I have 04 f150. 5.4 3v, I had a bad tensioner so I pulled the covers all off, I removed the cams to check for wear. I reassembled everything how it came apart as far as timing marks with all new parts. when I cranked it over, it sounded out of time so I pulled it back apart. crank key at 12 both l's are up rotate the crank both r's up. my question is, is there something special I need to do cause i removed the cams, or just rotate the 1 cam 180 til the marks are right? I'm not sure if 1 cam rolled or what I did to have the marks off

 

You have a cam 180 out. Read my posts in this thread to time it properly. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...g-a-5-4-a.html

 

I was 90% sure just didn't know if there was a way to tell which one. I rotated passenger side 180, put t together an fired it up. runs smooth. just gotta finish the rest of assembly

 

I hafta ask this and I may be just stupid about it. but I've read both stories that these motors are interference an non interference. my question, how is a variable cam timing engine possibly a interference engine?? I think if I remember correct I read the cams can adjust up to like 60 degrees, so if it were an interference engine how would that work?

 

@cbigger87

The cams will actually retard more than 60 degrees. Just watch the output from PID # 16CD (RCAM). (displayed in Requested Cam retard - "in crankshaft degrees" in this JPG screenshot http://www.devoll.com/remote_images/...screenshot.jpg.) And I've seen it as as much as 82.4º on my vehicle.


I believe you are forgetting the Crankshaft turns two revolutions to each the camshaft's 360º rotation. That is how you may have had a camshaft 180º out of phase. You can line up crank timing marks on the block TWICE for each ONCE on the phasers.

So specifically to answer your question - retarding valve timing 90º (Crankshaft degrees, that is) would be only 45º on the camshaft. That's one fourth the way before the top of the lobe is reached on opening of valves (not closing) - Were talking "retard", not "advance" so the piston is already 1/2 way DOWN on its "intake stroke" before the intake valve "begins" opening. Or 1/2 way UP before the exhaust valve "starts opening" and continues opening on an "exhaust stroke" and is still on the closing heal of the exhaust valve lobe as the piston passes TDC - thus breathing back in some of the exhaust stroke exhaust gases for EGR effect.)


But screw up the timing of all this and the 5.4 IS an interference engine.

 

I know the crank rotates twice. just can't figure out how it is interference. what you said makes sense to me. my cam was 180 out, cranked the truck over and did no damage. I spun that cam completely around by hand and did no damage, so it just has me puzzled I guess. maybe I just got lucky in my stupid moment and did no damage

 

Statistically thought provoking - Let's see.

In one full 360 degree rotation of a V8 crankshaft, with a 60ºV block, and 4 crankshaft journals spaced at 90º intervals, you would have one piston comming TDC somewhere, perfectly evenly spaced across both banks every 30 degrees - or 60 degrees on either given bank.


I have to "guestimate" how many crankshaft degrees BTC to after TDC the piston would be within "valve lift" distance of TDC, but I'm going to guess -15º to +15º or a total of 30º. That would leave 30 degrees of "static" crankshaft positions (º's) out of each 60 degrees in rotation (or a 50/50 chance) that you could rotate either given camshaft one full revolution without exhaust or intake valve interference - so long as the Crankshaft didn't move.


So, I'd say you had a 50/50 chance that no valve touched a piston when you rotated your camshaft one full revolution by hand to correct it's 180º out of phase problem.


As far as attempting to (or cranking) the thing - if a camshaft was perfectly 180 degrees out of phase, wouldn't the valves be mechanically in phase with the pistons - just on an exhaust stroke when it should be on an intake stroke???? Still turning the right direction, I don't think it would reverse the direction of exhausts & intake air flow. Perhaps it would run on the four cylinders of the other bank??? But with crank journals at 90 degree intervals, and firing order and all that involved - I'm not sure enough of that to suggest anybody try it.


But it was fun thinking through. Result: I believe you got lucky.

 

point taken. makes sense now. I got lucky on that phase. rattling at start up again and phaser knock after 100 miles. time to start shopping for a new truck