Yeah, the video and the Ford technical manuals both fail to mention setting the crank to 6 o'clock to remove that roller follower. I had to look at that lobe and figure out where I needed to turn the crank to get it out. It wound up being 6 o'clock as I mentioned.

Again, you are not reading my instructions. To get all the other roller followers out, you remove the cam cap bolts, remove the cam caps (make sure you lay them in the order they are sitting in the head) and remove the cam shaft (do one side at a time). Now you can simply pluck them out of their laying spots.

Then, you put the cam shaft back in and tighten the cam caps. You now can easily rotate the cam to place the chains correctly for proper timing.

Reinstalling all 24 of those roller followers took me nearly all day long, given you can install like 2 or 3 at a time before you have to rotate the crank to install a few more. (cam lobes have to be facing up to easily manipulate the roller followers into their spots. Its easy to drop them into a cavity in the head, just use something like a coat hanger to pull them out when that happens, and make sure you have lots of light)

 

Yes read it .... I was not sure about removing the cam shafts. So you dont remove the remaining Followers one at a time. If i understand you the cam comes out first then you remove the remaining followers.
So if the cam is in its neutral position the followers will not get damaged? ...... you cannot time the engine unless all the followers are removed.? I did not plan on replacing those parts. (The vehicle only has 100,000 miles on it). Its just not in the budget.
At this point Im out of Money and unemployed. So its eating or truck parts...... I know .truck parts!

 

My #8 exhaust didn't want to come out on my first try, but it was my tool not being in the right position. I think it was hung up on the head and not pressing on the spring. It's all the way in the back and hard to get at. A quick re-position and it came right out. At 'neutral' position, that cam lobe doesn't come up as far as the others so it's tight. But you can get it. I'd also look at that CMA or OEM spring tool. They're almost 1/3 the cost of the OTC one. And it worked great. Nobody can argue the quality of the OTC tool, but unless you're planning on doing more engines - the cost of it doesn't justify (imo). Maybe you can find a good used one. I have no doubt there are people on here that have only used theirs once and it's been sitting in their tool box ever since.

And I don't know about others, but my cam caps are all marked with numbers and a little arrow that faces forward. I always mark my parts anyway when I remove them with a black sharpie. Doesn't hurt to have more than 1 reference point. And I take PICTURES (sometimes video)... lots of pictures before I even start! A quick snapshot has saved my butt more than a few times.

Take it for what it's worth.. I'm in the middle of my engine too. Mine is pretty much shot and needs replaced. I waited too long to repair, but that tends to happen when your job of 30 years gets sold and shipped out of country, lost house, etc. So I feel you pain! Luckily you're getting to your engine much sooner than I could.

 

Yes I turned the crank so that the the base circle of #8 was facing down ...Like I mentioned the tool is toast so Im waiting for the new one... And its really hot outside...
Im thinking I just might carefully loosen the cam caps and pulling the cams and roller rockers..... Its in a neutral position at this point ...