How to Destroy a Perfectly Fine Ford 5.4L 3v Triton Engine with a Timing Job!

[@steveturner3999]

My 2006 F-150 Lariat Super Crew 5.4 3v has 272,000 miles and has only had two sets of plugs and an intake cleaning. Everything else is original. Switched to 5W30 full synthetic years before I found Brian’s channel and his recommendation. Pulled a fifth wheel travel trailer multiple times a year until my wife died 3 years ago. Absolutely love this truck.

[@ilovemydad1416]

Same here but my 06 has 240k on it. I’m thinking it’s time to freshen her up. Edit: my condolences only read the first half of your comment, side not I switched it up after finding his channel. Can you guess how I found his channel? 😅

[@GixxerRider1991]

Sorry for your loss.

[@markk3652]

Check your truck frame. My 2006 died of frame rot, the 5.4 3v was running strong at 156,000 miles, the frames rot from the inside out. By the time you notice it, it’s already too late to save it. I didn’t want it to break apart on the highway unexpectedly, it had to go.

[@steveturner3999]

@@markk3652 My frame is perfect. I live very far away from the salt and rust belt.

[@RejectReality97]

​@@markk3652There's a video of how strong those truck frames really are even incredibly rusted. Junkyard Digs did a video on it.

[@mattborener835]

This is exactly why I drove the 2.5 hours to get my truck over to you for the bulletproof! Easiest and Best decision I’ve made in auto repair!

[@ronjohnson8816]

Can you share how long the work took and how much it cost? I'm thinking of driving 6hrs to BSG to have this done!

[@mattborener835]

@@ronjohnson8816 it was a 1.5 day process dropped off in the morning went to the hotel for the day it was ready when I checked out the next day. As far as cost I’m not comfortable sharing simply because parts prices may have changed, I also had everything done including roller followers and lash adjusters as well as some other fluids serviced while I was there. Best bet for an accurate price would be to reach out to Brian directly. What I can also share is that he’s super professional and responsive to even the dumbest questions from guys like me. Highly recommend the trip and I think the pricing was fair and also very much in line with having somebody without his experience do the same job.

[@906lane]

I did the same thing and drove over 2,000 miles which I drove none stop 26 hours to see Brian and he did the everything and I mean everything and some more and he was able to get it all completed in 2 in a half days. I would say hands down the best money spent and decision made.

[@HannibalAcrotices]

@@906lanehow much was it?

[@906lane]

@@HannibalAcrotices it was the best $6,500 spent Items replaced at 250,000 on original engine and transmission. The following items are replaced during the service: chains, tensioners, guides, tensioner arms, VCT solenoids, phasers, Melling HV oil pump, gaskets and oil change after. two heater hoses, oil pan removal for clean out, all engine mounts, transmission mounts, coolant hoses, new water pump, new spark plugs, new rocker arm, valve lifter, follower lash adjusters. All work was completed and done within 2 days.

[@garymcmullin2292]

Mr Mak, thank you for what is essentially a refresher on the three valve. What you covered you have previously illustrated well, going back I guess 5 or more years ago when you started your channel on the three valve engine. I studied your many videos on the 3 valve and on other subjects like it was my PhD project. Many people in the comments section are behind the 8 ball, several of them did not listen closely to what you said here, they are asking questions for which you have already given the answers again today. As a rule the recommendation is to use OEM Ford parts. The melling high volume pump is recommended and the new chain tensioner design, valve tensioners and followers are recommended, all from Ford except the oil pump. The cam bearing caps are not interchangable nor replaceable, they are made to fit only that head, I can't believe that question was asked in comments, after the time you took explaining that in this video. Finally you rightly stressed the need to do quality tech work, right down to proper cleaning of sealing surfaces and torque of fasteners. It is not rocket science but apparently it is beyond the scope of capability for some professionals and DIY types. I think you need to open some satellite shops, sounds like there would be plenty of business to keep them busy.

[@CarlosHumbertoFloresEstrada]

So if I swap the camshafts from a Mustang 2005 to a 2008, it will not work ?

[@mikescaffo4850]

This is why I fix my own stuff because a lot of shops just don't care or have the right people to do good work you are someone I would trust to do the job right

[@tinkerscorner54]

Amen. It takes me longer than it used to, and I get sore as all get out and hurt for days afterward, but I still do it at 64 for the same reasons.

[@russell4370]

Same thing I do, even if I don't have the tools,I'll buy them, take my time and get it done properly, to many dealerships pay there mechanics by the job,not the hour, so it's quick, slam, bam, get it done, and the old saying applies, haste makes waste, when doing a job yourself, asking questions if you don't know, this channel is very good, he speaks in detail and knows his mechanics, most other mechanic channels leave out the details , not all,but most, he's all FORD, and FORDS have there problems, and you can't overlook them or you end up with a 2 ton radio .... 🎉 or scrap metal, or a 10k engine or transmission, especially the 09 to 2014 F - 150 that have transmission cooling lines that are defective and they burst if not changed, there goes the transmission, 6k or more for a rebuilt if you can find one..

[@jeffreyking2604]

Thanks to your videos, I just did a timing Job on my 05 f250 with 236,000 miles. It made my truck run great again

[@saltymofo5870]

Make All Fords Great Again!!

[@lrmustangdude]

Been running a Cloyes kit with Melling HV oil pump on my 09 Expedition for probably 60k and no issues. Quiet and smooth. Did the job myself using some of his tips and been fine ever since.

[@matthew1992ya]

Those cloyes chains like to snap in half

[@1Cobranut]

@@matthew1992ya That's odd. I used a Cloyes timing kit on both my Explorer 4.0 SOHC and my Duratec Race car. In both cases the chains in the Cloyes kits were marked with the Morse brand, just like the OEM chains. They also appeared identical to the original chains. Same with the sprockets.

[@AmandaHugenkiss2915]

We put a Cloyes timing set in my son's 2012 Regal GS and thankfully it's been fine. I thought Cloyes was a good brand. We were concerned with going OEM GM since that set gave out at only 105K.

[@jessecorrette6249]

I did a full timing job on my 08 f-250 and pulled the heads new lifters etc and runs like new !!! Thank you soo much for putting these videos out !!!!

[@cripplemanatee]

Just hit 355k on my 04 5.4L. Still runnin strong

[@davidobrian5623]

My 06 hit 376k before finally going out

[@calholli]

You can't ask much more out of it. lol.. Her days are numbered

[@cripplemanatee]

@@calholli facts. Got every penny out of er tho. Will miss it when it finally goes.

[@mikelemoine4267]

​@@calholli I know a Ford tech who works on E350 airport shuttle vans. They recently replaced an engine on one of the vans at 960K. It was all original and still ran fine but they transport seniors from the Villages to the Orlando Airport (roughly 60 miles) and didn't want to risk it letting go and breaking down. Granted it's all highway miles and maintenance was kept up, but it shows that these can last if cared for. They had a bunch of "low mile" vans with only 400K on them and no plans to rebuild anytime soon. He wasn't so fond of the new Transit vans that they started buying, I'm guessing those won't last that long without major repairs. These two guys may still have some time left!

[@rollenschultz2707]

I suspect you guys are changing oil on a regular basis

[@monstersquashracing]

I love your channel man. You do amazing work. Over the years of everything you have shown us has made me decide that with all the crappy cars that are produced and crappy mechanics in the country witch is probably about 99% of them I think its about time to go back to the old cars and trucks from the 70s and 80s. My old carb chevy Silverado gets 17mpg a d has 289k miles on it and ive changed the water pump, plugs and wires and it still runs good and has decent compression. Never costs me any money.

[@WADEDESTROYS]

Can’t beat em

[@jamram9924]

Our shop has performed the timing chain, tensioners, guides and roller followers from Ford (in accordance with Brian’s recommendations on this channel) The only non-Ford part we used was the Melling HO engine oil pump. That 2009 F-150 has over 25,000 miles since this service. The truck had 198,000 miles when this procedure was performed. We saw those Melling cast iron tensioners, but we chose to go with the upgraded Ford tensioners.

[@Traxxis03]

Are you saying your shop did this job? I'm confused...

[@Nick-xs3bg]

You gonna reply to the first question?

[@Traxxis03]

@@Nick-xs3bg so I'm not the only one that wondered?? That's good to hear. 😂

[@JimBronson]

​@@Traxxis03no, he said it was a 2009 F150. The vehicle in the video is a 2014 Expedition.

[@operationbs7610]

I did my own timing job using your videos because I knew this could happen to me. I only use my expy for towing my rv now but your videos saved me. It took me a lot of time and I did make some mistakes along the way but nothing serious just a little time. These engines are so resilient I'm just shocked at all the hate they get. Over 300k miles so far..always start always gets me home

[@privateprivate5928]

They deserve the hate. U confessed to doing a timing job so u r not making sense

[@mikimiki195]

Love the videos 👍🏻 I did timing chain job on my 5.4L 3v I followed your video step by step and buy only ford parts except Melling oil pump Truck is still running no problems

[@lambition]

Exactly why I don't take my vehicles to the shop. Unfortunately, most shops don't really know what they are doing.

[@justingoats9155]

Yeah for something this technical it’s very possible they will mess somthing up like incorrectly torquing phasers, not getting new phaser bolts, wrong timing, not changing vvt solenoids, not cleaning gaskets well etc…

[@RejectReality97]

It's because most shops don't pay crap. I get 15 an hour and I'm doing things as invasive as this to vehicles. I'm just trying to use this as a jumping off point to a better employer. My boss hates how long I take on stuff but I'm not doing stuff wrong just to ruin my reputation.

[@alkalize]

@@RejectReality97 Yep, they'll moan and complain that young people don't want to work, failing to realize that they pay worse than McDonalds, with less benefits and YOU are responsible for buying tools which will set you back a grand.

[@justingoats9155]

@@RejectReality97I’m a mechanic too you will get there. Often times leaving is the best choice, there are a lot of jobs open for mechanics. I’d recommend a dealership or CarMax for better pay. I work at CarMax currently

[@lesliehorwinkle]

@@RejectReality97 Unfortunately, unless you're at a dealership that pays very well, time is money. Even construction work. getting paid by the hour, I was always rushed by bosses to go faster.

[@repro7780]

As much as it hurt, this is why I had the timing job done at Ford on my 2014 Explorer Sport. Some Independent's might say, sure we'll do it, but have done few.

[@KStewart-th4sk]

Any competent mechanic should be able to do this job. Some of that shoddy work says hack even though they agreed to use parts that the customer wanted to use.

[@renj6531]

@@KStewart-th4sk not tightening the crank bolt properly and reusing it ( torque to yield ) is just incompetent and thus their negligence cos the customer t more money because now the crank is compromised.

[@JamesAgans]

I preemptively did a timing job on my 04 at 153k, following Brian's 4 part series. When I took off the front and valve covers, everything was perfect. I put a pint of MARVEL MYSTERY OIL in at every 5 k change. I did the timing job,melling hv oil pump, new followers and lash adjusters. ONLY USE FORD OEM PARTS. My truck now has 170k, runs like a watch.

[@AlanPhillips-g1c]

You do everything right except for the Marvel Mystery Oil LOL

[@JamesAgans]

@@AlanPhillips-g1c well, I'm 77, and I've been using it since I worked in a transmission shop starting at 11 yrs old on the advice of an old timer. Now I'm an old timer, and I still use it in every piece of equipment with an ICE engine I own. I also read a recommendation in American Modeler magazine to use it to winterize my little glow plug engines. My vehicles are a 1994 F150, and a 2004 F150. Both run like swiss watches. So I think I'll keep doing it my way.

[@john0270]

@@AlanPhillips-g1c i would agree, do not add contaminants to your engine oil!

[@mattomite9097]

You have the best Ford vehicle videos. They are super informative and well done. You saved me a lot of money on my 2017 Explorer by just doing some maintenance instead of waiting for failure…especially the transfer case. Thank you sir! You have a PhD in Ford repairs.

[@jonathanandrews1407]

Been watching your videos for years! My Mark LT has over 375,000km with a 93 octane tune and pulls amazingly! All thanks to you melling and ford oem parts!

[@Jimmy-nv7mn]

I followed your videos and did a timing job on my 2010 F-150. I used all OEM parts except the Melling high volume oil pump. It's been almost 15k miles now, I was just starting to be able to sleep at night thinking I must have done okay. After watching this video I'm afraid I'll be waking up with cold sweats again wondering if I torqued everything right and if I got the cam caps back in the right spots and if... Dammit I hate you! Thanks for the great video and all your help. I know you've saved me thousands.

[@josephmorrone2660]

Doting “ I’s “ & crossing T’s That’s what happens at BSG ! Great Job !

[@troyfordguy1345]

I really feel for this customer... I have an 03 2v 4.6L with 292K miles, the timing chain guides started making a hell of a racket during cold starts and would eventually subside when the truck warmed up. But then during warm idle in gear I would lose oil pressure (Timing guide debris was blocking my oil pickup!) This all happened about 3 weeks after I bought the truck so I decided to replace everything. I used the Cloyes timing set, and a Melling HV pump. But I also took the oil pan down, cleaned everything out, parts of the tensioners were in the pickup tube screen blocking it partially, the rest were in the bottom of the oil pan. If you ever have timing guide failure you MUST pull the pan & pickup tube out to get them clean. Added bonus... when I was buying this truck from the previous owner he said that he had new heads put on it due to a head gasket failure... I looked and indeed they were new heads, but not new cams, not new timing components... WHY would someone do that!!?? Well I also found out that timing was off on bank 1 by 4 teeth... yes, 4 teeth! I had been chasing down a rich code and THIS was the reason, unfortunately this was too little too late for my passenger Catalytic Converter. God knows how long the previous owner was driving on this. I've replaced upper and lower intake manifold gaskets, valve cover gaskets and oil pan gaskets along with the timing cover gaskets and a new crank seal. Also all new coils, spark plugs & Injectors. Now that all of this is done I don't think I'll have any issues, I also use 5w-30 Mobil 1 full synthetic instead of 5w-20. This Truck has never run so good and been so quiet! All I hear is the Injectors ticking away, I'm Looking forward to another 200K. I do have plans to build an engine on the side with some work done to it in the meantime though, cores are cheap and I can just start building something to put into it if and when it's not worth fixing the existing engine. Thanks for everything you do Brian, I know I didn't use all Ford parts on this but I follow all of your procedures and of course I RTFM. 😃

[@mikeosterhaus9028]

Brian, just saw this video and as a result we have reviewed this and can state that the timing chain shown is not a Melling chain. The Melling chain has the same smooth finish as the Ford OE chain.

[@jondoes7836]

To save money, I almost purchased a aftermarket timing set for my 3v when I rebuilt the engine. Glad I got the Ford set.

[@paulfiebke3909]

Haven't seen you in a while, keep up the good work. Always love watching and learning something new from you

[@mikechiodetti4482]

That's an ongoing problem for many many years now. Aftermarket parts simply don't have the quality put in them like OEM parts, and consequently that leads to engine destruction. My 06 Nissan Frontier had the two chain tensioners that tighten the small intake cam gears to exhaust cam gears chains wore out and making variable noise as the vehicle accelerated. Fortunately I got into it before the metal to metal contact could lead to specs of metal inside the engine. Anyway, I hope the customer gets the vehicle fixed correctly and it's back in service soon. Good one Brian.

[@gotellhismercy]

4 yrs ago, had a full timing job done per your instructions on my 5.4L 3V 2008 Expedition Limited. (It's a late 01/08 build so part wise it is considered a 2009) I didn't know about upgrading the chain tensioners at that time. I also didn't know about keeping a record of the order of the cam caps but I did the new phasers and VCT components and the Melling Hi Volume oil pump. Few months later, cam caps and cams were chewed up. Had to replace the cams. The cam cap info in today's video is new information for me. I change my oil every 3,000 miles. A few weeks ago, the chain passenger side tensioner failed and it jumped time. It has 235K miles. Before it went down it seems the phasers were locking up (not sure the correct term). Supposedly no other engine damage occurred when it jumped time and there were no metal flakes in oil. I am the 2nd owner and I know how meticulously I have cared for the truck during the 10 years I have owned it but I am at the point of moving on due to the flawed engine design. I already purchased a new vehicle for my wife. I am debating whether or not to fix this 2008 to keep as a work vehicle. The haul space of an Expedition with flat folded seats is amazing. (Previously it was wife daily driver) Would you guys move forward with the 2nd timing job? Or I could sell it for approx $2k and walk away?

[@majickmeg]

How do you know it jumped time?

[@gotellhismercy]

@@majickmeg I looked at the torn down engine in detail with my trusted mechanic who has rebuilt several engines for us. In days prior to this happening, the chain had slack upon start up due to a failed tensioner (bad design, common problem) and the plastic guide broke into peices and small plastic pieces goes under the timing chain causing it to skip 1 or 2 teeth then the plastic debris clogs the oil pick up. Thankfully we turned it off immediately when this happened so no further engine damage occurred. @fordtechmakuloco actually has a detailed video about this exact scenario and shows you in detail of how it happens using a torn down engine that had this same thing happen. This is a very common problem for this particular engine.

[@enterprisar863]

If you keep good care of it, I would bring it or ship it to Brian in Illinois for a timing job or new engine. Even at 10k (if you need a new engine) for the work it’s hard to find the value of the Expedition in today’s vehicles with the cost of sensors and such. I have an 2009 limited and really value the analog aspects of it.

[@gotellhismercy]

​@@enterprisar863 great points, yes prices have gone crazy. I like the analog comment bc I have pondered how newer vehicles will function when so much technology fails bc the more tech it has the more things to go wrong

[@enterprisar863]

@@gotellhismercy I worked for global automotive OEM on the repair side from 2016-2022. And I got a 1st had look at the ADAS systems (I.e all the modern safety systems) in vehicles. Oh you have a simple water pump to replace but to get to the water pump you have to take off an ADAS sensor, well you now have an ADAS repair because that sensors has to be recalibrated when you put it back on. I’m going to keep my 09 to it falls apart. My next vehicle will likely be 2019 something Toyota. After 2020 the ADAS on vehicles just got to crazy

[@TheFiremonkeyman]

I just put a Melling kit on my 2V 6.8, and it came with the iron bodied tensioners. Your videos for the 2V timing job were a HUGE help!

[@85rx7se]

I can not say with certainity but there is a good chance the customer bought the Melling kit of Amazon and maybe it was a Chinese counterfeit parts kit

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Summit Racing

[@jamram9924]

Our shop couldn’t get all the parts at the local Ford dealership. We ended up buying a kit from a Ford dealership through Amazon (all packed up in a large box). The only additional items we ordered through Amazon was the Melling engine oil pump.

[@mph5896]

I had a Toyota Cloyes timing chain tensioner seize up on me 6 months after I did the repair. Could have crashed the engine. Not worth aftermarket for critical components.

[@georgeburns7251]

@@FordTechMakulocoI think I saw another KZbinr where they purchased a machined part from Summit that was supposed to have been made from a US company. The customer returned the part to the manufacturer and they found the part was a phony. Be careful

[@xeutoniumnyborg1192]

​@FordTechMakuloco Not much difference. Bought some Gorilla lug nuts from them to replace the sorry 2 piece ones on my F150, but that's about it.

[@iversonpace2366]

Love your videos. I have repaired three 5.4 3 valve engines where someone had the timing 180 out, One on the left head and 2 on the right head. I was amazed that I was able to repair them. They did not have any valve to piston damage. I did a timing job on a 2010 5.4 where the owner broke the cam, chains and phaser. I was able to repair it with no valve damage. It has 60,000 on the repair. And only spent about $800 in parts. I have done several other timing jobs on almost every ford model. been doing it for 30 years, These engines are not throw away engines they can be repaired. Usually within one day.

[@granada666]

Love your videos. I do the timing job 4 years ago on my 08 Expedition with your videos. I use only Ford Parts to do this. Cost my round about $800 with shipping, tax and Customs duties to Germany. I found a metalplate on my Engine, that says, it was a original Ford Remanufactured Engine from 2012. And this Engine !!! has !!! bearings on the camshafts.

[@ozzstars_cars]

Thanks for the info Brian!

[@niradz]

For heavy duty engine repair, I wouldn't take it anywhere else but your shop.....so sad to see how the mistakes this shop made really cost this guy. Thanks for the integrity with which you work!

[@aaroncollins532]

Very good video on diagnosioning each component. Great detective work. Thank you.

[@randybeard6040]

No one in my Neck of the Woods likes to work on these 5.4 Triton Engines, my neighbor who has been a mechanic for 40 years at local Chevy/Toyota Dealership changed plugs on my truck at 100,000, he soaked the plugs threads down overnight with penetrating oil and eased all the plugs out with manual socket set, didn't break any plugs, he has done several since then the same way--all good results...

[@Slugg-O]

This is a great example of the difference between a technician and a parts changer. I feel bad for the owner. I don't know many people who can afford 10K to fix this mess. Hopefully the other shop will cover it. I doubt it, but maybe they will after receiving some encouragement

[@mikelemoine4267]

Yeah and in the rust belt putting $10K into an older vehicle is not feasible anyway as the body will rot off before a new engine wears out. At least if he takes them to court he'll have a nice video showing all of the faults!

[@willbenner3]

The other shop should pay 100% of the replacement cost. 10k is enough to go to court over.

[@chrisretired5379]

Thank you for this video ! I guess I’m going to set aside my new Melling parts for the 5.4 2 valve, and try to obtain all Ford for timing set. 1998 Exp.

[@bionicman6969]

Was just in the game hunting for a used truck and had great luck with my old 96 F150 5.0, got over 300k hard working and off road miles and she still runs good but the truck has too many issues to keep throwing $ at. Had 10k cash and was really wanting a newer Ford but with that little amount of money was such a gamble with these Triton powertrains, some guys get 400k or more miles and some blow up under a 100k. Said to hell with it and bought a Tundra.

[@ndrancher4041]

Believe it or not, when I did a phaser job on my 04 Navigator, I discovered that from the factory they forgot that clip installed on the chain tensioner! It wore a little on the cover. Must have been installed on a Friday. I bought the Navigator cheap from a GM dealership, they were convinced the engine was bad. I could hear it needed a timing job. Turned out great with the help of your video series.

[@timmymonte9813]

Got 06 expi, almost got the cloyes kit for 147k timing job, but took a warning from your content. Went all oem and used the link you posted for the kit. Couldn't be more happy now

[@flipphonewizard5448]

Where are all the aftermarket suppliers at? Ask a few companies to join in an give this owner a brand new engine with a few more add ons to the Truck. You'll get more viewership but most importantly a good feeling deep down inside.

[@kd7cwg]

I just did a cam/rocker replacement on a dodge 3.6. I marked every cam cap with a sharpie so no mixups can occur. The timing system in the 3.6’s seem pretty solid, but the rockers/fillers are pretty common failure point

[@302hobronco]

Great, this makes me nervous because i just did this job on my truck this past weekend. I used the amazon link from your previous videos to get the parts. I even used the plastic tensioners that you recommended, they look identical to those one from this video.

[@Tysonv1983]

Always so informational thank you. Have an 07 that needs to be. Gonna have to bite the bullet an take it to the dealer I hope that's the best place to. 🤞

[@stevenyoung3360]

Point taken. That being said, I haven't had any problems so far with Cloyes kits but will be mindful going forward. Factory Ford parts are quite a bit more when you put a kit together with various pieces. I wish my local Ford dealers had all of the parts in one box like Cloyes.

[@jrcll7856]

so glad i can work on my own vehicles... with the great info you provide

[@todds5956]

I did phaser lockout outs and ecu programming from Drag Radial Performance on my 2010 with 205k. Best running truck I've ever had since. Super quiet and way more power.

[@mollywapyo]

How did you do the phaser lock out ? Mine runs good just loud as a F250 diesel 😢

[@curtesamoangelos5995]

Watching from Yosemite Kentucky.

[@brianhowe4875]

Watching from Taylorsville Ky

[@bearing_aficionado]

Watching from earth. Third rock from the sun.

[@shitboxoffroad]

Watching from

[@mjrosece]

I have a 2010 Expedition I bought used a few years ago. No issues with it as of now (149k). Wish I was closer to your shop to get some preventative maintenance done. I really don’t have much faith in shops in my area.

[@paulkrutulis9549]

I remember speaking with gentleman. He was dropping his truck off at Brian's while I was picking my Explorer up from there. Darn shame; his Expedition looked really clean.

[@GordonCronk]

Always watch your videos closely, keep up the good work, I'm a fan for sure.

[@joehalliday4989]

Brian we really appreciate you telling us the truth out there it makes a big difference when we make decisions on fixing our cars with your knowledge thank you

[@misterdeedeedee]

i used a cloyes kit on my 4.6 2v a couple years ago. still running great 10s of thousands of miles later, but i guess we'll see how much longer it lasts lol

[@D2O2]

Just aweful! I can hear the disgust in your voice. Thanks for sharing. You are the real Ford Boss!

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

Excellent review of what to do wrong. Thank you for the video.

[@pfsantos007]

Me and a buddy once did valve lash on his dad's Suzuki Sidekick. Forgot the detail about turning the engine to TDC on each cylinder - we just turned to TDC on cylinder #1 and did them all. After a few seconds of symphony of rockers after startup, we clued in to our mistake. Engine lived for many more years. I wish I could say we were in our teens, but it was much later than that. Oh, and filling a garage and neighborhood with smoke after putting too much oil trying to start a rotary.

[@Kenny-iq6zv]

I have a beautiful Truck took care of it 5.4 all the stuff you’re talking about is happening. I wish I could find someone like you to replace some parts.

[@rtcoleman3626]

I got an 05 F-150 with a 5.4 Triton in it I haven't had any major problems with the motor not one I got 320,000 on it I've rebuilt the front end now I need to replace the bed other than that I love the truck

[@TheMulk777]

If you can't find a good shop like Maculoco, then just watch his videos and do it yourself... It will save you thousands

[@alans.7733]

The confusion with Melling is due to them selling different grades. Theres a “service” grade and “professional” grade. I contacted Melling about the difference between the two. According to them the service grade is mostly import parts while the professional line is mostly US made (Ford OE) parts. But they didnt specify which parts were what. I just installed their professional grade with iron tensioners, Ford phasers/solenoids and Ford camshafts a couple months ago. Runs fantastic on an engine with 179k. Ive also used Melling on my 4.6 2v and its got 70k on it that kit. Not a single hiccup. Not all Melling stuff is junk. You need to do your own research though.

[@firstlast---]

So how did you know you got professional grade?

[@alans.7733]

@@firstlast--- theyre listed as such on rockauto

[@firstlast---]

@@alans.7733 is that what the s means at the end of the part number?

[@beatachevy289]

I did the same for my 3.5 Ecoboost. I ordered the professional timing kit from Melling through O’Reilly. It was chains, tensioners, guides, crank sprocket. Every single part had the Ford Motorcraft part number rubbed off with what looked like a dremel. Held up next to the OEM parts, they were exactly the same, just with a literally rubbed off FoMoCo part number. I used OEM phasers, but in the case of my Ecoboost, Melling seems to be supplier of the Motorcraft parts. There were zero casting issues or differences between what I removed from my engine.

[@alans.7733]

@@beatachevy289 that was my hunch. Melling would do good to reach out and clarify all this with Brian. They’d sure sell a lot more kits by doing that.

[@peterjohnston1224]

This is a little off-topic, but kind of applies. My 3.5 EB has 225,000 km (138,000 miles). Started leaking about a year ago. As an AME, I'm used to stuff that goes 'round and 'round - so quickly diagnosed a rear-main oil seal leak. Got 3 estimates from Ford service depts, anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500. Went with a local shop that out-bid the dealers. OK, paid $700 got the leak "fixed". Two weeks later, it starts leaking. Shop blows me off - "ah, just monitor it...". Yeah right. Replacing the valve-cover really helped (heat-cycled gasket had hardened and cracked). Still leaking. Took it to my local Ford service dept and the tech confirmed - rear main seal is leaking. I'm getting he dealer to do the repair. It'll cost me almost $2,000, but it'll get fixed. Which saves me $70,000+ for a new truck. Moral of the story - if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Shoulda gone to the dealer about a year ago.

[@firstlast---]

You probably paid 700 just for them to spray it off

[@lsteck4399]

When doing this work, what would be the best way to keep the cam parts in the right order? Some kind of soft stamping on the parts or just a magic marker!

[@1978buickman]

The Melling service grade kits come with the cast iron tensioners and a Chain that looks identical to a ford OEM chain, Made in USA to boot, the Crank gear also is alot more quality than their cheaper kits!

[@lost0187]

The chain I absolutely see it the ford chain is made with flat links the melling it rounded it would definitely make sense it would ware out guides. Your videos are so informative I will tell you this my 08 expedition is nearing 250k is under boost and I’m has never been opened up for internal work. I will eventually do the lash adjusters and rollers but until I hear or notice a vct issue it’s staying the way it came. I do my own maintenance religiously and I also do all my own calibration work this maybe why I have had such good luck with my truck.

[@lost0187]

I always number my cam caps if they are ever pulled for motors I work on. You can’t mix them up because if I’m not mistaken the cam bores are line honed after a head is built and each cap belongs to it specifically tower.

[@76629online]

I have a 2013 Expedition with high mileage (215K) that had timing chain/rocker arm issues when I got it. I made the common (apparently) mistake of buying a Chinese "kit" to fix it with. Everything was fine for the first 1,000 miles or so, then I started having problems with the Phasers. The driver's side cam kept getting out of phase when it wasn't supposed to. So I replaced that solenoid, didn't fix the problem. The engine is extremely clean. I even dropped the pan when I did the job to make sure it was cleaned out completely. Moving forward, I decided rather than spend more money on parts and taking it all the way back apart again, I did some research and decided to do a VVT delete on it. I'm aware of the pros and cons, it was my decision and I'm sticking with it. My question to you is this - I know I need to have a tune to disable the VVT logic so that it doesn't turn on the check engine light. Planning to have that done very shortly. However, it runs MUCH better now, but once it gets into a situation where the VVT tries to activate, it feels like it's pulling timing way back. And once the light comes on, it seems to remain in that state. Is this a normal "limp mode" when this malfunction occurs? P0014 & P0024. Just curious. Thanks for all the videos you post. Its good stuff.

[@Internutt2023]

How, and why, does Melling make a good oil pump replacement, but such crap for the timing kit parts? I mean that timing gear had to almost be made with an insufficient thickness to be moving around that bad on the crankshaft. Crazy! Also, good info on the camshaft caps, that's something that most wouldn't realize, and they need to be removed and placed on a rack in order of removal to be kept in order.

[@KStewart-th4sk]

@@-BlackBird7 Exactly, why do people watch a video, yet not pay attention? What do they think is holding the components in place especially when he says it's not press fitted! Even if it was i wouldn't want a crankshaft bolt installed and not torqued. I had the clutch replaced on my FWD many years ago which involved removing transmission/drive train. Quite sometime later i heard a noise, thought a wheel bearing was going. Even bought a new bearing planning to replace it on the weekend and discovered they forgot to torque the CV axle in the hub! That's what the noise was. Checked the other side too but i forget now if it was torqued properly. Mistakes can happen--mechanic interrupted, went for lunch, and forgot he hadn't done it?

[@jamesrichardson645]

Interestingly, Melling also make the FORD OEM Timing Phaser.

[@rosshall641]

We would also throw a 4 by 8 sheet of plywood on top of the table lay everything out the way it was disassembled

[@bassmeister192]

Wish you were closer to me.....I just turned 199,000 miles on my 08 KR coming back to Ga. from Maine....no noises truck runs like a dream.....but I looking for a good tech to do it with my parts.....

[@TheHord]

Thanks for all you videos on the 5.4 3v Good to know for anyone that has one or needs maintenance. With that said I have 2012 Ford Escape 3.0 v6 front wheel drive. I have ~175k Would love to have a 5 min. chat with you about it, no major issues, just want to know whether to keep it or upgrade it. I have a spreadsheet of my own repairs/maint. done thanks to your video series on these. Thanks.

[@markchapman2585]

I really hope the guy gets his money back. My 06 Ford escape was knocking i through the engine was gone. It went away a day or two later. But the sound was coming from the drivers side front bank, right, where the powersteering pump is. Such a useful channel. i am not a fan of aftermarket parts.

[@Rjsche1]

Just did total rebuild on this engine. It’s a beast to rebuild but I got it bored 20 over and changed $4000 dollars worth of parts. It can be done but you have to check your parts.

[@mrgz4950]

You are correct as usual! Ive seen the best work and advice on your vids over the years! My Ford makes me loco. But, happy to have a go to place to keep it goin! Now, a video on fuel sending unit 2012 f-250 gasser? 😂

[@johnnycastro9796]

Ive done so many 5.4 timing chain setups and when it comes to those i always told the customers to go with motorcraft. Some that didnt wanna go that route would bring their vehicles back with timing issues especially after replacing the cam phasers and again i would tell them to go with motorcraft and wouldnt c those vehicles again unless it was for an oil change

[@ronaldbrosius7488]

I believe Melling makes a great oil pump. I think alot of the wear might be from bad install, not priming the pump properly 🤔

[@Happyoldfashionfamily]

I guess i did ok on mine thanks to you. Original failed at 90k. I Re built per your older videos. At 145k now. And there is a tick on startup that goes away after about 15-30 seconds. But it has been doing that for well over 10k. So not too worried at the moment. Unless you say i should worry about it😬

[@john0270]

id be willing to bet its a cracked/leaking exhaust manifold!

[@ThePneumanicHunter]

It’s probably worth noting that the Melling high volume pump listed on rock auto has a cautionary note to customers that the pump should not be used on engines that have stock tolerances as it will over pressurize the system and lead to rapid engine wear. Im really enjoying this 5.4 journey, I’ll be dropping and cleaning my pan tonight.

[@gregsidel3557]

Thank you very much for the video you told me a lot

[@brianlykins6663]

I hope the shop makes it right for the guy. I can see a lawsuit in the future. I have an 06 F150 with 5.4. I would love to put a 4.6 or older 5.0. Got any suggestions? Thanks for all that you show us and for doing jobs the way they should be done.

[@kirkdegaust3674]

When I do the timing sets I use only Ford parts but I opt for the mechanical tensioners vs the oil ones I believe it's a 2000 4.6 model tensioner no more blow outs and I swap the oil pump for high volume

[@kennethbaker2624]

Thanks for your amazing insight on the 5.4 3V👍

[@r.weaver3769]

Unfortunately, a great many shops are this bad. Some don't even try to repair these engines, they diagnose in the parking lot, "You need a new engine". Probably because they are incapable of doing it right to begin with. Like a certain popular KZbinr who puts a new engine in every Ford truck he touches no matter how low the mileage is. Claims they cannot be fixed, beoken from the factory, he says.

[@corbin6564]

I have to redo my 2010 mustang 4.6L 3v. I brought the ford performance kit. I should be fine right?

[@jeeinocca]

Thank you and keep up the good and honest work!

[@mikezahnow1605]

I had a 2006 f150 xlt lariat with the 5.4 triton. Had tune up done at 100,000 and broke 2 plugs, couldn't extract them so pulled the heads. New phasers and all new timing stuff at the same time. Very expensive 6400 dollar tune up. Ford reimbursed me 3500 through a class action law suit on the breaking plug issue. Totally not impressed with the 5.4 triton. Traded an 18 year old truck in on a new f150 with the 2.7 twin turbo last week. I am amazed at how close it performs to the 5.4 I had. Best part I can pull 28 mpg on a good day not towing. Time will tell how long it lasts.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

Brian, you'd be a multi-millionaire if you could "clone" yourself and have a number of Ford specialist shops all over the country. Seriously, if you could find guys/gals who would do exactly as you do, the truck community would be much happier.

[@mckeeganator5844]

What timing kit would you recommend? If a tech where to order and get one?

[@mssj4gokou]

Would you ever do more videos of fixing up Ford Focuses? Mines 10 this year and starting to show.

[@chrischiampo7647]

Wow 😮😲😮😩😩😭😩 That Poor Truck They Need You To Repair It Brian Your The Best

[@eliteman7685]

Timing chains are SUCH a problem these days! Used to be you could get USA made TC sets and good quality. These days a lot of these TC sets have chain coming out of India or China and absolute garbage. I had to go through hell finding a good chain for my 351C and luckily the cam company I used, the chain was out of Germany. You could so tell the difference in Quality!!

[@OvaHendrix-j4t]

Ill drive it to u it runs great just upgrade its a great truck would like to restore soon?

[@DaveBigDawg]

I bet the other shop was proud of the work they did to rip off the customer

[@jamram9924]

From where I can see, their bad job was not attributed to poor surface preparation. This failure appears to be based on the owner’s choice of substandard parts.

[@mph5896]

The harmonic balancer torque is the big one on that job. Along with using the plastic tensioners when the customer paid for metal. Surface prep done is no concern

[@westhavenor9513]

@@jamram9924 What about mixing up the camshaft caps and not torqueing the harmonic balancer bolt properly?

[@jamram9924]

@@westhavenor9513 we followed the guidelines on torque specifications and numbered/marked the camshaft caps.

[@mph5896]

@@westhavenor9513 Brian made an assumption the cam caps were mixed up. Not a fact. The aluminum heads where the cam rides are quite often beat up and grooved since ford decided to use the aluminum surface as a bearing

[@williamvaughan1218]

is there a oil restrictor in the block going to the right side head?

[@MontanaDirtRoads]

There are many things you can skimp on but anything that's internal or that requires many parts to be removed to get to are all oem replacement parts,yes there are some aftermarket stuff that's good bit it's usually very pricey and performance based.wanna keep it reliable use oem parts.

[@davidwallace3224]

This is why I shipped my Expedition almost 700 miles to you instead of using anyone else.

[@davidobrian5623]

So the only aftermarket part you recommend is the melling hv360 everything else OEM.

[@Internutt2023]

He does have other video's that go into details on the whole job, and they are fairly concise. Definitely not a job for the average "shadetree mechanic".

[@davidobrian5623]

@@Internutt2023 I’ve watched them but I’ve always been informed that melling and cloyes make the parts for ford, so it’s crazy to see how bad the parts are if they actually do manufacture them for ford, except the oil pump is the only good aftermarket part from them.

[@jamesrichardson645]

I prefer the M340HV for the 3V, because it keeps the same maximum oil pressure, only brings up the minimum oil pressure. The M340HV was specifically designed for the 3V, the 360HV works well too, but it was designed for either the 2 or the 4V variant, I'm not sure.

[@briang1561]

So use the metal chain tensioner?

[@chelseaprebee3817]

It's funny you mentioned the tensioner being hard to push. On our 2010 5.4 that's missing like crazy brand new oem set the bank 1 tensioner wont push in like that and no milage on them the bank 2 is fine but it's missing on bank 1 so wondering if ford will exchange them they have since changed the oem set I bought right after I bought it

[@vincentrose9060]

What is your opinion on whether to use the synthetic blend or a full synthetic like mobile one on the 5.4L 3 valve. Mine is a 2014 with 170,000 miles

[@2cool4spool]

Where you located at brother? I’ve got a 2006 f250 with a 5.4 and a zf6 in it, she needs a timing set bad and I have absolutely no time to fool with it. My home garage can’t accommodate the length of my truck and still have room to work. I’d love to have you take care of it and have peace of mind knowing it was done right. TIA

[@dadgarage7966]

The previous shop owes this customer a new Ford engine.

[@TheEnthusiastMechanic]

When a shop doesn't know what they are doing they should just say so and let the job go to a place that knows how to do it to avoid this situation.

[@edschrank]

Fighting with a local shop now that destroyed my engine . Reused the crank bolt and used what looks like in jb weld to secure. Broke loose in 1 week. Total engine failure. Ford found the bolt loose on teardown. Marks on shaft are exactly as you described with a loose balancer. Shop is trying to blame the failure on a bad part (timing gear failure) not their reuse of the bolt. Arghh.