Purchased truck about 4 years ago with P0340 cam shaft code, replaced all timing components (Cloyes), oil pump (sealed power), phasers (Dorman) at that time along with OEM VCT solenoids, all associated gaskets, water pump, belt, tensioner & idler pulleys, new plugs and COP's. Truck ran great for about 40,000 miles and then would intermittently have a bad miss and shake to it at idle. Code P0340 came back and truck started dieing at stops. Replaced alternator for TSB on P0340 along with bank 1 camshaft sensor. Ran Forscan and found bank 1 timing cycling rapidly from around 0 degrees to 50 degrees. Unplugging VCT solenoid made little to no change so suspected problem with VCT solenoid. Removed valve cover on Bank 1, removed VCT solenoid and found 2 very thin pieces of metal covering the screen on solenoid. My question is where do I go from here? I am thinking about going with the Livernois lockout kit but wondering what all I should replace while I am in there? Do I need to replace the Dorman phasers if installing the lockouts? Should I replace the timing tensioners with the Melling cast iron ones so I don't have to worry about the seals? Any better timing chain guides than the Cloyes? Love the truck and don't want to get rid of it but I need a $1,000 repair to last more than 40k miles. Any advice? I have been searching and searching and not able to find all this info in one place.

 

Dorman Phasers = very bad reputation.

Motorcraft or Freedom Racing phasers only
use the iron tensioners from a 2v 5.4
run 5w-30 after the job's done.
Did you do the lash adjusters and followers?


Or, lock 'em out and get cams + tuner if you're feeling particularly rock-n-roll.

 

Yeah reading that the Dorman phasers were not the best choice. Is it ok to keep them if locking them? I did not do anything with the lash adjusters and followers, what was supposed to be done?

 

I am about to do this job and after all the stuff I have read on the parts. OEM is the best but ford has lost their minds 1k for parts on something that they designed poorly, no need to say on an truck? a vehicle that is used all the time by people who use them for work. shame on them anyways, had to rant. I think the best way to go would be to replace the dorman phasers in your case. From what I have gathered the are horrible. There has been cases of these dorman phasers breaking into pieces and the notch pin shearing of. the cam and graneding the engine. Not good. After many days debating what parts to buy I think from what I gathered the way to go would be with Cloyes chains and guides, Melling steel tensioners, Melling m360 oil pump, CNC freedom racing phasers, and I am going to do my roller followers and lash adjusters. It would be stupid to be in there and not swap them out. The followers have to come out anyways. Unless you lock the cams with vice grips I dont trust myself doing this because you have to torque the phaser bolts and the chances of turning that cam are very good and being an interfering engine bent valves scare the crap out of me. Hope this helps

 

I was leaning towards replacing with OEM but the more I think about it I keep going back to the fact it had OEM when it first failed. I guess it lasted longer from the factory with OEM though. I am uneducated about replacing the roller followers and lash adjusters, what is the purpose of this?

 

lashers collapse, leading to lots to clacking/tapping noises
followers can wear out, making a lot of noise, seizing up and wiping out a cam, or just grenading and sending little roller bearings all over the place. Figure they'll go about 150,000 miles, but after that it might be sketchy, depending on maintenance.

Basically, it's cheap insurance and you're 'going right by there'.

 

The phasers have been updated since the original ones, also the VCT solenoids have gone through a couple updates I believe so they are not the same parts that failed. OEM is the only way to go for phasers and vct solenoids.

 

Domain are the kiss of death in these engines. They dont like stepchildren playing in their yard. I got all motorcraft from fordpartsgiant out of Canada for a little more than the Dormans here in the states. Due yourself a favor if you end up taking off the manifold spend the 50 bucks and replace both knock sensors. Mine went out about 2 weeks after replacing everything you just rattled off. Good luck

 

Try oem select ebay for oem phasers . You got bit by dorman on phasers --cnc no good either .Lockouts degrade engine and don't fix anything. Last I knew the lockout from Liver N was $700. Put that in real parts in your engine . The cheap kits feature cheap phasers and that never works ,we hear the same over and over again . The newer plastic tensioners had better gaskets but if I go back in I am putting steel ratcheting ones that I have in .
If you don't get the set of rollers and lashs you will regret it . I think select had it for $265 . These parts are high duty cycle and are improved . . These old worn parts can damage your cams . Mine threw a intake roller to the side on no 8 missing cam at 130k mi ,other people not so fortunate.
Hopefully you cleaned out oil pan and oil pu after your guides went bad . That is a must do to get full oil to engine ,those plastic pieces get ground up and end up as fibers stuck in screen of oil pu and take some work to get them out .
Some things require quality like when you need a parachute.I'm with you I need at least 100kmi out of a $1000 repair . But in reality new cars cost a lot more than that per mile .$60000/150,000mi truck =40 cents per mile . 100k mi =$40,000 just in base cost not operating repairs etc .Just another perspective --not counting interest etc .Yes truck is probably worth something at that mileage But not a whole lot .Anyway you figure it its cheaper to fix yours .