Recently purchased a 2004 f150 lariat with bad phasers and broken guide chains. Tore the engine apart and needed retiming. All roller followers are out on both sides, cams and crankshaft are all in time.
I didn't have a tool to reinstall all the roller followers so I went ahead and installed the front cover, harmonic balancer etc. In doing so I obviously moved the crankshaft (roller followers still removed)
My Question/thought: Can I install my roller followers on both sides at this point? After turning the crank, and cams? Everything is still in time, I just need to know I'm not messing anything up if I put the followers back in when the crank sprocket timing mark isn't at the 6oclock position anymore?

I hope I explained my question well enough, any thoughts will be appreciated! Id really hate having to remove the front cover again

 

You can install the followers just as long as the cam lobes are up and the piston isnt at TDC. No need to pull the timing cover again.

 

Okay just the clarify, TDC is when the timing mark on the crankshaft sprocket is at the 6 o'clock position and the key is about the 11 o'clock position? So I just need to make sure when I am turning the cam lobes up to put the followers back in I'm not at TDC? Is that right?

 

Yeah that's for #1 cylinder. Then turn the crank 90 degrees and do the next cyl in the firing order. Rinse and repeat 6 more times. This ensures each cylinder you are installing the followers on has all 3 valves closed and the piston below TDC. Have fun with the install tool I hate that thing with a passion. The firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8

 

Can't I theoretically remove the cam shaft caps and take the camshaft out and just place the roller followers back on each side? And then place the camshafts back in? At the same time making sure I don't lose timing? Or do i need to keep the cam shafts in and install the followers in a specific sequence like you said? This is the last thing I need to do before putting it all back together and being done and I want to make sure I do it right before that.
thank you for all your help thus far! Really appreciate it

 

Sure you can but you have to have the wedge tool to hold the chain in place on the crank gear because you have to take the phaser off the cam to remove the cam. Without the wedge in place as soon as you remove the phaser the tensioner will extend and the chain can fall off the crank then it will be out of time.

 

If your careful enough and have the chain wedge you can. If it's timed already MARK everything very good before removing. Loosen / tighten the cam caps very slowly to loosen or pull everything down together. The followers may want to slide around so watch them. If you remove the phaser replace the bolt. IF you take #1 cap off clean the oil passage.

 

Thank you guys! Helps out a lot, I ended up breaking the otc tool that compresses the valve springs so I'm sending it back and just going to remove the cams, ordered 2 new phaser bolts so hopefully I will be done with this nightmare this week.
Thank you all again!
Will update on how it all turns out!

 

That OTC tool is a POS I have always installed the followers without the cam in place then use the cam cap bolts to draw everything down. Its not the right way according to the book but it works. Good luck

 

If you read the ford manual there is a sequence in removing and installing cam bolts . Its basically a little at a time from the center out .
If you remove cams hand oil everthing going back . I highly recommend cleaning out lash wells and replacing lashs . They are a heavy wear item . All old parts must go back exactly where and how they come out especially cam caps.Lash's must be hand primed and soaked .
To do the timing properly you must have the crank gear mark at 6 oclock and each cam facing the correct way . of course you have the two links lined up on the phasors . The single link will be at 6 oclock crank gear dot ,chains must be kept tight on your right side , the non tensioner side .
I also recommend using the old style metal ratcheting tensioner with no seal to blow out .

 

Priming the melling 360HV oil pump. Is there another way to prime it without remote back plate. If I do need to remove the back plate what would be the the torque requirements for reinstalling the back plate? Thanks!

 

I didn't do any of that . I prefilled oil filter. You can floor accelerator to keep it from firing and crank it 6 or 7 times . Thats the procedure for clearing a flood and should help prime it . And yes clean that cam groove if cam out and hand oil everything ,you will get oil on exhaust manifold as its messy but it will smoke off .
I'm not an expert but no way would I try to set this up without that timing cover off Its only for an expert to try it . I'm old and set in my ways -I would rather do the extra work and be sure . I believe 70f is an expert so I defer to him .
I learned enough to not fool with that valve tool some guys have dropped a valve with it .

 

Sorry, posted to the wrong thread.

 

Sorry, Wrong thread again