Island Truck

M tearing down the front of my 5.4 to fix the tensioners and thought I would replace the lash adjusters and Rollie followers while I was at it. I imagined it being easy.

I have a tool that depresses the valve spring so I can pull the roller follower. I can't seem to pull the lash adjuster. It hits the bottom of the cam lobe, I think.

Do I have to pull the camshaft to get to these? That would suck.

Phinfan

I was just wondering the same thing, I have a distinct knock and its not chain rattle. I've removed the valve cover from driver side because that's where the noise is coming from. Thought it was going to be relatively easy but it looks like a real pain if I have to remove the cam!! If you know of a way around this is appreciate some input!

cabrego

Did you fix your problem, how did you do it?

Island Truck

No, I didn't fix them. I had already opened the lash adjuster and roller follows packages and had them soaking in oil overnight before I ran into issues getting the existing ones out.


The best I can tell, people are either removing the cam shafts or loosening one end and then the other to make room. I was already brain fried from the timing component part of the project so I thought "**** it" and didn't change them.


That was what... last year?? The lash adjusters and roller followers are still soaking in clean oil in my basement.


Maybe next time I open her up...


I am still interested in how people do this. I had the valve spring compressor from Freedom Racing and I can't see how it fits toward the back of the engine. There doesn't appear to be clearance.


I also have the service manual and thought about removing the cams, but the picture of how the cam has to be oriented before removal isn't clear (to me). I can't tell how the lobes should be pointing.


All in all it was one of those "might as well do this too" projects that turned into a pain in my neck.


With admiration for all the people who know how to do this...


Island Truck

cabrego

thanks for the response. I am in the exact same boat as you I am planning to do the timing set with phasers and I figure I might as well do the lash adjustures and followers too. I have heard people not remove the camshaft and you some kind of a flat head screwdriver to pry off to followers and swap out the adjusters. If you remove the cams I think you just have to make sure everything goes back to the same positions so you have to mark the journals in the camshaft. I have done tons of searching but have found little information.

primalurges

You have to remove the cams. You do not need to compress the springs. You do have to mark the cams relationship to the first cam cap and the chain's relationship to the phaser. And of course you need the wedge tool to prevent chain from dropping in. When you reassemble you have to align everything up and start tightening the cam caps a little at a time so they bring the cam down as evenly as possible and start to recompress the springs. Once everything is torqued down you can use a vice grip to realign cam position so that phaser slides right in. The followers you can lift right off with your fingers and same with the adjusters although long nose pliers make it simpler.

RustyCJ

Self Edited for misleading info.

primalurges

just out of curiosity, once the valve cover was out of the way how long did it take you to remove them? I did mine a while back and went the cam removing route just because everything looked so tight in there.

RustyCJ

Just pulled them up and out.
I've just started with this truck. Right valve cover and rockers on #3 and 4 were already off when I bought it. Haven't removed any more rockers till I can do a compression check to determine if there's a bent valve.

cabrego

What year and engine?