RangerMax
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2019
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 3
- Location
- Moore, OK
- Vehicle Year
- 2005
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Transmission
- Automatic
*Update below*
Hey everyone. Thought I'd share what happened to my 3.0 a few weeks ago. I had searched for cam synchro failures, but all I came up with was cam sensor failures, not the actual synchro failing. Not looking for advice, just sharing my experience to hopefully help someone down the line.
I was driving 65-70 MPH on the highway when the oil light turned on in my instrument cluster. I keep the dash lights fairly low, so the bright red oil light was noticed immediately. Within 10 seconds the engine started to get sluggish. I happened to be close to an off-ramp, so I exited the highway. By the time I reached the top of the off-ramp, the engine had turned off and I was able to coast into a parking lot.
Tried to start the engine and it would not crank. I could hear the starter engage, but the engine would not turn over. Popped the hood, checked the oil level, and the oil level was full. Tried to start the engine again and it still would not turn over. Luckily I have AAA, so I was able to get the truck towed home.
After two evenings of Internet searching before I dug into the engine, I removed the cam synchro. One side of the drive gear looked great while the other side of the gear has all the teeth sheared off. Since the drive gear had sheared teeth, the camshaft was no longer able to turn the synchro. With the synchro not spinning, the oil pump was no longer spinning, in turn starving the engine of oil. I have not torn the engine down, but my guess is that the lack of oil on the main bearings caused them to melt to the crankshaft, locking the engine up.
Took less than 20 seconds for the engine to go from a great running engine to a boat anchor.
I've got 175,000 miles on my truck and I keep up with routine maintenance pretty well. I actually have maybe 1500 miles on this oil since my last oil change. I have seen the reports of people hearing the bushings in the cam synchro squealing, letting them know that the synchro is about to fail, but I haven't seen anything online about the drive gear letting go.
Too bad Ford didn't install a pressure switch that would kill the ignition if oil pressure were lost. Seems like a really simple safeguard that would have saved my engine from being destroyed. How many others would have been saved as well?
I've been planning and gathering parts for a 5.0 swap for 6 months now, but I would rather have gotten into the swap when I decided it was time, not because I now HAVE to. Anyway, hope this helps someone.
*Update*
The shaft spins smoothly and freely. I did not hear the squeal that other people have mentioned hearing. No warning signs at all. Just let go. Looks like the teeth have been wearing funny for a while though based on the second picture. Not sure what could have been done to prevent it.
Hey everyone. Thought I'd share what happened to my 3.0 a few weeks ago. I had searched for cam synchro failures, but all I came up with was cam sensor failures, not the actual synchro failing. Not looking for advice, just sharing my experience to hopefully help someone down the line.
I was driving 65-70 MPH on the highway when the oil light turned on in my instrument cluster. I keep the dash lights fairly low, so the bright red oil light was noticed immediately. Within 10 seconds the engine started to get sluggish. I happened to be close to an off-ramp, so I exited the highway. By the time I reached the top of the off-ramp, the engine had turned off and I was able to coast into a parking lot.
Tried to start the engine and it would not crank. I could hear the starter engage, but the engine would not turn over. Popped the hood, checked the oil level, and the oil level was full. Tried to start the engine again and it still would not turn over. Luckily I have AAA, so I was able to get the truck towed home.
After two evenings of Internet searching before I dug into the engine, I removed the cam synchro. One side of the drive gear looked great while the other side of the gear has all the teeth sheared off. Since the drive gear had sheared teeth, the camshaft was no longer able to turn the synchro. With the synchro not spinning, the oil pump was no longer spinning, in turn starving the engine of oil. I have not torn the engine down, but my guess is that the lack of oil on the main bearings caused them to melt to the crankshaft, locking the engine up.
Took less than 20 seconds for the engine to go from a great running engine to a boat anchor.
I've got 175,000 miles on my truck and I keep up with routine maintenance pretty well. I actually have maybe 1500 miles on this oil since my last oil change. I have seen the reports of people hearing the bushings in the cam synchro squealing, letting them know that the synchro is about to fail, but I haven't seen anything online about the drive gear letting go.
Too bad Ford didn't install a pressure switch that would kill the ignition if oil pressure were lost. Seems like a really simple safeguard that would have saved my engine from being destroyed. How many others would have been saved as well?
I've been planning and gathering parts for a 5.0 swap for 6 months now, but I would rather have gotten into the swap when I decided it was time, not because I now HAVE to. Anyway, hope this helps someone.
*Update*
The shaft spins smoothly and freely. I did not hear the squeal that other people have mentioned hearing. No warning signs at all. Just let go. Looks like the teeth have been wearing funny for a while though based on the second picture. Not sure what could have been done to prevent it.
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