timing job, tq. specs? 5.4 3v

[Vdubnick]

hey, new to forum. Looking for torque specs for the 5.4 3v engine, specifically for doing the timing job. (2008 EL XLT) Here is the backstory to the issue im having. Ive had the vehicle about 6+ years, got it at 110k miles (now has 186k), have done all regular maintenance. this last summer i noticed while towing a travel trailer hwy mpg dropped from 10 to about 8, seemed to lack a little power as well. Didnt think much of it since now it is not a primary vehicle, we only use it for towing our boat, or hauling stuff as needed. I was reminded of the fuel economy drop a few months later when it really struggled pulling a trailer over a hill, about 6% grade and it topped at 55mph. At home i noticed a tick, thought it may be phaser related, but it ended up being the right hand side manifold. Broken bolt/warp causing a leak.

I replaced that, and it was back to being quiet. But, end of last month, we went on a family trip, not pulling anything, just fully loaded inside. I noticed poor fuel economy (13-14mpg) instead of 16-18mpg, and it did seem to lack a little power, downshifting on mild hills that i dont remember it ever doing before. On the way home i was a little lighter on the throttle, and got almost 17mpg... so the power issue seems to come and go?

reading online i figured it was fuel pressure related. But then when i went to look for the FPDM i found that 3rd gen Expy doesnt have the external one. So i crossed that off the list and have come to the conclusion that i probably have blown tensioner gaskets. like i read in this thread https://www.expeditionforum.com/threads/loss-of-power-no-code.36769/

on previous vehicle i have been able to find PDF service manuals. I plan on pulling the cams to replace rollers while it is all apart, so i want to make sure i tq. right.

Thanks, BTW i have a lot of experience on water cooled VW's, from engine to trans rebuild, this is the first "big engine" i have torn into of my own.

 

[Vdubnick]

took the covers off tonight to see if new cams would need ordered. Didnt find any loose rollers (didnt rotate crank to check the ones compressed)

but the lobes all look and feel smooth, so that is a good sign i didnt run it too long

 

[Vdubnick]

pulled the left side cover, noticed a hole in the VCT solenoid screen... not sure if that would cause an issue, both VCT's measure same and operate with 12v. I am planning on replacing them anyways since i want to rule out any timing advance issues.

 

[JExpedition07]

Pages 3&4 have most of what you’ll be using

https://www.f150forum.com/attachments/f4/558997d1595038910-2004-f150-5-4-timing-set-oil-pump-replacement-5.4l-engine-pg4-8-bolt-torque-specs.pdf

 

[Goofy173]

You get 16-18 normally? Ive never seen 16 on either of my 5.4's, I expected better on my 2011 from my 2000 but nope. 15.7 is max I've ever seen.

 

[Vdubnick]

You get 16-18 normally? Ive never seen 16 on either of my 5.4's, I expected better on my 2011 from my 2000 but nope. 15.7 is max I've ever seen.

on highway drives, yes 16-18 (@80-85mph), around town it is 12-14, best ive got pulling anything on highway has always been 10, until last year when it dropped to 8.

 

[Vdubnick]

found a good price on ford parts, for others reference:

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

You get 16-18 normally? Ive never seen 16 on either of my 5.4's, I expected better on my 2011 from my 2000 but nope. 15.7 is max I've ever seen.

I typically get 16-18 highway in my EL. If doing a lot of mixed driving I get high 15s to mid-16s. I'm pretty easy on acceleration most of the time, but I do typically run her 75-80mph on the highway.

 

[Vdubnick]

went ahead and ordered new cams since there were a couple lobes with questionable marks, smooth, but not consistent. not ordering the lifters (5L1Z6500A) since that would be another 250, and i dont see how they wear out under normal conditions... i will check fit, but should be good.

 

[Vdubnick]

also found this thread for reference:

The Final Repair Guide to 5.4 Cam Phaser Tick/Knock Sound - Ford F150 Forum - Community of Ford Truck Fans

2004 - 2008 Ford F150 - The Final Repair Guide to 5.4 Cam Phaser Tick/Knock Sound - Ever since hearing my first 5.4 Tick, I have been online looking for an answer. The First truck I did, I changed the phasers (one of them had the spring sprung ) Noise went away for 2 months and came back, just...

www.f150forum.com

 

[Vdubnick]

here is the concerning surface area on the right cam, anyone else seen something like this? the surface is barely rough enough to feel with your fingernail or a metal pick. my guess is that it is the surface softening, and has potential to pit and cause damage to the new roller followers. for 100 bucks, seemed like good insurance to change out the cam... granted im blowing another 100 just to change the left side cam, even tho it looks fine (normal wear). figure, new rollers, new cam

 

[Vdubnick]

it is odd that there is a mark on the right side cam, but it is also the cleanest, where the left side has noticeable varnish.

 

[Vdubnick]

here is a handy way to keep your bolts from rolling around, and also make sure they go back where they are supposed to, even tho most are the same, and the different ones have obvious locations.

 

[Vdubnick]

tensioners have the same gasket failure location, not a complete blowout, so i think i caught the issue early. I think i could have been cheap and just upgraded the oilpump and tensioners and would have been fine for another 100k. but i figure spending 700 more on parts while im in there is worth it.

 

[Vdubnick]

one issue i ran into is that i probably over tightened my fan clutch when i did the waterpump a few years ago.

I went to autozone to get their "tool rental" both sets were beat to shit, and lost temper, so they just rounded and slipped.

I designed my own, and ordered laser cut A400 .25" steel from sendcutsend.com less than 30 bucks shipped, they work great! I made them as big as i could to keep as close to the 29 dollar minimum.

 

[Brons2]

tensioners have the same gasket failure location, not a complete blowout, so i think i caught the issue early. I think i could have been cheap and just upgraded the oilpump and tensioners and would have been fine for another 100k. but i figure spending 700 more on parts while im in there is worth it.


View attachment 71421

I bought the spring loaded replacements rather than another set of oil actuated ones. I haven't done the job yet though. It does seem down on power, but gets about the same mileage as others have mentioned. 13-14 in town, 15-16 in mixed driving. I have gotten as high as 22 on the highway at a steady 65mph.

 

[Vdubnick]

I bought the spring loaded replacements rather than another set of oil actuated ones. I haven't done the job yet though. It does seem down on power, but gets about the same mileage as others have mentioned. 13-14 in town, 15-16 in mixed driving. I have gotten as high as 22 on the highway at a steady 65mph.

the plastic housing tensioners are spring loaded. I think you meant the ratcheting style (metal housing) .... I went with the factory replacement since there are other things beside cost that go into revisions. the old, ****** design made it 190k, i am sure the new design will make it further. if the metal ratcheting housing was a better fix, they would have stuck with it.

 

[Vdubnick]

well, finally done

new roller followers, reused hydraulic lifters


new cams



looked at the questionable marks on the RH cam and def looks like pitting, hard surface opening up. I guess i just caught it right at the start of deterioration.




i used the old chain with vise grip to hold phasers while i torqued the bolt, worked great, and kept from putting stress on the new tensioners.

 

[Vdubnick]

few things to note. you DONT need the special tool for the roller followers OR crankshaft.

The crank tool sets the crank timing mark to 6 oclock (on the gear, not key) ... the LH cam will want to roll forward slightly, so it is much easier to move crank to about 6:30-7

I used a short 32mm socket (used on my VW oil filter) to rotate crank, you dont need a deepsocket impact type.

if you are going to change roller followers, removed the cam, it is pretty easy. Then, before you put new ones in, set the cam with new sprocket in with just one bearing cap to hold it in place, install chain, and make sure slack is out on tight side, then mark the top, or some reference point. This will help you get it close when you install with the followers. LH side will install without movement, the RH side will roll back a little bit, this is fine, it is only a few degrees. the chain will go on fine, and you can use the bolt to roll it forward with the chain to install the tensioner.

Also, with the crank set with the tool, or as i did above, CYL 1 and 6 are at or near TDC, so those are the only valves you have to pay attention too when installing the cam, which if you follow my method, it is impossible to mess up.

 

[Vdubnick]

also, you dont need a special ratchet for the oil pickup tube bolts. honestly, the worst bolts to deal with are the power steering bolts, which are much easier to get with a u-joint socket, or flex shaft.

RH side valve cover was the hardest to get in/out due to coolant lines and harnesses, but it is doable, no need to pull coolant hoses. Also, remove alt cable to make pulling out/in timing cover.

another PITA was the crank oil seal... i tried doing it by hand and drove it in crooked, i should have used my press, but was trying to be lazy and wasted a lot of time on a simple task.

I was able to tighten the crank bolt by hand, using a heavy duty strap wrench on the pulley. same for the WP pulley.

Fan/clutch dropped out the bottom once the bottom half shroud was removed, everything else besides oil pump was done from top, no need to pull the whole shroud.

zipties work great at holding hoses/harnesses out of the way!


Everything started up great, left the crank sensor unplugged, cranked two times for 6 seconds each to get full oil pressure. Ran it up to operating temp and changed oil (it was about due anyways) we will see how power/fuel economy ends up in a month or two. Either way, parts needed changed/upgraded.