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just wanted to share my cam phaser repair experience/final results with everyone. I know it will end up making me look bad but it may help someone else from making the same mistake.
I posted this in "What did you do to your truck today" also.
OK, so the results are in, and my truck is running awesome !! And tick free ! I previously replaced timing chains, tensioner's, guides, solenoids, and installed the Livernois cam phaser lock out kit. With nothing getting better. I finally broke down and brought it to the dealership today. They ran a few tests and found nothing, they did a smoke test on the exhaust and that turned out negative, the manifolds are good. So the tech started taking things apart and getting ready to remove the passenger side valve cover, and when he took off the #1 coil it popped off and got carbon on his sleeve, (Now this is the embarrassing part for me, and I am manning up and sharing it so someone else doesn't make the same mistake) so he checked the spark plug and it was only being held in by the last thread! So he put everything back together, tightened all plugs, valve cover bolts, and reinstalled the coils. Started it up, and presto chango, its all good!! Runs like a top, no noise!! God I feel like an idiot!!! I changed the plugs 20,000 miles ago and torqued all of them. I guess the anti seize works too well!! so checking the plugs every now and then would have saved me from this problem !!
Congrats on the successful repair. But...did you use antiseize on the plug threads? If you did the plugs don't get the proper torque. You only need nickel antiseize on the barrels.
Finally got it all buttoned up today and it runs like new! Scared myself a bit as when I got the engine back together and started it up it was chugging and running real rough. The passenger cam slipped about a quarter turn when I took the chain off, so I was hoping I didn't do any damage from that. Didn't work on it yesterday (something about spending valentines with my gf ). Got back to it today and found out is was just a loose plug on the #4 coil. Just goes to show it's easy to look over the little things on a project like this.
Thanks again for the help TOPGLOCK. As well as everyone else on this thread. Thanks to the info here, I was able to save a good chunk of change and learn a bit more about my truck in the process.
Glad to hear man. Pictures are worth a thousand words.
My cam moved about the same as yours. I had a buddy pull it back with the vise-grips to line up the marks.
Now enjoy you're quite 5.4
Congrats on the successful repair. But...did you use antiseize on the plug threads? If you did the plugs don't get the proper torque. You only need nickel antiseize on the barrels.
I really dont remember which anti seize I used. it was 3 years ago, but I do remember it being silver in color when I applied it to the threads.
Glad you figured it all out. How did the Kroil work out for ya?
I didnt notice a difference. the oil was pretty clean when it came out, but like I said earlier, when I took the valve covers and front cover off everything was really clean. no gunk/sludge. It pays to keep up on oil changes, and since I bought the truck new, and changed the oil every 3000 miles, I know that it was well maintained. That is something alot of guys don't have due to buying used.
I didnt notice a difference. the oil was pretty clean when it came out, but like I said earlier, when I took the valve covers and front cover off everything was really clean. no gunk/sludge. It pays to keep up on oil changes, and since I bought the truck new, and changed the oil every 3000 miles, I know that it was well maintained. That is something alot of guys don't have due to buying used.
I bought mine used so I dont have that piece of mind.
). Got back to it today and found out is was just a loose plug on the #4 coil. Just goes to show it's easy to look over the little things on a project like this. 
