So if you run a fingernail over the cam cap from front to back does it catch? That's sort of one indication of how bad it is. If you don't catch a nail you're good to go in my opinion.

And I would run that crank timing wheel no problem.
Obviously you'll want to try to flush down any aluminum grit if there's any from under the rocker area into the oil pan and then clean the oil pan again. I think you could spray brake clean from cans or like kerosene from a garden sprayer.

 

Thanks for the response, I know we're getting into semantics now. But after your response I went can checked the closer without gloves on.
I can run my finger nails over all the cam caps and on the heads without a nail "catching", but I can feel the roughness that way.

Given my budget at the moment, and limited ability to do a full engine swap on my own (which would increase the cost for the reman), I'm leaning toward going for it.

Unless the wonderful folks on here come and and tell me, don't you're not going to get very far on that.

As I said, I can scratch with a nail along those areas, and it does feel rough, it's definitely not smooth, but it's not like my finger nail gets hung on anything, I can just feel the roughness. If that makes any sense at all.

 

I guess I should have tried to wash out the heads before taking the pan off. Got it off, and it was full of plastic, pick up tube had quite a bit as well, but wasn't blocked, luckily.

What is the group consensus on replacing the pickup tube/screen vs just cleaning it out?

 

I cleaned mine out with a hose pick.

As far as going with a reman, I would vote NO. You know the history of your engine. It also doesn't look bad to me. My cams looked like that as well. Remember, we are replacing the oil pump with a high volume high pressure oil pump. Also, I had much more Aluminum Sand everywhere. I spent a long time it seemed like trying to get it all out. Like beach sand in Florida, it kept coming out of everywhere. At some point, I decided the exercise was futile as I reasoned that I got the majority of the Aluminum sand out.

Your valve train looks okay in the cleanliness department as well as your timing cover cleanliness. So, take that as a positive.

You didn't follow Brian of FordTechMakuloco and remove the roller followers from cylinders 1,4,5, and 8 (alternating exhaust and intake?) Knowing what I know now, I would replace all the lash adjusters and roller followers except those special ones, then put the cams and cam towers on torqued. Then you only have to use that masochists' tool for 6 roller followers.

By the way, wow, you are quick! I got hit with a power steering pump where the bolts were so rusty they disintegrated in half. In Monopoly terms, "Your power steering pump can't be removed. Penalty 4 hours plus ordering new bolts and lots of search and answers from an internet forum."

 

@michaelholt I'm not that fast :-)
So far I spent a few hours over two days last weekend getting everything out of the way. Since i'm old and round(er) than most, I discharged the AC, pulled the condenser, radiator, and the expansion (I think that's it) to make things easier to get to. Since I had done all of that work a couple of months ago, it went quick, probably spent less than four hours each day before the sun go over the house and on the driveway (it's hot in TX at the moment).

Been a busy weekend so far, and taking me longer in some ways, and quicker in others.
Saturday was getting all the covers off and most of the timing hardware out as everyone saw. I also got the oil pan out. Man, that is a PITA. Also, i'm betting it was related to the leveling kit putting downward pressure on the CV joints, but the axle didn't drop as far as it does in his videos.
I did discover, that if everything is out of the way (including the oil filter adapter, because I just could NOT get my hands on that connector to unhook it), then that top front bolt on the axle/diff is actually pretty easy to get to :-) Which helped the axle drop just barely enough.
Of course the oil pan was full, the pickup had plenty of crap, but not enough to have fully blocked it, but it was definitely impacting oil flow, just not enough to kill it. I think. Got it cleaned out, etc.

Yesterday was getting that oil pan back in..... Along with a few suspension things since, hey the sway bar is out, those links don't look great, etc.

Today, was FINALLY, the timing...... Got it all in, all marks lined up, etc. I had pulled the cams originally using the slow/few turns method rather than using the compression tool. Because, yes that tool is useful, but it was good my grandson wasn't present for the efforts.....
I did do something that I haven't yet seen documented anywhere, and i've got to say, i'm mildly concerned, but I know that I documented all the parts, tracked, them, etc, etc. But now to why i'm back on here with an update, and of course a question.

When I started to re-assemble, I left out the rollers on 1,4,5, and 8 as instructed. But with those out, pressure was on the cams holding them in a position that I was NEVER going to get them turned to align the chains. So, I loosen the cam caps again.
and I slowly turned the cam by hand to see which lobes hit and lifted it. I ended up with the setup in the pics below. This allowed the cams/phasers to be in the correct location for the timing chains later on, with zero pressure on the passenger cam, and barely any on the drivers, in fact it was so low I could press it down and the lash adjusters would compress enough for it to seat.


cylinders 3/4, passenger side. exhaust on 4 roller out.

cylinders 1/2, passenger side, intake rollers on 2 out.

sorry for the focus, cylinders 7/8, drivers side, no rollers outs

Cylinders 5/6, drivers side, exhaust out on 5 and 6

After putting the chains on, I used that very useful damned tool to insert all of those rollers.

Pics of timing alignments.


Passenger phaser

Drivers phaser

Passenger chain on crank, dot is hard to make out, but the link is right over it.

Drivers chain

And for the fun of it, a pic of the entire setup. Minus the timing wheel..... gotta remember that tomorrow, good thing its laying in the front cover....



Hopefully I don't wake up to several replies telling, us messed up, please don't start it, you'll destroy it....
What is everyones thoughts on how I did the cams, rollers, etc? I'm not sure why that wouldn't be the recommended process, or at least someone else have stumbled on it. I know that the "official" way is to time it with all rollers out, and then use that lovely tool to install them. But man..... nope.... not in this heat.

One last painful thing to share. Don't get in a hurry and leave sockets lying around.... got it all done, was putting stuff away from that area and couldn't find one...... ruh-ro raggy.....
Spent 30 min plus searching my dirty tool pan, using a scope to look under the manifold, pulled the alternator to look better, used the scope to look in the oil pan (with a serious sense of dread)....
backed up trying to think it through, and finally spotted it. Had fallen through onto the ground and rolled far enough back that I couldn't see it from above or right in front...... whew, close one. Note to self.

Tomorrow is putting it all back together, and hopefully completing it, since I'm getting pretty good at putting all the "accessory" crap on.

Thanks for all the help along the way. It's been invaluable. Now to finish and hear her sing so soft and sweet.

 

The official ford procedure has you remove 3 cam followers per side to relieve valve spring pressure, they are different ones than what you picked, but there are many ways to get it done and if it works it works. I think it looks like you've done good.
just remember to make sure the crankshaft timing wheel gets installed with the front facing the front of the vehicle so the crank sensor will work properly..
Sounds like you've got most of the hard stuff out of the way.
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Nice work! Sounds like you're well on your way to getting your girl back on the road! The timing job really isn't as spooky as it sounds.

Food for thought if you ever find yourself doing this job again: Install your oil pan LAST. Reason being: If you accidentally drop something in the heads or down that front cover - hopefully it will fall to the ground or at least give you a much better chance at fishing it back out.

Also, since you have all your main AC components removed - you might consider replacing the pump, dryer and upgrade the condenser if they are original and/or high miles. I wish I had replaced mine during my timing job. Lesson learned! If anything - replace your orifice valve while it's apart and inspect the old one carefully. If there's any metal or rubber bits in the screen - the pump might be giving you an early warning.

 

I totally agree to install oil pan last for the same reason @stankyjeans said.

Don't forget to pull the grenade pins off of the hydraulic tensioners! Someone in here posted that they forgot and had to open everything back up.

I'm jealous of how rust free all your power steering lines are. Mine rusted through.

If you pull the couple of bolts holding down that plastic piece under the oil filter, it will give more access to the power steering pump from the back, or so I thought it did for me. It's only about 3 bolts and had about a quarter inch of a grease like substance that needed cleaned anyway.

 

the reason those PS lines look so good is because they are all new about 6 months ago...... Had a leak, hence some of the severe levels of grime on lower components. Also developed a radiator leak and the AC was basically dying off. So she got a new PS pump, lines, PS fluid filter, AC system, and radiator.
Oh how I wish I had known about the timing thing, etc. I had had some of the symptoms, but could always make them go away by changing something more minor. For example, when I did all of the stuff 6 months ago, I put in new VVT solenoids. But within 100 miles symptoms were back, so I started doing more research and found this thread.

That's also why I can get the radiator/condenser/etc out of the way pretty quickly, been there done that.....

Didn't quite finish over the weekend, had a cow calve so that took some focus off the truck project.

Yes, I pulled the "grenade pins" (love that term). I had seen that in the thread during the read through.

 

I wish I would have replaced the Power Steering lines when I did the timing job but, after being massively harassed by the roller follower installation tool, I just wanted to get everything back together. Ya know?