So you feel confident about the phasers from RockAuto? I buy parts from RA all the time, never got a bad part from them. I "" GOTTA "" Replace my phasers and everything else behind the the front cover as its getting worse and I dont wanna have a massive failure before getting it done, I just keep hearing dont use aftermarket phasers..but not all of us can afford $600 just for the phasers alone!! Your the first mechanic I have seen say the phasers from anywhere other than Ford are quality pahsers, Im not one to pull a cover and replace just the bad parts, if the cover has to come off then I want everything replaced regardless of its condition. Im glad I found this thread because I have been at a standstill on just phasers not sure what to do cause like I said I cant afford the $600 price tag for new FORD phasers and honestly I think there just as likely to fail as a set of $200 phasers are!! May as well face it, their a bad design anyway!! I have already purchased a complete timing kit from a well known parts provider...no not Amazon! I paid a good penny for it as well and the kit I got did come from Amazon!! Not the kit I ordered, certainly not the quality I paid for..I shipped it back to the original place I paid for the kit I ordered and await my full refund so I can then purchase my parts. Im gonna check these parts out on Rock Auto and will more than likely buy it..are the tensioners plastic or are they updated steel type? Thanks again for the much needed info.

 

Been troubleshooting gremlins in my timing for a couple weeks now. Rebuilt entire top half of engine.
New heads, cams, complete timing set, higher pressure oil pump, & VVT solenoids. Cams and crank sensors are new. Supercharger rebuilt.
Code P0022... I'm wondering if my driver's side tensioner is my issue.
I used cloyes complete set.. no matter how I tried to adjust chain on driver's side it has slack. Trying to determine if it's wiring harness issue to VVT solenoid on that side or tensioner/VVT metering block possible issue.
I just went as far as physically advancing the timing one tooth and will be back in to rectify that after p0345/P0349 codes thrown. I know I'm now completely wrong.
1st modular/modern engine I've worked on this extensively. Been wrenching 30 years.
This one now matter how many times I've double and triple checked my procedure and walked back through my steps... I cannot pinpoint what is causing the P0022 code.
The VVT solenoid ohm's out fine. I put 12v to it and it activated. I'm leaning to tensioner but need some more input to narrow down what exactly I'm missing.
I've been in 4 times and have gotten too good at getting in and out... Not something I want to do again without having the solution.
I don't believe I have a defective chain or set of parts.
Scratching my head here.

 

Not sure where you're looking at $300 a pop for phasers?
I just bought OEM phasers from Ford Parts Giant and they were $168 each (+ ship). They also inspect before they send them out.

Like MANY others have said, I would use ONLY Ford OEM phasers. Mellings are good too. I've read about many who used aftermarket and they failed, though who knows why. It could be that they didn't upgrade their oil pump - hard to say.


And if you haven't already - watch FordTechMaculoco's 4-part video series on YouTube on how to do the timing job.
He is the 5.4 God an has done hundreds if not thousands of these jobs. He can't stress enough the importance of using OEM parts, especially those phasers. Yes, they are on the spendy side, but as you will soon discover - getting into the front cover isn't terrible, but not a walk in the park either... (depending on your skills and tools).

Personally, the 2 worse things on the job for me was the power steering pump and the passenger valve cover.
I also had to drop my pan, but apparently I was lucky as my axle bolts came right out. Many don't.
FordTech has a video on the oil pan removal as well if you have to remove it.

 

if you are buying parts from rock auto (I do all the time) you might consider being the guinea pig and getting the gates vcp810 phasers. If the photo is correct it appears they are ford phasers with the part number ground off. I haven't got ready to do the job yet, but have been debating ordering them to find out at $116 each.
It is common in the VW/Audi parts world for vw to sub out components like this to a company like gates and then requires them to grind the vw part number off the casting/mold before selling them in the aftermarket world though they are the original mfr. I don't know if this could be the case for the gates phasers?
The "premium" melling phasers look to be the same way, but they cost more than ford phasers from the online ford dealers so I wasn't considering them...

 

I'm not sure the new cloyes phasers are issue. I personally am only getting code on driver's bank timing being retarded.
If it comes down to it I'll bite the bullet and buy the OEMs. I'm just not clear that's my issue being I'm getting a definitive code and proper reading from ECM of the issue.
Kind of looking for lean to figuring out if it's signal issue to VVT solenoid on driver's side or if new tensioner is failing on me.
I've turned engine enough times by hand to know my timing was dead on. Marks lined up before I physically advanced it myself seeing if something manufactured wrong... I was wrong. Now I'm trying to rectify issue.
Felpro makes ES73226 tensioner gasket but will that solve my issue or is there a better tensioner than cloyes.. or equivalent to OEM. I've seen mellings BT429/BT430...
So many mix of parts come up and mixed reviews of them.
I've been without the truck for a couple months now trying to solve this... A little while longer while getting it correct is fine by me.

 

Ford Parts Giant - $168 each (+ship) for the phasers. $50 difference is a small price to pay for guaranteed OEM in my humble opinion!

 

YEah probably. I have a problem with curiosity though where I sometimes make questionable choices just to satisfy my "science"

 

I just ran into an issue with my tensioners as well and the reason I'm back inside of it. I'm now using the Melling BT402 and BT403 ratcheting type. They are around $50 each, but from the research I've done - these are the best to use. Just don't make the mistake I did: DO NOT use the steel adapter plates these tensioners come with if you have a 1997 or newer engine! They will completely block off oil to the tensioners.

The tensioners I originally bought were supposed to be Melling, but they weren't and they didn't provide any instructions about the adapter plates. The genuine Melling I just bought have a note inside about not using those plates on 97 or newer. And if they didn't provide this note, I would have probably made the exact same mistake!

I originally thought those steel plates where a metal gasket. Melling ratcheting tensioners don't require gaskets.

 

Oh I hear you! I often spend hours and days researching parts before I buy. Unfortunately even the most diligent of looking can still bite you in the butt.
The amount of fake parts out there is absolutely astounding. I would have bought from my local dealer, but they can't compete with online dealers because of their overhead. Even the parts guy at our Ford dealer buys parts online. You can't blame him, especially on this timing job.

 

Metal plates? Referring to the vvt solenoid blocks to head?
I just used the new ones with my kit. Again no issue on passenger side timing... Just drivers side.
I was looking at the melling tensioners.
I believe my engine uses the BT429/430.. I have a 3V 5 code engine.
Wondering what the difference between the 402/403 and 429/430s are.
Thanks for the input.