CountyMounty

2008 F150 XLT 4x4 with about 65k miles on it. After smelling burning oil last year I discovered it was leaking from the VCT seals on the valve covers. The drivers side is the side leaking enough to cause a problem, but I've noticed the passenger side is starting to leak a little as well. I haven't bothered to repair this because there were/are no other problems just the burning smell and frankly it wasn't a priority for spending my time. I am planning so sell it this spring and get a newer F150 and I want to fix this problem before passing it along. I have read through the forums and think I have a pretty good handle on the how to replace them (though I am dreading removing the valve covers and everything else in their way, especially AC). My question is what else should I replace while I'm doing it. Is it likely that its just the top seals leaking or should I replace the whole VCT housing and gasket as well.

EBC-150

If the seals are leaking and you are selling it, just replace the seals. You shouldn't have to remove the valve covers.

BadFish523

x2 You don't need to replace the solenoids just because it is leaking at the seal. Just get new seals, remove the old, clean the surfaces very well and put new seals in. The old seals can get weathered and cracked, or shrink a little over time.

CountyMounty

Thanks for the responses.
I had the understanding that with the 2008's+ that the VCT solenoids were impossible to replace without removing the valve covers and that the seals, while maybe not impossible, were very difficult to replace without removing them because they were of a different design without the lips on them. I will have to get things out of the way and cleaned up and look a little closer, obviously I dont want to "try" to do it and not be able to get it done fully.

BadFish523

I'm pretty sure you just unplug the solenoid. Pop the seal out of the valve cover slide up over the top of the solenoid. Reverse procedure. You do have to remove the valve cover to change the solenoid but the seal and the solenoid are separate parts. The hole in the valve cover is smaller in 07 to 08.

CountyMounty

I knew they were separate parts but thought I had read that even the seals were hard to get out with the 07+ models. Although I'm not sure I have read any post by anyone who just simply had to replace the seals only. I have no loud ticking noise or any other problems (other then an occasional miss which I think might be a coil) I'm going to go ahead and order the seals right now and then try the passenger side one with easy access first.

BadFish523

I have heard they are all difficult no matter the year. Difficult for a rubber seal anyways. They tend to cook to the valve covers a little and get hard and brittle. Still from my understanding all you do is the procedure I stated above.

CountyMounty

Continuing to read through this forum and others and cant find anyone to verify that they did in fact just replace seals on an 07 and up. If anyone has done this I'd love to know for sure.
I found one thread that said the 07+ seals (actually called VCT grommets) are "built into the valve covers". Certainly would be much easier for me to be able to just change the seals and try it but i'll be in a mess if I try to do it but cant get the new one in. If I'm going to have to remove the valve covers I'm going to go ahead and replace the VCT solenoids as well but if I dont have to I'm going to try just the seals.

650NutKase

Mid 07 and later engines need to have the valve covers removed.

BadFish523

To replace the solenoid yes, but just to replace the seal/grommet? If its just a rubber grommet I don't see any reason why you couldn't do it from the outside. Rubber is pretty flexible. What could possibly prevent from replacing the grommet from the outside? Unless there is some sort of lock ring inside but I think theyer just rubber.