ok, i know many of you know the tail, truck runs good, not perfect but good, then starts to shack & sudder, goose the throttle, it runs better but then starts to shake again,
and as fast as it appeared, the problem goes away.

so, this is my issue , i just bought the truck(no , you dont say, you mean someone sold a 2007 f150 with driveability problems, ? YUP) so it ran about 40 miles pretty well although shaking at around 60 mph buy itfelt more like an aggressive tire tread so didnt think much of it, so i get it home and next time i drive it, it runs fine at first , just long enough for me to be out of my comfort zone for breakdown coverage, well i limped it home, stalling at each low speed turn, and shaking all over the place.i got it home and checked for codes, i have misfire codes, cam sensor codes, cam phaser codes, pretty much all those so i di some research and pulled the drivers side valve cover, checked the vct solenoid and it was brand new, ford part, oh boy this is going to suck for sure, obviously the previous owner changed the solenoid thinking this would solve the problem but nope, sorry charley. i checked the chain and it is not loose, what i did find was that the hall effect ring on the front of the cam phaser was bent and one of the ears/tabs/arms was interfearing with a stud that comes out of the front of the phaser(not sure what it is) so , i bent the ring back to clear the stud and put it back together. it ran fair, but not good and not confident in driving it. but in running diagnostics, found a dead cylinder #8. i i checked the plugs( drivers side, fortunetely they came out easy, they all looked ok, i moved the coil packs around and stil had a dead cylinder #8. i ordered new plugs and coils. today i cleared the dtc's and replaced the plugs/coils on the drivers side(only because it was easy) the truck ran very decent at this point, i took it out for a ride, got onthe highway and it was good, although a distinct shudder at 1500RPM but clears up around 1900RPMs. then i got off the highway, and got gas, while pulling into the station, it started acting up again, i checked for dtc's, nothing there, i got gas( $60 bucks, OUCH) and went to the store, i came out and ran the truck another mile and parked it for 30 minutes, stasrted it up and it ran like crap, code p0340 and p0344 pending, none stored, ran the truck home it ran ok on the higheway but when i slowed down it is stumbling all over the place. i got the truck home ,backed it up the driveway stumbling and stalling. code p0340 stored, p0340 & p0344 pending.

so, my question do you think the bent cam position ring be an issue? could it have damaged the cam phaser? i think there is a code for the cam phasers, right?

any help is much appreciated









cam phaser with interfering arm

 

oh, 1 more thing, the truck is a rebuilt salvage. i don;t know what was hit but it was enough to total the truck. i suspect the cam position ring got bent in the accident.

 

Yes, the 'bent cam position ring' IS an issue - and worse, probably suggests a bigger issue.

The BENT finger on the phaser increases the clearance for the hall effect CPS sensor ( The BLACK gizzmo below / beyond the Phaser in your photo). That would 'certainly' result in P0340 and/or P0344 - and send you off on a wild goose chase looking for electrical problems in the CPS circuit. Especially based on the poorly worded description of those two DTCs.

However, I have some different concerns. How did it get bent? I doubt it would have been the wreck. Can't imagine someone replaced a bent valve cover, SMASHED CPS sensor or something without noticing it. It is NOT uncommon on these engines, when chains begin to wear / and stretch, to bust plastic chain guides. A piece can get caught on the chain and slung up around the phaser area. Sometimes, pieces poke a hole in the VC, or like in this case damage the phaser.

When pieces of broken chain guides get into the oil pan, they sink (they don't float) and end up right below the Oil pump pickup screen. When engine warms up and oil thins after a few miles, the oil pump sucks the crap up clogging the pickup screen - degrading oil pressure by cavitation (whipping up air bubbles in the oil galleys). Then you get rough idle and all kinds of on again / off again symptoms.

I magnified your photo and inspected it closely and I notice 'SOMETHING' on the VCT Solenoid TorqueX bolt. WHAT IS THAT? Could that be a small piece of black plastic from a desintegrated chain guide.

You said chain seems tight. But you CAN'T count on that. The chains can be SHOT, and at certain engine positions, valve springs will put torque on cams causing chain to 'rise' up on teeth removing slack. Need to slowly rotate the engine while checking if front cover is not removed.

Just some thoughts.

 

thank yhou for the info, i will replace the phasers and change/inspect the oil for debry as well ad check the chain further.
any tricks to geting the passenger side valv coveroff without tearing everything of the motor?

 

I've heard it can be done. But I think the guy's name was Houdini. He must have removed the drivers side fender, motor mounts, and moved engine over a couple of inches. LOL

 

I pulled the ECM and dipstick on Transmission then it came out Ok still tight but doable.

 

Thanks for the pointer. It's a common question.

 

Take battery tray out. loosen nut on ac dryer ,put a strap on ac line to gently tension it outboard on pass side. Just enough to get passenger valve cover off. Opening ac system is not desirable .
You must drop that oil pan and clean oil pu out . That crank and chain grind some of that plastic up in fibers and it clogs oil pu resulting in more oil flow problems . While you are in there put a new melling hv oil pump in ,change tensioners to steel ratcheting type which melling also sells .