Simpleaim

Ok so after making the decision to definitely replace my lifters and rockers in my 2004 F150 5.4 3v while doing my cam phasers and timing set..what is the best way to do it?

Should I use the spring tool or just remove the camshaft? I've seen a couple of videos where the rocker was popped off with a screwdriver but I've got 24 to do and don't think I could do all of them without damaging at least one.

I saw a video of a cam swap where the guy just unbolted the caps and removed the cam and it looked like the easiest way but I've never done this so would this be the best? Can I just pull out the lifters and rockers?

Any thoughts?

Thank you,

Ken

vintageman

Mark the cam lobe positions in multiple places to line it back up and take the cams out. Easy and quick. Loosen from the center cap outwards and tighten in the same manner. Use a pair of vice grips on a non-lobe part of the cam to hold it in place when tightening and when lining the cams marks back up with the marks on the cam holders. Once removed, lift the followers and the lash adjusters out. Soak the new lash adjusters in clean oil and bleed them while submerged in the oil by pressing on the top a few times to bleed the air bubbles out and reinstall. Nothing to it, just mark the cam and caps so that they go back in right and the caps go on the same lobes in the right direction.

Simpleaim

This is perfect!

Thank you very much vintageman!

Ken

Simpleaim

I'm getting ready to do this but I have one more question.

Do I need to put the crank at a certain position? I'm also going to replace the phaser and timing set and I've seen some videos on timing but on this specific procedure of replacing lifters and followers is the crank position critical?

Thank you,

Ken

vintageman

Me personnaly, I would put timing to TDC, and the cam lobes facing the appropriate directions (pics in one of my albums on here). Then take everything off, inspect the cams and soak and bleed the new lash adjusters (lifters) and reinstall them and the rockers (followers). Prior to putting my cams back in, I used some assembly lube just for start up safety, but oil will do the same thing. Make sure that you mark your cams with something (i used my wife's nail polish) in a few positions to make sure that you line them back up right. Put the cam caps back on in the original positions in the original directions and tighten from center outwards in a few steps. Torque appropriately as per the specs.

Simpleaim

Thank you very much vintageman!

Simpleaim

I have one more question and please forgive me for going on but in your album it shows that the crank sprocket at 12 with the timing mark at 1. Is this TDC or where it should be for timing? Are they both the same?

Thank you,

Ken

Simpleaim

I apologize for so many questions it's just I don't want to mess this up. I'm doing 3 major things:

Lifter and Follower Replacement
Cam Phaser Replacement
Timing Set

In your opinion, in what order should I do these?

Thank you,

Ken

vintageman

If your Harmonic Balancer is "rung" is pointing at 12:00 and your timing mark is at 1:00, take a look at the cam lobes. There are pics in my album for the proper cam lobe directions as well as the harmonic balancer and timing mark. Ensure that these are correct then take a pair of vice grips and hold a part of the cam behind the phasers on a non-lobed part to hold it in position. Then loosen the phaser bolt, I used an impact wrench. once that was loose, I finished taking off the front cover then took the phasers off, and removed the cams. Make sure that you mark the cams before you start to loosen anything, even before loosening the phaser bolts. that way you can line them back up correctly. Keep the cam caps in the right order and facing the same direction. Let us know when you get to the point of having the cover off and I can chime in again. Good luck

Simpleaim

You are the bomb!

Thank you!

Ken