better. 5 miles later it shut off at stop sign, same knocking noise just on the other side. Replaced the other head with reman. Cranked it up, it started, ran rough for 5 sec and shut off. Cant get it to crank. It never coded before this now it has 0344. camshaft sensor. Wht would cause it to fail. Could I have put the timing chain on wrong to cause this. All the marks on the cain were lined up properlly. It has been sitting in yard for 4 wks, we really need help.

 

Did you notice any water on the top of any pistons? I've seen where head gasket can go and leak coolant into a cylinder. Water doesn't compress. Result? Bent rod. Also you mention damage to the top of the piston. That's never good. There could be some minute crack on the top of the piston causing all sorts of blowback and leaks and lack of compression. I haven't worked on the 4.7L much. Mine just runs - never had to work on it. So sorry, don't know anything specific that can be of any more help, but I wouldn't rule out a bottom end issue as well.

 

Both head gaskets looked fine. There was no water and oil mix at all. Im pretty mechanicaly inclined but i might have got in over my head a little on this 1. My dad just dosnt have the $ to put it in a shop. We have got to get this figured out soon. He live 25 miles away and my gas bill is gonna be as much as his repair bill.

 

A distinct possibility is you got the cam a tooth off when you put it back together. If that happens, you would get a CMP code, and the truck would run like crap. I've put the chain on the way I thought they should be, rotated the engine 2 revolutions, and one of the timing marks was off a tooth.

 

Ok got it apart this morning. The timing was out 180. Took awhile to do this but got it figured out and back together. It started but had to put gas peddle to the floor then had to keep it between 1500-2000 rpms to make it run. Runs REALY ROUGH. It still is tapping pretty loud, not knocking. Listened with a stick and there is no tapping on bottom end, it is all up top. Sounds like rockers to me. Why or how could the rockers be making noise on brand new heads. Really need help here fellas. We are stumped. Thanx in advance for help,
Shawn

 

4.7s have a had habit of cracking heads when they over heat. Did you have the checked for cracks at a machine shop?