Last year I had my engine rebuilt and I put in OEM timing kit with Melling 340HV oil pump. I'm getting the phaser knock now. I've got my valve covers off and doing a visual inspection they look good. Everything seems to be in line and chains are tight. Everything is clean. I'm tossing around the idea of putting in lockouts before I button it back up. I can tolerate the knock at idle but I don't want to. Everything I read says the Ford phaser will last and the knock is something that goes with it.

Anybody here have the lockouts? What are your thoughts? I'm not concerned about losing 1-2 MPG or losing high end power. I'm too old to be racing my truck. Speeding tickets are not worth it.

Thanks,

Ken

 

Cam phasers knock once oil pressure dips below 25(?) PSI.

You can install lockouts all you want, but the engine will grind itself to a halt eventually. Anyone who tells you accept that ends up with a boat anchor under the hood.

Figure out the oil pressure issue.

 

Honestly with a new Melling 340Hv and rebuilt engine I didn't think I would have a problem with oil pressure. I change oil every 5K with Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5w-30 and only use Motorcraft filters.

 

@Simpleaim sorry to hear about your experience - an of course holding my breath at 38,500 miles past my 212,000 mile timing job.

Everything is still peachy with mine, but some additional discussion based on my personal experience that might help in your decision.

My 2004 Lariat 5.4L absolutely started phaser knock barely outside the dealership's door. (Literally I believe I first noticed it mildly around 10,000 miles). It did it all its life before timing job --- which cured it.

I do not believe Oil Pump / pressure is the "SOLE" issue. And OIL pressure reading at the Pressure sensor port does NOT provide an accurate / true picture of what the Phaser is working with. There is a flow 'restrictor' in the oil galleys entering each head to favor the (more important / expensive) lower end. Beyond those restrictors are Cam Bearings, and 24 lash adjusters pissing oil out on roller/followers - phaser's without oil seals, and cam tensioner's with s]-[itty - or NO seals designed to **** oil out onto the chains. Net result of that is NO-ONE knows how much oil pressure the Phasers actually operate on.

Another design characteristic that exacerbates the problem is three valve design. The Cam rotation against valve spring tension is horribly unbalanced as the rollers must compress two exhaust valve springs, then ONE intake. I was SHOCKED when I did my timing job how much force it took to move the Phaser gear into position to put marked chain links in correct place (I HAD to have a helper). That irregular 'rotational torque' puts enormous stress on the phaser holding the phaser vanes firmly against the end of full advance chambers. If Oil Pressure (AT THE PHASER) is not sufficient to do so, the backup is the 'locking pin' inside the phaser. ((NOTE)) If that locking pin is not engaging - you WILL get a P0340 or P0345 upon next startup. If you are NOT getting P0340 or P0345, the locking pin IS WORKING. But nevertheless the knock tells us the locking pin, or phaser vanes, are sloping around in there trying to keep phaser vanes against the advance chamber end.

Lockouts will definitely STOP that. But a perhaps the better question is WHAT is actual lower end pressure. If it's OK, you could go 200,000 miles like I did - just put up with the s]-[itty noise. Or you could find out where the pressure is being lost because the LOCKOUTS will NOT help that. They just MASK the problem until the next forthcoming (& more serious / costly) symptom appears like @Johnny Paycheck noted.

 

Hi F150Torqued - I'm not getting any codes whatsoever. It just ticks me off that everything is new except the heads and block but those were rebuilt. I got all OEM plus the Melling. I didn't want to go through this stuff again. I've got the valve covers off and the phasers look good. I'm debating whether or not to pull the phasers and look inside but that may not show anything. I'm pretty sure it's a phaser knock since it doesn't do it when cold or when above 900 rpms or so when hot. From everything I've read these Ford phasers with the new design don't go bad like the 3rd party ones.

Thanks,

Ken

 

Just ignore it. It seams to be the nature of these trucks. If your timing chain is tight and phaser is doing its job, then theirs really nothing to fix. Lockouts will not make it a damn bit better in the long run

 

You should have used a Melling M360 instead, it pumps 20% more oil, higher pressure. It is the same pump that fits in to the 32 Valves Navigator.

 

^^^^^^ Maybe, ------ Maybe Not. There is more to the oiling system on the 5.4L than on a Brigs & Straton lawn mower splash oiling system. Yes - Increased volume through a given restriction will produce more pressure (before the restriction). Downstream from the restrictors in the heads is the wild card. Then if you run too much pressure through the Oil Filter will push it's bypass valve open, circulating unfiltered oil throughout the oiling passages.

 

The oil filter valve is a simple valve that retains oil in the system when the engine is not running, the filtering element filters all the time with or without a valve. Keep in mind all other oil filters out there there for most cars do not have retain valves.

 

It is stories like these that make me question keeping the truck. If I drop the money to get the timing job done I don't want to have to worry about it in 20k miles.