Hello everyone! It's be a while since I posted here. Anyway, about a year ago I bought a '2007 F150 XLT, standard cab, stepside 4x4 with the 5.4l engine. I love this truck! It looks good from every angle, has a nice ride for a truck, and all the power I need. Still, I've read a few things about the 5.4l engine that I'd like clarified. What are cam phazers, and what's the problem this engine has with them? I have also read about a ticking problem coming from the engine. At 90,000 miles, my truck hasn't given me signs of any problems, but I'd like to know what to expect from it and what the early signs of these kinds of problems are. Thanks.

 

BTW, here's a pic. Ain't it purdy? lol

 

Ford 3 Valve Camshaft & Components from COMP Cams.com

 

Love the Flareside! (but I'm biased)

If spark plugs have never been changed ..... it's about time to get em done. Ford originally said 100,000 but later revised that to 50 or 60,000 miles due to headaches getting OEM plugs out. If you decide to do them yourself .... do some research on them.

The 3v-5.4 is happiest using the correct weight oil, 5W20 or 5W30 and a MC filter. Your's is an '07 so likely you won't have any issues with injectors .... there was a rash of faulty ones earlier. Seen many accounts of them going 200- 300K miles .... one even at 417,xxx before bottom end let go. The cam phazers vary cam timing .... read this as it helps to explain.VCT Solenoid

Had a guy come by work with a miss at 269,xxx miles, he had it since new and still on oem plugs .... was going to trade it for new but wanted to fix miss so I sent him to a shop that specializes in Ford PUs and a year later .... he's still happy with it.

Lastly, nothing to do with 5.4s .... but these trucks have a Fuel Pump Driver Module or FPDM located on backside of a round frame cross member above the spare on driver's side ..... it is originally bolted flat to frame and is aluminum and many have had the backs just disentigrate .... something to read up on and check. Space it out from frame.

 

Thank you. The video explained it well, and they don't look too difficult to replace. You Rock!

 

So....I finally got a chance to talk with the service department at the dealership where I bought the truck. The first thing he said is that it costs somewhere between 3-5 thousand dollars to have them replace the cam phasers in these 5.4 liters. Needless to say, I was shocked! He explained that the best preventative measure I can take is to make sure I use the oil Ford recommends for the truck and to stay away from some aftermarket oil filters, like Phram. What he said is that the oil passages that lubricate the cam phasers can get clogged if I don't use the right oil, which causes the seals to break, which causes the cam phasers to run dry. He said it's also very important to religiously change the oil no later than every 5000 miles. He's seen people who stick with genuine Motorcraft filters and properly change the oil with the recommended viscosity get 200k trouble free miles out of the 5.4L. He's also seen people use Phram filters, cheap oil that isn't what is recommended, and neglect changing the oil when recommended. Those are the ones most likely to have issues with the cam phasers. Because my truck was originally sold and maintained at this dealership, he knew the truck's history and reassured me that the previous owner always had his oil changed there with what and when Ford recommends. So, I am hoping to be one of the ones that never has the cam phaser problem, but I guess time will tell.