Ford F150 Pickup. Manual — part 974

8. Remove the bolts, the bearing caps and the camshaft.

9. Clean and inspect the camshaft bearing caps.

One of the bearing caps contains an oil flow restriction groove. Make sure the groove
is free of foreign material.

Fig. 785: Locating Oil Flow Restriction Groove - 5.4L
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

All Cylinder Heads

CAUTION: Do not use metal scrapers, wire brushes, power abrasive

discs or other abrasive means to clean the sealing
surfaces. These tools cause scratches and gouges that

2003 Ford Pickup F150

2003 ENGINE Engine - 4.6L & 5.4L - F150 Pickup

10. Clean the cylinder head sealing surfaces.

1. Remove any large deposits of silicone or gasket material with a plastic scraper.

2. Apply silicone gasket remover, following package directions, and allow to set for

several minutes.

3. Remove the silicone gasket remover with a plastic scraper. A second application of

silicone gasket remover may be required if residual traces of silicone or gasket
material remain.

4. Apply metal surface prep, following package directions, to remove any remaining

traces of oil or coolant, and to prepare the surfaces to bond with the new gasket. Do
not attempt to make the metal shiny. Some staining of the metal surfaces is normal.

Assembly

All Cylinder Heads

1. Lubricate the camshaft journals with clean engine oil.

make leak paths. Use a plastic scraping tool to remove all
traces of the head gasket.

CAUTION: Observe all warnings or cautions and follow all

application directions contained on the packaging of the
silicone gasket remover and the metal surface prep.

NOTE:

If there is no residual gasket material present, metal surface
prep can be used to clean and prepare the surfaces.

2003 Ford Pickup F150

2003 ENGINE Engine - 4.6L & 5.4L - F150 Pickup

Fig. 786: Locating Camshaft Journals
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

Romeo Cylinder Heads (4.6L)

2. Install the camshaft and the camshaft bearing caps in their original locations.

Lubricate the camshaft bearing caps with clean engine oil.

Position the camshaft bearing caps.

Install the bolts loosely.

2003 Ford Pickup F150

2003 ENGINE Engine - 4.6L & 5.4L - F150 Pickup

Fig. 787: Installing Camshaft & Camshaft Bearing Caps - 4.6L
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

3. Tighten the bolts in the sequence shown.

2003 Ford Pickup F150

2003 ENGINE Engine - 4.6L & 5.4L - F150 Pickup