All of the things

[The D]

Hello everyone, new guy here asking for some advice. Our '13 xlt(152k miles) has a leaking water pump. Obviously, that is square one and the most important issue. The chains and tensioners need to come off to get to the water pump so those are getting replaced as well, that's a no-brainer. But, should I replace the camshaft adjusters as well? Do those fail as well, like the older V8's? My father and cousin went through replacing those several months ago on their trucks.

Any recommendations on brands to definitely buy or stay away from? I think I remember that Cloyes is the brand of choice for the 3v 5.4 stuff. Is this the case for the 3.5 also?

Is there a specific sealant used for the timing cover? Or will any high-temp rtv be ok to use?

Oh, and another thing...

When the engine is started cold, before the idle lowers the rpm’s fluctuate. Is this an early sign of any specific part(s) failing? There is no noticeable power loss and the check engine light isn’t on. Spark plugs and air filter were replaced last weekend, so rule those out. It was doing this before the plug change so it’s not an induced problem from previous repairs. That’s not much to go on so I understand if I’ll just have to wait for this to get a little worse before it can be properly diagnosed

I know that’s a lot for a first post, outside of the member intro section. Any and all opinions or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you

Edit: One more dumb question. There is a small oil leak from the vvt solenoid connectors on the front valve cover. Do these solenoids actually leak from the connector or is it just the seal on the valve cover leaking?

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
What does the oil on the dipstick look like?

Peter

 

[The D]

Clean and normal, I changed the oil last weekend. And the oil that came out looked normal too

 

[mguy13sport]

Is the waterpump leaking from the weep hole?

You can certainly get away with doing the water pump, chains, tensioners, guides. A new oil pump and pickup tube would not be a bad idea since it's right there.

The cam phasers on the 3.5 are not nearly as bad as the V8's.

I got the cloyes timing kit for my 2013 and it came with everything including new cam sprockets. I used a motorcraft tensioner for the primary chain for better quality.

 

[The D]

Does anyone know who makes the kit that Napa sells? The timing marks on the chains looks the same as the Cloyes kit, I know that doesn’t mean much though. I bought Napa stuff and picked it up on my way home. Hopefully it lasts a few years

Edit: Yes, mguy. Coolant is leaking out of the weep hole.

 

[peterk9]

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Edit: Yes, mguy. Coolant is leaking out of the weep hole.

Is that leak in addition to the small oil leak from the vvt solenoid connectors on the front valve cover? If there is coolant coming out of the water pump weep hole then that is an indication the water pump needs to be replaced ASAP. Continued driving can result in the coolant going into the engine. Water pump failure leads to dead engine

Peter

 

[The D]

Is that leak in addition to the small oil leak from the vvt solenoid connectors on the front valve cover? If there is coolant coming out of the water pump weep hole then that is an indication the water pump needs to be replaced ASAP. Continued driving can result in the coolant going into the engine. Water pump failure leads to dead engine

Peter

Yes, two separate leaks. I’ve already almost gotten the timing cover off replacing the water pump.

And the small oil leak is coming from the valve cover seal around the solenoid connector. There is only oil around the outside of the connector, inside is totally dry

 

[peterk9]

It might be a good idea to also replace the timing chain and associated items while you have the cover off.

Peter

 

[The D]

It might be a good idea to also replace the timing chain and associated items while you have the cover off.

Peter

Yes, doing chains, guides, & tensioners as well. I’m going to be really mad if I get this all back together and something happens to the adjusters.