Well guys,
I bought a 2007 FX4 Supercrew with the 5.4L. I bought the truck and thought I got a good price on it. I bought it not really realizing all of the issues with that year of truck and the motor. After driving it for about 6 months it threw a cam sensor code. I had a tried to get into it myself but could not find the time due to being in school full-time, 3 kids, full time job, yada yada... So, I took it to the local dealer to have them take care of it. The call me saying the cam sensor pigtail is broken, it was 2 quarts low on oil, and that it needs a new motor for about $9300.00! I was in total shock. I called a local guy who did the transmission in my old truck (I still got it, btw) and we talked about it. He did say that he agreed with the whole new motor thing because the cams and cam caps are scored so that in that sense he agreed. It was more cost effective to replace it with a reman long block from Ford than rebuild what I have. He gave me a much lower price on the labor with the same warranty that Ford offers. How many others have had to do this? The service writer at Ford told me she had another 2007 in the shop with the exact same problems getting a new motor too. Why the 2007-08's? What makes them so bad vs the other years? I think it is a same that we get stuck with a bad line of engines while Ford makes money off of selling us new ones? Pisses me off...

 

The 2007 and 2008s are the best years for the year runs on these. But there all high maintenance trucks which require being done more often then recommended. Mainly the oil changes and spark plugs.
I bought my 08 a few months ago and it had a new motor installed by the dealer about 1.5 years ago. plus other new parts and thats why i bought it.

 

Proper maintenance and just a tinsy bit of luck ... they'll go a long ways. I've personally seen one where the motor was pulled for low oil and a bad bottom end .... at 417,xxx miles out of an '06.
I had a '07 come in that was missing, ran codes, random and multiple misses. Owner commuted a lot, wanted to patch it up to trade ... I asked when plugs were changed .... he said never as he was afraid to. 269,xxx miles. I sent him to a local shop that specializes in Ford trucks, found out later they replaced 2 or 3 coils, 8 plugs, oil, filter, brake pads and two rotors .... and he was so happy he came back to tell me about it ... and not trading.

 

I will say, the 5.4L 3V engine gets some pretty nasty pubilicity. But on the flipside, I still find it mind blowing that oil intervals are neglected, and let run low. This is porbably the sole reason this happened. Also certain aftermarket oil filters cause this as well.

 

Did the local dealer remove the valve covers and cam caps to visually inspect the lobes and journals?

 

Yes, they did take off a cam cap and sent me this picture.

 

Poor maintenance is never good for anyone. but these newer engines need to have timely oil changes.

 

Depending on the side; the passenger side oil path come up through the head at the rear, through the cam length for it's lube and to the Cam sensor in the front at the end of the path to gate oil pressure to the VCT cam gear.
In that path, is a course filter screen in the head.
If you have scoring on both cams, they ran out of oil at some point and dirt was pumped through to do that kind of damage.
A full evaluation needs to be done for oil pressure at the oil pressure sensor port and wear otherwise in order to make an informed decision.
You have to suspect the dealer will not stand behind their work on an already damaged engine, to hardly any degree. They likely will tell you this if you want the engine fixed up enough to run.
Basically the last owner did not take care of the engine lube/filter change intervals.
Seem everybody wants to take the easy way out otherwise at higher expense.
Of course the diagnostic time has to be paid for but is cheaper than a new engine.
Good luck..

 

That cam cap was from the driver side. That is where the dealer stopped with their evaluation.

I went with the local guy who is getting the Long Block from the same dealership the truck was at (he agreed with the whole long block due to the damage). He is selling it to me cheaper then the dealer would and installing it for A LOT less. He put the transmission in my ole '97 a couple of years ago (and it is still working like champ). I get the same warranty as the dealership, but keeping about $3,000 in my pocket.