Hello everyone.
This is a first time post but I wanted to share my current 5.4 experience.
I bought a 2014 Expedition EL this spring that, despite having 160k miles, was remarkably quiet in the top end. Last week, 2000 miles from home and across the Rocky Mountains, it developed a loud valve train tick which started out as a half speed chirp and a squeal under moderate acceleration. We were pulling a small travel trailer and headed down the west coast to California. I stopped at a dealership, and after seeing the service tech’s face, I called off the remainder of the trip and headed home. I was careful to not rev the engine above 2500 rpm’s for almost the entire trip back to central Minnesota.
Yesterday I checked the oil pressure and found the it 75psi cold. 24psi at 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tonight I opened the right valve cover where the noise was loudest and found a bad lash adjuster and roller follower which had wrecked my cam.
I peeked in between the FoMoCo phaser and the front cover and found a steel timing chain tensioner. There were neat pen marks on all torqued bolts and the visible chain and tensioner slides looked to be in good condition.
My plan is to pull the cam and check for galling on the journals but I don’t believe it suffered from lack of lubrication.
I’m still on the fence about changing the phasers, chains, and tensioners since they appear to have been done recently
What would you all do if it was yours?
This is my 4th 5.4 with a 5.7 hemi in between that makes me thankful that I own a 5.4 again.
This is a first time post but I wanted to share my current 5.4 experience.
I bought a 2014 Expedition EL this spring that, despite having 160k miles, was remarkably quiet in the top end. Last week, 2000 miles from home and across the Rocky Mountains, it developed a loud valve train tick which started out as a half speed chirp and a squeal under moderate acceleration. We were pulling a small travel trailer and headed down the west coast to California. I stopped at a dealership, and after seeing the service tech’s face, I called off the remainder of the trip and headed home. I was careful to not rev the engine above 2500 rpm’s for almost the entire trip back to central Minnesota.
Yesterday I checked the oil pressure and found the it 75psi cold. 24psi at 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tonight I opened the right valve cover where the noise was loudest and found a bad lash adjuster and roller follower which had wrecked my cam.
I peeked in between the FoMoCo phaser and the front cover and found a steel timing chain tensioner. There were neat pen marks on all torqued bolts and the visible chain and tensioner slides looked to be in good condition.
My plan is to pull the cam and check for galling on the journals but I don’t believe it suffered from lack of lubrication.
I’m still on the fence about changing the phasers, chains, and tensioners since they appear to have been done recently
What would you all do if it was yours?
This is my 4th 5.4 with a 5.7 hemi in between that makes me thankful that I own a 5.4 again.
