camshaft position sensor and syncronizer

[acroteau23]

so i went to start my truck yesterday and the check engine light was on. i read the code and it said camshaft position sensor. i got the sensor but should i replace the syncronizer at the same time??? i read the write up at the top of the page but it not really clear on what to do. could someone just dumb it down a bit? i already blew up my 2004 2.3 because of timing problems and had to replace the engine and i dont wanna do it to this on.

 

[stmitch]

I'd say go ahead and replace everything. It's not much more work to pull the synchro while you're in there, and give yourself some piece of mind.

 

[corrond56]

yep, do it all. Ideally you would place your truck at TDC and pull the synchro with the piece that passes the sensor right in front of the sensor as you pull it out but as long as you mark everything and make sure it goes back in EXACTLY as it came out you don't have to. Just take a bunch of pictures of how it looks with the sensor off, with the sensor on put a straight edge against the bolts and mark the head where they line up, disassemble, and reassemble so it looks just like it did before.

 

[acroteau23]

alright thanks guys. im replacing both of them today. i almost fell on the floor when the guy from ford told me the total tho....201 kinda high

 

[fourwheelford]

sounds about right from a dealer.

 

[acroteau23]

okay i need some help. i replaced the sensor and the synchronizer today. now my truck idles perfect and when i drive it it runs great in first but once it hits second gear around 3500 rpm it starts to like misfire. but under 3500 rpm in all gears it runs smooth. i did everything right, i took pictures of the old one before i took it out and marked it all. anyone have any idea? is it out of time?

 

[cush]

okay i need some help. i replaced the sensor and the synchronizer today. now my truck idles perfect and when i drive it it runs great in first but once it hits second gear around 3500 rpm it starts to like misfire. but under 3500 rpm in all gears it runs smooth. i did everything right, i took pictures of the old one before i took it out and marked it all. anyone have any idea? is it out of time?

does it do it over 4000rpm? when mine was going out i had a buck/jerk around 3000-4000 rpm

 

[McCormack]

Sounds like a vacuum leak... are you sure all the hoses and connectors and what-not are reconnected?

 

[acroteau23]

yeah thats what i was thinking. i dont understand why it only happens over 3500 rpm. wouldnt it run bad all the time if it was outa time and i put it in wrong? the oil pressure is perfect and it idles great

 

[McCormack]

If it was out of time then like you say it should run bad all the time, not just at higher RPM. Misfiring at higher RPM is a classic sign of a lean condition, so you might have a vacuum leak somewhere, or perhaps your fuel filter is plugged up, or maybe one of your emissions sensors (EGR; MAF; DPFE; etc.) is going bad.

 

[acroteau23]

i might try replacing the sensor again. i shut the code off to see if it would go back on and it did. it stilll reads the position sensor needs to be replaced. i got a sensor from pepboys so im thinking ill go to ford to get another and im hoping that will do it. what do you guys think?

 

[McCormack]

If the code is still being thrown for the cam sensor then that's the first place I'd start looking to try and correct your misfire. I've on more than one occasion had brand new parts fail right out of the box, so it's in the realm of possibility that your cam sensor could be bad even though it's new.

 

[itsnotreallyamazda]

i got mine at napa, the entire assembly. in under 50 miles the sensor went out. luckily i still had the old sensor (a ford sensor) since mine just chewed the synch gear i threw ohe old one back on and it runs great. for some reason she still dont read oil much pressure until the engine warms up a minuite or so.