Ford Triton 3V 5.4l Knocking Noise
Failed Cam Phaser
My 2012 Expedition motor seized late last year. Something broke in the timing chain set . . . never bothered just knew the motor was interfeared. Ordered a new motor online. Swapped the engine in myself with the help of my neighbor and Son. Lots of work, but easily doable on the 2012 Expedition.
But . .. the engine had a knock that developed as soon as the oil started to warm up??? Weird.
The engine manufacture said it would likely go away . . . It didn't.
After 500mi it didn't still, so I started to try to figure out how to diagnose it.
I knew it was either the back cylinder or the 2nd to back cylinder.
It was also knocking at 1/2 engine speed at idle. aka 250 knocks per minute. I just used a stopwatch and counted out an interval of about 5 seconds, so I knew that was on the valve train, not on the crank. Camshafts turn at 1/2 engine RPM.
Still didn't know which cylinder it exactly was OR what the cause was.
I knew I had to see the valve train with the engine running and try to determine which cylinder had issues.
So I improvised . .. I went to a junk yard(its been about 20yrs) and found a valve cover from an early 3v triton. Not exactly the same bolt layout, but that wasn't entirely important.
And I got out my demo saw . . .
I choppped of the part of the cover that would expose the camshaft and the valves.
Dont remove the part above the timing chain it will sling oil EVERYWHERE!!!
I could only really see the upper half of the valve train.
If you need to see more of the valve train then make a deeper cut, closer to the lower side of the valve cover. It actually doesn't need very much valve cover on the bottom to keep the oil in.
Make sure you keep all of the wire harnesses and goodies OUT of the valve train. I used zipties to keep them out of the way.
Then I started it up.
Yep that's it running. Thats the knocking noise it was making. Slo Mo is cool also.
So nothing looks out of the ordinary, and is sounds like the knocking is coming from the intake valves based on the video . . . you can't see the exhaust valve cam follower in the picture.
So while it was running . . . Disclaimer . . . . Don't do this unless you realize you can destroy your motor. Disclaimer . . .
I used a mechanics stethascope and listened on the cam journals and the upper part of the head(because thats all that was exposed).
I then was able to figure out it was the very back cylinder, and really loud on the head under the intake manifold.
Then I turned the engine off and started to try to see if any of the cam followers or lash adjusters were strange to the touch. I could not tell a difference between any of them by feel.
Bigger Disclaimer . . .
I started the motor again.
Next, I used a 1/2 wooden dowel and gently pressed on the the last exhaust lash adjuster while the engine was running. Ahh the sound changed!!! I then tried it on a couple of the other exhaust valve lash adjusters for a sanity check. No sound change on the correctly working ones.
Ok need to double check my work . . . I ordered a lash adjuster from O'rileys.
A new lash adjuster doesn't budge under hand pressure or me leaning on it.
Next step, order a valve compression tool from Amazon. This one worked for me . . .
Bullitt Autosport Valve Spring Compressor Tool for Ford 4.6 5.4 and 6.8 3V Engines
by Bullitt Autosport Link: http://a.co/d/5k11VsE
I used the spring compressor to remove the cam follower and removed the lash adjuster with a magnet. I also may have loosened some of the cam bearing caps just a millimeter or so.
I prelubed the lash adjuster and slipped it in. Put the cam follower back in and fired it up.
NO more knocking.
Cue the Willie Nelson song - On the Road Again.
Todd
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