Hey you guys have any thoughts or seen this before? I sold this 2011 expedition (288k miles original engine) to a coworker in April. It was basically for what I would have gotten trade in so really cheap. It’s smoked on start up for 2 years. Never had a tap or rattle other than the tensioners which I replaced in April 2023. It started smoking right after I didn’t tensioners. I figured valve stem seals. I just checked oil level and it didn’t smoke while running. No codes. Had a slight, soft misfire at idle when I sold it to him this year only when it rained. Assumed water in boots as cowl seal wasn’t great. I was 100% up front with all known issues. Told him I didn’t know which seal. Hes driven it 2000 miles since then with the smoke and the slight cylinder 4 misfire. Again. No codes. He pulled the valve cover today and this is what he saw. I am at a loss. This is like glitch in matrix. Could the valve be bent and stuck up? It has no blow bly at idle (oil cap check method). He’s gonna put a new keeper set, set, spring, and follow let, and see what happens. This is a $1500 car. I suggested, given the lobe condition, he reinstall all that but not the follower if the valve is bent. But looks straight. How is this possible? Potentially 2000 miles or more of driving like this. Maybe 2 years. Also, you can see the plug on cylinder 4 is still in. He has no air on that cylinder. The right answer is new cam and new followers and lifters. Possibly pull head and check. But if he just resecures that intake valve and doesn’t put the follower on then what? Keep doing what it’s doing? I know cam lobe is chewed up. If the valve is straight, and he puts a new follower on, will that cam lobe tear up the new roller follower? I still can’t believe this happened like this. He’s not mad. We’re both in shock. Where I’m at is reinstall the keeper/spring/seal etc and leave follower off. This is his back up car. Thoughts?

 

Get a cam from a wrecking yard , reinstall a new spring , retainer and keepers , and follower .