Alright so this is just a post to show everyone what can happen if you don't get your cam phasers fixed in time and let them go a while with them messing up. I found pieces of the passenger side guide and arm in the oil pan as big as 3 or 4 inches long and the original width. It may not all be phaser-related but it is due wear and tear on them over time and more than likely what is causing the clattering noise on cold starts. Luckily it hadn't sucked any through the pickup screen and all that were in the screen were small chunks. I'll post pictures in a little bit.

 

 

The 5.4 is best suited as a boat anchor, got rid of mine and got the 5.0L is an awesome engine smoothe and quiet and way more power!!!

 

Oh I wish I could. I can't afford the truck with the 5.0 anyway. I wouldn't mind saving up and doing a 5.0 swap but it's a whole lot of trouble

 

The 5.4 isn't that bad, stuff happens to every motor with high mileage.

 

True. But it only has 134,000 miles on it

 

Still a lot, but I would've expected more for that kind of giant metal chunks in the bottom of the pan. I'm at 92k right now, be a while before I hit 134k.

 

Those chunks are plastic luckily. And the screen caught everything else.

 

It is a hunk of junk just wait and keep your check book handy

 

Eh I know a few people well into the 100k's with them. Whenever it blows, I'll just stick another one right in its place! I really only want/expect/need about 150k out of it and would never expect any other gas motor to give me more. It it does, awesome, if not, it's fine.