5.4L Triton timing set, replace oil pump?

[07navi]

The plus side to removing both heads would be having new head gaskets too.....dunno I’ll have to sleep on it....read on it....sleep on it some more....then do something lol

Don't fix it if it ain't broke.

 

[07navi]

very true the only reason I didn’t watch his walkthrough was I wasn’t planning on getting into the timing job. I thought I was just replacing a few components until it suddenly jumped time on me......not a big deal if valves aren’t still in play (his procedure for timing job first after set time is follower removal) but in my case the valves are all in play so it’s pretty scary...supposedly cylinder head removal removes the risk in this because you can then remove all follower safely....dunno.

You will get it, just leave the heads alone, read up on it, take notes, and don't get it a hurry...……..

 

[JExpedition07]

Read up last night, both cylinder heads are coming off for this or risking valve bendage. What a piss poor engine design. Reason I’m so open about this mistake is I hope it prevents this happening to someone else...I’ve never heard of this until it happened to me and then I read up into it.....many articles about losing time but all of them already had all followers out. I didn’t realize how easy it is to get into major trouble on this engine. Please if you get into it don’t try to just pull the timing cover to replace a few things.....if you don’t pull out all those followers under the valve covers first you get in deep doo-doo fast.

 

[Trainmaster]

J - You don't catch a break. My '08 has 110K miles and I'm thinking I have to off it at 150K. I've usually kept these things well past 200,000 miles, but I'm getting too old for this and these things just aren't made to be fixed. I wonder what my next truck will be. I know what it won't be.

 

[JExpedition07]

J - You don't catch a break. My '08 has 110K miles and I'm thinking I have to off it at 150K. I've usually kept these things well past 200,000 miles, but I'm getting too old for this and these things just aren't made to be fixed. I wonder what my next truck will be. I know what it won't be.

I agree....not at all. I’ll tell you what I’m early twenties and my body was contorting at angles I didn’t know possible to get that oil pump done. My back is wrenched and I’m a skinnier dude in good shape. No clue how older guys get this done but I give them some serious props! Perhaps it’s the experience. An engineer once told me they are just people like us and have to answer to the bean counters nowadays and to not give them too much credit for the bs. They can’t make what they want or make it serviceable.

 

[JExpedition07]

I was exhausted yesterday and flipping out at the end......I just had a conversation with my mechanic over the phone and he told me to relax. He said there is no way that ratcheting sound was the cam spinning and to feel it for myself....he’s right. No way. Those cams are not moving. He told me to put the chains back on engine and spin cams to neutral position then remove followers per procedure or remove the cams first. He says no way I’ll bend a valve.

 

[Boostedbus]

I was exhausted yesterday and flipping out at the end......I just had a conversation with my mechanic over the phone and he told me to relax. He said there is no way that ratcheting sound was the cam spinning and to feel it for myself....he’s right. No way. Those cams are not moving. He told me to put the chains back on engine and spin cams to neutral position then remove followers per procedure. He says no way I’ll bend a valve.

Well that’s encouraging news!

 

[JExpedition07]

Well that’s encouraging news!

Also said I can probably pull cams which will relieve pressure on rockers and at that point they can be removed without losing keepers to time from where I’m at.

 

[07navi]

Read up last night, both cylinder heads are coming off for this or risking valve bendage. What a piss poor engine design. Reason I’m so open about this mistake is I hope it prevents this happening to someone else...I’ve never heard of this until it happened to me and then I read up into it.....many articles about losing time but all of them already had all followers out. I didn’t realize how easy it is to get into major trouble on this engine. Please if you get into it don’t try to just pull the timing cover to replace a few things.....if you don’t pull out all those followers under the valve covers first you get in deep doo-doo fast.

I don't know what good pulling the heads is going to do, how are you going to time it with no heads on? If you are worried about valves hitting when you are done just crank it over by hand with the plugs out. You could easily get by with just pulling all the followers to inspect them anyway and leave the cams in and heads on so you can time it, or take the cams out and put them back in to inspect the journals. It's really not that hard, you just get the marks in the right place, line up with chain marks, and make sure # 1 is on the compression stroke.

 

[07navi]

I agree....not at all. I’ll tell you what I’m early twenties and my body was contorting at angles I didn’t know possible to get that oil pump done. My back is wrenched and I’m a skinnier dude in good shape. No clue how older guys get this done but I give them some serious props! Perhaps it’s the experience. An engineer once told me they are just people like us and have to answer to the bean counters nowadays and to not give them too much credit for the bs. They can’t make what they want or make it serviceable.

Come on guys, I'm 76 and looking forward to ripping the front off and already have all the tools needed LOL. Like your mechanic friend said; relax.

 

[Trainmaster]

I always tell myself that things look better after a night's sleep and the sun out.

 

[JExpedition07]

Suns out but this job is still a living Hell for me. I don’t know I’ve ever been so upset and aggregated at something in my life. The drivers side valve cover is being an absolute nightmare. These engineers need a swift and hard kick in the ass or a beating for this design. It’s almost intentionally done so it can’t get serviced. My torque converter replacement was heaven compared to this. The good news is everything inside looks in great shape, shame on Ford bean counters and engineering for using cheap tensioner gaskets causing non needed repairs and continuing using them despite KNOWING the problem. I’m sure they’ve caused a lot of heart attacks with this anger inducing crap.

 

[Boostedbus]

Suns out but this job is still a living Hell for me. I don’t know I’ve ever been so upset and aggregated at something in my life. The drivers side valve cover is being an absolute nightmare. These engineers need a swift and hard kick in the ass or a beating for this design. It’s almost intentionally done so it can’t get serviced. My torque converter replacement was heaven compared to this. The good news is everything inside looks in great shape, shame on Ford bean counters and engineering for using cheap tensioner gaskets causing non needed repairs and continuing using them despite KNOWING the problem. I’m sure they’ve caused a lot of heart attacks with this anger inducing crap.

Hey Ford engineers have been making it hard on mechanics for decades. My factory Big Block 69 Cat is absolutely shoe horned in between the shock towers. All my old Chevy buddies have had it way too easy working on their Chevelles ,Camaros, and even Deuces with tons of room
in the pump house. My 69 Stang I had before was also hard to wrench on even with a small block Cleveland tucked away. It’s an all day love affair putting header gaskets on the Cat. Up top and underneath back and forth to tighten/loosen some of the bolts with a 3/8” box and open end wrench with motor mounts unhooked and motor jacked up. Even the power brake booster barely fits. When people say the old cars were easy to work on they aren’t referring to 60s FoMoCo shock tower cars. There is literally a gap as wide as notebook paper to slip between headers and towers. My Chevy buddies are ******* taking the easy route! Lol!

 

[Boostedbus]

J EX 07 when it gets frustrating take a break and maybe try a different approach. That’s worked for me in the past to get over hurdles. Hang in there....at least you’re not a *****! Lol!

 

[JExpedition07]

Decided pulling the cams is the best approach. I’m glad I can do so, me never having been this far in didn’t know if pulling cams would create issues with followers dropping retainers but it apparently doesn’t. Thank the lord lol. It’s easy to do research outside but once the Ford Gods are staring you right in the face for the first time it’s definitely a different experience!!

 

[JExpedition07]

I’m throwing in the towel for the day...yet again the common knowledge on the web is incorrect. The passenger side valve cover is MUCH easier to remove. Simply take out the battery box. I’ve fought with the drivers side for 2+ hours to no success so I’m calling it a day. Drivers side is much more difficult. I found this interesting since EVERYONE claims the opposite. Totally false. You can easily access every fasteners on the pass side through the wheel well, no such luck in drivers with steering shaft and extra ABS equipment.

Next truck is a Chevrolet Suburban, done with Fords anti-service bullsh*t.

 

[JExpedition07]

Anyway here is a better pic of passenger bank

 

[Boostedbus]

Next truck is a Chevrolet Suburban, done with Fords anti-service bullsh*t.

Oh no! You know I’m gonna call you the P word if that happens. Calm down and have a beer or ten. You’ll get Through this and have great satisfaction of your accomplishments when it’s all done. Pretty much all the makes are no picnic to work on anymore. Tons of save the planet technology on them all now. I hope we are all around to enjoy this great planet after the dust settles with this virus.

 

[07navi]

Suns out but this job is still a living Hell for me. I don’t know I’ve ever been so upset and aggregated at something in my life. The drivers side valve cover is being an absolute nightmare. These engineers need a swift and hard kick in the ass or a beating for this design. It’s almost intentionally done so it can’t get serviced. My torque converter replacement was heaven compared to this. The good news is everything inside looks in great shape, shame on Ford bean counters and engineering for using cheap tensioner gaskets causing non needed repairs and continuing using them despite KNOWING the problem. I’m sure they’ve caused a lot of heart attacks with this anger inducing crap.

I agree they really screwed up with the tensioner design, the rest makes it an efficient spunky v-8 which isn't easily achieved without some complication. When I was a carpenter we cussed out the architects and when I was a mechanic it was the engineers and they go by what looks good on paper but few if any ever worked in the field. I doubt if there is any O ring with a silver bullet for the ill designed tensioners, that's why I was thinking Permatex red hardening # 1 might help keep them in place.

 

[07navi]

View attachment 35551 View attachment 35552 View attachment 35553 Hey Ford engineers have been making it hard on mechanics for decades. My factory Big Block 69 Cat is absolutely shoe horned in between the shock towers. All my old Chevy buddies have had it way too easy working on their Chevelles ,Camaros, and even Deuces with tons of room
in the pump house. My 69 Stang I had before was also hard to wrench on even with a small block Cleveland tucked away. It’s an all day love affair putting header gaskets on the Cat. Up top and underneath back and forth to tighten/loosen some of the bolts with a 3/8” box and open end wrench with motor mounts unhooked and motor jacked up. Even the power brake booster barely fits. When people say the old cars were easy to work on they aren’t referring to 60s FoMoCo shock tower cars. There is literally a gap as wide as notebook paper to slip between headers and towers. My Chevy buddies are ******* taking the easy route! Lol!

My tricked out '55 Chevy with the 350 was a breeze looking back on it but it sure was fun.