Okay so, 05 F150 Fx4 5.4L 3V

Crank no start
Replaced FPDM, replaced coil packs, checked spark plugs all good but cleaned them up a little ( replaced them about 7,000 miles ago) checked all fuses. Still no start, yes I’m getting fuel. So I’m not even entirely sure why I thought to check the camshaft position sensor but I did. Passenger side seems like it’s okay, pull the drives side out and all I see is 1/4 of the plastic shell of the sensor and some electrical wires that where inside of the sensor. The remaining 3/4 of the sensor is still inside. I panicked and put the sensor back in. I’m not sure if it fell into the engine whenever it broke or whenever I pushed the sensor back in. Either way 3/4 of the sensor is STILL somewhere inside the engine.. What is the best way to go about retrieving it!? I have not turned the engine over since finding this problem. My truck has been sitting in my driveway for 3 months now amf it’s my only vehicle. I NEED some help y’all...

 

Most likely its down in the oil pan.

 

Eventually you'll have to take the front cover off and drop the pan to be sure you get all the plastic bits out but in the interim I wouldn't sweat it. These things will run after chewing a plastic timing chain guide into plastidust so a bit of plastic off the cam sensor isn't likely fatal. Put in a new CPS and drive it. Or drop the pan and hope you get lucky - ie. find the missing plastic bit(s).

 

You actually don't need to remove the front cover to get the oil pan down, but if you want to check to see if any errant sensor plastic is sitting on a chain guide you would need to.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear but the point I was trying to make was that the quick and dirty would be to just drop the pan. (quicker and dirtier would be to replace the CPS and drive it)

 

All the previous answers are correct. To me it seems like an identifying and accepting the risk type issue. if I couldn't see the piece in there and grab it with an easy out, I would install a new one and go for it.

If the old piece bent a phaser finger, or the carbon coil core got caught somewhere and did damage, worst case is you would have to pull front cover off anyway. I don't think it would be very likely to do major damage before getting into the oil pan.

 

Same thing just happened to me. What I thought was stuck, was not and I ended up pushing it in. What were your results? Did you end up getting it out? Or rolling with it? Did it give you problems?

My truck is a 2007 Ford F-150 5.4L V8

 

HelpF150,

While we are waiting for others to reply, please include your trucks details.

Jimboy

 

I just did the same thing in a 2010 navigator, what happened to yours?