FYI, this engine is still running over a year later. I installed new VVT solenoids, new guides, new tensioners, a used timing cover and put it back together as is with the old chains and phasers.

These bad dealerships and untrustworthy mechanic shops made me decide 10 years ago to do all maintenance on our vehicles myself from then on. I never looked back since even when it's not always that easy. Your vids are a great help and source of inspiration. I thank you for that sir.

thats the hard part sometimes about being an honest mechanic , having the tell your customer that the people before you took them for a ride , , sort of makes us all look bad . nice work though , definitely a head scratcher , great job figuring it out

Out of all of this, the fact that you took the top end apart and showed us EXACTLY what the root cause was and described it where the average car guy and car gal could understand makes me very honored to have watched this. I know what engine to avoid now.

Put a pair of DIESEL emblems on the fenders and "ship it out"

I love the nicknames you gave out. Change engine light had me rolling. Also, that thing sounded like a 7.3 diesel lol.

Hey Wes, I'm an amateur home mechanic meaning I do mostly work on my own vehicles. You're very through with process and elimination. You open up a whole new Avenue of mechanical work I've very rarely understood until your course. I appreciate your videos and advice. Cheers from Michigan

"They're super sharp" "They're no...... Yeah, they are, be careful with them" Parenting ftw!

"...three valve Triton hand grenade....CHANGE engine light"...OMG Had me ROLLIN in first 10 seconds of video...LMAO

Cracking intro ! "Change engine light is on" was my favourite 😂 I think what's happened is the last garage changed the engine for a diesel !

I laughed out loud 2 minutes in when you were about to correct your son on pliers being sharp, but decided to roll with it instead.

This is the best, complete video I've seen on KZfaq. Hats off to this guy! I'm experiencing similar issues on my 05 f150 5.4. I also have reconditioned a 260z and everywhere I've search for either car the videos seem to skip over the actual work right at the point I need more info.

I recommend this guy for the father of the year award.

“The guy he bought it from said........” The guy he bought it from said “Thanks a lot, sucker!”

Worked for Ford for 10 years. Then I totally quit being a mechanic. Took the love of cars right out of me.

"Theyre super sharp!" *Wes looks at dull af pliers* "Yep! so be careful with em!"

Man, customers can wait, fixing Thomas is top priority. Good stuff, Wes.

Main dealers man, I used to put witness marks on stuff they were supposed to change. Had more than one stand-up in service receptions. Thanks for the interesting vid fella.

Wes. you defiantly reminded me why i decided to stop being a mechanic. Many years ago. i found out i don’t have the patience. every new model change i wanted to dynamite the new design rather than try to repair it. Because it showed i needed another degree in electronics, mechanics, or brain surgery. And i never knew which one was best. Wes you do great. Keep up the great work. God bless.

Watching all this makes me really miss my 1977 Ford with the inline 300 cid straight six. So easy to work on and not all that electronic crap to go wrong. I put almost 200k miles on it with very little trouble. What trouble I had was easy and cheap to fix. Those were the good old days.

Wes, terrific video. The triton three valve hand grenade with the engine change light on was a prescient opening statement. Great explanation about how the failure of the chain tensioner gaskets created a catalogue of oil starvation related issues down stream.

Having worked in electronics for years, when you mentioned BNC and banana connectors, as well as computers and PICO scopes, it really made me realize how much auto technology has been turned into electronics driven machinery. You're doing well working with electronics. The truck's owner isn't doing so well. He got taken badly by the seller and the dealership.

Very impressed with your thought process and how well you explain issues...i am an engineer and am just learning that I dont want a 5.4 / 3 valve in a used expedition.. seems the oil sludge and cam phasers are a nightmare in these engines

I love the fact that you not only stopped what you were doing to fix Thomas for your son, but that you also included it in the video. You seem like a good dude and I hope you, your family, and your business are doing well during these difficult times.

i knew where this was going when i saw the title. i have done many of these. many were done after the owner tried his hand at saving money. the snow ball effect is alive and well in this engine. where do you stop? metal in the oil....metal in oil passages, damage to crank bearings, crank, rod bearings, rods, oil pump and what else? this is one of those that you hate to look at. they always end up the same. if you want it fixed properly, it needs to be completely torn down, hot tanked and rebuilt....or replaced. replacing with a reman makes it a more cut and dry cost....expect for the usually surprises.....rusted power steering line, bad pulley, cracked exhaust manifolds. cost wise the best thing to tell the customer to do is "close the hood, play taps and walk away".

This is my first comment, I was blown away by your work on this engine. I hope your channel brings you compensation for the above and beyond work you do. You deserve it!

I'm 69 and have owned many vehicles, and I have never had a positive experience with a dealership. Find a competent mechanic and stick with him or her. Thanks, Wes. I enjoy your videos.🇨🇦

We'll I guess that's why it had the "change engine" light on! No further diagnosis need. Nice work as always Wes. Shame on that dealership. I'd be back in there to school them and review the bill.

Most Ford dealers just replace the engine when this happens. Thanks Wes😃

Those are the super-sharpest pliers I’ve ever seen!

I can't believe you totally missed the DTC for dog head stuck in front guard! Clearly, there's your problem. Thanks Wes (and family) all the best. (PS thanks for sharing the first time ever using the PICO, doing anything first time, let alone on video, is fraught with a danger!)

Wes, another great video. I love that you do a deep dive into the issues. I have learned so much from your skills and logic. Keep it up.

It’s a good thing you’re an honest man that documents your work And tales the customer what he really needs Keep up the good work and I look forward to the next video

That's why you need a honest mechanic not dealer scums

Great intro, the way you pronounce the "common" problems. "It's got the 3 valve triton handgrenade under the hood" got me on the ground😂😂

Oh my aching back. Nice catch Wes, I believe that’s why people are coming to you, good or bad news, they know you will find what’s wrong, and it will be repaired right if they choose to go ahead.

Props for taking the time to fix Thomas. Priorities ya' know. Also, I'm a Ford guy but I'll certainly steer clear of those engines.

Wow, a JB weld'd timing cover! looked like it would have worked if he would of did it right! I knew from the sound of that motor, it wasn't going to be good! Great job, Wes! Sorry for the owner of this one!

You are an amazing mechanic. I wish you were closer to me. Amazing how you logically think your way through the complete process. You take the time to learn exactly how all the systems work, before you throw new $$ parts $$ in. Thumbs up.

Man talk about a flashback. I had the same issue with my 05 F150. I got a used motor from junkyard and all the cam bearings were trashed. At that point I was ready to dump it. Decided to get reman tho after it sat for year

I had to stop and make a coffee when you said the 'Change Engine Light' was on...I was laughing too much to pay attention...haha!!! Wes...I hope folks local to you realise what a diamond you are! Main dealers are useless robbers!

Hands up, how many people just instantly hit the like button once they open a WWW video??? ✋✋✋✋✋✋ I'm 13 seconds in and I already know this is going to be a good one...

You nailed it ! Feel the pain :( I ditched my 97 4.2 stick cause it needed a clutch job. Frame was rusted so I did want to spent $$$$ for nothing. I retired and on an extreme budget but need a pick up to finish the major re-build on my house. Found a clean 04 up from the south....no rust no rot and it ran. Up here in Canada old F150's are rusty everywhere. I knew at some point I would have to do the timing set ....but didnt know it would crap out suddenly after8 months driving. I do all my own work and did drop the pan.....full of metal and oil pickup clogged with timing guide debris. Guides were broken....tensioners blown...VTC 's full of crap and stuck. Changed oil pump....this is manditory ! The OEM pump was pathetic on these. $1500 in parts and truk off road 2 mths I proudly went out for it's first run and the driveshalf puked.....barely got it home only a couple of miles thankfully.. Then it was a string of little stuff...vacuum problems.....coil boot problems.....PS pump lines leaking. All related to taking aparr a 16 yr old vehicle. That said it runs good for now....get my project done and its GONE !! The 04's and beyond were a clean slate design..they could have done anything. Instead Ford made the most difficult to deal with truk ever made.. In hind site a reman would be the only way to go.....I'm up and running but still have old engine and heads....exhaust manifolds and god knows what else. New truk is way too much $$$$$ so I just pray and hope. Thats why the junk yards are full of them.

Installed a reman 5.4 in my sons 09 F-150. Talked about doing the transmission but didn’t. It failed 3 months later. Such great trucks! Pulled the cab for the engine swap.

The damage to that engine scores high on the carnage scale!

Hey Wes, I only found you recently, courtesy of Lord Muck. You do some great work here, and it is so refreshing to find someone that knows how to test and diagnose a part, rather than the old guess and replace things that aren't faulty. Dealerships so often employ young 'fitters' (they call them technicians I believe) and not experienced engineers that can actually figure out a problem and solve it. Keep up the great work. Your honesty is admirable, as is your modest presenting style and excellent video production. You have a new subscriber :)

The key to them 5.4 three valves is good maintenance. I feel for the guy, you just can’t beat the push rod engines.

This insane level of over-engineering makes me homesick for the days when engines were diagnosed with a long screwdriver and a good ear.

Nice. Well put together informative video. Showing the camshaft caps was great - once the valve covers are off it's a must to check them for wear. No use spending a bunch of money on timing chain stuff if the heads are shot. The oil pressure switch is pretty difficult to get to - but there is an adapter available that threads on in place of the oil filter. Easier to check pressure from there. If anybody checks pressure on these engines often it might be a good purchase. There's DIY versions of the adapter, too. Thanks for the video.

Change engine light is on..... love it. You could be talking about a few GM Europe products there. I think this trucks next journey is down a long road off a short jetty!

You're really good at fixing vehicles! You go above and beyond!

Really have to feel for the owner as he sure was taken for a ride buying this vehicle. On a positive note Thomas is now working just dandy. Stay safe up your way bro and family

Woah, that turned out to be quite a list of problems. Nice work, Wes!

Great video showing what happens if you keep driving the car with next to no oil in the top end. I've seen this on MANY cars with plastic timing rails and guides. When I started watching the video I was thinking chain noise. I have a lot of experience with the vw 12 and 24v vr6 engines. The timing stuff is NOTORIOUS for failure, but the later style 'update' fixes the failure. They usually don't fail bad enough, to cause the journals or anything in the valve train to get starved for oil though, because they use a hydraulic 'cylinder' chain tensioner. The Triton motors are not terribly good from the get go. Of the ones I've worked on, A LOT of them suffer from cracked exhaust manifolds. I wouldn't be surprised if the one you have is there, or on it's way Wes. Great video bro! From one tech to the next, I enjoy your channel! Take care

Your son is a GEM. He Want's to know it all. He can't believe you fix Thomas. WOW ''You'' are a good mechanic. lol Nice diagnostics fine on the truck and future fix on the F-150

Great video! Thanks for taking the time out to record this; I know it's a lot of work. I appreciate it, lots of good knowledge.

Hey Wes, the misfire counter ( power balance) can be found under "Cylinder" in the "Hot Functions" menu on the Autel

Shame on the Ford Dealership, I knew when I heard it that the TC guides were shot my son had an Expedition that sounded like that.

after the 3rd spark plus blew out of my 2004 expedition at 63000, ford kept saying the spark plugs were the problem!! I did the repair drove over to gmc and traded for a 2 year lease return yukon xl and been happy everafter

@ 6:42 "Probably broken now" cracked me up 🤣 I'm glad you know how to put all that electronic stuff to use.

Looks like ford could take a lesson from the makers of Thomas. Another great video Wes thanks.

awesome video, i really enjoy your explanations for a novice like me to see how this stuff works, please keep up the good work

I was watching this video and when u showed the valve covers and how it got poor Maintenance of oil change goes to show how the last owner neglected regularly oil changes then it went on words. I am in awe.

My truck has been start up rattling since I bought it with 99k miles in 2009. Ticks also. I now have 204k miles on it and I’m just now starting to get a coil pack five misfire code pretty often. I’m going to keep driving it until it blows up. I’ll put a new motor in then. With 204k miles I can’t justify throwing money at it. Great video with great info. Thanks

Another great video Wes. :) Sucks to see a customer get screwed with a bad truck. You can guarantee that the old owner new there was massive problems with the truck. That is why I am so leery about buying used vehicles. You never know what you are going to get with new either sometimes but at least you can lean on the lemon law or factory warranty.

Great video, love all the content in your videos. And hats off to you for taking the time to fix Thomas for the lil guy 👍 well done

Your little Boy's reaction to Thomas being fixed was priceless, it would be nice if all customers were so easily pleased :-)

The only way I’d ever buy a 5.4 is if a brand new engine was sitting in the bed. It will need it sooner then later. However it was great to see you didn’t throw your hands in the air and say it’s a 3 valve needs a new engine. Great video

Well ,Wes you got a bucket of Ford parts, lol , your son brought back memories of working my son's little cars ,in the middle of an engine change, stay safe.

Obviously the people who design these heaps never drive them! Another great video, Wes.

b t y ,, the first car i ever bought was a 78 camaro from a girlfriend who bought it brand new and had it serviced at the chevy dealer ,had 50 k miles when i got it , went thru the whole car fluids etc... dont know when the oil filter was last changed ,, but it looked like crude oil in there and i could barley see the the small holes where the sludged oil never made it into the filter ,, i learned then that it only survived because there is a bybass valve ( spring ) in the filter for when its clogged . I never trusted dealerships or oil change places since i was a kid ,, ... car still ran great for the next few years i owned it .. thanks to the good ole 305 / 350's of the day . I know better today,, that wont last ,, thanks again ...

I’m so excited! This seemed like a bonus video because we’ve been so good this week!!🤣

another good vid Wes! i was so hooked to watching i didn't even know it had been almost an hour lol. and then sad when it was over. the troubleshooting is always fun.

“How many spark plugs does an eight cylinder diesel have?” Used to be a trick question

You are one of the best diagnosticians that I have ever watched.

Just moved to heavy line at work first job is the exact same Truck swapping the motor.all data is a massive help and having guys in the shop that will help you is also good. It is challenging.

The 3 year old helper😊👍. 3 year old chisel operator 😮 Great as always Wes.😊👍

Between the ticking cam phasers and the whining alternator, it sure does sound like a 7.3!!! I agree with the diesel decals🤣🤣

Wow Wes. You get some beauties! It seems like you get them after someone screws with it first. Great job. Always enjoy your videos. I think someone could bring you a vehicle that needs a taillight and say oh could you check that little noise under the car when I am on the highway while it’s here. Later we would see you with entire drivetrain on floor and broken pieces everywhere! “ there’s your problem Lady”

You're a good dad Wes - he's a good boy too.

Sad news for the owner. but made for a great investigation video.

3 valve hand grenade, too good! Thanks for morning pick-me-up!

This is my all-time favorite WWW video. I keep watching it over and over.

Great video. You can trace it all back to inadequate pressure to the phaser solenoids. Last and farthest point from the pump. You nailed it when you got there. 07 Mustang GT is my last Ford. I do love the car. But damn just damn. Ford still hasn't figured out how to put a spark plug in. Funny they went from 14 ft lbs to 25 foot lbs for spark plug torque and have the opposite issue. Used to blow them out, now they break them off inside. Who know what the deal will be with the coyote engine noise they say is normal. ticking and rattling is not normal. Bless you for taking on such chores. Ford's cab forward design is also no help.

Wes, i really enjoy your videos. I watch them as soon as they are posted. Keep them coming. GREAT 👍

Some day I would love to hear you do an evaluation from a mechanics viewpoint on all the major engines you have a good working knowledge of. The junk to stay away from would be some good info.

3 valve triton hand grenade LOL...change engine light LOL...love it.. I own one of these disasters, mine is a 2004 with a 2007 rear axle ( the ONLY warranty repair), a 2010 transmission, and a 2014 engine. The engine is a noisy bugger, my reman runs great, or it seems to, yet the darn fuel injectors make a hell of a racket, leading the nervous among us to think something is wrong, when that is normal noise LOL. Spent a small fortune to keep all stuff working. My latest and greatest is the electric shift motor for the transfer case is showing its 2004 model year age, fixed that with a little love tap from a claw hammer and it works like a champ again, all other 4x4 failure points were addressed about 4 years ago and those are holding up, periodically check the the front IWE to make sure more things arent spinning than are supposed to. 5W-30 mobil1 twice a year oil changes weather or not I make the mileage. 1 thing about these engines is they a very picky for clean oil with those narrow passages and cam phaser. Though the factory engine failed at 107K with religious 3000 mile oil changes, but I used the recommended 5W-20 and that turned out to be a mistake.

Sounds like the previous owner is glad he got rid of it. Great video Wes, thumbs up.

What a fantastic mechanic!! Thank you so much for this amazing video!!

I haven't had one come in my shop yet that didn't need a engine or the entire timing set with half the spark plugs breaking off. JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Underneath not too bad" you said as you are video taping more rust than a shipwreck! Second, you are a bomb teacher. I fully understood you even if I don't remember half the parts names. I know this because I just watched a whole video about an engine that is not even my year. haha

The only mechanic I know who does excellent work on cars trucks four wheelers tractors and thomas trains

Lack of oil was very evident. My buddy has the same Ford 298k miles and no issues. He changes oil & filter every 4k miles like clock work. Belts every other April.

At least you managed to fix Thomas!

I worked for ford and mopar dealerships back in the 80s Im glad Im not wrenching anymore !!! Luv your videos Wes !!!

Its amazing how much of a difference maintenance means to one of these mod motors. I have seen engines fail under 100K, and have seen many that go well beyond 250-300k. One of the biggest things about these mods is clean good oil and preferably synthetic oil.

“Change engine light is on” 😅

This is the kind of stuff that sells a lot of Toyota's.

I see why you guys refer to the three valve per cylinder Ford engines as hand grenades. Thanks for explaining the root cause. Always wondered specifically what made them so awful. Just pull the pin (wait for tensioner gaskets to blow out)... and wait.

Great video Wes!!!! I have 2004 5.4 in my F150 and was driving and truck started rattlin and misfire detected with scanner.....Long story short, it shot head off valve a blew hole threw piston!!! Loved the change engine light remark, that's exactly what I did. I bought new engine with updated cam phasers n all that !!!