Fortunately I dont think thats the issue. I dont have any oil leaking at any seals But I did check like he showed in the video and i couldnt get a budge out of the dampener. Now idont know for sure but I'm hopeful that thats not the issue. I will need to pick up an oil pressure test kit after work tomorrow and check that. I will keep an update going.

 

I believe that would be your best course of action. The general area for oil pressure on a 3v 5.4 is 20-25 at a very hot idle. The new spec from Ford is 15 PSI, but I personally do not trust that spec. The spec previous to that was 25 PSI minimum. My 2007 5.4 3v with 157,000 miles (all original engine) idles in gear at 25 PSI or higher after a long drive. Take the truck for at least a 20 mile drive or so and see what the oil pressure dips to when it begins to make the noise. if it dips below 20, that could be the issue.

 

It may be bad to hope this is the issue but I would much rather this be the issue than having to rebuild or replace the whole motor. I have 158,000 miles on it but all my trucks have made it close to or over 300,000 on the original motor. And I have always been a ford kind of guy. I will post tomorrow after I get off work what the oil pressure looks like. Thank y'all for all the help

 

One thing extra I want to mention also is if your oil pressure ends up being low, before doing new timing components, I would measure the crank end play, with a gauge, like Makuloco did to ascertain the engine can be fixed and is not suffering from main/thrust bearing failure, because if it reads out of spec on the end-play, no point in wasting your time and hard earned money on a FUBAR'd engine doing timing components, because the same problems will still exist after the work. Good luck!

 

So there's good news to this thread. My oil pressure at hot idle after driving for 45 minutes and taking five minutes to hook the gauge up was between 22 and 23 psi. I bought a cheap one but it only fluctuated a little. As in the needle was a tad bouncy. I did not find a tool to check the dampner though. I live in a small town. I'll have to go to a bigger city sometime this week after work. But I did try prying it again and there seems to the naked eye to not be any play. I dont know what else to check next. Without having a code thrown I'm completely stumped.

 

How long have you owned the truck? If you bought it used and it didn't have maintenance records, the PO may have neglected to do oil changes at recommended intervals. Sometimes the debris can get caught in the oil passages in the head and restrict oil flow, which will cause the same symptoms.

What brand of oil filter do you run? The orange can Fram filters are bad news and a lot of times are already coming apart when they are new in the box and allow all kinds of unfiltered oil to escape through separations in the filtering media.

 

I use Bosch oil filters. I read a lot of good things about them. I have had it just over a year now and I can recall the firstchange being a fram filter. Because of the unique color lol so would the nextthing to do be dropping the oil pan and checking the screen?

 

That would not be bad idea. I don't think oil sludge would be what's blocking the sump since it read 22-23 PSI on gauge, but however, you could have a timing guide coming apart which will contaminate the oil with plastic chunks and can get lodged in the sump and of course, if you found plastic pieces in the sump; it's time for a timing kit.

A clogged sump though seems unlikely, unless the pieces are only occasionally blocking the sump and then dislodging when the engine is turned off, which would cause pressure to go from normal down low and then back up again. But, with the gauge reading 22-23 PSI, that is sufficient for a 3v. I have a friend that owned an '04 F-150 that had a low (40k) mile reman engine in it and it would get down around 21 PSI idling in gear on a hot day and he never had VCT issues.

Your issues may just be with the passages of the head being restricted, though there is no way to say for certain. If the sump is clean, the only other option I can think of is an engine flush. While I dislike most engine flush solutions, I do like Marvel Mystery Oil, but unfortunately, an engine flush may not be a resolution.

 

Well I think that checking your exhaust and cat mounts is a good idea.
Also I do an engine flush every other time and I run 1 quart mmo all the time .If you are concerned the flush will break too much stuff loose then use a diesel oil such as rotella and maybe mmo to slow clean it .If oil goes black redo until it stays fairly clean.
Yes on checking your oil pan for plastic . Those plastic parts get ground up in timing chain and turn into fibers that block pu screen creating bubbles and lower oil flow .I had to remove pu and work at getting those fibers out . It is easy to remove and reinstall, oil pan gasket is reusable ,just seal metal joints on block with rtv .

 

I definitely feel like I could have an exhaust issue but I only know how to check the mounts. I dont knoe how to determine if the cats or o2 sensors are bad. I know that the o2 sensor is supposed to throw a code but I have had 5 go bad in the past and only one threw a code. Not on this truck but in other vehicles I have had. They are easy to get to so if anyone could help with checking these I would be greatly appreciated.

As for the oil pan, I can get to that this weekend. The weather wont be too cold and though I havent done one before, I know I have to follow a certain bolt pattern. I will look that up before starting and I'll see about getting a new gasket. I know it may be reusable but I have honestly never trusted an old gasket. Especially being ten years old 😂

 

You will cuss at the front 4 bolts as they are difficult to reach . I had to buy very small ratcheting wrenches from harbor freight . 4x4 are harder to get to oil pan but there are guys on here that have some good ideas to help with that .The first times I pulled pan I reused gasket but on the timing job I used new ,same with valve covers.
Cats are a mind game, no code says replace cats . I haven't fought that battle yet . If you keep it running good and don't push it on misfires it has less chance to ruin cats .