Truck broke

[5.4MarkVIII]

Never failed every time we go away something happens.
Got a call from the shop and our delivery truck started running funny and throwing a check engine light.
Got ahold of the mechanic today. And his said after converting with some other Ford techs he is pretty sure it's a stretched timing belt.

2010 F150. 4.5 with 250000 plus Km's

In 2013 it had the cam phasers and tensioners done but they didn't replace the chain at the time.


I'm still waiting on a call back with a full quote but anyone have the done before? I know it's a ton of labour so just wondering what the ball part should be.

[Armen]

Man, I'm sorry to say that isn't going to be inexpensive.

I've been watching Oil Pump Gear replacement threads on this Mustang forum I'm on out of the US and guys are getting quoted about $1500 give or take for that job. So I'm gonna guess you'll be at least that with a new timing chain plus labour.

[94stang87]

Might be better off getting a low km engine to swap in

[5.4MarkVIII]

Never failed every time we go away something happens.
Got a call from the shop and our delivery truck started running funny and throwing a check engine light.
Got ahold of the mechanic today. And his said after converting with some other Ford techs he is pretty sure it's a stretched timing belt.

2010 F150. 5.4 with 250000 plus Km's

In 2013 it had the cam phasers and tensioners done but they didn't replace the chain at the time.


I'm still waiting on a call back with a full quote but anyone have the done before? I know it's a ton of labour so just wondering what the ball part should be.


Just noticed I put 4.5 not 5.4.


Might not be a bad idea to look for a low km engine. Just not as easy to deal with from halfway around the world.


Lucky the local rent a car had a cube van so thenguys can still get work done.

[92redragtop]

Sorry about the troubles, tough from afar - just have a puff and as Bob said "Don't worry about a thing, 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright"

[RedSN]

great. now I have that song stuck in my head.

[ZR]

Sorry to hear it's being a PITA.
Regardless of mileage, suspect it's got either a tensioner and or guide problem again.

[Ponyryd]

I've done phasers and tensioners on a truck before and I didn't think it was that bad, 5-6 hours IIRC.

[5.4MarkVIII]

Did some digging. Parts are gonna be close to 2 grand plus. Labour.
Mechanic said 300 plus 4 hours labour just to know exactly what's going on. Then the labour to install the parts. I checked with the Ford dealer and they said that was accurate.

I can source a used motor with 115000km. But that's 4500. Plus the labour to put it in. Not sure the truck is worth that much.

[Ponyryd]

$300 PLUS 4hrs?are they putting a part in to try?

[5.4MarkVIII]

These guys have always been straight and level with us and piriodicaly when a repair is needed I call around to confirm labour times with other shops

He said if it's the timeing chain it's 10 hours labour plus parts and he won't know what else it requires till he pulls it apart.

If we go with a motor replacement it's 14 hours labour.

[ZR]

If your confident the engine is otherwise sound, repair makes more sense vs taking a chance on an unknown used engine. Rebuilt engine, only if your confident it's been properly rebuilt vs the patch repaired n painted ones all too commonly sold as rebuilt.

[ZR]

If it's not nicked a valve, best to have him estimate with all chains / tensioners / guides and phasers replaced otherwise your more likely vs not to end up back in there in short order. While the 5.4 has been well known to be problematic, I've got a couple of guys running them for big miles with no issues. Each have disregarded Fords oil grade and service intervals n run a heavier grade of full synthetic n religiously change the oil and filter every 5k.

[5.4MarkVIII]

I'm probably gonna fix it myself when we get back. Save on the labour and since I have some 5.4 experience with the one I built for the mark.

But I've never dealt with phasers before. How do you know if they are good or bad?
The phasers and the tensioners were just replaced in 2013. But that was probably almost 100000km ago.

[5.4MarkVIII]

Well I got home last night and had a look at the truck this am.

When I talked to my mechanic he said it was okay once it warmed up but was throwing codes when it was started cold. He thought mabey the timing chain was stretched.

This morning when I started it it was fine no check engine light bit noisy in the valve train. Took it for a drive and it runs fine although not what it used To be power wise.
It does smoke when you get on it.

Motor has almost 270 000 kms. On it.

Give it a once over. The oil pan is rusted fairly bad but not leaking yet. Looks like the rear main seal is leaking. As well as other various gaskets and seals.

Not a surprise with the kms.

So checked the oil and it was low. About a quart down. (Just changed about a month ago) seemed really light weight. Almost like water. No foam just really thin oil.

So I when to crappy tire. Got some heavier weight oil a can of Lucas and a new filter. Changed the oil and it seems to run fine. No more vailvetrain noise. No engine light. Ect ect.

So I'm thinking when they did the oil change they used the wrong oil? Or due to it being low it was low on oil pressure and not fully charging the tensioners?

Gonna see what happens this week when it gets some work with the trailer.

[ttpinto]

Well I got home last night and had a look at the truck this am.

When I talked to my mechanic he said it was okay once it warmed up but was throwing codes when it was started cold. He thought mabey the timing chain was stretched.

This morning when I started it it was fine no check engine light bit noisy in the valve train. Took it for a drive and it runs fine although not what it used To be power wise.
It does smoke when you get on it.

Motor has almost 270 000 kms. On it.

Give it a once over. The oil pan is rusted fairly bad but not leaking yet. Looks like the rear main seal is leaking. As well as other various gaskets and seals.

Not a surprise with the kms.

So checked the oil and it was low. About a quart down. (Just changed about a month ago) seemed really light weight. Almost like water. No foam just really thin oil.

So I when to crappy tire. Got some heavier weight oil a can of Lucas and a new filter. Changed the oil and it seems to run fine. No more vailvetrain noise. No engine light. Ect ect.

So I'm thinking when they did the oil change they used the wrong oil? Or due to it being low it was low on oil pressure and not fully charging the tensioners?

Gonna see what happens this week when it gets some work with the trailer.

I don't think you want thicker oil. Use the recommended because of the tensioners. That's what I've read anyway.

[RedSN]

Sounds like the engine is almost toast anyway, how is thicker oil going to harm it? Besides, sounds like it's running better on the 'normal' weight oil.
....but don't want to start another oil thread :stickpoke:

[5.4MarkVIII]

Just talked to the Ford dealer and that said that's what they recoment when they get up in kms. Go to a thinker oil and let them warm up cuz the tensioners bleed off the pressure when they aren't running so need to pressure back up when it's started. If nothing else with get us threw for a bit untill we can figure something else out

[ttpinto]

Just talked to the Ford dealer and that said that's what they recoment when they get up in kms. Go to a thinker oil and let them warm up cuz the tensioners bleed off the pressure when they aren't running so need to pressure back up when it's started. If nothing else with get us threw for a bit untill we can figure something else out

Good to know. I've read using a thicker oil during a cold start makes it take longer to get to the tensioners, otherwise no other issues.

I just bought a f150 with a 5.4 and have been doing a lot of reading on issues with these motors. Lots of conflicting info out there.

[5.4MarkVIII]

I went with a 5w 40 oil so the cold temp is the same as factory, operating temp is thicker.

[ZR]

Ones that have little to no tensioner, chain n guide etc issues run 10w30 full syn from day one.

[RedSN]

From my limited knowledge about oil and engine designs (take it for what it's worth):
Multi-grade oils

VI [viscosity index] Improvers are polymer material that expands as the oil warms up. This does NOT thicken the oil as is often stated. It merely slows down the rate at which oil thins out as the temperature rises. The base oil in use in a multi-grade (aka multi-seasonal) is the first number (such as 10W or 20W), where as the second grade is the viscosity achieved using the VI Improver (such as 40 or 50). 20W50 is a base oil of SAE 20W and the viscosity grade at running temperature is SAE 50.
http://www.kewengineering.co.uk/Auto_oils/images/graph_3_viscosity_multigrade.jpg
If/when that polymer deteriorates you're left with the base oil VI. In other words: if you use a 5W, or heaven forbid a 0W oil, you will end up with a 5W performance at operating temperature.

If you are skeptical: run a 5W20 in you vehicle until it's time to change it. When you change it, change it hot. You will see how 'viscous' it is.

[hsousa88]

Ones that have little to no tensioner, chain n guide etc issues run 10w30 full syn from day one.

I'm most likely making the change from 5w20 to 10w30 on the truck, just makes sense especially come summer and towing ect...

[ZR]

I posted these pics some time back of a customers '02 Chev Trailblazer with a straight 6 auto. It's been used as a commercial truck since day one regularly dragging around a couple thousand pounds of tools n equipment in the back. From the get go, runs 10w30 full synthetic and changes the oil religiously every 5000 kms.
Valve cover was only off to replace the gasket n tame a leak, it's had zero nada not so much as one internal engine issue despite the fact it's rolled over 600,000 km's.
Proper service intervals and correct oil can keep whats even thought to be a mediocre engine purring for a very long time.