Like I said go slo with turning the crank and some don't want to risk breaking plugs on early 5.4L motors. If the plugs come out easily than it is much easier to time the motor. After all you are only moving the crank a few degrees- 1/2 revolution at most probably and an old motor with a lot of miles on it not a new tight motor. .Broken plugs would be easier to dig out now also.

 

Hey guys I have all plugs out and got new ones when I did vct solenoid and plugs about a couple months ago. So all good. Can I turn cams to line up links with out removing rockers. My crank with gear on is at 6 o'clock already. What is a good cleaner for the aluminum valve covers and timing cover to make them look almost new...I have tried a couple things and they are clean but looks old still...thx

 

No don't recommend it, you have to make sure all pistons are down (9 o:clock) on that banks cam you intend to turn if you want to go that way then you have to get the crank back in position and do it twice. So at least remove the right sides rockers and by deciding to correctly remove the rockers why not play it safe and do both sides. Have always backed off the lifters/rockers when doing head work/front engine.

 

Did the motor jump time before you took it apart. Or did something move after you got it apart. I hope there's not any internal damage already.

 

Hope you positioned the engine roughly at the correct (TDC) position _before_ tearing her down. If you did, you shouldn't have to move cams very far (R one about 1/8 turn) to align chain marks. It rotates about 3-4 teeth to the retarded direction by valve spring tension when chains are removed. You can rotate it back forward against springs with helper like @redfishtd pointed out earlier. But do not try to go 180 degrees or anything like that without removing cam journals.


I used B-12 Chemtool and steel brush to clean mine, but intended to (and did) repaint them.


You're doing good and a bunch of guys here are pulling for you! Good Luck

 

Ok I start from before I parked it so all knows what happened.
Truck started to run like crap again so I parked in shop and put on code reader and was telling me I was getting a misfire in 3 and 4 so I changed spark plugs in those two, then all was good and ran better in P and N but when I put in gear it was good untill I gave it gas and would run crappy again. So then it showed a code P0012 I think it was and was my timing retarded. So then the truck was in shop and never moved at that point and to this day. So I took it all apart and found a broken guide and was in hundred pieces and can see some in oil pan, so I drop that also. So now I got all my parts and started installing them, watched that Ford guy vids lots and he mentioned that to start the crank key way at 11 and *** on gear at 6 and that is exactly where mine was from dismantle. So now I installed phasers and must go where they go, oh all plugs are out. So now my single blk links are on the 6 o'clock *** and I'll post pic of phasers with double blk links.

 

Ok I start from before I parked it so all knows what happened.
Truck started to run like crap again so I parked in shop and put on code reader and was telling me I was getting a misfire in 3 and 4 so I changed spark plugs in those two, then all was good and ran better in P and N but when I put in gear it was good untill I gave it gas and would run crappy again. So then it showed a code P0012 I think it was and was my timing retarded. So then the truck was in shop and never moved at that point and to this day. So I took it all apart and found a broken guide and was in hundred pieces and can see some in oil pan, so I drop that also. So now I got all my parts and started installing them, watched that Ford guy vids lots and he mentioned that to start the crank key way at 11 and *** on gear at 6 and that is exactly where mine was from dismantle. So now I installed phasers and must go where they go, oh all plugs are out. So now my single blk links are on the 6 o'clock *** and I'll post pic of phasers with double blk links.

 

Now I gotta buy larger vise grips tomorrow, and new phone as when I was trying to torque bolts I slipped and ran knuckles into my phone and smashed it to ****s.....so I left and came home to watch vids on timing some more and post on here, so now should I buy a new tool and remove my rockers, and I did insert a dowel in cylinder 1 and found TDC and no way my #5 is TDC at same time as 1. Hmmmmmmm

 

Just loosen the cam journals from the back toward you carefully. The cam will tip up and you can push the followers out. The tool will just get in your way. Check for loose rollers now.

 

Did you insure your phone ?