Hello, Can any body please help? I have read about changing the cam phasers on Truck Enthusiasts from a member called Steve Bassen. Im pretty good with working on engines and stuff. I did my Mustang GT motor from 302 to 347. but these modulars are a bit diffrent. I ordered the cam locking wedge and I'll be getting it by monday so im almost ready to do this. The side thats knocking/ticking is the passenger side and i want to do that one first since its the loudest when the engine gets to normal operating temp. My real consern is the locking wedge. Does it really work? And in Steve's article he mentions for the passenger side that the timing wedge should be installed opposite of how it was on the driver side. So does the flat portion of the wedge still face the center of the of the truck like he illustrates or does the flat portion face away from the center of the truck? Meaning flipping the wedge. If anyone can help me out on this would be great. I just bought the truck and its got great power plus my son loves the dvd in the back LOL. And I really dont have 150+ to go buy the bible from the dealer. Thanks in advance to anyone that can help. Jon

 

The alldatadiy.com service manual has the procedure and illustrations for both sides...$29.95.

 

The wedge goes in with the curved side up on the passenger side and it works very well if used correctly. Make sure it goes in BEFORE loosening the phaser bolt and comes out AFTER tightening the bolt. Do NOT rotate the engine once the wedged is in place. Look down with a flashlight to make sure the wedge goes between the chain and not in front of it. I remove the A/C accumulator and battery tray when I do the passenger side it makes it easier to get the valve cover out. Also take out the very rear valve cover bolt completely before removing the vc. You can toss the bolt (its not there on 07+ trucks). To do the lifters I pull the cam and don't worry about the valve spring tool just slowly and evenly tighten the cam caps to distribute the spring pressure. The valve spring tool is a PITA to use. Make sure the valve cover gasket doesn't get snagged on the last cam cap(another reason to toss the vc bolt) or you will have a massive oil leak.

 

Great, thanks for the help. I thought that's what Steves post meant but I just wanted to be sure. I had already pulled the valve cover off and it really was a PITA. You ain't kidding, that was most off the job but I was was abble to move the A/C hoses outof the way. The only hose I took off was the one for the coolant I believe for the neck of the thermostat that it feeds or returns. I held the a/c hoses out of the way with some wire and tie straps and completely removed the harness totally out of the way. But I couldn't do anything because I didn't know that there was a special tool like the wedge until I started searching and that's how I found out about the wedge. So atleast I know what I have to do to get the valve cover of now.LOL. Thanks for the help.

 

Hello, Thanks for the advice. The job went well. I only did the passenger side thought but what a difference. When I get some more money I'll do the drivers. I have dreat confidence in the wedge now. And no leaks truck started right up kept the rpm's at about 2500 for about a minute for the lifters and no more knocking/ticking. Just listening to the music the injectors play.
And I won't forget when I do the drivers side to put the wedge in curved side down.
Thanks, Jon

 

Great news I'm glad you got it sorted out. The driver's side is a walk in the park compared to the passenger side.

 

i just did the opposite of you... i did the easy side first... no problems at all.... hardest part was the power steering reservoir bracket!!!!! going to do the passenger side as soon as the rain stops here in the northeast.....question...did someone tell you you had to change the lifters???? i didnt and now am wondering.... i;ll do them on the pass side if need be? also did you get the lifters from the dealer?
thanks

 

Hello, To tell you the truth I was just going to do the lifters because of the sound it was making but as I started to do more investigation I found that the cam phaser does the same type of noise so I decided to do both so I can eliminate any possibility. Because if I just did the lifters and put it back together and it still made the same noise I would have been in a hospital with a broken foot for kicking myself where the sun don't shine. So if I where you I would change both just to be on the safe side. The lifters I got from my friends machine shop new. Made by S R I. I believe. Just whip the oil off the area your going to mark a line on so it doesn't come off while your handling it. Like the cam, chain, sproket. And make sure you put the caps for the cam back the same. DONT MIX THEM. Maybe you can use a little blue tape to put on the cam to make your line with a marker and follow that straight onto the phaser and chain. Good luck.

 

Hello, Yea it looks pretty easy now. I don't have to worry about getting to much out of the way. Looks like I have to move the power steering reservoir and some connectors out of the way. But I did put the back bolt back in for the vc. Because my dad insisted and it wasn't really that hard I had alot out of the way to get my fingers back there to thread it in a few turns then just put the 1/2 inch. extension with a swivel lined it up with the fingers and it screwd in.
What's funny is at the end of your posts you put that everybody that owns a 5.4 should have lisle 65600.
Now I just picked up the truck 1st week of April and wanted to do the tune up and found out the hard way the plugs broke. I was trying to use a screw driver to pry it away from the walls with no luck and then tried to make a thead with a threader so I screw a bolt in to pull it out with no results. Then called a friend at a machine shop and told me that they make a tool that gets it out but didn't know how made it. So he said try rutunda and as I was googling I found the upgrade to that tool was made by lisle. So I was going crazy to find it. None of the auto parts in my area had it. Then I called S&K speed in long island and they referred me to a shop they get there tools from and they had it. So had to pull the Mustang out of the garage and stretch her legs a for a 40 min. ride to pick it up. And this all happened about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Anyway thought it was funny that you put that at the end of your post. And share the story of my spark plug change

 

Hello, I was wondering what the rev limiter is on a 2005 navigator with 5.4 engine?

 

The rear vc bolt is just a personal preference of mine. It helps me get the job done faster with less chance of a gasket leak plus the 07 and up trucks have half the vc bolts as the older ones.

 

I hear you, but being the person I am I would keep looking to see if there is an oil drip or something + I have my 4 yr old in the car alot and I don't want to keep wondering if 1 day I have a problem. But any way I was wondering since your an ace in ford what the rev limiter is set at? I was revving it at with the pedal to the floor and it got as far as about 2800 rpm's and it was doing the surge like it was hitting the limiter. Is that normal? It was in park when I was doing it to bring the oil to the lifters after I was done putting it back together. I thought maybe I did something wrong. Can you help again with any info please?
Thanks, Jon

 

Its around 3000 while in park or neutral. I think the top speed is limited to a little over 100.

 

Ok, so I guess that's it. Because in park it was cutting out at about 2800,2900 rpm's. Do you know how I can change it to make it at about 4000 rpm's? Do you recommend that or not? I don't think 4000 to 4500 can hurt the motor. Do you? Please let me know so I can take it to the place that tuned my mustang after I put it together.
Thanks, Jon.

 

Can anyone please help out? I need to take off the the shifter **** on a 2005 navigator because it doesn't unlock when you press the break pedal. So I need to get the shifter off to reach the silenoid that's down there and replace and clean up the coffee that spilled down there that caused this whole problem. The lights don't work in the shifter and the brake pedal when pressed doesn't unlock the shifter so I had to put a screw in the override slot to hold it down so I'm able to get it out of park without jamming it out. Please help out with some knowledge on how to remove the shifter. Please. Thanks.