5.0 Quarantine Tuneup.

[TekMan05]

What's up guys?
I haven't been on this forum in a while. Figured I'd drop in to kinda do a mini blog on a tune up I'm doing on the truck. Been having lean fuel trim issues, loud rockers, mysterious oil and vacuum leaks and a few other small things I wanted to nail out. So with that it would be easier to do all of this at once while stuck at home. The list of things I'm "attempting" to fix.

-Install new lifters
- Readjust lifter and valve preload
-clean and paint lower manifold
-Replace intake gasket
-Replace Fuel Injector O-Rings, screens
-New Vacuum lines
-New PCV
-Install oil catch can
-New EGR Valve
-New Power Steering pump
There may be a few other things that are slipping my mind at the moment. I've never really been big on documenting work I've done mainly because in the past I was learning as I go but I'm going to try with this as I'm making a video on my Youtube channel as well. So maybe this will help the less experienced guys when working on their 5.0s.

0 Tu0

 

[Blk2kXLT]

Dude I have been driving w P171 and P174 for years. Are you getting any CEL? I really want to redo the lower intake gaskets. Watching for updates since I need to do this work including the injector refresh. I was thinking of dropping in refreshed flow rated injectors.

What rockers are you running? How do you do the preload?

 

[TekMan05]

Dude I have been driving w P171 and P174 for years. Are you getting any CEL? I really want to redo the lower intake gaskets. Watching for updates since I need to do this work including the injector refresh. I was thinking of dropping in refreshed flow rated injectors.

What rockers are you running? How do you do the preload?

No CEL's just a high Long term fuel trim on my scan tool. It idles in the mid-upper teens. I do notice the truck likes to buck a bit when at cruising speeds with feather throttle until I either let off or add more throttle. The rockers are scorpion 1.65 rollers. To adjust them you have to make sure the valve you're working on is at base circle on the cam(Closed valve), then tighten the poly lock nut while moving the pushrod until it no longer moves up and down and you feel resistance. That is zero lash.Then you make anywhere from 1/4'' to a full turn( a lot of debate on that). Then tighten the set screw. This will be my first time doing this myself as my friend did this for me initially.

 

[410Fortune]

well done thanks for sharing, nice headers.

Anyone with a 5.0 and computer codes, quit driving around! Fix the codes! Driving with both banks lean 171 and 174 is NOT GOOD!
It means your PCM has tried to dump a ton of fuel to correct a lean condition and it cannot.
These codes are usually an air leak effecting both banks (somewhere in the intake)
Running lean can blow a hole in your piston.

Looking forward to seeing more progress! I have never taken the screen out of an injector can you share how you did that?
Thanks

 

[donalds]

I have never taken the screen out of an injector can you share how you did that?

A wood screw and pull and that's it lol

 

[Blk2kXLT]

well done thanks for sharing, nice headers.

Anyone with a 5.0 and computer codes, quit driving around! Fix the codes! Driving with both banks lean Po171 and 174 is NOT GOOD! It mease your PCM has tried to dump a ton of fuel to correct a lean condition and it cannot. These codes are usually an air leak effecting both banks (somewhere in the intake)
Running lean can blow a hole in your piston.

Looking forward to seeing more progress! I have never taken the screen out of an injector can you share how you did that?
Thanks

Or just ignore the CEL since only comes on when super cold out. Likely an exhaust leak and drive for 5+ years.
In my case it is just likely adding fuel and creating a slightly rich condition.

Thanks for the update on the lash adjustment. I have pondered adding the Comp cam rockers since I want to add a 1/2" spacer and do all the cleaning/painting of the lower intake along with injector swap.

 

[CDW6212R]

Keep the OEM rocker type if you can, until you actually need 6000rpm(better heads etc). The pedestal rockers will always be quieter, and they are easier to put on.

The lifter preload is generally supposed to be about .033", each manufacturer will have a preferred spec I'm sure. When you first begin the rocker adjustment, that's the time to find out how many turns is needed for the preset you want.

Simply figure out how many rotations of the rocker stud nut is needed to move it along the rocker threads, the amount of preload you want. Do that in your hand if you like, just the stud and nut is needed. The thread pitch is what determines how many rotations are needed, 3/4 turns is very common due to the common stud threads used.

 

[Blk2kXLT]

Ok thanks. Does seem like a lot of work for minor gains. I do want to swap to a nice flat chromed oil covers from a mustang and redo all the intake gaskets as I swap the injectors.

 

[TekMan05]

Okay things are starting to come back together now. I been dealing with a strained and inflamed wrist and hand which has hampered work some. I finally got the new lifters in and the corner ones were a pain but I managed to use a 3/8'' extension and small hammer to tap them into the bores (Not recommended) but it worked. My old lifters had absolutely no plunger play what so ever so I'm hoping for a quieter valve train and maybe a bit more power? I adjusted the rockers for now at 5/8'' turn past zero lash. Most people say half and then some say 3/4ths turn so I am starting from there. If it's still chattering I can go back later and adjusted.
I also used the time to do a little cleaning up of the intake plenum runners just to help some. Didn't take too terribly long and didn't go too deep. Just figured since the heads have a mild port job it wouldn't hurt. Also I highly recommend using the ARP stud kit for the lower intake. Makes it MUCH easier installing the gasket into place and then the intake itself.
Now I'm finishing up the fuel rails, replacing the power steering pump and gonna plumb new vacuum lines and an oil catch can from the PCV to help alleviate some of the blowby soaking the runners.

 

[Blk2kXLT]

Wow nice work. The super long vacuum lines are kind of confusing. What edit did you make there?

 

[TekMan05]

That's going away. It was from a while back when I experimented with a cheap
oil separator and had it tucked out the way on the driver's side. That's partly why I'm plumbing it over so it'll be cleaned up and now using a catch can instead of a separator coming directly off the pcv and will probably mount by the blower motor.

 

[TekMan05]

Got everything back together and started after fighting setbacks and my hand and wrist. It's idled high at first then settled down somewhat. The can tool I have is showing a LTFT of 30% on both banks and the power isnt' there. feels like it's fighting against a wall more than just missing. Any ideas that would cause an even lean condition on both banks?

 

[Blk2kXLT]

Exhaust leak letting in O2? You did the "right stuff" or good RTV under the ends of the intake manifold right?

 

[TekMan05]

On the lower intake yes. Would smoothing the intake runners on the upper plenum cause this? I'm letting the truck cool off before checking vacuum lines.

 

[Blk2kXLT]

Any CEL? I would think just maybe you forgot to connect one of the large vacuum lines on the manifold. There are those ones that run along the right side for the master brake cylinder and then the PCV.

 

[TekMan05]

Can't see it in the pic , hooked up a smoke tester I had and what do you know a little bit was seeping past. Hoping this is the cause of the LTFT and acceleration buff. I do remember having a hard time cranking the bolts down so I'm gonna take the elbow off and clean the threads up. Wish me luck! No leaks from any vacuum leaks or the intake.

 

[Blk2kXLT]

Sorry for the ignorance but which part was leaking, EGR?

What system do you use for your smoke tester? I need to get one.

 

[TekMan05]

The flange that goes behind the throttle elbow. I don't know if the pic showed up or not. THe one I got was from ebay, uses shop air and hooks onto your battery to heat up the oil.

 

[TekMan05]

Fixing the EGR leak did lower the LTFT from 30% but didn't eliminate it. It was late so I didn't go for a drive yet so can't say yet for driveability.

 

[Blk2kXLT]

Have you tried spraying starting fluid around vacuum hoses & other gasket areas to see if RPMs change?

Are those figures normal for having a cam?