Hello All:

I recently did the lower intake manifold gasket replacement on this engine. It went 150k before I started seeing the signs and got a milky oil cap. No more missing coolant now. That went smooth, and she is running better than ever.

However, when you're in deep then you see other things. I have a probable front main seal leak or a timing cover gasket leak. Definitely an oil leak coming from that zone. Ford supposedly did the 99B29 recall on this truck...which of course did not cover the lower intake manifold gasket. I've heard they botched a bunch of the jobs on the 99B29 even though they did them, but what's done is done. So I'm going in regardless of any fault... and have a few questions as I have confidence in most of the job but not everything:

1. In pulling the front cover/timing cover do you really need to pull out the whole camshaft synchronizer? Can't you just pull the front cover with it still in there?
2. If you do have to pull it, is there a cheap place to get the camshaft synch alignment tool?T89P-12200-A? I can only get it for about $20, and it looks like plastic or something cheap. I mean I can get the whole unit which includes the alignment tool for about $40.
3. Do I really have to drop the oil pan or can I just loosen the front bolts of the pan like I've read, to seal the new front cover gasket properly?


Thanks

MtnMan

 

Answering some of my own questions...

Looks like the answer to question 1 is yes, you need to remove the camshaft synch:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/v6...70k-miles.html
Looks like there is an option to use a different tool for alignment:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/v6...onization.html

Just need to figure out what these supposed "proper" procedures are for the Front Cover Gasket replacement that Ford couldn't initially figure out.