Here is my story.


I like my 4x4 F150 super crew 2004 truck I bought it with 95k miles on it at auction for $25k in 2006.


About 10 years later it now has about 240k miles on the original engine. When the guides, oil pump and what ever else failed last September I decided to have my worker do a new re-ring and have the heads taken to the local machine shop.


The drivers side cam is replaced cause the journals looked bad. Hardly any wear on the cylinder walls. Replaced the rings, bearings, oil pump, water pump, both phasers, chains, tensioners. Put it back together. Ran really crappy. Phaser codes.


Timed it, replaced the passenger side cam cause the end where the phaser is looked little mutilated.


Ran crappy. Phaser codes.


Replaced both sides solenoids, cam and crank sensors and all coils.


Ran crappy. Still phaser codes.


Ticking real loud so replaced all the lifters on that side, retimed it again. Drove fine pulled a trailer and 50 miles down the road going up a hill ran crappy with the too lean/rich codes.


New phaser again on the passenger side (coded side), retimed the chain, new full synthetic 5-20 oil, with a new filter.


Runs crappy. Code for too lean is showing as well as the #2 injector. Injector changed. Followed wiring, no problems so are changing the connection ends.
Used a mechanical oil pump and we have oil pressure at 80# at idle.


The truck is at my triplex in 29 Palms Cali. It is now April. Been at least 6 months.
My mechanic worker follows the timing procedure to the "t" as explained here.


Will the cam lock work?


Thanks 5.4 truck people.


Bill


Am I in need

 

It sounds like whoever rebuilt your motor did something really wrong, especially since the result was a mutilated phaser. Crappy phasers on their own won't cause the problems you're having. A bad mass air sensor could tell the computer to add too little or too much fuel. Bad oxygen sensors could also be the cause of your lean code. I would start with fixing what's broken before modifying it and throwing another variable into the mix.

 

After all of that, what do you have to lose? Seems like you couldn't do much more for it!
Livernois kit is $700, and you don't have to pull the cover if your chains and guides are already done. Seems like after all you have done it should purr like a kitten! What did you use for parts? As far as timing stuff? OEM? Phasers? OEM, Dorman,etc? From what I have read on posts here in this forum, the dorman phasers are re-work waiting to happen. I have no proof of this, just the vibe I get reading peoples complaints

 

It does seem as it would be worth having someone else look at the truck, aside from the guy who has done all this previous work. Just to get a different set of eyes on it?

 

@coolride , Couple of observations / comments. I notice you are considering locking out your Phasers. While I was chasing a P0022 code on my 2004 5.4L, I discovered (Hacked) some OBDII parameter ID's for VCT System operations and created custom gauges on my Torque Pro scanner app. ie: the ECU's requested RETARD in crankshaft degrees, the VCT Solenoid Duty Cycle in %, and Cam Error which shows how many crankshaft degrees the cams are 'out of sync' with the ECU's requested retard (as determined by the CPS sensors, and CKP sensor).

I have observed VCT operation on the scanner many times, both before and AFTER doing a complete cam timing job. I can tell you that; under a VERY HIGH percentage of our normal driving conditions, the VCT system is applying some - and in many instances A LOT of - variable cam RETARD. The following screenshot shows normal crusing down the road at about 55 mph, and cams are retarded almost the maximum of 60 to 70 crankshaft degrees.


Cam Phaser retard under normal 55mph cruising conditions.

Under heavy engine load, or at idle, they go to full advance. This convinced ME to NOT lock them out at the full advance position with lockouts.
Your VCT Solenoids would have to "STICK" open to cause over-retard. You can remove them and energize them with 12volts momentarily and hear/feel them "click". BUT --- The Motorcraft OBDII Theory manual says that P0022 is set when (bank2) cam retard is > 5º more than requested retard for 5 seconds. In my case, that wound up being because the chains were just worn / stretched (212,000 mi) and or chain guide was literally in little pieces in the pan / pickup screen: https://www.f150forum.com/f4/final-r...2/#post4587382

Once the chains are stretched to the limit of the tensioner's expansion capability, the 'sprocket' cannot advance the cams to base zero, and an over-retard code is set. Also, results in the chain beating the crap out of the guides and breaking them.

You CAN remove the Pan easily by dropping the cross member on a 2x2.

Whichever way you choose to go, good luck

 

That is great stuff!
My truck is predictable. I can clear the code and drive around for a while with no problem. It makes noise just before throwing the code. Usually if I am up to speed (even just 35mph) and coast to a stop sign, once engine is good and hot, it will start rattling and shaking. If you pop it in neutral and give hit the gas to rev it up a little it will clear up. But once it has done that it throws the code. Its clearly on the driver side by the sound. It won't do it all the time, but it doesn't sound good when it does it! I was hoping for an easy fix, but I honestly don't expect it to be less than the full timing workup! I am going to pull the valve cover to replace the VCT solenoid, and see if I can get a visual of the chain guides? My truck has 200,000 miles on it. PO says its never been touched. So I expect it is time. I was hoping the solenoid is sticking open, but my gut has me thinking it is oil pressure related, affecting chain tensioners and phasers. I don't think I have a broken guide as it doesn't make noise most of the time,just when it is having its rattling fits.
Thanks for info on the pan drop. I wouldn't want to tackle the chain deal without doing the oil pump too. You can get a Ford high pressure high volume pump from Summit for about $115. Seems like if these trucks had better oil pumps to start with some of these issues wouldn't happen as often to these trucks.

 

Many complain loudly about these engines. But at 200k, we really can't complain that bad. Mine was at 212,000. But it really wasn't that noisy except at 1650 rpm in neutral, and I was sure it was chain-to-timing cover noise (confirmed when opened up). But did you look at my guides in the link in my last post? There simply was only a small piece of guide on both sides that was just sitting there rubbing on the chain. They were both broken completely away from the bolts that hold them. Amazing it didn't throw it around into something else like the tone ring.

 

[QUOTE=coolride;4668923]Got my tires done today, and an oil change designed to more be a flush than anything. I don't know if the solenoid will amount to anything? The code I keep getting is P0022. One possible cause is a stuck or sticking VCT solenoid, so I figured its worth a shot. It runs good most the time, but has little fits here and there. I suspect the phaser on the same side is on its way out. Has some knocking noise on that side right up front. Too bad you cant get to the tensioners without pulling the timing cover, its a lot of work for two little headaches! I hope I don't have to go all in on this timing deal but I will do it if need be. Anybody know if you can do the oil pump without pulling the oil pan? Or, if you can get the oil pan off the engine without picking up the engine? My truck is 2wd, not 4x4, but I don't know if theres room.[/QUOTE
The good news is that you don't need to pull the front cover to get to the cam phasers. But you will need the wedge tool to secure the chains to the bottom crank sprocket. Then they can be removed one side at a time. But you can't access the oil pump or pick up tube without pulling the front cover because it's run off the crank under the timing sprocket as you know. But at the milage you have, I wouldn't touch cam phasers without inspecting and replacing the chains, guides, tensioners, oil and water pump too. I guarantee your guides are worn and the tensioner are worn, if not wasted and leaking causing phaser failure and noise. No need to lift the engine either. You may need to pull the radiator and condenser to get an impact in to pull the balancer. But you can do it the slow way with a wrench if you must. It is difficult that way. Your in the same boat I'm in. It all needs to be inspected and or replaced. If your buying the lockout kit, keep the original phasers unless they are broken, crooked on the center broken spring or worse. I'm just not able to pay $800 for Mexican OEM timing components. I have to go with aftermarket this time. I'll do the lockout kit later if nessesary.You did say tensioners I know. I think you drop the cross member on a two wheel drive and the axle down a couple of inches on a 4WD to drop the pan. But I don't think you can get the pick up tube installed or removed with the pan in place on either. Besides, you want to drop the pan to clean it out and check your pick up screen for debris that could clog or restrict it. I know you covered the advice I mentioned. But mentioning it again keeps it straight to me. Good luck to you! I sure need some!

 

Wow! You are good!

 

It sounds like whoever rebuilt your motor did something really wrong, especially since the result was a mutilated phaser. Crappy phasers on their own won't cause the problems you're having. A bad mass air sensor could tell the computer to add too little or too much fuel. Bad oxygen sensors could also be the cause of your lean code. I would start with fixing what's broken before modifying it and throwing another variable into the mix.


Maybe I didn't explain the mutilated cam end where it connects to the cam phaser as being that way before the engine is rebuilt.


The machine shop thought it was salvageable as I told them to do it on as needed basis only.


The cam end has the phaser bolt attached here and I think it has two plugs that stabilize it. Those were worn out (before the engine rebuilt). Thought that might reason had the lean/rich codes secondary to the slop.