GreyspotCarpenter

Hey there everybody,

I know there are a TON of threads about this topic but after reading endless amounts of them I have not found an answer to my problem. I bought a 2006 5.4 3V with 139,000 miles a few months ago and I am experiencing some horrible problems. I have owned many cars including a BMW and Toyota Supra Turbo and performed 99% of all work on all of them so I am not a noob mechanic - just not a professional.

When I test drove the truck I couldn't hear the cam phasers because it wasn't warmed up but when I came back to purchase the truck they had already warmed it up for me and I heard a little tapping but no biggie. I read all about it and most people say "oh they just all sound like that". A couple months later I was getting a huge miss on just one cylinder and found out it was a bad spark plug. I was sketched out about doing the plugs so I bought the extractor kit from amazon just in case but never used it because they came out like butter and had just been replaced (from how they looked). A couple times the truck died when I was going less than 1mph and about to park or after I had reversed out of a parking spot.

A couple weeks ago (now at 144k) the truck started hesitating and missing and acting very sluggish along with the phasers and (I think) timing chain tapping/rattling/slapping VERY loudly upon acceleration. Over time it got so bad that I could barely get it up to speed on the freeway in a timely manner and it would die in B2B traffic over and over again. I read thread after thread and decided to swap my old VCT's for new ones. It stopped dying! Although, it still had no power especially when warmed up. I did see LOTS of gunk caked on the underside of the VCT caps which makes me think thats why they weren't working properly and that I need to get it professionally flushed.

It died the other day after I had reversed out of a parking spot but thats just whatever...

In the last few days the phasers have been incredibly loud, even when cold - immediately after startup. This isn't only a tapping but also chattering. I have maybe 10% power 90% of the time and it always sounds like I'm trying to tow a dumptruck or something. As if the throttle is all the way open but the truck just wont go any faster. I can kind of finagle the gas pedal and catch the RPM's at the right spot and it will engage power and the noise stops until the next gear shift, then it's back to the craziness. 2 days ago I swapped out the bank 2 CPS because I pulled a code for that circuit but it didn't fix anything - and again, I found a TON of sludge and crusty deposits on the tip of the CPS... Also have pulled codes for multiple misfire and cyl 5 misfire but always pending, not confirmed.

I read on a thread that a guy unplugged his VCT and the noise went away so I tried it today and YESSS the noise is gone (except for a tiny tap) and it seems like ALL the power is back!! It's very hard for me to want to plug them back in because I'm worried the phasers will get worse and the timing chain guides/tensioner will start busting apart and then I'll have a REAL problem. I am also worried that NOT plugging them back in will do something harmful to the engine so I am completely torn.

I now know the phasers, CPS, plugs, COPs, and much more are NOT faulty and that it is something maybe ECU related?? I am not very knowledgeable of ECU stuff but Im just wondering WHAT tells the VCTs what to do and when?? I'd love to get this figured out ASAP so all replies are much appreciated! I've also read lots about the FPDM failing and causing fuel delivery malfunction but it's hard for me to believe that it has to do with the VCT... Right?

Thanks in advance!

-Clay

LariatDude

Unfortunately you're in denial, brother! You're going to need a new timing set. The VCT solenoids control flow to the cam phasers. The rattling and everything you heard is all phaser related. Reversing and stalling, 1mph stalling etc are ALL vct related. Here's why:

Oil is picked up via the tube in the pan and is fed throughout the head and engine and also funneled to the VCT solenoids. After the engine has reached operating temp, upon request from the ECU (rpms above ~1200 rpm) the VCT solenoids actuate and allow oil to flow into the cam phasers. The phasers were introduced to provide optimal fuel efficiency and torque by advancing the timing only during certain loads and rpms (it does not retard, it only locks back into base timing at idle or less than 1200 rpms). When the VCT system does not receive optimal oil flow, it shuts down the engine/stalls it. The reason everything works and is quiet after unplugging the VCT solenoids, is because you're disabling the VCT system entirely and they never actuate the cam phasers beyond base timing. Basically you put the engine back into the day and age where cam phasing wasn't a thing. This does NOT harm the engine, but it DOES reduce fuel economy a bit and power as well. FordTechMakuluco actually advises you to do this if you're tight on cash and can't replace the phasers at the moment.

Now, in these engines the weak point starts with the chain tensioners. There was a cheap rubber seal initially that kept oil front leaking out of them but these seals deteriorate and blow out and allow oil to drain out of the tensioners. This loses chain tension of course. When this happens, you will tend to hear a plastic rattle upon engine start. This is the chain hitting the guides during the initial crank and fire until the oil pressure build up in the chain tensioners and tighten the chain slack. Then during engine shut off, the oil pressure bleeds off again during off hours and the chains rattle yet again upon next start up. This over time smashes the plastic chain guides and fall into the oil pan, then get sucked into the pick up tube and create even lower oil pressure. Low oil pressure is always bad for an engine but even more for the phasers as the low pressure wears out the phasers during operation. When there isn't enough oil pressure at low rpms, the phaser doesn't unlock properly and acts erratic. You will here the phasers "clack" the internal vanes back and forth until enough oil pressure finally advances the phaser vane. You will most likely need new guides, oem phasers, a strong oil pump (stock one is kinda weak), and new tensioners. These parts have been updated over the years to prevent any of this from happening again.

For now, leave the VCTs unplugged and you'll be totally fine albeit a loss in performance.

GreyspotCarpenter

You are my savior! Thank you so much for the quick reply. Ill save my money now so I can fix everything this spring, It's nice to know that my truck wont explode in the meantime. Thanks again!

Clay

LariatDude

Absolutely! Welcome to the forum and good luck!

Rob Creaser

Could you help me with my VTC problem, I bought a used 2007 ford f150 5.4l 3V, the engine light was on and the seller told me he had VTC solenoid issues so he unplugged them the truck ran fine so I purchased it but I just replaced the solenoids with new ones and I runs horribly it stalls out it has no power, the codes I receive are

P0018 Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation- Bank 2 Sensor A
P0012 Intake Camshaft Position Timing- Over- Retarded Bank 1
P0018 Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation- Bank 1 Sensor A
P0012 Intake Camshaft Position Timing- Over- Retarded Bank 2


I also have a CAT, EVA, OTS, HTR monitor status.

At the same time my brakes are hard to press and do not work i think the engine is not producing enough vacuum.
Any thoughts Ive tried to unplug the new VTC's and I get the same results.
Any advice would be appreciated.

isvend

How's your oil pressure? Did you change oil right after doing the VCT solenoids? I always hear people recommend an oil change after the VCT so you don't clog them up with dirty oil. Hopefully your phasers aren't shot.

Rob Creaser

Thanks for the reply, i used oil cleanser changed the oil after i should have done it first, I replaced the cam shaft sensors, i then replaced the PCV hose and heater element to hopefully fix the vacuum issue, then ran the truck for 5 min, the truck run a little better but still bad, but only one code came up open circuit bank 2, so i cleaned all the electrical connections really good then drove around the block a few times, then when i pulled back into my drive the truck magically started to run great with no codes.

LariatDude

Hey hopefully she stays that way! Sometimes the truck fixes its own hiccups by itself. I’d love that truck even more for that reason 😂

berndog91

so how long can you run with VCT's unplugged? on my 07 ,both valve covers have the different seal,pass side the smaller centred seal,drivers side the off centre bigger seal,,doesnt seem right,,and can I do just 1 ?

np9219

how did this turn out for you guys? Spent 3 grand last month doing phasers and full timing set. Didn’t fix a thing. Even got them to replace VCT Solenoids twice in case the ones they put in were faulty. I’m back to leaving the harnesses unplugged now. Can’t figure this out.