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.
I just bought a 08, & it's doing the same when it's hot. The owner put $3,000 into new timing kit from Cloyne. I'm glad you wrote that the engine is working good for a year now, cause I'm going to put money into it. Thanks again
I'm glad to hear you were able to help this poor guy out of a really bad situation into a sad situation . At least he's getting some use out of his investment . Let the buyer beware .
Haha yea, I said to the wife during the road test part of the video "this is a 5.4 L V8 petrol" her response- "It sounds like an old 3 cylinder diesel tractor!"
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.
Yeah it’s like I say do it yourself and you can afford to do it wrong at least twice compared to what you pay the local mechanic I’ve been doing all my own work for years these are not rocket ships they’re pretty easy to fix
Exactly the case with me. After multiple Ford stealerships cheated me, scammed me, and showed incompetence, and then being cheated by other shops, I started learning and doing everything myself.
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.
My ole 7.3 may clatter, but she's pulled more 5'4's, 6.0's, and every other truck made by just about all manufactures, back from wherever they broke down at, to where ever they had to go. She's not a tow rig, but when your friends know you have a trailer, and a 7.3 to pull it with, then you get calls whenever they break down. If it isn't their truck, it's one of their kids broke down needing help. So be kinda easy on how you talk bout 7.3's, you might need one sometime to haul one of yours back for you. lol snicker, especially if'n it's a Dodge.
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
Keep being honest - your customers will trust you and keep coming back. Its really hard to find an honest mechanic, even here in the UK but when you have a problem they are worth their weight in gold.
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
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!
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.
@@WatchWesWork I can tell you that most fathers I've run into don't have the patience to play with their kid or fix something with them. Let alone be kind and understanding when they come into the shop when your working.
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 :)
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.
i work for a dealer in new zealand and we are very honest and would not rip anyone off otherwise you lose customers and no satisfaction in your job , i love fixing cars
Hard to find i hated working at dealers but a lot of tech are honest guys the service managers are the liars. Yes you will get lazy techs but usually its leadership telling them to do less so they can charge more. I no longer do tech work unless the person is poor and needs help. Otherwise ots not worth the shit pay. Yeah dealer charges 150 an hour. Know how much avg tech gets of that? 15-25$. So you get what you pay for. Dont automatically hate on dealer techs they are usually honest guys in shit situations just trying to pay their bills. Most ppl get mad cause they do not understand cars not because stuff was done wrong. Just trying to give full perspective here
@David Johnson we have to do training and cars are not like they used to be as we have electric cars and if you don't like it just fix your own car and don't complain when your corner garage screws up your car , we have set prices from the manufacturer they make the cars it's their product so they can do whatever they like
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 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!
And "THAT' is precisely why they are called STEALERSHIPS ! Kommie Kommerce at it's worst. . . ugggh ! * I needed 2 quarts of STRONG coffee to get through this . . . Wes is a man of conscience , it's a shame the customer got sold this 'bill of goods' / rolling scrap pile ! :(
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
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.
My 1978 F250 Super Cab had over 500k miles on it when I sold it. I replaced the motor once at 300k and the original C6 transmission was still putting power to the wheels. Best damn truck I ever owned. My 2005 Expedition has been the worse POS I’ve ever been held hostage by for the last 8 years. Only 54,000 miles driven on it in 8 years and it has been the most expensive junk of a vehicle I have ever owned. Look forward to unloading it some day.
@@kristopherdetar4346 I see this all the time and it doesn't have to be. Both Ford and GM keep going down in quality and wonder why Ram is outselling GM and gaining rapidly on Ford. Such a shame. But Ford and GM both let Toyota, Nissan, Kia, and Haundi run them out of the ar business. Sad.
I had 1995 150 with inline 6 with 5 five speed with o.d. gear easy work but Midwest rust made it little difficult it 250 went I sold brought it from fleet auction with 187000
@@conorcuomo4283 I have never had a rust problem living in Texas. I now have a twenty one year old Nissan Frontier and you can look under it and nothing is rusted. I am keeping this one as long as it will run.
Daniel YES my 79 Ford 351 engine. Very underpowered but that was my fault. Thought it would get better fuel mileage. 12 MPG weather loaded up on rear or empty. My 2000 with 10 cylinder gets the same mileage. Like you said those old engine's the 351 was so easy to work on. The sad thing was I sold it myself no trade in. The guy that bought it destroyed it saw it like a month later, he just used it to haul junk. Wish I had kept it as a power up truck sense I really did not have to sell it. I had a 4 speed in it with granny gear first. It was a nice truck with the square headlights. The old style body before they made the very Ugly front back in body headlights. I sure miss that old girl, just like you you could work on those Engines even V-8s.
This is the best, complete video I've seen on CZcams. 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.
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.
Yeah, scopes have been used for ignition diagnostics forever, since the 1960s at least. But, now guys are using scopes for all kinds of things. The pressure transducers are really cool. They are able to see details of compression, vacuum, timing, etc.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!)
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
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".
Yeah I agree. What a crap design. I gave him prices from $3400 to $4900 to do the heads, used engine, or complete reman. The truck might bring $5000 on a good day.
@@WatchWesWork Not trying to be a smart A$$, having looked over some of the response's, I think what needs to be put on the table also is: Just what will say $5000.00 allow you to purchase in a "new to customer / owner vehicle" vs rebuilding what he's got and how long to expect from that rebuild. The situation really doesn't get better no matter which fork in the road you take. Just thought I'd throw my 2 cent's into the pile of horse manure, the poor customer has to deal with.
The other problem is if you decide to dump the truck and look for something else 5k doesn’t get you much as far as trucks in good shape .Atleast not in Canada , I bought what I thought was a mint 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 only to fine out the rear end spider gears were shot and one spot of the frame was rotted . I already paid 3k for truck plus another $2900 on new parts to get it safety so I decided to get frame fixed and a low mileage rear was put in
Another great (although sad outcome) video. I'm glad to find out what I always suspected, that Ford oil gauges were fake. I'm a Ford driver but man, your right, they had their heads up their butt a few times over the years! Keep up the good honest work my friend and you'll get a great customer base. Keep making vids too, I'll be watching!
You nailed it ! Feel the pain :( I ditched my 97 4.2 stick cause it needed a clutch job. Frame was rusted so I did want to spent $$$$ for nothing. I retired and on an extreme budget but need a pick up to finish the major re-build on my house. Found a clean 04 up from the south....no rust no rot and it ran. Up here in Canada old F150's are rusty everywhere. I knew at some point I would have to do the timing set ....but didnt know it would crap out suddenly after8 months driving. I do all my own work and did drop the pan.....full of metal and oil pickup clogged with timing guide debris. Guides were broken....tensioners blown...VTC 's full of crap and stuck. Changed oil pump....this is manditory ! The OEM pump was pathetic on these. $1500 in parts and truk off road 2 mths I proudly went out for it's first run and the driveshalf puked.....barely got it home only a couple of miles thankfully.. Then it was a string of little stuff...vacuum problems.....coil boot problems.....PS pump lines leaking. All related to taking aparr a 16 yr old vehicle. That said it runs good for now....get my project done and its GONE !! The 04's and beyond were a clean slate design..they could have done anything. Instead Ford made the most difficult to deal with truk ever made.. In hind site a reman would be the only way to go.....I'm up and running but still have old engine and heads....exhaust manifolds and god knows what else. New truk is way too much $$$$$ so I just pray and hope. Thats why the junk yards are full of them.
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...
I always press like on my subscriptions. I feel it's the least I can do to thank people for sharing and creating content. Blows my mind how likes rarely get about 10% on most content I watch.
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.
I’m late to the party 🎉 but I like to watch Wes Work. This Ford engine is a good lesson in how well a well oiled machine holds up when it’s not well oiled. Those timing chain tensioners diverted oil away from the top end of the motor.
In all honesty I would put new tensioner gaskets and a chain guide and run it until it blows, may make it a month may make it a year but there’s no sense in throwing away all that money
I went to my local SuperCheap Auto store and as a joke asked the girl at counter for a set of spark plugs for my diesel Pajero, she actually started to look on their system for them... I had to explain to her what I had done. Sad as this girl was not a checkout chick type but higher up the chain.
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.🇨🇦
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.
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 !!!
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
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.
They weren’t trying for as much back then, I have to wonder though if it would be a good idea to switch entirely to gear drive on these newer engines with active camshafts, just to avoid any extra issues.
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
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.
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”
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.
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!
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.
@@WatchWesWork BTW, my profile picture is walking distance from my home, on the Nene Valley Railway. That is the home of the only "Thomas" named by Rev Awdry, the author of the books.
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
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
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.
"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
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.
That's good to hear at least. That poor guy.
I just bought a 08, & it's doing the same when it's hot. The owner put $3,000 into new timing kit from Cloyne. I'm glad you wrote that the engine is working good for a year now, cause I'm going to put money into it. Thanks again
New cam bearings also?
Beans?
I'm glad to hear you were able to help this poor guy out of a really bad situation into a sad situation . At least he's getting some use out of his investment . Let the buyer beware .
Put a pair of DIESEL emblems on the fenders and "ship it out"
LOL
Haha yea, I said to the wife during the road test part of the video "this is a 5.4 L V8 petrol" her response- "It sounds like an old 3 cylinder diesel tractor!"
@@danmackintosh6325 No kidding...the wife is right!
It's a Ford 3000 now lol
Was thinking the same thing. Had I been blindfolded would've thought this was a Powerstroke. Never heard a 5.4 sound like this before...
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.
Yeah it’s like I say do it yourself and you can afford to do it wrong at least twice compared to what you pay the local mechanic I’ve been doing all my own work for years these are not rocket ships they’re pretty easy to fix
Exactly the case with me. After multiple Ford stealerships cheated me, scammed me, and showed incompetence, and then being cheated by other shops, I started learning and doing everything myself.
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.
😂
Very good
ya fords
I love the nicknames you gave out. Change engine light had me rolling. Also, that thing sounded like a 7.3 diesel lol.
Was thinking the same thing lol
Ya haha 😂 brilliant
No need to pay for any diagnostic fee you simply replace the engine lol
Neil Murphy Lol yeah. Or at the rate this truck is going, replace truck comes to mind.
My ole 7.3 may clatter, but she's pulled more 5'4's, 6.0's, and every other truck made by just about all manufactures, back from wherever they broke down at, to where ever they had to go.
She's not a tow rig, but when your friends know you have a trailer, and a 7.3 to pull it with, then you get calls whenever they break down. If it isn't their truck, it's one of their kids broke down needing help.
So be kinda easy on how you talk bout 7.3's, you might need one sometime to haul one of yours back for you. lol snicker, especially if'n it's a Dodge.
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
Very true!
I agree.
Keep being honest - your customers will trust you and keep coming back. Its really hard to find an honest mechanic, even here in the UK but when you have a problem they are worth their weight in gold.
Kudos for your honesty. Kept wondering what the other guys did for him.
the video proof is a fantastic thing for un-trusting clients that have been screwed before.
"They're super sharp"
"They're no...... Yeah, they are, be careful with them"
Parenting ftw!
I say the same sort of stuff to my daughter. "Yes, they're incredibly dangerous, don't kill yourself kid, love you", then go back to work.
you have to lie to children they deserve it
I’m surprised he isn’t taking Ford engines out by now, well he is three years old.
Haha, reverse psychology
He briefly considered telling him the truth, then realised that a white lie was far more efficient.
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.
"Nnnnnn...Yes they are so be careful"! Had me LoL'n too
Man, customers can wait, fixing Thomas is top priority. Good stuff, Wes.
I think there's good money in locomotive repair.
He forgot to show the cost of repair vs buying a remand one 😂
LOL, have had to repair my grandsons Thomas etc. for the same reasons
"...three valve Triton hand grenade....CHANGE engine light"...OMG Had me ROLLIN in first 10 seconds of video...LMAO
You sure like your toys.
@@bigsteve8408 whatt??
Trust me it did the same to me 😂🤣😂
All true sayings
He's real funny
I tune in for his remarks
One perfect mechanic
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
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.
“The guy he bought it from said........”
The guy he bought it from said “Thanks a lot, sucker!”
Exactly the guy I bought my truck from would have said when he sold it with bad cats. LOL
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 !
Sounds like it.
Ya I think he got the displacement mixed up that sounds like a seven tree not five four
@@neilmurphy845 Sure did sound like diesel ... I thought it was just me though :)
"Theyre super sharp!"
*Wes looks at dull af pliers*
"Yep! so be careful with em!"
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!
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.
I recommend this guy for the father of the year award.
Just normal dad stuff.
Watch Wes Work Compared to most i have seen over the years you are top notch. Keep it up and love the content.
@@WatchWesWork I can tell you that most fathers I've run into don't have the patience to play with their kid or fix something with them. Let alone be kind and understanding when they come into the shop when your working.
@@WatchWesWork Those two statements are in fact not mutually exclusive.
For what? Doing normal stuff? "Ermygerd"
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 :)
You're really good at fixing vehicles! You go above and beyond!
Most Ford dealers just replace the engine when this happens. Thanks Wes😃
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.
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.
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
That's why you need a honest mechanic not dealer scums
i work for a dealer in new zealand and we are very honest and would not rip anyone off otherwise you lose customers and no satisfaction in your job , i love fixing cars
Hard to find i hated working at dealers but a lot of tech are honest guys the service managers are the liars. Yes you will get lazy techs but usually its leadership telling them to do less so they can charge more. I no longer do tech work unless the person is poor and needs help. Otherwise ots not worth the shit pay. Yeah dealer charges 150 an hour. Know how much avg tech gets of that? 15-25$. So you get what you pay for. Dont automatically hate on dealer techs they are usually honest guys in shit situations just trying to pay their bills. Most ppl get mad cause they do not understand cars not because stuff was done wrong. Just trying to give full perspective here
@@captaintoyota3171 Oh it's the manager's are the problem but why did they pick that job in the first place if it's such a shit job.
@David Johnson we have to do training and cars are not like they used to be as we have electric cars and if you don't like it just fix your own car and don't complain when your corner garage screws up your car , we have set prices from the manufacturer they make the cars it's their product so they can do whatever they like
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.
You are one of the best diagnosticians that I have ever watched.
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!
Wes was right the CHANGE engine light WAS on for a good reason...great job wes as usual...love your humor and diagnostic ways
@@leeharris3061 Change engine light, another legendary quote by WESWORK, wont forget that one
And "THAT' is precisely why they are called STEALERSHIPS ! Kommie Kommerce at it's worst. . . ugggh ! * I needed 2 quarts of STRONG coffee to get through this . . .
Wes is a man of conscience , it's a shame the customer got sold this 'bill of goods' / rolling scrap pile ! :(
Change Engine Light.. heheh took me a minute to get that one
Change engine light isn't far from the truth.
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
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.
My 1978 F250 Super Cab had over 500k miles on it when I sold it. I replaced the motor once at 300k and the original C6 transmission was still putting power to the wheels. Best damn truck I ever owned. My 2005 Expedition has been the worse POS I’ve ever been held hostage by for the last 8 years. Only 54,000 miles driven on it in 8 years and it has been the most expensive junk of a vehicle I have ever owned. Look forward to unloading it some day.
@@kristopherdetar4346 I see this all the time and it doesn't have to be. Both Ford and GM keep going down in quality and wonder why Ram is outselling GM and gaining rapidly on Ford. Such a shame. But Ford and GM both let Toyota, Nissan, Kia, and Haundi run them out of the ar business. Sad.
I had 1995 150 with inline 6 with 5 five speed with o.d. gear easy work but Midwest rust made it little difficult it 250 went I sold brought it from fleet auction with 187000
@@conorcuomo4283 I have never had a rust problem living in Texas. I now have a twenty one year old Nissan Frontier and you can look under it and nothing is rusted. I am keeping this one as long as it will run.
Daniel
YES my 79 Ford 351 engine. Very underpowered but that was my fault. Thought it would get better fuel mileage. 12 MPG weather loaded up on rear or empty. My 2000 with 10 cylinder gets the same mileage. Like you said those old engine's the 351 was so easy to work on. The sad thing was I sold it myself no trade in. The guy that bought it destroyed it saw it like a month later, he just used it to haul junk. Wish I had kept it as a power up truck sense I really did not have to sell it. I had a 4 speed in it with granny gear first. It was a nice truck with the square headlights. The old style body before they made the very Ugly front back in body headlights. I sure miss that old girl, just like you you could work on those Engines even V-8s.
This is the best, complete video I've seen on CZcams. 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.
Woah, that turned out to be quite a list of problems. Nice work, Wes!
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.
Yeah, scopes have been used for ignition diagnostics forever, since the 1960s at least. But, now guys are using scopes for all kinds of things. The pressure transducers are really cool. They are able to see details of compression, vacuum, timing, etc.
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.
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😂😂
Those are the super-sharpest pliers I’ve ever seen!
I doubt we'll ever see them again.
@@WatchWesWork So Right
@@WatchWesWork OH, you'll find them alright; with the lawn mower!
The damage to that engine scores high on the carnage scale!
Wow! One of the best videos on CZcams! Thank you Sir. You have helped so many.
This is my all-time favorite WWW video. I keep watching it over and over.
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.
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.
I’m so excited! This seemed like a bonus video because we’ve been so good this week!!🤣
I learned a lot watching this. You're a great teacher.
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.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Wes, i really enjoy your videos. I watch them as soon as they are posted. Keep them coming. GREAT 👍
Glad you like them!
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.
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.
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!
“Change engine light is on” 😅
Loved so much Thomas repair! I'm so sorry for the owner! Thank you!
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!)
Hey Wes, the misfire counter ( power balance) can be found under "Cylinder" in the "Hot Functions" menu on the Autel
Yeah, I figured that out later. Sorry, been a while since I messed with a newer Ford.
What a fantastic mechanic!! Thank you so much for this amazing video!!
Worked for Ford for 10 years. Then I totally quit being a mechanic. Took the love of cars right out of me.
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
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".
Yeah I agree. What a crap design. I gave him prices from $3400 to $4900 to do the heads, used engine, or complete reman. The truck might bring $5000 on a good day.
@@WatchWesWork Not trying to be a smart A$$, having looked over some of the response's, I think what needs to be put on the table also is: Just what will say $5000.00 allow you to purchase in a "new to customer / owner vehicle" vs rebuilding what he's got and how long to expect from that rebuild. The situation really doesn't get better no matter which fork in the road you take. Just thought I'd throw my 2 cent's into the pile of horse manure, the poor customer has to deal with.
Truth.
The other problem is if you decide to dump the truck and look for something else 5k doesn’t get you much as far as trucks in good shape .Atleast not in Canada , I bought what I thought was a mint 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 only to fine out the rear end spider gears were shot and one spot of the frame was rotted . I already paid 3k for truck plus another $2900 on new parts to get it safety so I decided to get frame fixed and a low mileage rear was put in
For remanufactured engines whom would you guys recommend?
awesome video, i really enjoy your explanations for a novice like me to see how this stuff works, please keep up the good work
Thanks, will do!
Another great (although sad outcome) video. I'm glad to find out what I always suspected, that Ford oil gauges were fake. I'm a Ford driver but man, your right, they had their heads up their butt a few times over the years! Keep up the good honest work my friend and you'll get a great customer base. Keep making vids too, I'll be watching!
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.
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...
My order of operations for a Wes video is Like, Watch, Comment =)
I always press like on my subscriptions. I feel it's the least I can do to thank people for sharing and creating content. Blows my mind how likes rarely get about 10% on most content I watch.
Yep
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.
I’m late to the party 🎉 but I like to watch Wes Work. This Ford engine is a good lesson in how well a well oiled machine holds up when it’s not well oiled. Those timing chain tensioners diverted oil away from the top end of the motor.
Now your talking , spent many hours with Thomas and friends, great job and awesome video.
“How many spark plugs does an eight cylinder diesel have?” Used to be a trick question
In all honesty I would put new tensioner gaskets and a chain guide and run it until it blows, may make it a month may make it a year but there’s no sense in throwing away all that money
It still is! ;-)
Yeah, it sounds like a diesel - sounds oddly similar to the GM 6.5 diesel
I went to my local SuperCheap Auto store and as a joke asked the girl at counter for a set of spark plugs for my diesel Pajero, she actually started to look on their system for them... I had to explain to her what I had done. Sad as this girl was not a checkout chick type but higher up the chain.
Hah! I was just about to post something about "is it bad if it sounds like a late 90's powerstroke?"
The 3 year old helper😊👍. 3 year old chisel operator 😮 Great as always Wes.😊👍
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.🇨🇦
You really picked it with that change engine light gag!
There is little doubt in my mind that the previous owner knew what was going on.
Looks like ford could take a lesson from the makers of Thomas. Another great video Wes thanks.
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.
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 !!!
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
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.
@ 6:42 "Probably broken now" cracked me up 🤣 I'm glad you know how to put all that electronic stuff to use.
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.
They weren’t trying for as much back then, I have to wonder though if it would be a good idea to switch entirely to gear drive on these newer engines with active camshafts, just to avoid any extra issues.
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
Between the ticking cam phasers and the whining alternator, it sure does sound like a 7.3!!! I agree with the diesel decals🤣🤣
You're a good dad Wes - he's a good boy too.
I worked for ford and mopar dealerships back in the 80s Im glad Im not wrenching anymore !!! Luv your videos Wes !!!
Obviously the people who design these heaps never drive them! Another great video, Wes.
No they drive them just don’t have to fix them
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.
This insane level of over-engineering makes me homesick for the days when engines were diagnosed with a long screwdriver and a good ear.
I couldn't agree more!
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”
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.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sad news for the owner. but made for a great investigation video.
Well as wes said the change engine light is on
Sounds like the previous owner is glad he got rid of it. Great video Wes, thumbs up.
Great detective work! Love your videos. Thanks for sharing.
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!
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.
Your little Boy's reaction to Thomas being fixed was priceless, it would be nice if all customers were so easily pleased :-)
good job on finding what Ford couldn't find... Ur the man Wes. Keep up the good work
3 valve hand grenade, too good! Thanks for morning pick-me-up!
At least you managed to fix Thomas!
It's the small victories...
@@WatchWesWork BTW, my profile picture is walking distance from my home, on the Nene Valley Railway. That is the home of the only "Thomas" named by Rev Awdry, the author of the books.
@@WatchWesWork keeping the wife and kid happy is the whole point!
@@WatchWesWork And I bet your son now thinks you can fix anything. :)
@@ahnilatedahnilated7703 I was already thinking that. :)
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
Lovin how you and vice grip garage have identicle profile pictures. Frickin mint bud!
Man you're a good mechanic! Wish you were mine.
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
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.
"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