I have read lots about p0345 and p0349 codes after replacing timing chain and phasers but I haven't seen anything answering my specific issue. A couple weeks ago, I heard some noise from the engine that I am confident was timing chain noise. My 2008 f150 just hit 143k on the original 5.4. I decided it was time to replace the the timing parts. The truck still ran great before i tore in to it. I first replaced just the timing chains, oil pump, tensioners and guides. Did not do phasers. I watched fordmakulocos YouTube videos which were very helpful. After I got it all back together, I tried to fire it up, and it had trouble cranking over. Once it gained enough momentum to fire up, it ran very rough at idle. I could rev it up to 2000+ rpm and it would smooth out. I also received P0340, P0344, P0345, and P0349 codes. I replaced the cam position sensors and wire connectors, and no change. I decided to open it back up this morning and install new phasers. Got that all done, tried to start it, and same thing. Slow/hard to crank over almost like something is holding it back, fires up, runs rough at idol. The only difference now is the 0340 and 0344 codes are gone, but I still have the 0345 and 0349 codes. I'm stumped. I'm starting to lean towards the chain being off a tooth...does anyone have any input on this? If I need to move a tooth, how do I know which way to turn, and how far? I had all the chain and sprocket Mark's lined up correctly, or so I thought, but I'm seeing a few other posts where people have been off a tooth. Please help. This is the 2nd weekend in a row messing with this thing,and I need to get it back on the road.

 

Did you take any pictures at timing point ? This lets you verify things later and you can show it to others for review . It needs to see crank dot /keyway position showing one link over that dot at six oclock . a picture of phaser showing two links straddling l on drivers side and the other showing the r straddled on pass side . The next thing is the crank reluctor ring picture the fingers should be pointing towards radiator it is stamped front . its good to include the cams lobes on cyl one and five .We have helped some who misinterpreted those things .
We have had guys put the two links on crank dot . Of course we have had guys put reluctor wheel on backwards some run poorly others don't run .
You can buy the crank alignment tool fairly cheap ,I really like the phasor holding tool most of all .
Did you replace vcts ,they control the oil flow to the whole timing cam hydraulic moving system .New ones are better . Do you have a lot of sludge ? Sometimes you have to remove VCT housing and clean them . Do you have power standing on vcts waiting for grd signal coming from pcm . Of course clean all connectors with contact cleaner .
As far as checking timing you need to set it up again on timing point then pull chains and reinstall . Don't get messed up with Rand L . R is passenger side ,L is drivers side ..You just can't go moving a tooth here and there . Look at these phasers , if they are after market they are junk .At rest those phasers when three tines are up then the middle finger will be directly in line with the L on both sides ,just crank it around before you take chains off and look for that .As well as a bent back tine .Try to have buddy look at it with you and you try to explain it sometimes you will see your mistake then .Of course you want somebody that will be looking for a mistake .
How is your oil pressure ,dash gauge is junk reads midscale for anything over 7 psi . But if timing right ,vcts are not in play at idle they kick in after 800 rpm or so, then it should run okay at idle if its a vcts problem . .Most of us clean this engine out real good and drop oil pan and get plastic out of it and oil pu jams with fibers . A lot of us will change the oil pump to the new melling high volume 340hv or 360hv .Low oil pressure is going to mess up valve lashs and rollers . The orig oil pump is not good .

 

Here is the procedure for the 5.4 timing set. Go over it and make sure you did it how they say to.

 

Something I haven't seen anyone else mention. Did you replace phasers with OEM parts? We have seen plenty of cases where aftermarket are junk out of the box. (But it seems unlikely you would have accidentally corrected a 'tooth off' problem on one side when you replaced Phasers). Was that job done with the 'wedge' tool - or by opening up front cover again.

Regrettably, there is NO WAY to definitively verify timing chain timing without removing front cover and Crank reluctor ring.

If you have to do that - Keep in mind: Once engine rotates one revolution - marks will NOT all align again for 61 engine revolutions -AND- then it is on the opposite stroke (exhaust / intake). They all align perfectly only once every 122 revs of crank. Otherwise, you have to remove chains and start over.

Also keep in mind: The 'ABSOLUTE' meaning of P0345 and P0349 is "when the PCM looks for the proper phaser finger to pass the CPS for ignition timing purposes" ----- IT DOESN'T SEE IT. The CPS signal is not an interupt signal to the PCM. The PCM 'polls' the sensor at the appropriate time window. P0345-0349 can occur because: Off a tooth', a bent phaser finger, or phaser locking pin not capturing phaser at base position and it is in retard position during cranking (ie: the 5th finger NOT pointing at the "L" mark). [The last two conditions can be checked by observation with VC's off.], or electrical issues - which seems to be the ONLY thing the DTC descriptions seems to address.

 

Thanks everyone for the help. I did use OEM ford phasers. I will be pulling the front cover off again and starting from scratch this weekend. All your help and suggestions is making me lean towards incorrect chain placement by yours truly! Everything ran great before I tore it down. Just a little noise once in a while. I have replaced everything with new on while I was in there. I am fairly confident I somehow screwed up placement. I will let everyone know how it pans out.....hoping to be back on the road soon.

 

Make sure you do the manual two turns of the crank by hand if it clunks or hits something its wrong . The starter will bend everything .



Cams lobes should look like this ford drawing . No 1 is front pass side ,no5 is front drivers side . Don't let the l and r confuse you convert everything to pass -drivers side .Me I pull cams and then put them back at timing point so with cams out you can put crank where you want it . Cams out =no valve pushed down -- no breaky .

 

 

Checking in to let everyone know the truck is done and back on the road. I did the whole timing job over from scratch, step by step, and she fired right up happy with no codes. Thanks everyone for your help! Couldn't have done it without this group!

 

Could you see if the chain was off a link or not before you started?

 

Sweet!

 

No, I wasn't able to see since the marks don't line up every rotation. I can only assume it was off. I didn't do anything else different besides check, double check, and triple check that everything was set right.

 

At least it's working now!

 

We're delighted. This job doesn't leave any room for 'slacking'. Hope you see lots of good performing miles ahead.

 

That's why for a job like this 'guides' are invaluable.

 

Self checking is key . Walk away between checks come back later with drawings /documentation. Try to make it fail inspection . Best if you get another set of eyes to explain your timing . It takes 10 times the amount of knowledge to explain it than to do it . Hopefully you have a friend who is a pessimist to question it , Last take pictures of everything . That timing cover is a B---- to get off again . Hurrying will only make you fail .
I always make procedure notes as I go and check it off . But I was nuclear trained and nit picked as we worked on the reactor safety train . But working on electrical substation circuits lends itself to written procedures and now most companies require your procedures to be reviewed and approved .Of course all nuclear work has been written and approved as it should be . Needless to say I'm a die hard pessimist .