Ford 5.4 Replacement Engine

[Kevlar]

I have a 2010 Ford F-150 crew cab 4x4 with about 210,000 kms. I’m not impressed with this engine and the more I read about it I don’t think they have a good reputation. I had to do the cam phasers a couple years ago, and it sounds like almost every one has had to have that done, despite the dealer that I got to do it saying they never did any . And now it has low oil pressure at start up when the oil is cold and gets better as it warms up, when it’s cold I can hear the top end rattling if I try driving it ( sounds like cam phasers again). From what I’ve read it’s possibly pieces of the tensioners that destructed when the phasers went and fell into the oil pan and are now blocking the oil pick up tube screen. Going to pull the pan here in the next few days and see what’s going on in there. If not it’s likely the oil pump, but the symptoms don’t point to that, at least not in my mind. I’m sick of this engine, mostly the crappy phaser design, it has decent power but not good on fuel.

If this engine is garbage, have any of you replaced a 5.4 with something more reliable instead of just putting in another engine and hoping for the best? I’d like the one going into the boat in that other thread but that might be a little overkill .

Just kicking some tires, I like the rest of the truck, just not the motor.

 

[waybomb]

Oil heats up which lets it flow better around the debris in the pick up screen. Makes sense.
At least you don't have to take the body off the frame.

 

[Kevlar]

Still a fair bit to it, remove a cross member, sway bar and drop the axel down a bit.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

I've had 2 of those 5.4l fords. Never did the cam phasers but count myself lucky based on what I'm reading often. I did have issues with the stupid 3 piece plugs and coils. But my 3.5l is no better for that. The coils started acting up around 170k. I've replaced 3 of them so far however I have found that the issue wasn't the coils failing due to electrical problems but I separated the long rubber tube with the spring inside from the head of the coil (They just pop apart) and took a small piece of emery cloth to clean the contact surface then applied dielectric grease to both ends of the spring and electrical connection on the coil.

I did that treatment after changing 3 of them and having one of the new ones fail as well. I've put another 30k on it since then but carry one of the old coils which I serviced and tested. I have a complete socket set under my back seat along with a code reader to identify the problem coil and have had to use them. I can identify and change a faulty coil in ten minutes on the side of the highway.

Another issue with the 5.4l is the exhaust manifolds warping and cracking. Both of mine sounded like they had straight pipes starting up. With my 3.5l, I have a broken exhaust stud that allows the slightest amount of air to seep out when it's cold. As I take off, I can hear a loud squeal until the manifold heats up and seals the gasket to the head. But at 200k the manifold itself isn't cracked or warped like my last two 5.4s. My last one was in my plow truck. I ended up blowing the transmission at 185k. It was rusted out so I scrapped it and picked up an 06 gmc 1500hd with the 6.0l for a dedicated plow truck.

 

[Kevlar]

Yes I’ve done the manifolds as well, that was one of the frustrating discussions I had with the dealership, the mechanic kept trying to tell me the problem was a leaking manifold and not the cam phasers, after a five minute lecture of me telling him I’m not retarded and know it has a manifold leak, and pretty sure that isn’t causing the sound that resembles several pistons coming out of the side of the block, and that I farm and do most of our own diagnostics and repairs so am fairly certain I can tell when something isn’t right.

The quality of everything just keeps getting worse, you shouldn’t have to carry extra parts and tools just to keep things running, it’s not 1950. Was reading last night and it sounds like the newer Fords are still having issues with the new version of cam phasers, and there’s a recall on their trucks because the transmission can shift from 6 to first gear for no reason. Dad’s truck did that a couple years ago, luckily he was just poking along on a backroad when It happened, would be a little scary if you were going down the highway or on slippery roads.