The Final Repair Guide to 5.4 Cam Phaser Tick/Knock Sound
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 18
Likes: 1
I was leary as well, but I can also tell you the phazers are the update version as well as the tensioners.
Additionally, a little about me, stubborn as a rock, military officer (retired) and the never take no the first time around kinda person. OEM parts better! So say ye, so say we all, BUT! If OEM are so good then why did it fail in the first place? At $122 I can do this .....oh what? 6 or 7 times for the same money?
Do it again you say? Here goes that stubborn **** again. As you guessed I am an old buzzard. Lean over the radiator to do a job like this? Oh hell no! Not happening.....Did I strip the entire front end off my truck, spot welds and all? Yes I did. Was I able to walk up to the flywheel when I was done? Yes I could. Result....Now I can see what the hell I am working on and my back does not pay. Took me about two hours to strip the front as I was being careful and not knowing the route. I could do it in an hour today. Putting it all back....well I did not want to re-weld what I drilled out because I may have reason to be back in there. So I devised a system of counter sunk 1/4 bolts and Bellevue washers to replace the spot welds (worked great!) and she is all back together and looking pretty and running smmmmmmoooooooth!
Long and short of it? I have more time than money. I can afford to redo it if needed, if the reverse was true, I would hire it done and make someone else responsible for it.
Additionally, a little about me, stubborn as a rock, military officer (retired) and the never take no the first time around kinda person. OEM parts better! So say ye, so say we all, BUT! If OEM are so good then why did it fail in the first place? At $122 I can do this .....oh what? 6 or 7 times for the same money?
Do it again you say? Here goes that stubborn **** again. As you guessed I am an old buzzard. Lean over the radiator to do a job like this? Oh hell no! Not happening.....Did I strip the entire front end off my truck, spot welds and all? Yes I did. Was I able to walk up to the flywheel when I was done? Yes I could. Result....Now I can see what the hell I am working on and my back does not pay. Took me about two hours to strip the front as I was being careful and not knowing the route. I could do it in an hour today. Putting it all back....well I did not want to re-weld what I drilled out because I may have reason to be back in there. So I devised a system of counter sunk 1/4 bolts and Bellevue washers to replace the spot welds (worked great!) and she is all back together and looking pretty and running smmmmmmoooooooth!
Long and short of it? I have more time than money. I can afford to redo it if needed, if the reverse was true, I would hire it done and make someone else responsible for it.
You would think someone could reproduce the phasers better than Ford did. That seems to be everyone's main reason for going OEM. Good timing parts out there but not phasers.
Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 50
Likes: 6
So far, three tanks of gas. Combo of town and highway. Very little stop and go around here but lots of hills. She still purring like a kitten and tons of power.
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 18
Likes: 1
Of my money.
I pulled my left valve cover off tonight. From what I can see
There is no major damage.
The valve lash adjusters are loose but I am not sure
What they are suppose to feel like when the cam is rotated
Off of them. Should they always be tight ?
Also the phaser looks odd to me. There is a spring
And it looks off center. Again this may be normal I am not familiar
With this motor.
See the video to see what I mean.
Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 50
Likes: 6
That's great! I would really love to not give Ford anymore
Of my money.
I pulled my left valve cover off tonight. From what I can see
There is no major damage.
The valve lash adjusters are loose but I am not sure
What they are suppose to feel like when the cam is rotated
Off of them. Should they always be tight ?
Also the phaser looks odd to me. There is a spring
And it looks off center. Again this may be normal I am not familiar
With this motor.
See the video to see what I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQq-evu34SU
Of my money.
I pulled my left valve cover off tonight. From what I can see
There is no major damage.
The valve lash adjusters are loose but I am not sure
What they are suppose to feel like when the cam is rotated
Off of them. Should they always be tight ?
Also the phaser looks odd to me. There is a spring
And it looks off center. Again this may be normal I am not familiar
With this motor.
See the video to see what I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQq-evu34SU
As to your chain tensioner, I don't know how fast one of those will bleed off under normal situations. They are not a ratcheting tensioner. But from what I have experienced on my truck and videos seen, they are very similar to the lash adjusters on the valves and should stay pumped up for weeks to months. The also have a pretty stiff spring in them. Watch the four part video set done by FordTechMacio I posted earlier. See part 2 at 33:30 min and just look through part three, he points out several items to check for. But if you chain is loose enough to flop it around with you fingers, tension is gone and tensioners need replaced.
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 18
Likes: 1
The phaser looks ok but that lifter is not. You have a collapsed hydraulic lifter (sorry for the term, they are not lifters technically but lash adjusters). They WILL bleed off pressure over time, normally over a month. Even if the cam is not in position to open that valve, that rocker should still be tight. Phasers fail in several ways and not all are visible with just the cover off.
As to your chain tensioner, I don't know how fast one of those will bleed off under normal situations. They are not a ratcheting tensioner. But from what I have experienced on my truck and videos seen, they are very similar to the lash adjusters on the valves and should stay pumped up for weeks to months. The also have a pretty stiff spring in them. Watch the four part video set done by FordTechMacio I posted earlier. See part 2 at 33:30 min and just look through part three, he points out several items to check for. But if you chain is loose enough to flop it around with you fingers, tension is gone and tensioners need replaced.
As to your chain tensioner, I don't know how fast one of those will bleed off under normal situations. They are not a ratcheting tensioner. But from what I have experienced on my truck and videos seen, they are very similar to the lash adjusters on the valves and should stay pumped up for weeks to months. The also have a pretty stiff spring in them. Watch the four part video set done by FordTechMacio I posted earlier. See part 2 at 33:30 min and just look through part three, he points out several items to check for. But if you chain is loose enough to flop it around with you fingers, tension is gone and tensioners need replaced.
Replace everything with the timing.
Lash adjusters are just more great news.
My concern is what caused all of this to happen.
The truck has 96k on it and this is not great news.
Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 50
Likes: 6
@wrightgbenz.....it's MURPHY! And the ole sh*t happens. You can bet occasionally this even happens under warranty but we seldom hear about it because it is just "taken care of"
Additional note, after learning that FOMOCO decided to chince and put a @$%@## switch instead of a real sender for the oil gauge, I installed a real one at the base of that curve in the plastic panel to the left of the emergency brake and an oil pump (this one - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oil-Pump-HIG...72.m2749.l2649) and it consistantly reads about 60lbs and may drop to 40 when warm at idle. You can bet your $$ that a blown tensioner seal = large drop in oil pressure = phazers NOP!
Additional note, after learning that FOMOCO decided to chince and put a @$%@## switch instead of a real sender for the oil gauge, I installed a real one at the base of that curve in the plastic panel to the left of the emergency brake and an oil pump (this one - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oil-Pump-HIG...72.m2749.l2649) and it consistantly reads about 60lbs and may drop to 40 when warm at idle. You can bet your $$ that a blown tensioner seal = large drop in oil pressure = phazers NOP!
Last edited by Keshka; Sep 25, 2017 at 12:08 AM.
5 Year Member
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 45
Likes: 6
From: SoCal
Only 96k miles! Shoot. I'm at 87k and thought I had a LOT longer until I needed to worry about timing issues.
LightningRod
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 651
From: San Antonio Texas
@JonU
Don't 'panic' at what you read here. If you do not have specific symptoms, just steady as she goes. It varies widely. I did my timing job at 212,000 miles.
Just keep good clean oil in it and change plugs more regularily than the spec'd 100k. DO NOT let misfires cause worn chains to trash the plastic guides. Even with a little chain rattle on startup, it can run a long time. Trust the PCM and wait for timing codes to appear.
Don't 'panic' at what you read here. If you do not have specific symptoms, just steady as she goes. It varies widely. I did my timing job at 212,000 miles.
Just keep good clean oil in it and change plugs more regularily than the spec'd 100k. DO NOT let misfires cause worn chains to trash the plastic guides. Even with a little chain rattle on startup, it can run a long time. Trust the PCM and wait for timing codes to appear.
5 Year Member
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 45
Likes: 6
From: SoCal
Thanks for the reassurance F150Torqued. Been running Mobil 1 5w30 since I've owned it and changed the plugs at 80k after reading up here (old ones came out with no issues). Was planning on getting the truck to 200k+. It's a great truck.
-Jon
-Jon
Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 73
Likes: 3
From: Calgary Albeta
Video #2 Is most definitely what I have going on, exactly as he says, right around 900 RMP.
Not to find affordable parts that aren't chinese crap up here in canada.
that is chain guides.....this one is the phaser
[/QUOTE]
Not to find affordable parts that aren't chinese crap up here in canada.
that is chain guides.....this one is the phaser