Cam Phaser/Timing issue -- New Engine??
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 137
Likes: 15
From: Fairfax, Virginia
Cam Phaser/Timing issue -- New Engine??
I love my 2009 F-150 -- I have it leveled, new BFGs in 275x70r18, lightbars, and all kinds of nice little upgrades -- and the engine is konking out.
I have 187,000 miles on it, mostly highway. The engine started with a seeming lack of power, then it started running rough and stalling in slow traffic.
Took it to a shop and they were a bit over their heads, so I took it to the dealer.
It had a Cam Phaser code so they replaced those sensors -- $1,400 later it was running fine, for two weeks. Now it is doing the same thing again.
The more I research this the more I find that the cam phaser/timing issue is a can orf worms and one that has been fixed on subsequent engines.
Do I go down the road of trying to fix this or just bite the bullet and drop a new long block in? I've been looking for full NEW engines and cant find them.
Any preferred suppliers? What should I look out for?
One company I found offered this information, which describes my issue and SOUNDS good...
"Ford's 5.4 3V engines installed in 2004-2010 Ford trucks have, unfortunately, garnered a reputation for premature failure. Owners of these vehicles report hearing a ticking noise from the engine accompanied by a loss of power and often a "check engine" light. Research has revealed that the cause of these issues is usually attributed to a failure of the cam phasers and excessive oil clearance in the cam journals. Our 5.4L 3V engines are the only engines re-engineered to eliminate these problems. To correct the oil clearance issues, the cam journals are align bored and a custom-made cam bearing is installed. In addition, they're built with a high volume oil pump to insure an adequate supply of oil pressure to the heads. Our engines are built with all new valvetrain and timing components plus updated graphite coated hypereutectic pistons. Our engines also include the remaining installation gaskets."
Before I do this though, are there alternative solutions???
I have 187,000 miles on it, mostly highway. The engine started with a seeming lack of power, then it started running rough and stalling in slow traffic.
Took it to a shop and they were a bit over their heads, so I took it to the dealer.
It had a Cam Phaser code so they replaced those sensors -- $1,400 later it was running fine, for two weeks. Now it is doing the same thing again.
The more I research this the more I find that the cam phaser/timing issue is a can orf worms and one that has been fixed on subsequent engines.
Do I go down the road of trying to fix this or just bite the bullet and drop a new long block in? I've been looking for full NEW engines and cant find them.
Any preferred suppliers? What should I look out for?
One company I found offered this information, which describes my issue and SOUNDS good...
"Ford's 5.4 3V engines installed in 2004-2010 Ford trucks have, unfortunately, garnered a reputation for premature failure. Owners of these vehicles report hearing a ticking noise from the engine accompanied by a loss of power and often a "check engine" light. Research has revealed that the cause of these issues is usually attributed to a failure of the cam phasers and excessive oil clearance in the cam journals. Our 5.4L 3V engines are the only engines re-engineered to eliminate these problems. To correct the oil clearance issues, the cam journals are align bored and a custom-made cam bearing is installed. In addition, they're built with a high volume oil pump to insure an adequate supply of oil pressure to the heads. Our engines are built with all new valvetrain and timing components plus updated graphite coated hypereutectic pistons. Our engines also include the remaining installation gaskets."
Before I do this though, are there alternative solutions???
5 Year Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 5,053
Likes: 1,631
From: Arizona
Did you try going back to the dealer and telling them that they didn't fix the issue??......I feel like you since paid them $1400, and the issue is still there, this is "a you better fix this again and not charge me a dime" type of situation. Most of the parts should be warrantied...
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 137
Likes: 15
From: Fairfax, Virginia
Did you try going back to the dealer and telling them that they didn't fix the issue??......I feel like you since paid them $1400, and the issue is still there, this is "a you better fix this again and not charge me a dime" type of situation. Most of the parts should be warrantied...
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 137
Likes: 15
From: Fairfax, Virginia
Some questions I have are that the aftermarket blocks all talk about the improved design the the cam and timing, but the factory blocks make no mention of it. I wonder if factory are also upgraded, but they don’t want to point it out which would be an admission of a flaw in the earlier designs.
5 Year Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 5,053
Likes: 1,631
From: Arizona
If the parts failed that quickly then they usually have a warranty. If they installed poorly then that shouldn't be your expense either. Two weeks sounds like either the dealer didn't do their job right or the parts were bad. Either way a ford dealer should be having ford pick up the cost to fix again if it was genuine ford parts.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 137
Likes: 15
From: Fairfax, Virginia
If the parts failed that quickly then they usually have a warranty. If they installed poorly then that shouldn't be your expense either. Two weeks sounds like either the dealer didn't do their job right or the parts were bad. Either way a ford dealer should be having ford pick up the cost to fix again if it was genuine ford parts.
5 Year Member
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 155
Likes: 40
I love my 2009 F-150 -- I have it leveled, new BFGs in 275x70r18, lightbars, and all kinds of nice little upgrades -- and the engine is konking out.
I have 187,000 miles on it, mostly highway. The engine started with a seeming lack of power, then it started running rough and stalling in slow traffic.
Took it to a shop and they were a bit over their heads, so I took it to the dealer.
It had a Cam Phaser code so they replaced those sensors -- $1,400 later it was running fine, for two weeks. Now it is doing the same thing again.
The more I research this the more I find that the cam phaser/timing issue is a can orf worms and one that has been fixed on subsequent engines.
Do I go down the road of trying to fix this or just bite the bullet and drop a new long block in? I've been looking for full NEW engines and cant find them.
Any preferred suppliers? What should I look out for?
One company I found offered this information, which describes my issue and SOUNDS good...
"Ford's 5.4 3V engines installed in 2004-2010 Ford trucks have, unfortunately, garnered a reputation for premature failure. Owners of these vehicles report hearing a ticking noise from the engine accompanied by a loss of power and often a "check engine" light. Research has revealed that the cause of these issues is usually attributed to a failure of the cam phasers and excessive oil clearance in the cam journals. Our 5.4L 3V engines are the only engines re-engineered to eliminate these problems. To correct the oil clearance issues, the cam journals are align bored and a custom-made cam bearing is installed. In addition, they're built with a high volume oil pump to insure an adequate supply of oil pressure to the heads. Our engines are built with all new valvetrain and timing components plus updated graphite coated hypereutectic pistons. Our engines also include the remaining installation gaskets."
Before I do this though, are there alternative solutions???
I have 187,000 miles on it, mostly highway. The engine started with a seeming lack of power, then it started running rough and stalling in slow traffic.
Took it to a shop and they were a bit over their heads, so I took it to the dealer.
It had a Cam Phaser code so they replaced those sensors -- $1,400 later it was running fine, for two weeks. Now it is doing the same thing again.
The more I research this the more I find that the cam phaser/timing issue is a can orf worms and one that has been fixed on subsequent engines.
Do I go down the road of trying to fix this or just bite the bullet and drop a new long block in? I've been looking for full NEW engines and cant find them.
Any preferred suppliers? What should I look out for?
One company I found offered this information, which describes my issue and SOUNDS good...
"Ford's 5.4 3V engines installed in 2004-2010 Ford trucks have, unfortunately, garnered a reputation for premature failure. Owners of these vehicles report hearing a ticking noise from the engine accompanied by a loss of power and often a "check engine" light. Research has revealed that the cause of these issues is usually attributed to a failure of the cam phasers and excessive oil clearance in the cam journals. Our 5.4L 3V engines are the only engines re-engineered to eliminate these problems. To correct the oil clearance issues, the cam journals are align bored and a custom-made cam bearing is installed. In addition, they're built with a high volume oil pump to insure an adequate supply of oil pressure to the heads. Our engines are built with all new valvetrain and timing components plus updated graphite coated hypereutectic pistons. Our engines also include the remaining installation gaskets."
Before I do this though, are there alternative solutions???