04 F150 Cam Phasers, blown engine. Help?
04-07-2011, 10:37 AM
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04 F150 Cam Phasers, blown engine. Help?
I have run across threads about the cam phaser troubles. Unfortunately, I had this trouble and did not know it apparently till now and have a blown engine. I really would appreciate any thought on which direction to go? i basically wrote below the history till now, I think it's mostly related. Thanks.
I have a 04 F150 SCrew with the 5.4 3 valve #5 engine. When I bought it in 06 from the original owner it had about 75,000 miles on it and had the noisy engine. He said it had always done that, I took it to several ford dealers and they said that is just the way that engine is. I should have known better!! My husband drove it till 2 years ago. I hit a deer with my vehicle (well the deer hit me) and I have had it since.
I had the plugs changed at 97000 miles and the dealer burned me for $600.00 for just the plugs, because 2 would not come out. They also at that time told me the rear end was low on fluid, which they filled?? So, I took it home and the next day it was vibrating as I drove. Took it back and they said that by putting fluid in the *** end it loosened up stuff and now my rear end was bad. Got a new rear end. Still had a vibration, went back several times. Finally said it was a weight in the drive shaft?? Shortly after that the u u joint went out, put the truck on a lift and found the Ford dealer put a hose clamp on my drive shaft to fix it from before??? Ford had no drive shifts as they were back ordered for 2 moths or better, got one from a junk yard.
At about 120000 miles, Jan of 08, I was on a business trip doing a 5 hr drive in the winter and the truck started pulling back, reserving power. It would just be running normal them it would start losing rpm and you could hear a howling then it would suddenly release and go. No engine lights would ever come on. I tried for a year to get some one to feel or hear what I did. It took almost two years before other people could feel it but would not throw an engine light. This has continuingly gotten worse, Jan 09 it finally thru the engine light. Code said it was the catalytic converter on driver side. I found that very hard to agree with. I had a mechanic smoked the engine and decide the head gaskets on driver side was leaking terribly. Had those changed and the catalytic converter. It never fixed the pull back situation at all. And the engine still has sounded like a diesel the whole time.
Well, I was on a trip to St. Louis and was just going to head home. I stopped at a stop sign and the truck started missing terribly and shaking. The engine light came on and went back off. I pulled into a parking lot, let it idle a few min, more less giving me time to go "Oh Crap". It stopped. I decided it drive it a couple blocks to see if it was ok to drive 12 hrs home. It was fine. Drove it home and for another month and a half, till 2 weeks ago. I happened to be home driving it, and it started the shaking bad and missing again the same as before. The dash lit up, the engine lit was flashing. I got it 1 mile home and parked it. I took it another mile to our mechanic. He said the #7 cylinder is shot.
Sorry, this was so long but the short history of issues might be all related? Don't know, most of it I believe is?!
I am at a complete loss what to do with this truck!! I love it but.......??!!
Put a engine it?? Rebuild the engine?? Junk the truck??
So, I'm going to guess that the cam phasers were obviously out in this truck all along and nobody told me. Would that have fixed the pull back problem as well??
Do I get a engine from a junk yard with low miles?? Is it going to have the same issues, cam phasers bad in it?? If so, the warranty on the engine is fine but paying the labor to take how many engines in an out??
UUUGGHHH!!! What to do??!!!! Any thoughts??
I have a 04 F150 SCrew with the 5.4 3 valve #5 engine. When I bought it in 06 from the original owner it had about 75,000 miles on it and had the noisy engine. He said it had always done that, I took it to several ford dealers and they said that is just the way that engine is. I should have known better!! My husband drove it till 2 years ago. I hit a deer with my vehicle (well the deer hit me) and I have had it since.
I had the plugs changed at 97000 miles and the dealer burned me for $600.00 for just the plugs, because 2 would not come out. They also at that time told me the rear end was low on fluid, which they filled?? So, I took it home and the next day it was vibrating as I drove. Took it back and they said that by putting fluid in the *** end it loosened up stuff and now my rear end was bad. Got a new rear end. Still had a vibration, went back several times. Finally said it was a weight in the drive shaft?? Shortly after that the u u joint went out, put the truck on a lift and found the Ford dealer put a hose clamp on my drive shaft to fix it from before??? Ford had no drive shifts as they were back ordered for 2 moths or better, got one from a junk yard.
At about 120000 miles, Jan of 08, I was on a business trip doing a 5 hr drive in the winter and the truck started pulling back, reserving power. It would just be running normal them it would start losing rpm and you could hear a howling then it would suddenly release and go. No engine lights would ever come on. I tried for a year to get some one to feel or hear what I did. It took almost two years before other people could feel it but would not throw an engine light. This has continuingly gotten worse, Jan 09 it finally thru the engine light. Code said it was the catalytic converter on driver side. I found that very hard to agree with. I had a mechanic smoked the engine and decide the head gaskets on driver side was leaking terribly. Had those changed and the catalytic converter. It never fixed the pull back situation at all. And the engine still has sounded like a diesel the whole time.
Well, I was on a trip to St. Louis and was just going to head home. I stopped at a stop sign and the truck started missing terribly and shaking. The engine light came on and went back off. I pulled into a parking lot, let it idle a few min, more less giving me time to go "Oh Crap". It stopped. I decided it drive it a couple blocks to see if it was ok to drive 12 hrs home. It was fine. Drove it home and for another month and a half, till 2 weeks ago. I happened to be home driving it, and it started the shaking bad and missing again the same as before. The dash lit up, the engine lit was flashing. I got it 1 mile home and parked it. I took it another mile to our mechanic. He said the #7 cylinder is shot.
Sorry, this was so long but the short history of issues might be all related? Don't know, most of it I believe is?!
I am at a complete loss what to do with this truck!! I love it but.......??!!
Put a engine it?? Rebuild the engine?? Junk the truck??
So, I'm going to guess that the cam phasers were obviously out in this truck all along and nobody told me. Would that have fixed the pull back problem as well??
Do I get a engine from a junk yard with low miles?? Is it going to have the same issues, cam phasers bad in it?? If so, the warranty on the engine is fine but paying the labor to take how many engines in an out??
UUUGGHHH!!! What to do??!!!! Any thoughts??
04-21-2011, 11:52 PM
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I just picked up my 04 5.4 3V #5 from the shop today after a engine change out, due to the exact things you describe. It had 116k on it before it died.
We had a hard time finding a replacement engine and all were very expensive. Finally found one in North Dakota from a 04 roll over. with 83K miles. Most of them had least 100K on them.
Total spent was $3675.00. I just ordered some new fabric to repair the drivers seat and will have the truck detailed and it will be traded in before the replacement engine has the same problem. I have my eye on a GMC 4 door short box. No more Fords for me.
We had a hard time finding a replacement engine and all were very expensive. Finally found one in North Dakota from a 04 roll over. with 83K miles. Most of them had least 100K on them.
Total spent was $3675.00. I just ordered some new fabric to repair the drivers seat and will have the truck detailed and it will be traded in before the replacement engine has the same problem. I have my eye on a GMC 4 door short box. No more Fords for me.
05-14-2011, 07:16 PM
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If it was me I would have the engine rebuilt. I wouldn't go with a used engine because it might have the same problems. Sorry to that happened to your engine. I have an 05 f150 Lariat 4x4 with the 5.4. I have 92,000 miles on it and just change my spark plugs my self. That sucked! Anyways I have the same phaser problem too. I can hear the cam phasers tick and slap as I'm driving. Anyways good luck on whatever you decide to do!
