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As a relatively new F-150 owner I noticed myself and a lot of people had several questions about these engines and fell victim to some of the internet hysteria. I wanted to reach out to other newbies and help them understand their truck better as I have now come to interpret mine.
The most important thing any of us can do is use the Search button when we are in doubt. Also read the sticky posts in our trucks forum here. A lot of our problems can be answered about this right from these sources... But some of the paranoia persists beyond that. I was a victim of this, too... So to clear it up here is a more analytic approach to these engines and how to handle your buyers remorse a bit easier.
Your cam phasers
Are they known to be an issue? For some models of the engine, yes. Will every one of them experience this problem? Despite what is sometimes said, not necessarily, no. Research tells us that phasers rarely fail of their own demise just because. It is usually produced by an underlying problem such as bad oil pressure, low oil pressure, pump failures, VCT solenoid issues, and the like. Despite what some posts will lead you to believe these are rarely just a guerilla attack problem that present with a tick and suddenly trash your engine. Here is a little bit about what begins and what you'll notice:
At first you'll get a slight tick and cold start noises, but this isn't in and of itself a concern yet.
As time goes on, you will experience a rough idle. This idle will progress to the point that the vehicle feels like crap, not to be confused with how some of these trucks normally have a v8 wobble idle, which is normal with uneven cylinder firing.
You'll begin to experience notable performance loss and hear the noise inside your cabin between 1500RPM and 2100RPM, and it will be distinct and noticable.
You'll eventually throw a code. This is your most obvious sign that there is an issue. People tend to omit the fact that these trucks do a good job at monitoring their own health and will identify issues in their phasers if it becomes a substantial issue. At this point, you will be faced with a choice: Trace down the original problem and repair both, or if cost exceeds consider a new engine (if you're at $4,200 for repair, you're already about 50% of the way there.)
**Not every engine will suffer phaser noise and it seems to be frequently misdiagnosed. These are V8's, they won't idle silently like a Prius or even as gently as my Camry's hefty V6. You're going to hear them when you're outside near them and they are going to make themselves known to you... That is one of the things we like about our V8's... You KNOW they are there, so don't be afraid when it reminds you.
Exhaust Manifold Leaks
After I drove my mechanic absolutely nuts about mine having one he finally called me to his shop when he had one with a leak. The best way to summarize this is when you have it, boy you'll know it is there! You think a V8 is loud now, wait until it's bleeding raw exhaust past a gasket and gurgling like a mother. Interestingly, it seems to be based on geographical location when determining your likelihood to experience a manifold/gasket leak. Being a Colorado resident, we don't have salt on our roads in the winters and we also don't experience humidity that rusts out the vehicles. Because of this, it seems less prone in these arid climates... Conversely, the one I saw with a leak had been brought here from Florida, where the manifold looked like the least of its problems. If you're ever in doubt just do the following:
Mix dish soap and water into a spray bottle and let the truck sit until a cold morning.
When it is cold out, give the trucks manifold (located under the passenger front wheel, just behind the skirt) a nice spray and start the truck or have someone start it for you. If you get any bubbling at your seems, bam. You've got a leak.
If it doesn't bubble and you're passing emissions, congratulations... You've got a manifold that is okay (for now).
Spark Plugs
Depending on your year for 2004, and all 2005 onward, the spark plugs are less prone to breaking off in the head or seizing up. That said, it is still known to happen. Most cases I've seen of this were inexperienced people attempting work beyond their realm in an engine more fragile than they realised for this work. Change them at 50-60k regularly and use good replacements, either ford OEM or a strong equiv that will not strip or damage later. Use this opportunity to examine each plug to make sure you aren't getting oil or moisture on the plugs themselves, signs of larger issues that can be diagnosed early. purchase the right tool or suffer the consequences when you bust one off in your head. If you have any doubts, just suck it up and pay a pro... If they break it, they fix it! (usually)
Keep an eye on your coil packs, too. Some people seem to skip this and will eventually have more issues down the road. You can pick up some great aftermarket super duty ones on Amazon for dirt cheap and they are quite easy to install, too.
Transmissions
The 4WD models of our truck can be problematic if prior owners were rough on them. Generally speaking, ford did a pretty cruddy job on the way the 4WD is handled in these model years... It isn't horrible and most people don't have a problem, but if you like to toss it into mud you run the chance of damaging the vacuum seals and having a bad time. Generally, though, you'll be okay. Change your fluids per the service guide and do not miss these intervals at all. Some people report replacing the tranny @ about 120-130k, others (myself included) are close to 200k on originals without any issues yet. It depends on maintenance, driving conditions, and generally how it was built at the plant that day/week/month.
Oil and Grades
I've talked with a few Ford mechanics about these myths of putting diesel engine oil and thicker viscosities into the 5.4L. They all think this is like playing Russian Roulette with your 5.4L. These aren't the same engines we knew in the 70's and 80's that could handle inconsistencies and be adjusted for tolerance. Much like any other modern car on the road and the Japanese brands especially, your F-150 is a factory tuned precision machine that runs off several computer sensors and regulators. When a problem presents and you mask the symptoms with a thicker oil, you may quiet a noise down for a while but the overall damage you're doing is probably more substantial. These engines were built to spec and configured to run in an exact condition that shouldn't be deviated from unless it is suggested by the manufacture and found safe. If you throw 10-w30 into your 5.4L and then 2 years later post that it was a bad engine, shame on you. You deviated from spec, ignored a problem, and then added to it. Use factory recommended grades per climate and change that oil on the dot each time! These trucks can sludge pretty easily if you make a habit out of going "just a little past" your oil change. Mind you, a "little past" is usually a few thousand by most peoples consideration... Not 5 miles.
If you've begun to experience genuine phaser issues don't use cheap quickfix solutions. Invest time into diagnostics and fix the problem or simply prepare to sell.
Last edited by stcolorado; 01-04-2015 at 01:08 PM.
Similar to phasers, you will know when these go bad. You'll get a rough idle, power loss that is noticeable, and your V8 will move like Grandma on a cold day. There are some scenarios where TSB's have been posted about rough idles and the need for solenoid replacement. If yours is in this, it is a DIY job but it is not a fun or time concious one. You'll need to carefully clean and remove the gaskets, avoiding any possible debris from falling into the now-exposed head. The passenger side is a cake walk, but Ford wanted to make sure you had fun on the drivers side... Be mindful about moving your power steering reservoir and watch those hoses! You'll make a bad day worse if you don't. Like phasers, if they aren't broken don't fix them yet... You'll gain nothing but could damage everything if you aren't experienced.
Fuel Needs
Our lovely 5.4L's are gas chuggers. Where you live can play a large role in how bad you feel this... Being in Colorado, I can't go about a quarter mile without hitting a hill, it is just the way life is. However, make sure you are giving your truck the right octane that it requires. Our 5.4L's are built to run best on 87 Octane gasoline with no more than 10% Ethanol added. If you happen to live some place where 87 isn't the minimum (like Colorado) be mindful of lower graded fuels. They can cause pings and clinks in the engine and with excessive use possibly do a little damage. Additionally, don't bother upping beyond 87, as this will not improve anything in the engine and could possibly underscore any knocks or ticks already present.
I've read, been told, had a friend of a friend who had an uncle from the Nam era who knew a guy, etc... Is this a bad truck?
Bad is a relative term and when you get into truck wars this is a lot like religion to people in America. As a foreigner, the concept is pretty radical to me. In Europe, people drive what is fit to their need and you generally just accept their choices... But boy, you Americans love a good boxing match about brands! When you look at every single one of the V8 engines that exist in each of the major manufactures they all have pros and cons. Each of them have a list of known issues that impact certain builds and each have several that drive forever and get passed on to someone else in the family. So, the "positives" to your Ford are a subjective mindset at best.
However, let's just look at the pure facts of the 5.4L engine. There are millions of these in production use from F-150's to F-250's and the E-line vans. Many are fleet and several million will probably go past 300,000 miles. When we look at the complaints online you can almost do some bar maths and realise the average manufacture failure rate of these lands in the single digits somewhere between 5-9% of all engines. (I tried to get exact on this but Ford seems cryptic about how many 5.4L's actually exist).
What that means is that these are known to be reliable and trustworthy engines. Ford time-tested them for over a decade before laying them to rest as engine advancements and new regulations began to play with the viability of these gas chugging road yachts. But, it was awarded a WARDS auto best engine award and has seen numerous applications in the US, Canada, and Mexico. If you every need validation that they just keep running, spend a day counting how many you pass on the road... Then try to remember how many were on the road "dead". You'll feel a lot better about your truck.
Another consideration is how people drive their trucks will determine their issues. We all know the guy who did a budget lift kit, threw on huge tyres, and left stock gear ratios and didn't perform any tunes appropriate to the engines needs. In addition, he slams the gas at every stoplight and rips the truck to shreds... His will not last long because he didn't respect the fact that it was precision built from the factory and required adjustments to accommodate his massive, goofy lift and his huge, never-taken-off road tyres. People who "Mall Crawl" these trucks tend to destroy them... And then they tend to be the ones who slam and bash how bad they were, which leads you to question their validity to boot.
Consider your vehicles factory spec when you move tyre sizes and add lifts, as you may need to change gear ratios and perform other work to accommodate these changes. Even tyres that are 3 inches larger will add significant amounts of rolling displacement to the vehicle and if it is a stop/go truck that is slammed on the gas at each light, you're going to wreck it to pieces. Consider this before just slapping cheap mods to it... Either commit to the work wholeheartedly or don't do it at all.
In Summary
You're going to love your truck and if it was cared for and you care for it, you'll keep it a long time. At first, you're going to get scared from all the stuff you read online but after a while you'll learn this vehicle and love it. I actually prefer driving my 05 whenever I can and I've got a perfectly good 2012 Camry in my garage with less than 20k on it. Says a lot about how Ford made these when you jump for a 9 year old truck over a 3 year old car. Drive, smile, and care for it.
If I missed anything and you'd like me to add it, let me know. Sorry if this was crazy long!
Last edited by stcolorado; 01-05-2015 at 12:09 AM.
I appreciate all the posts in support of the guide. I am going to edit the second post to add some stuff about ODEII monitors (I use a ScanGauge II) and fuel types the trucks require. Some states don't have 87 Octane as their default rating and anything below this can contribute to knocks, pings, and rattles that some people fear are phaser or solenoid sounds.
I also posted this guide to another site and got some questions regarding what I meant by V8 "wobble". I'll post a little description of this below:
Why V8's Feel "Wobbly" Sometimes
In large trucks it is (thankfully) harder to detect V8 wobble than it is in smaller cars, think a Porsche 928 with the 5.4L v8. What this basically feels like is a distinct left-right (or right-left, if you're so incline) movement in the vehicle. For most drivers, this is completely unnoticeable. For some people with vibration sensitivity (myself included) you can feel this. Some people read this as a "bad" sign or a "rough" idle when really it is exactly what the engine is intending to do. Because the way a V8's cylinder banks work, you may sometimes have inconsistent numbers of cylinders firing per side, which causes a distinctive left to right movement in the vehicle. Some people mistake this for a misfire, when really it is just the way the vehicle is. Our trucks can mostly produce this movement at a parked idle @ about 650-720RPMs... At gear idle @515-528 RPMs, and anything above 720, this is basically undetectable due to mounts and movement. A simple explanation is to just look at the two provided .gif's, with gif one being a V8 and gif 2 being a V6:
As you can see, the V6 always has an exact number of cylinders moving per cycle. The v8 can vary and fluctuate (except for certain build types, but we aren't working on drag/race cars here!), and this is what causes that sensation of a left-right movement. I've met people who are truly convinced this is a death rattle or death wobble when it is, in fact, the intended operation of a V8... You youngin's spoiled by your newer engines never got to experience the hell that was the 70's :P haha.
Last edited by stcolorado; 01-04-2015 at 08:30 PM.
01-04-2015, 01:03 PM
A Newbie Guide from a Newbie
