'08 4.6 - Cam phasers?

[SCme]

Yesterday under very light load I picked up on a light audible noise of a tick, almost like a rod knock or piston slap on the older 5.4 at start up. Once home, opened the hood and noticed the engine had a slight shake like a misfire (never seen this prior) and I was able to reproduce the same noise under a light steady throttle around 1200-1500 rpm. I'm wondering if this is the start of a cam phaser going out?

In the attached video, its around the 4/5 second mark.

 

[94Eddie]

These videos might be useful.

 

[96eb96]

Yesterday under very light load I picked up on a light audible noise of a tick, almost like a rod knock or piston slap on the older 5.4 at start up. Once home, opened the hood and noticed the engine had a slight shake like a misfire (never seen this prior) and I was able to reproduce the same noise under a light steady throttle around 1200-1500 rpm. I'm wondering if this is the start of a cam phaser going out?

In the attached video, its around the 4/5 second mark.

Those engines like to eat rocker arms. There was a tsb for it.

 

[boominXplorer]

Cam followers (rocker arm) is the ticking. Order a set of ford racing of lash adjusters and followers. Its the cheapest way to get 24 of each and they are the same as what the dealer sells for $12/$16 each.

Sometimes they will eat into that camshaft and they will need replaced also. Plenty of videos online showing how to replace.

To replace the followers and lash adjusters I just get it at tdc, put the wedge tool in the timing chain, mark the chain and gear just incase and unbolt the cam caps to give you enough room to swap them all out. Just be super careful tightening back down the cam caps evenly and make sure they go back exactly as they came out.

 

[96eb96]

Cam followers (rocker arm) is the ticking. Order a set of ford racing of lash adjusters and followers. Its the cheapest way to get 24 of each and they are the same as what the dealer sells for $12/$16 each.

Sometimes they will eat into that camshaft and they will need replaced also. Plenty of videos online showing how to replace.

To replace the followers and lash adjusters I just get it at tdc, put the wedge tool in the timing chain, mark the chain and gear just incase and unbolt the cam caps to give you enough room to swap them all out. Just be super careful tightening back down the cam caps evenly and make sure they go back exactly as they came out.

They can make life easy and say "Any 3v engine Ford ever made could have this issue..."

https://testing-public.carmd.com/Tsb/Download/127241/ssm47331

 

[SCme]

Thanks everybody for the answers.

Cam followers (rocker arm) is the ticking. Order a set of ford racing of lash adjusters and followers. Its the cheapest way to get 24 of each and they are the same as what the dealer sells for $12/$16 each.

Sometimes they will eat into that camshaft and they will need replaced also. Plenty of videos online showing how to replace.

To replace the followers and lash adjusters I just get it at tdc, put the wedge tool in the timing chain, mark the chain and gear just incase and unbolt the cam caps to give you enough room to swap them all out. Just be super careful tightening back down the cam caps evenly and make sure they go back exactly as they came out.

They sound like the fun I'm having this weekend, pulling the left head off my wife's '15 Town & Country. It was diagnosed with a bad valve. $2,700 for a shop to do or $250 for a head rebuild plus parts if I did it.

 

[boominXplorer]

Thanks everybody for the answers.




They sound like the fun I'm having this weekend, pulling the left head off my wife's '15 Town & Country. It was diagnosed with a bad valve. $2,700 for a shop to do or $250 for a head rebuild plus parts if I did it.

I actually just had a similar issue with a 2015 ram promaster van with the 4.0 (same drivetrain prettymuch). It had a tap and a slight miss at idle. With 120k on the ticker and full commercial service record of oil changes it had eaten the cam follower enough to trash the cam lobe of the rear intake cam. Replaced them all and the cam and it was good to go. The parts including the camshaft was in-stock at my local dealer indicating its obviously a common problem.

 

[pami9899]

Thanks everybody for the answers.




They sound like the fun I'm having this weekend, pulling the left head off my wife's '15 Town & Country. It was diagnosed with a bad valve. $2,700 for a shop to do or $250 for a head rebuild plus parts if I did it.

how did you fix that problem?i have similar thing going on my 08 explorer v8

 

[boominXplorer]

how did you fix that problem?i have similar thing going on my 08 explorer v8

Pull valve covers and inspect. If its consistent tapping it is probably a cam follower.

 

[96eb96]

Pull valve covers and inspect. If its consistent tapping it is probably a cam follower.

Probably a good idea to replace all of them when in there. If one fails, depending on where it lands, it could take out the engine. There is a TSB that says any 3v is suspect, some years worse than others. These engines have oiling issues due to the tensioners losing their seal. Once that happens, pressure drops, and it deprives oil to vulnerable parts in the upper drivetrain.

Usually the passenger rear ones fail because that is the longest path for the oil.

A 10c part that could lead to a $6K job.

 

[pami9899]

Probably a good idea to replace all of them when in there. If one fails, depending on where it lands, it could take out the engine. There is a TSB that says any 3v is suspect, some years worse than others. These engines have oiling issues due to the tensioners losing their seal. Once that happens, pressure drops, and it deprives oil to vulnerable parts in the upper drivetrain.

Usually the passenger rear ones fail because that is the longest path for the oil.

A 10c part that could lead to a $6K job.

the thing is it only happen on cold start,it will do it for 1 min ,and stop until the next cold start,the engine is fairly quiet afterward

 

[pami9899]

Pull valve covers and inspect. If its consistent tapping it is probably a cam follower.

i did remove both valve covers,the engine is clean,nothing abnormal,no varnish,i change my oil every 5k miles with 5w30 synthetic with motorcraft filter

 

[boominXplorer]

Oh if its a cold start noise only then its most likely an exhaust manifold leak.

A clean engine means nothing to 3v followers. Ive seen a single one go slam bad at 80k and the rest be perfect. You need to feel each rocker by hand while valves are closed and feel for excessive play. Most of the time they will make more noise when truck is warmed up.

 

[Explorer_PL]

If it goes away when warm maybe the exhaust manifold ?

 

[pami9899]

i did remove both valve covers,the engine is clean,nothing abnormal,no varnish,i change my oil every 5k miles with 5w30 synthetic with motorcraft filter

I will be doing the manifold next week,it is sound chain slapping type of noise,but the chain I not really loose,all the guide are there

 

[96eb96]

the thing is it only happen on cold start,it will do it for 1 min ,and stop until the next cold start,the engine is fairly quiet afterward

Could be tensioner bleed down. Takes a bit to stiffen up and tension the chain. The seal on those is quite vulnerable.

 

[pami9899]

Could be tensioner bleed down. Takes a bit to stiffen up and tension the chain. The seal on those is quite vulnerable.

I hope not, not looking forward to do that,I will start with the manifold then replace the pass side lifters and roller followers

 

[pami9899]

20201207_113809.mp4

drive.google.com

 

[armie]

Yesterday under very light load I picked up on a light audible noise of a tick, almost like a rod knock or piston slap on the older 5.4 at start up. Once home, opened the hood and noticed the engine had a slight shake like a misfire (never seen this prior) and I was able to reproduce the same noise under a light steady throttle around 1200-1500 rpm. I'm wondering if this is the start of a cam phaser going out?

In the attached video, its around the 4/5 second mark.

how many miles on your explorer

 

[pami9899]

how many miles on your explorer

125000 ,I bought it at 65k miles couple years ago,the engine is fairly quiet at hot idle beside the exhaust noise