Hello all, I am really new to all this. I just bought a 2004 Lariat w/ 78K on the clock. It's a low mile truck and is in great shape all around. I would LOVE to avoid any of this if I could. I'm going to run Castrol 0-30 synthetic oil. It's made for turbo motors so it flows well but has some good high end protection.
My next question is whether it is an effective preventative move to replace the chain guides w/ the metal MMR ones and the chain tensioner or should I just wait and replace everything in the event I have issues?

Thanks in advance! I'm hoping to avoid all of this by using quality oil and would love to do some preventative work if it will be effective!

 

Wow who knew this motor has so many issues. So I just picked up an 07 Navigator runs fine with 96K miles on it. It does make a bad rattling sound at start up though. Only after it sits for a period of time.
Honestly this is a huge thread and I haven't read through much of it but am I to believe that I likely need to replace the whole timing gear set up to resolve my issue?

 

Just a note-- on most 2004 5.4 models (at least F150) evidently the lash adjusters and camshafts are different than very late 04 to 05 and up. Finding this out the hard way and there's not allot of info. Now some say the new model lash adjusters will work so YMMV Any yea being for only an 04 the price goes up too.

 

Hey @Harveje,


I hope you don't mind my giving you cretit - but I think the 'link' you sent to me recently about the CAM / LIFTER difference in 2004 v. 2005^ SHOULD be posted here. There is probably a better place, but this is a start:

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/wp-c...0000001381.pdf



I NEVER knew this:


I put the MMMR Lifter / Roller 'set' that is identified as for 2005-2010 in my 2004. Perhaps the lifter difference has to do with the ROLLER, and not the HEAD well or oil passages. I could NOT see any difference other than that shown in the article. Mine has performed perfectly - perhaps because I install BOTH as a set. The only difference I can see is the small grove around the top plunger like it describes in the last page of the article.

 

Thanks and Thank you for all the side bar conversations and help. I didn't know this either and even after reading 100's of post and talking to a dozen shops I could not get the Why behind it. So after all that I order a whole set of lash adjuster, followers and a right cam for the 2004 from the Rock. (All the noise seems to be on the right side and I only want to do this once, may order a left cam once there in stock, truck has 240K on her so poor cams have to have wear) And the rest of the timing parts from a forum member, holding tools from Freedom, Sp515 and some misc items from Amaz.. Bud 55 select and BC powder from local market. When everything gets here I'll tear into it. My debate now is the truck currently has lockouts and a tune, I'm 65% leaning to put the new ford phasers in no lockout, 35% putting new ford phasers in and lockouts.. I may have went overboard on parts but engines that make weird noises, leak and idle rough drive me Crazy. This forum and members are great THANKS

 

I'll weigh in on the debate - but (full disclosure) I am not in favor of lockouts. At a very minimum, I would not put in NEW phasers, and THEN install lockouts in them. The phaser gear teeth themselves ought to last a million miles. If going that route, just save your phaser $$$$ for the added fuel costs or better tune or whatever. My reason(s) for opposing lockouts are basically that they offer NO BENEIT WHATSOEVER toward curing the basic causes that lead to failures under the timing cover. The ONLY thing they cure is the phaser noise of the vanes slapping back and forth against the end of the retard/advance chambers and/or worn locking pin (Most typically described as the 'diesel knock'). They do not effect or cure low oil pressure problems, long term chain ware, tensioner blow out, chain stretch, broken chain guides, or oil pump PU screen clogging from broken chain guides. They do not lessen the irregular cam rotational torque that results from cam lobes alternately pressing two intake valves / then one exhaust valve - that aggravate the above failures.


PLUS, lockouts leaves NO EGR effect for limiting NOX production, or combustion cooling under light load, or added torque in certain ranges. And I have 'recently' learned the PCM runs a Integrated Monitor algorithm on MAF flow / RPM / Cam Retard to determine emissions compliance and sets an OBDII I/M Readiness flag. All that goes away with the lockout tune.


Finally - more and more later models are going to Variable Valve timing. The Coyote has four phasers. They must not be so bad.

 

another publication on lash adjusters for 2004 models
http://www.melling.com/LinkClick.asp...4%3d&tabid=221

 

Very nice thread!

I just purchased a 2005 F150 FX4 from the local wrecking yard as one of those "repair guys" told the owner the "engine was shot". Well, it runs (not well) and has 188k on it. Supposedly, was well maintained by the original owner. In the back of the truck I found a cardboard box with one cam, one phaser, one lash adjuster, one cam follower, two tensioners, and two timing chains. The lash adjuster was mangled, probably as a result of the bad follower. It had the bearing fail.

So apparently, someone had made an attempt at fixing this engine. Currently, it is throwing a "Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Retarded" (sorry, old guy. don't recall if it was a p0022 or p0021) and it is whining about being lean.

I have always done my own repairs and worked as an automotive machinist for 4 years so I am not shy about getting into this engine but purchased a truck like this because I can't afford something better, hence, the parts costs are of concern to me and want to make SURE I diagnose this correctly and I hope, don't have to bite the $800 bullet for a full set of timing components, after all, some knot head already spent some pretty serious cash on her.

I did my best to mock up your gauge set F150torqued. Thank you so much for your research. OBTW, do you have a tread outlining all the custom pids you have found?

please tell me what you think, my plan today is to swap the VCT solenoids and see if the problem moves.

Here are some frame shots of my truck:

 

hmmm. post not showing?


trying again

 

Very nice thread!

I just purchased a 2005 F150 FX4 from the local wrecking yard as one of those "repair guys" told the owner the "engine was shot". Well, it runs (not well) and has 188k on it. Supposedly, was well maintained by the original owner. In the back of the truck I found a cardboard box with one cam, one phaser, one lash adjuster, one cam follower, two tensioners, and two timing chains. The lash adjuster was mangled, probably as a result of the bad follower. It had the bearing fail.

So apparently, someone had made an attempt at fixing this engine. Currently, it is throwing a "Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Retarded" (sorry, old guy. don't recall if it was a p0022 or p0021) and it is whining about being lean.

I have always done my own repairs and worked as an automotive machinist for 4 years so I am not shy about getting into this engine but purchased a truck like this because I can't afford something better, hence, the parts costs are of concern to me and want to make SURE I diagnose this correctly and I hope, don't have to bite the $800 bullet for a full set of timing components, after all, some knot head already spent some pretty serious cash on her.

I did my best to mock up your gauge set F150torqued. Thank you so much for your research. OBTW, do you have a tread outlining all the custom pids you have found?

Please tell me what you think. My plan today is to swap the VCT solenoids and see if the problem moves.

Here are some frame shots of my truck: