Cam Phaser engine damage

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positivemojo

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I did my own cam phasers and can help you out. First, bad cam phasers will impact performance and mileage. It will also likely impact oil pressure if a tensioner gasket is blown. It will get progressively worse and is not great on the valves since the timing is off.

It is very expensive to have repaired, easily $3,000-$5,000. Even if you do it yourself, it's not cheap. But it is worth doing. BTW - plan on it taking a week.

Do not have someone do it if they have not done it several times before. And even then, the job varies depending on what year Expedition is involved. Some have wiring harnesses that are a pain to move out of the way, some do not. My Expy is 2008 and was a pain.

After the cam phasers and other stuff was replaced my Expedition is like a rocket. It runs better than when it was new. So I highly recommend doing it - sooner rather than later.

Only use Ford OEM phasers. Do not allow any others to be installed. Seriously!

Whether you do them yourself or have them done, watch this video series first so that you are knowledgeable about what is being done. You will be very glad you did.




 

WEDGE

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I did my own cam phasers and can help you out. First, bad cam phasers will impact performance and mileage. It will also likely impact oil pressure if a tensioner gasket is blown. It will get progressively worse and is not great on the valves since the timing is off.

It is very expensive to have repaired, easily $3,000-$5,000. Even if you do it yourself, it's not cheap. But it is worth doing. BTW - plan on it taking a week.

Do not have someone do it if they have not done it several times before. And even then, the job varies depending on what year Expedition is involved. Some have wiring harnesses that are a pain to move out of the way, some do not. My Expy is 2008 and was a pain.

After the cam phasers and other stuff was replaced my Expedition is like a rocket. It runs better than when it was new. So I highly recommend doing it - sooner rather than later.

Only use Ford OEM phasers. Do not allow any others to be installed. Seriously!

Whether you do them yourself or have them done, watch this video series first so that you are knowledgeable about what is being done. You will be very glad you did.





The links you have provided are for the 5.4. This forum is for the 4th gen's with the 3.5L ecoboost. So none of it really applies. The 3.5 has four phasers that can make noise, but most of them seem to be covered by Ford
 

cruiseguy24

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I was on the fence about getting mine fixed. My thought in the end is that Ford would not issue a TSB for this and agree to do major repairs under warranty if there was no harm being done. I know the official stance from Ford is the rattle is harmless and a nuisance, but the fact that they are agreeing to major expenses says otherwise.
 

aggiegrad05

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I was on the fence about getting mine fixed. My thought in the end is that Ford would not issue a TSB for this and agree to do major repairs under warranty if there was no harm being done. I know the official stance from Ford is the rattle is harmless and a nuisance, but the fact that they are agreeing to major expenses says otherwise.
I tend to agree. Although I was planning on waiting to have mine fixed until after our 1800 mile road trip, I reconsidered and mine's going in tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed they can get it done in 2 weeks before we leave.
 

Thomas Hardesty

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Im pretty sure i have the cam phaser issue talked about on this board, although my dealership wont acknowledge it and my question is will this cause engine damage or do i just live with it until i can find a dealership that will fix it? Been going on for about 4 months now.[/QUO
 

5280tunage

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This job definetly doesn't take a week, as long as the dealer has all the parts beforehand. I see them done in my shop often, and it's a 2 day affair.
It may not take a week for many. The heavy tech that did mine says he's super **** about the cleaning mating surfaces and letting curing take place, prior to any pressure. He was also usually doing two or three simultaneously, alternating between disassembly, cleaning, sealing, etc. When mine was on the lift, he showed me two more he was working on. Pretty nutso.
 

aggiegrad05

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It may not take a week for many. The heavy tech that did mine says he's super **** about the cleaning mating surfaces and letting curing take place, prior to any pressure. He was also usually doing two or three simultaneously, alternating between disassembly, cleaning, sealing, etc. When mine was on the lift, he showed me two more he was working on. Pretty nutso.
Mine's done. I dropped it off last Thursday, it sat until Monday, and they just called to let me know it's done. New phasers, new rear brake pads, and an oil change.
 

Underdog66

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i find it hard to believe that there is not long term damage if left unaddressed
On the 5.4 and the 4.6 ignoring the failed cam phasers WILL destroy the engine. I owned an 05 which had the engine replaced at 100,000 miles because the previous owner was told the noise was a 'normal' noise caused by a manifold leak. He was driving on the highway and the engine made a LOUD **** and just stopped running. The engine was so mistimed (out of phase) that one of the lifters dropped into the cylinder and sent the piston and rod into the oil pan. There were a million little shards of metal in the oil pan. Ignoring it turned a $2500 repair into a $5800 repair.
 

techdude99

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Exactly what Hamfisted said sounds correct

Make me wonder why the 3.5 ** in the Ford Gt runs higher viscosity. I get it, they are LeMans winning are race cars with 9.5 quart capacity. But I wonder if the 10W30 Mobil 1 is sufficient for 100+ degrees in TX.
https://oilincar.com/ford/gt/s_2-2017-.php
I can't seem to find anything regarding the oilincar website and randomly checked several of the recommendations against my owner's manuals. Most viscosities they recommend are different.
 

bill_b

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My dealer had mine for 9 days with the parts on hand prior to dropping off (that was a 2 month wait).
I picked it up yesterday and its going back in again tonight for what I think is the waste gate rattle.
 

buckwheat-phd

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I just got a service bulletin/recall for Cam Phasers on my new 2020 KR. The description said it was software only. Only ~3k miles on it so far. I wonder if they're shooting in the dark on this one.
 

bill_b

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They did my software update at one point too while it was in for inspection, they didn't even tell me until I picked it back up. It did nothing for mine fwiw, hopefully it has a better effect on the 2020s. I just fail to see how a software update can fix a mechanical flaw.
 

Trainmaster

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I can't seem to find anything regarding the oilincar website and randomly checked several of the recommendations against my owner's manuals. Most viscosities they recommend are different.
I saw their chart showing oil spots labeled "good oil," "oil with impurities," etc, and they lost all credibility with me. Filled with bad grammar and misspellings too. Nonsense "content" to collect ad money.
 

NyackRob79

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FYI, the cam-phaser recall isn't available yet (as of Jul 26, 2021). My 2018 Expedition (affected by the recall) was in for service today. The dealer told me Ford hasn't released the software for this recall yet so they cannot perform it. Just thought I'd share.
 

Jay Dubs

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Has anyone had a good experience getting phasers done at a dealer in CT?
 

DWs-TTEB

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Has anyone had a good experience getting phasers done at a dealer in CT?
When I lived in Trumbull 3 years ago I also used the Ford dealer for engine stuff in Milford, CT. Great service and the mechanic that did the work would come up to you as you were leaving an explain everything to you. Can’t speak to cam phaser though have no clue.
 
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