f`150_fun

Hey all. having a big problem here and hoping to get some insight into this. to start, my truck was acting like a typical cam phaser failure. tore it down and there was a broken bolt on the driver side bottom guide. replaced bolt, cam phasers, chains, guides, etc. put it back together, was running great, drove it around the block and it starting running worse then ever before. hear of having faulty cam phasers so we tore it down again. pulled the cam phaser off the driver side and the cotter pin was broken. replaced the cam phaser, put it all back together, started it up, was running great, revved it up a bit and bam running like **** again. haven't tore it down again yet, but im sure the same thing happened again. has anyone ever heard of this before? any idea what could be causing this?
any help would be much appreciated.


thanks.

F150Torqued

"Cotter pin"??? I've never heard of a "cotter pin". Are you talking about the spring loaded locking pin that holds the cam at full advance at idle? Also, what brand of phasers was that that you put in there? Dorman, aka Matel?

Martian

Check your coolant temperature after it's been running for a while and scan for any pending codes... how long ago did you do your plugs and coils? Also check your FPDM

f`150_fun

Not sure why I had cotter pin in my mind. It's the keyway that broke

F150Torqued

Trying to give some insight as per the OP, but I'm not sure why either, but it would be helpful to clear it up for all those who know as little about it as I do. I also am unaware of a "keyway" in the phaser. Closest thing being the locking pin I mentioned earlier -- OR the Locating pin on the back of the phaser that aligns it with the camshaft. The only "keyway" I'm aware of is the one on the crankshaft/timing gear. If either of the latter two devices broke, it would likely have resulted in trashing some valves and/or pistons. I'm still not sure just what broke, (other than the description).

f`150_fun

I guess it would be the locking pin on the back of the cam phaser, that aligns on the cam

F150Torqued

Well that's a new one on me. I have never heard of that happening to anyone - let alone twice on the same engine. That pin is soley for alignment purposes. Best picture I've been able to find is:


It would be subjected to no lateral "shear" forces once the Phaser is installed with this pin properly aligned with the hole in the camshaft and the Phaser bolt is tightened - even to a portion of the proper specification (defined in the Ford Factory Service Manual as a two step procedure, tighten to 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) then + 90º).

f`150_fun

yea thats the one. i dont understand it either. thought maybe one person had seen this before.

Captain C

Over the years of production, have there been different pin lengths??? GM did that with the pins on the camshafts that the upper timing gear fits on. Gen 1 small block pin is shorter than Gen 2. Both cams will fit in either block, just need to be sure you have the correct pin. Don't know if Ford did the same thing....

If at all possible, measure the pin length/diameter and compare that to the hole depth/diameter.. Also, make sure there isn't a piece of pin left in the hole in the cam. Also, disconnect the coils and rotate the motor with the timing cover off to see if there is any wobble before further assembly.....

F150Torqued

@Captain C , I asked the Ford dealership parts counter if there was an updated or improved part for the Cam Phaser and he told me NO. Said the part number has been the same FOREVER.

AND, I owe @f' 150_fun an apology for sounding too much like I doubted what he was saying because I had NEVER heard of that "alignment pin" breaking. BUT - posters- seem to refer to it in a number of different ways and I had never ran across it. The following photo shows a "FAILED camshaft alignment pin I found on another post. This photo is a perfect close-up of the same shot of the REAR of the PHASER as the photo in my previous post#7 above. The alignment pin is chewed completely up along with some of the inner edge of the machined mating surface.



I think @Captain C is correct about making sure the pin is seated in the mating hole before torqueing the phaser bolt or making sure the gear has no wobble before buttoning up valve covers.