Did you do both cams or just one? If one then its possible to be 180 off on one cam. If you did both at the same time then just as long as the dark links lined up with the marks then you are in time.

k i have a 2007 250 5.4 3v, i had to pull head to remove plug ground sleeve did tensioners timed as best i could usin paint markers, n it ran pretty good, month n half later its givin me codes 22 n 20 i think left n right timing n so ford told me do my phasers n so i pulled my valve covers n the passenger n driver side phazers look to be at diff degrees can send pictures to any one who might have an idea wat the phazers should be sittin at, right now the pass one is like 5-10 degrees before where the driver side is sittin

Your signature speaks the truth; Lisle tool 65600 saved my butt!

It prob could have saved 2000LLR350'S butt too. 2000 you need to pull both valve covers and the timing cover and re-time it. Guessing with paint markers is not the way to do it. Look back a few pages where I explained how to time a 5.4. The 3v is the same except there are 2 timing marks on each phaser. You either have a R and a line or a R and a L. The R and line phaser is the old style and should be replaced. You line up the 2 links with the R on the passenger side and L on the driver's side. When you get it timed take a pic and post it here and we can tell you if you are right.

hey 70of100 k when i said the paint marks i had the L and Rs marked i had a red line up the letter then a white line a 1/4 inch of of the red on each side and re-read my thread i am talkin about a 2007 3v 5.4l f250 w the timin phazers marked w an L n R on opposite side of the phazer, im hopin the position is just a matter of how everyone is sayin that the one side would be positioned at 12 o clock n the other at 1 kinda thing. Got new phazers in truck had a whole lot more torque

But it still seems to want to do the chuggle periodically, especially in in 4x4 n playin in the snow drifts

but lookin at the old phazer on the table my old paint marks from when i pulled the heads looked to be pretty damn close to each other aswell as the single llink on the chains looked to be pretty damn close to each other aswell

when i put the engine back together i turned it over by hand it took like 400 revolutions n at first it the chains both landed one tooth before the timing dots on the phazers then few more turns n they were a tooth after the dot then another like 20 turns n they both hit the timing dots bang on

Um yeah I tried to read your post a couple of times. Guess I don't know how to read proper English. If yo had all the marks lined up when you put it back together then the cams are in time and are not the cause of the p0022 and p0020. Sounds like it needs more diagnostics than posting on forums can provide.

Hey all... I just want to make sure I did my timing correctly, can someone point out anything I did wrong. I'm working on a 1998 5.4L

I'm taking just the drivers side head off (to fix a blown plug) so of course I have to take both timing chains off.

My steps:
1) Put the crank in TDC
2) For each timing chain, I marked both of the chain links beside the cam mark
3) For each timing chain, I marked the chain link directly inline with the crank gear mark


As long as I put the timing chain in the exact same position according to the mark on the crank and cam gears... all is good... correct?!?


It sounds simple... I just don't want to be an idiot and overlook something easy.

As long as you do not move the crank you should be okay. You will need to use a cam holding device/tool before removing the cam chain so the valves do not hit the pistons. I have used vise grips on DOHC mororcycle engines with success. These are interference engines.

Ford cam tool


Pic won't paste. If you need the pic send me a PM and I'll email it.

Sent PM... I went to napa, advance, auto zone, pep boys and they didn't have the tool so I didn't use a cam holding tool... the cams didn't move a ton when i took off the timing chains though.

I'm glad it worked out for you. Ford says you must use the tool but apparently that is not always true. Good for you.

well im not sure if it worked out for me yet... hopefully i didn't screw this up. But I marked the crank gear to the timing chain, timing chain to the cam gear, cam gear to the cam shaft. logic tells me that if i don't move it and align it back to the marks then it should be like i never took everything apart??

I think you are correct in your assumption. Under the circumstances I would have done the same.

I should be getting my head back from Ford today if all goes well... I will take some pics so you all can see if I have got it all correct.

In all of the various work I have done on modulars of every type, I have NEVER-not even once-had the need to use any of Ford's "cam holding tools".
Those tools are designed for use by dealer techs as a shortcut for warranty work to save labor time.
JL

I have seen the crank and/or cams move due to valve spring pressire alone. On motorcycles I have used vice-grips often to prevent such movement. Ford seems to believe that the spring pressure on 1 cam will cause the engine to rotate and as the engine is an interference design the valves will get bent should that happens. I suppose that if they didn't have that warning DIYers and techs might just rotate the engine with the cams immobilized and bend a few valves and then try to get Ford to warrantee it.