5.4 roller follower failure

[jdstutz]

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.

 

[JExpedition07]

If the other items were done recently I’d replace all the roller followers and move on. Your oil pressure reading is OK at hot idle. Not superb but not indicative of an issue either. Are you running 5W-20 or 30? 5W-30 is fine for the 5.4. No chain slap noise or rattle on start up right? The tensioners are the killers of these motors. Other than that they would be sound.

 

[jdstutz]

Just the tapping noise. I am running Mobil 1 5w-20 and it was pretty hot last week when this all started.

 

[outdoorman]

Ouch, that's a bummer. Hope you can get it sorted without breaking the bank.

 

[rollinstone]

The YouTube guy fordtechmakuloco has a video or two about this issue. I’m holding my breath with my 2014 LTD with 79K on it…mostly my tow vehicle. As I recall he seemed to think that when the followers go bad you’re talking engine replacement. Hope I’m wrong about that. I run 5W-30 and change every 5000k.

 

[twodollars]

I'd agree pretty much with previous comments. Replace the timing set, new followers and lash adjusters. High volume pump while you have it opened up.

 

[jdstutz]

It wasn’t meant to be. I discovered cam bearing when I removed the cam (should have noticed them sooner). The bearing by the phaser was wiped out and there was a ball of wire brush bristles in the oil port on the cam. I couldn’t identify the bearings by their markings so I ordered a standard Durabond set “FA-13R”. They do not fit correctly. The old cam was cut down .010” and the cam towers are equally undersized for this bearing. So I guess it’s off to Ford for a factory reman. I’m completely fed up with the cheap remanufacturers who are rebuilding these engines with odd size cam bearings. If anyone is thinking of trying the Dura-bond bearings. Check the catalogue for the bearing sizes. I couldn’t find specs for these bearings until after it was too late.

https://www.dura-bondbearing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DB2014Catalog-1.pdf

 

[jdstutz]

The YouTube guy fordtechmakuloco has a video or two about this issue. I’m holding my breath with my 2014 LTD with 79K on it…mostly my tow vehicle. As I recall he seemed to think that when the followers go bad you’re talking engine replacement. Hope I’m wrong about that. I run 5W-30 and change every 5000k.

I can tell you exactly when the roller seized. I was backing into my campsite and at an idle there was a distinct “chirp” coming from the engine. Also at that time it would intermittently squeal when accelerating.

 

[GaryB]

It wasn't that long ago I did the full timing job on mine. If I was you, I would switch to 5w-30 and replace all the roller followers. If you're not hearing any startup rattle, I don't see the point of the timing job yet. It's less than half the job to just open the valve covers and replace the roller followers. Check all the lash adjusters while you're there. Oil pressure will go up because of the new design. Consider replacing the VCT's while you're there. Use FoMoCo parts.

 

[rollinstone]

Like I said above, I'm OK for now at about 79K. I'm certain I'm just buying time and should be preemptive and change out all the followers...24? I'm gonna have to have a shop do it. Any ball park cost? Labor, parts?

 

[proftomda]

The YouTube guy fordtechmakuloco has a video or two about this issue. I’m holding my breath with my 2014 LTD with 79K on it…mostly my tow vehicle. As I recall he seemed to think that when the followers go bad you’re talking engine replacement. Hope I’m wrong about that. I run 5W-30 and change every 5000k.

Your doing all the right stuff running 5W-30 synthetic at 5000 mile change intervals. Roller follower failure does not mean engine replacement. Will it happen, maybe. I did the entire timing set replacement including the oil pump and phasers at 104,000 miles because of tensioner failure. I did NOT do the roller followers. That was 5 years and 60,000 miles ago and the engine purrs like a kitten. Only 5W-30 syn and 5000 mile change intervals and oil level always kept at top of full mark.

 

[rollinstone]

My shop said don’t panic. They suggest doing a “hot oil change” and put in an additive that will, among other things, clean the oil ports improving lubrication. They also suggested going to a 3000 mile oil/filter change.

 

[proftomda]

3000 mile oil changes even better than 5000 mile if you can swing it. Did your shop say you had engine sludge, thereby the oil additive? I do not see any reason for cleaning additives unless your engine is sludged up. Timely PCV valve replacement is important too. If you follow that change interval, your engine will last a good long time. Just be forwarded that the timing chain tensioner gaskets blow out through no fault of your own, which will require the timing set replacement like I did 5 years ago. Its not the end of the world and certainly no reason for offloading the car.

 

[rollinstone]

I DIY my oil changes and have seen nothing that indicates sludge in the old oil while draining. The shop just suggested the hot oil change with the additive as a roller follower preventative measure. But you're saying it's not necessary if there's no sludge?

 

[proftomda]

From my experience, there is no reason for oil additives unless the engine is sludged up. As you know, sludge develops from excessively long oil change intervals, short frequent trips not allowing the engine to fully warm up and burn off condensation and / or running the engine low on oil for a extended time. Since your primary mission is pulling a trailer, your expo is being driven in a matter that does not produce sludge. Your oil change interval is awesome so if I was a betting man I would say your engine is sludge free. When I replaced the timing components at 104,000 miles, my engine had no sludge build up at all, just some darker varnish on the drivers side cylinder head because that where the PCV valve is located. Timely PCV valve replacement is encouraged. Rest easy, you are doing the right things to extend the life of your engine. P.S. My uncle had a 2014 Expo that had 220,000 miles with all original timing components and roller followers that ran perfect until it got totaled in a car accident.

 

[Yep-Retired]

If the other items were done recently I’d replace all the roller followers and move on. Your oil pressure reading is OK at hot idle. Not superb but not indicative of an issue either. Are you running 5W-20 or 30? 5W-30 is fine for the 5.4. No chain slap noise or rattle on start up right? The tensioners are the killers of these motors. Other than that they would be sound.

Will you please look at my photos & may need to expand them... got these today & we wanted small hole version...but wasn't expecting it to be THIS tiny! Do they look right? Part 3L3Z6564A

 

[GaryB]

Yes, I think so. I was suprised at the difference when I did mine. Really helps boost the oil pressure though I imagine. Somthing this engine really needs. If you're doing the timing as well, its worth changing to the smelling high volume pump. It's not that much more time.

 

[Yep-Retired]

Yes, I think so. I was suprised at the difference when I did mine. Really helps boost the oil pressure though I imagine. Somthing this engine really needs. If you're doing the timing as well, its worth changing to the smelling high volume pump. It's not that much more time.

Thank you! I so appreciate your reply. I stopped in at the local Ford dealer parts dept today & they didn't have any to look at. Auto Zone had one Melling rocker so I was able to see the small hole in it. The ones we bought aren't brand names so using a small reamer made for cleaning welding tips we reamed the burrs out of all the tiny holes. Praying we can do all our cleaning & prep and start putting in the new lifters, rockers & cam before Saturday. It'll be weird driving my Expedition again...it's been about 6 months of us diagnosing & repairing. We had the timing done in early March, new high volume pump installed then. When driving it home from shop it was still making the loud racket it was when we dropped it off. Can't believe he'd charge us 5K and not even look at the rockers while he had it open. Tsk, tsk.