Friends nephews 2009 F-250 Super Duty with 5.4, 4WD.
200,000 + miles, am told it use to be a Google survey (mapping/street view) truck so I'm assuming easy miles.

Cranks, seems to want to start, rumor has it the engine will start if pedal held to floor, makes no power, I'm not turning the key again till I know what's going on.

No existing codes but it may not have "ran" long enough to set any since the battery was unplugged.

The story:

Dave (owner, not mechanically inclined) said the truck started making a whistling sound and started running like poo.
Took the truck to Jim (Pro Wrench) who replaces a short tube someplace around the upper or lower intake. $500 (I tried finding this tube at fordparts, various reasons I gave up)

Jim said he backed it out of his garage and it ran just fine but after idling for ~ 1/2 hour the truck would stall when put in gear.
Then Jim bails because he isn't into heavy work.

Dave gets truck home (towed), somehow replaces the timing solenoid/spool valves (without completely removing the valve cover. ? Yeah, me too).
He shows me the old spool valve strainer and it/ one has a round hole in it. I don't know if that happened during removal or what.

Dave starts truck, idles fine. Puts it in gear (auto), stalls, won't start unless 'floored'.

I tried starting this once, the engines behavior was very reminiscent of an old time carbed cam in block pushrod V8 with a timing chain that had jumped a tooth. I've been Ford for a long time.

Now it's my turn on this thing.

I'm not shy of doing work but really don't like doing unneeded work. Except sometimes I do unneeded work to make the needed work easier or better. I'm one of those guys.

Since this is not a 'fun free' engine I don't want to turn it over unless I have to.

I'm aware of the phaser and the noise it makes, and I imagine some of the noise I heard when trying to start it was a phaser void of oil banging back and forth.

Like I stated before when I tried starting the engine it sounded like a V8 with a chain that had jumped a tooth.

I believe there may be a filter being used that lacks the anti drain back valve.

I haven't yet checked the fuel pressure.

This is about all I have time for now,

Is there anything I can check to verify this may or may not be a broken timing chain guide?

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The first thing I'd do is set the time and check for #1 TDC, then pull the valve covers to check the valves are in the appropriate positions.
While the guides may well be bad, if the timing and valves all line up properly, they won't keep the engine from starting.
I had a 3v 5.4 that I worked on, but I don't know what a spool valve is, or a timing solenoid. Are you referring to the Variable Cam Timing (VCT) control solenoid?
Finally, the variable cam phaser is spring loaded. In operation, oil pressure overcomes the spring tension in order to change the timing of the cam. They won't bang without oil, especially when starting. Something else is banging. Perhaps pistons and valves are making contact...

 

Thanks for the reply.

Step one is now to indicate #1 @ TDC and see if the timing marks (double colored link) aligns with cam gear marks.

Assuming the factory chains have the links of a different color.

And I guess I now get to research "degreeing" a 5.4 cam.

Might be easier to pull the front cover and check marks.

Yes.
Part of my problem with having worked on (too?) many different things is every type of thing and maker has their own name for the same type of thing.

And then there is the cloudy brain after too much late PM early AM research.

So the phasers don't make an appreciable noise when empty of oil while starting the engine/ turning the engine over with the starter.

Thanks, I didn't know.

Pistons banging valves is what I'm afraid of.

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