Cam phaser reluctor tone ring popped off the phaser

[Obi-Wan-YJ]

Tonight, we pulled the valve covers on our 2007 GT to (A) replace leaking gaskets, (B) identify the camshafts, and (C) fix the P0345+P0349 codes that indicate a flaky driver side cam position sensor.

(A) Pulling the valve cover gaskets is straightforward, but how do I replace the bolt gaskets? None of the youtube videos show that.

(B) I can tell by how the cam lobes are machined from the same stock as the camshaft that we do not have a factory cam. I could not find any identifying marks that could verify that it was a Mutha Thumpr. Pics attached.

(C) Turns out that one of the arms on the driver side cam phaser reluctor / tone ring plate was bent inward, probably due to a careless install of the cam by a previous owner. I'm sure that's what was causing the cam position sensor to miss a beat. I grabbed my pliers and bent the arm straight, then verified with feeler gauges that it had the same spacing as the other arms. While tweaking the spacing, the entire reluctor plate popped right off the front of the cam phaser!

That plate (pn G6046VT) is only held onto its backing plate by four little detent bumps that are press fit into four holes in the even thinner plate behind it. I tried to push it back into those holes, but it has no grip and just falls right back off. Is there ANY way that I can securely reattach this reluctor to the plate behind it without having to replace the entire phaser? Somebody suggested tack welding it back on, but I'm a little worried about throwing the plate out of balance, and I only have a stick welder (not MIG), which creates a very rough weld that burns clear through thin metal. Is this plate originally attached by some method that's more sure than just a press fit into holes? The passenger side phaser seems to be just fine.

Because of the big cam, I'm told that this engine has "Freedom Racing locked phasers." I'm not sure what the visual or functional difference is between those & the stock phasers, except that they limit the amount of phasing by some amount. Will that affect my ability to buy a replacement phaser, if that's even actually necessary?

When I pulled the spark plugs to facilitate rotating the engine, I found that the driver side plugs (same side as the bent tone arm) were in CONSIDERABLY worse shape than the passenger side. The points were almost completely gone. I'm guessing that's related to the ECU being confused about the cam position on that side.

 

[Samos3]

Remove the valve cover bolts gaskets by pushing the bolt and gasket out with a screwdriver. They should be stretchy enough to pry off the bolts or just cut them.

 

[StockishS197]

As for the phasers, anything internal on the engine is worth replacing vs trying to do it the cheap way.

Phasers are cheap enough to do it right and replace entirely (along with VCT limiters/lockouts) if you have the MT cams.

 

[Obi-Wan-YJ]

As for the phasers, anything internal on the engine is worth replacing vs trying to do it the cheap way.
Phasers are cheap enough to do it right and replace entirely (along with VCT limiters/lockouts) if you have the MT cams.

I guess my biggest hesitation there was the lockouts. I'm not the one who installed the cams or the tune, and I'm not sure exactly which parts I need in order to keep the setup that matches my tune. This is my son's car, and he's tight on cash, so his definition of "cheap enough" may differ from yours.

 

[StockishS197]

I guess my biggest hesitation there was the lockouts. I'm not the one who installed the cams or the tune, and I'm not sure exactly which parts I need in order to keep the setup that matches my tune. This is my son's car, and he's tight on cash, so his definition of "cheap enough" may differ from yours.

When looking at parts that could catastrophically fail and cost you $10k or more, the few hundred $ becomes very worth it.

Most limiters or lockouts are simply blocks put in the phaser to limit its phasing, so you could probably reuse the existing limiters.

 

[Midlife Crises]

That broken phaser is trash. Do not try to repair it. Not knowing what gorilla worked on the cam install, I would, at a minimum, replace both phasers with actual Ford Phasers and probably reuse the limiters/lockouts. New Ford Phaser bolts are also required. You don’t get to penny pinch on the valve train because when it fails it takes the rest of the engine with it.
How did that phaser get bent? Perhaps it was jammed to hold the cam from rotating while tightening the phaser bolt. I would be very concerned about that and for me, the front cover would have to come off for inspection.

 

[Obi-Wan-YJ]

Yeah, the bolts will get replaced either way. I certainly wouldn't bother using a cheap phaser in a stock configuration. However, with the lockouts, this phaser basically just becomes a mechanical sprocket, doesn't it? Nothing inside it moves any more. If we secure the tone rings, what failure modes still remain?

Is there a good source online for Motorcraft phasers, or do I need to phone my local dealership and go through them?

 

[Obi-Wan-YJ]

Well, I talked my son into replacing both phasers with FoMoCo versions. We found a pair on eBay at a good price (our local dealer wanted $300 each). That means the car will be sitting in the shop for a week while we wait for shipping, but it'll be worth it.