I own a 2005 FX4. It currently has 250k on it. I have owned it since 120k. At around 135k, it developed an intermittent phaser knock. I did not address it immediately, as it was very intermittent. During that time I changed the oil roughly every 5k. I also used several cycles of Kreen.

Fast forward to 250k. The noise is no longer intermittent. It is predictable, easily replicated, and I have started to experience stalling at idle. Time to fix it...

Prior to disassembly, I pulled codes. I found P0011, P0022, P0171, P0305, P0307, P0345, P0349. None of these surprised me with the pending phaser repair. I foolishly, did not pull any other data or perform any additional diagnostics.

On disassembly, I found; 1 failed phaser, 1 failed tensioner, 1 failed lash adjuster, 1 failed follower, and 1 cracked (but not broken) chain guide, all on bank 1. Bank 1 also had 1 wiped cam lobe (same lobe as failed lash adjuster/follower). I also found chafed wiring to the #5 COP and bank 2 cam position sensor. Again, nothing really surprising....

I replaced; bank 1 cam (Ford), all 24 lash adjusters and followers (Ford), both phasers (updated style, Ford), both tensioners (plastic, Ford) both chains (Cloyes), both guides (Cloyes), both tensioner arms (Cloyes), Oil pump/pickup (HV, Ford), and both VCT solenoids (updated style, Standard). VCT housings were removed and cleaned, as was the oil pan. I replaced the COP pigtail (soldered), but did not have another one on hand for the CMP.

After reassembling, the truck started right up, idled smooth and quiet. Went to back out of the garage, and it stalled when I let off the throttle. Truck sat and idled for an hour while the garage was cleaned up. Drove to the gas station 10 miles up the road, and the truck again stalled when returning to idle. I attributed this to needing to relearn idle after having the PCM disconnected. Pulled throttle position data, and see that the PCM is commanding roughly 5% throttle opening to maintain an idle of around 550. Removed and cleaned the TB, forced an idle relearn, new commanded position is 1.75-2% for an idle of around 590.

Fast forward 200 (mostly highway) miles the stalling as it returns to idle has stopped, but I have had several instances of loss of power after extended hot idle (WOT, truck backfires, and won't move), and I am getting a "phaser knock" again. Pulled codes again and get - P0011, P0022, P0171, P0305, P0307, P0345, P0349, plus P0316, and P0175.

To address the P0305/307, I removed all coils (except #4), cleaned the plug wells with brake cleaner and compressed air. I moved coils 5&7 to 1&2. Mode 6 data indicates the misfire did *not* move with them. Obviously something else is going on...

P0011, plus P0022, P0171 and P0175 lead me to believe that I messed up base timing... however, when I look at the cam position data stream, both bank 1 and 2 are +/- less than 1.5 degrees unless the "phaser knock" is occurring. During the knock, bank 2 fluctuates between +30 and +60.

With the engine cold, I provided a ground to actuate the VCT solenoids, both solenoids actuate, and when actuated move the cam roughly 60 degrees (per cam position PID). However, when I did this, I discovered that once the bank 2 solenoid had been actuated, the bank 2 cam would *not* return to 0 until the engine was shut off. I had to drive 150 miles to get my kids yesterday, so I unplugged both solenoids to prevent VCT operation. Much to my surprise, when I would slow down to an idle, there is that phaser knock, and the bank 2 cam flopping between +30 and 60 again...

Today, I thought maybe the aftermarket solenoid is allowing oil to bleed past it, so I swapped the solenoids left to right, and provided a ground. Once again, the right side phaser behaved as expected; when grounded, the cam moves. Remove the ground, and it locks back into base timing. No change to the left bank; once the left solenoid has been actuated, the cam does not lock back to base timing until the engine has been shut down AND given time to cool.

To be fair, I have not checked actual oil pressure. I do not suspect an oil pressure issue though, as I obviously have enough pressure to unlock and actuate the phasers.

At this point, I am suspecting;
A) plugged oil passage(s) in left cam.
B) something (?) wrong with left VCT housing.
C) Ford phaser that was bad out of the box.

I don't think the oil passages in the cam are a legitimate concern, they are pretty substantial. I don't know of any moving parts in the VCT housing that can fail, the gasket was replaced, and screen seemed to be clean. And an OE phaser bad out of the box?! I must be missing something...


TLDR; What can cause a phaser to unlock and move with the solenoid unplugged? It is not the solenoid.

 

Left / Right,----- Which way you facin'. It's completely over the heads of all us Boneheads around here here. Bank 1 - is that Wells Fargo? I think you got a 'BUM' phaser out of the box. If you swapped VCT solenoids and still have OBDII indication bank 2 phaser is 'unlocking' and dragging into 'retard' state - there is something wrong with the Phaser.

 

I would like to believe that anyone who has more than a rudimentary understanding of drivability and diagnostics knows left/right, driver/passenger, and bank 2/bank 1...

 

Torqued does, he was just foolin.

I agree. Bad phaser. Especially because of the phaser knock.

 

F150t was just foolin . But we do have a lot of trouble with that set of terms . For the avg Joe its easy to use the mechanics view point of left and right instead of drivers/view point . Same with bank one and bank 2 with different manuf . Just trying to make it clearer for everybody . For gods sake surgeons remove the wrong side of people all the time .
So don't take it personal .
I agree your phaser must be bad out of the box . Or you have high resistance on the cam and the spring won't bring it back and lock . I would check the oil flow on that side . The hv melling is the best thing you can do when its open ,I used the m360 before the hv came out .I thought I gave a long answer to this post it must have got lost . Computer problems /power outages --dang its hot .
We also have had a lot of trouble with cly 1 and 5 location it can get confusing online . Then there are the posts that guys have changed their whole transmission for misfire problems we hate to see guys fall into a trap like that .
F150T is our most valued diagnostic tech ,we all jest a little to alleviate serious talk , some guys like to kill the messenger .
Let us know about your oil flow and cam resistance on drivers side .That spring helps it return but we have seen cams wrung into pieces due to extreme high resistance in cam train and we have seen no oil flow on one side or the other . There is a common groove in the front journal that gets jammed with junk .Some guys do end up pulling vct bodies apart and cleaning them ,there have been some gasket issues on them .I haven't been in those .
I do a engine flush every other oil change and I do mmoil 1 quart all the time .

 

I don't think you want to but you could swap phasers from the top using the wedge jam method to see if the problem moves sides . You can make your own wedges since you would need two. Just kicking the can down the road .
Congrats on getting to 250k without serous problems .

 

Freak007,

I went through everything your going through. In talking to several engine rebuild shops, I came to believe that high mileage engines present some problems towards rebuilding the VCT system (alone) even with all brand new FORD parts. This system is uses oil pressure (and indirectly -volume), which is "expected" to have certain "characteristics". Those characteristics "change" with age in ways the controls can neither monitor nor predict. It should be very telling that while the VCT system is primarily controlled via oil pressure, these engines have no system by which to monitor "true oil pressure" beyond the on/off oil pressure switch - which has no pressure transducing capability.

I spent a lot time and money rebuilding my whole system including upgrading my oil pump as well as changing my crank bearings. Like many others, it started and sounded fantastic... then after warming up, I ended up with a system that was "better" but never right. Many engine builders in my area have experienced similar challenges and have stopped offering 5.4 3v rebuilds due to less than stellar success rates.

 

Would have to agree with Jav after so many miles and wear there are too many oil problems . At one point it calls for a reman and upgraded parts with the hv oil pump under a factory environment. Especially if its throwing thrust washers . I would rather spend 6k on a reman than 60k on a new truck but I have a rust free truck not everyone does .
This phaser is surely bad its not locking, its free wheeling with the VCTs unplugged ,no oil going into it to make it act up . Unless something stopping it getting to base .Of course I don't have the operation of it in my head as I would like to . That makes me uncomfortable as I'm a detail person .
Its problems ;like this that increase our knowledge .