Please bear with me. This is the first time I've posted here and I'm mechically clueless.

I have a 2004 F150 with the 5.4 engine. It threw a rod and I had the motor rebuilt. It hasn't run right since I got it back approximately 8 months ago. It runs ragged and rattles horribly at around 45 mph and 1250 rpm. I've had it back to the shop that repaired it numerous times and the mechanic there couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. The last time it was in there, he had it a week and gave up. Yesterday I took it to another mechanic who, in a matter of minutes told me it was the cam phasers. He told me to get a second opionion so, while it was at the dealership today for a recall, I asked the mechanic there who confirmed it as cam phasers. My question is, should the cam phasers have been replaced during the rebuild? Or, when I confront the mechanic that did the rebuild with it, is he going to tell me that it wasn't his responsibility to replace those when he rebuilt the motor? The mechanic I took it to yesterday told me that a high estimate to fix my issue was $2000.

Any help would be appreciated!!

 

If you would like to become more familiar with cam phasers, check out this in the Articles and How To section:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/ar...placement.html

Also, if you will click on the Search button and click on Advanced Search, enter Cam phasers", you should get lots of hits to read.

 

They are not necessarily considered part of an overhaul others have had this problem. They should be if the shop doing the overhaul was at all familiar with the 3v modular they would have insisted the be replaced. Ford improved the cam phasers alledgedly in 07 or so. You would have wanted them upgraded replaced as part of an overhaul bear in mind that would have added about a grand to the price of the oridginal overhaul but then wyou wouldnt be facing a 2 thousand or so dollar bill to have them fixed now. If I had a truck that had a early 3v 5.4 I'd search high and low for a used replacement out of an 08-10 that has the upgraded phasers and the fixed one piece spark plug..

 

Hello? What? I have a feeling something is already wrong. These engines are not prone to chunk a rod. Why did the engine throw a rod? Anybody explain it to you? Oil pump failure? Just what did this guy rebuild? Most often an aluminum block that chunks a rod can only be fixed by sleeving it- not a good thing. Normally, the engine is replaced and the old one trashed. What I'm getting at the rod chunking and a rebuild just doesn't sound right.

You didn't say how many miles on the original engine or truck at the time the engine cratered. That info would be helpful. What did you ask for from the guy that fixed it? Did you just ask that he fix it, rebuild the engine, get it running again- what did you ask him to do? If you asked him to fix it, the phasers would not be part of a fix. If you asked him to rebuild the engine, the heads should have come apart as well. That doesn't mean that he would have necessarily replaced the phasers but he could have checked them for function. Another thing that makes phasers fail is low oil pressure to the heads/phaser. That could be in the gaskets, sealant that found it's way into the wrong location, failure to keep the work area inside the engine clean of dirt/debris, etc. Did he replace the timing chains and tensioners? I have a sinking feeling that you've not only been had but you still have a band-aided engine. But I've been wrong once today already.

 

Labnerd,
You're one sharp dude and I really respect your input...... BUT, an ALUMINUM block in an '04 5.4L 3V engine??? Maybe I missed something here. It's LATE and I am a little foggy, but I've never heard of an aluminum block in that engine. I have one and it sure doesn't have an aluminum block. Please clarify.

 

Sure they are - when a fuel injector sticks open and it hydrolocks.

 

That's exactly what mine did. Didn't do a rebuild though, got another short block.

 

Boy howdy is something already wrong! I've been had! The mechanic didn't explain to me why it threw a rod. He just told me it did. I honestly think this overhaul was way, way over this guys head but he didn't figure that out until he got into it. There was 172,000 on the truck when it went south. He explained that it had thrown a rod and gave me two options. His estimate on a "crate motor" was right at $6K. His "rebuilt motor" option was $3,500. I'm poor. I went with the rebuild. He charged me $6,100 for that and now my truck is running but it feels like it's trying to come apart. I've had it back to him over and over and he kept telling me he couldn't figure out what was wrong. The last time he had it for a week and finally called me and told me to come and get it. I finally caved and took it to another local mechanic who's a "Ford guy". He knew what was wrong with it as soon as he lifted the hood.

 

Which is EXACTLY what this mechanic should have insisted on.

 

A professional mechanic can't charge you $6100. to rebuild your engine and then just shrug and say come get it, I don't know what's wrong with it! That's insanity! Anytime you think a job is "way, way over his head", turn and run, run, run!

 

My experiance has been I'm better off, usually if I pay the more expensive dealer price then mess with "shops" that arre not fully trained on the modular engine. Especially the 3v I wouldnt le any one who wasnt Ford screw around with it unless I stumbled accross a guy who knew the deal..