2003 - 2006 Ford Expedition 5.4L Torque Specs


2003 Expedition 5.4L Complete Torque Specs List

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Ford Expedition 5.4L Repair Information

Ford Expedition 5.4L Engine Repair Information

Here you can find information regarding the assembly of the Ford 5.4L Modular engine. In this guide we will start from the inside of the engine including the crankshaft, connecting rods, and piston ring installation and then move outwards all the way to the pulley belt system. Along the way correct procedures and torque specs will be given to aid in the assembly of the engine. Feel free to start from the beggining and work your way outwards or skip ahead to your current position in the engine for what you may need.

Crankshaft Main Caps Installation

Ford 5.4L engine block
The 5.4L modular engine block has 2 different methods of main cap fasteners. One of which is the Romeo styled that uses jackscrews that screw into the caps from the side of the engine. The other is a Windsor style that uses tapered dowel pins to fasten the main caps. It is important to know which ones your engine has before assembly as there are differences between the two. The most significant one being the thrust bearing washers.

 

 

 

 

Romeo Styled Main Caps

Ford 5.4L Romeo jackscrews
To install the Romeo main caps you must first install the caps and start by torquing them to 30 ft-lbs and then an additional 90 degrees. Afterwards you can torque the jackscrews to 7 ft-lbs, then the cross bolts to 15 ft-lbs starting from the center bolt and moving outwards.

 

 

Ford Expedition Romeo Main Cap Torque Specs : 30 ft-lbs + 90°

Ford Expedition Romeo Jackscrew Torque Specs : 7 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Romeo Cross Bolts Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

 

Windsor Styled Main Caps

Ford 5.4L Windsor dowel pins
To install the Windsor main caps you must first torque the main caps the same as the Romeo's being 30 ft-lbs and then an additional 90 degrees. Afterwards you can hammer in the dowel pins into place and then install the side cross bolts and torque to 24 ft-lbs and then an additional 90 degrees. All bolts should be lubricated with oil before installing.

 

 

 

 

Ford Expedition Windsor Main Cap Torque Specs : 30 ft-lbs + 90°

Ford Expedition Windsor Cross Bolt Torque Specs : 24 ft-lbs + 90°

 


Piston and Connecting Rod Installation

Ford 5.4L piston ring installation
To install the pistons and connecting rods you must first install the piston rings into each piston. Be careful not to stretch the rings or break them during installation. Make sure to put the correct rings in the correct positions, this can be determined by looking at the instructions given with the new rings. Each ring manufacturer is different so be sure to check for your specific rings. Once the rings have been installed you can now fit the connecting rod bearings into the end caps and lube them up with oil or lithium grease. The piston can now be lowered into the cylinder, make sure the dot or mark is facing the front of the engine and that you don't scratch the cylinder. Once installed you can match the connecting rod caps with the correct rods and start to torque the connecting rod bolts to 25 ft-lbs and then an additional 90 degrees. After all are done rotate the crank to ensure all pistons move smoothly in and out of their cylinders.

Ford Expedition Connecting Rod Torque Specs : 25 ft-lbs + 90°

 

Oil Pump Installation

Ford 5.4L oil pump installation
When installing the oil pump be sure to use the proper sealant around the pump base to ensure that oil pressure doesn't drop due to leakage. After preparing the contact surfaces carefully install the oil pump onton the crankshaft by aligning the crankshaft flat points with the pumps own points. Once installed install the bolts and torque them to 8 ft-lbs. After torqueing the bolts be sure to prime the pump with the proper engine oil, this ensures that when the engine is initially started that oil is already present in the pump and that the engine doesn't start without any oil flowing inside of it.

 

Ford Expedition Oil Pump Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs
Expedition Oil Pump Pickup Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

 

Cylinder Head Installation

Ford 5.4L cylinder head installation
The first thing you must do when installing cylinder heads is to ensure both the block and head surfaces are completely clean from dust, oil, and any debris. The next thing you must to is to set the camshafts to their correct positions to prevent any valves from hitting pistons during installation and torquing of the head bolts. Much the same you have to set the pistons to their correct locations, typically this means putting the #1 piston to TDC or Top Dead Center. Once everything is ready you can install the head gasket onto the engine block by aligning the alignment dowels. Something I usually do is spray down the head gasket with some engine copper spray from permatex which you can find here, this ensures that any gaps that could be present between the 2 surfaces gets filled with the spray. It also helps to transfer heat between the 2 metals. With the gasket in place you can set the cylinder head onto the gasket and block, if needed have someone assist with this process as the head can be heavy and you don't want to scratch anything or drop it! Once the head has been placed you will want to start installing the head bolts to make sure it doesn't move. Be sure to buy new head bolts as many manufacturers use TTY or Torque to Yield head bolts meaning they stretch during torqueing and cannot be used twice. Also make sure to lubricate the bolts in clean engine oil before installing them into the head. Once all the head bolts have been installed and finger tightened you can start the torqueing process, almost all head bolts have a multi-step process for torqueing. The 5.4L starts off with 30 ft-lbs and then an additional 90 degrees then requires you to back them off a full turn. Then you must again torque them to 30 ft-lbs and add 90 degrees then an additional 90 degrees for a total of 180 degrees after the 30 ft-lbs but by going through each bolt with each step. After torquing the heads are completely installed and you can now move to intalling the timing.

Ford Expedition Cylinder Head Torque Specs : 30 ft-lbs + 90° + 90°

 


Timing Chains and Guides Installation

Ford 5.4L Timing chain installation
To start with the timing chain installation you must first locate and install the timing gears in their correct locations. In total you should have 5 gears included with the timing set. We will start with the smaller 2 of the 5, the crankshaft timing gears. These gears slide onto the crankshaft starting with the larger of the 2 with the shoulder side of the gears facing away from the engine or towards the timing cover as shown in the picture. The next gears to install are the camshaft timing gears if you haven't already when installing the cylinder head. The cam timing gears have a key slot cut into them to ensure they are installed in the correct location. They are also marked L and R for left and right and can be installed accordingly onto the camshafts with the L one on the left hand side and the R on the right hand side. Once placed you can install the retaining bolts into the camshafts and torque them to 85 ft-lbs if they are M12 or 30 ft-lbs and then 90 degrees if they are M10's while also holding onto the camshaft with a large wrench or crescent wrench to avoid it from moving. With the gears installed you can now place the timing chains onto the gears starting with the further back one. Be sure to align the painted marks on the chain to the dotted marks on the gears. Once you have both of the chains installed correctly you can now install the timing chain guides in their correct positions with the adjustable one on the tensioner side as shown in the picture. The chain guides torque specs are 18 ft-lbs, with all the guides installed you can now preload the tensioner and install it onto the engine block. The tensioners torque specs are the same as the guides being 18 ft-lbs. With them torqued into place you can now release the preloaded spring and allow it to tension the chains. Now you can install the 5th gear or the reluctor wheel onto the crankshaft. This is an important step of the process as it tells the sensors which position the crank is currently in.

Ford Expedition Cylinder Camshaft Bolt Specs (M12): 85 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Cylinder Camshaft Bolt Specs (M10): 30 ft-lbs + 90°

Ford Expedition Chain Guide Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Chain Tensioner Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

 

Timing Cover Installation

Ford 5.4L Timing cover installation
The timing cover on the 5.4L is rather large and is a very important component that keeps the oil insdie the engine rather than leaking out onto the ground. For this reason I recommend using a new gasket along with some silicone sealant to ensure the cover does it's job. Another important thing about the timing cover is that it holds the crankshaft seal into place. Be sure to check out your seal for any defects and or cracks. If your seal looks to be in good condition then you can reuse it without a problem as long as you coat it with some clean engine oil before installing the cover. To prepare the cover for installation you should clean both the cover's surface as well as the engine blocks surface. Next you can install the new gasket onto the cover and follow it up with some silicone sealant. I always use permatex's ultra black silicone sealant as it has an advance formula to resist engine oil. Once the gasket and silicone has been placed onto the cover you can carefully place it onto the block and start to install the cover bolts. If you used sealant be sure to follow the instructions included with the product for the best results! There are two types of cover bolts, the ones that screw into the engine block and the ones that screw into the cylinder head. The ones that go into the block torque to 20 ft-lbs while the ones that go into the cylinder head torque to 35 ft-lbs.

Ford Expedition Timing Cover to Block Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Timing Cover to Head Torque Specs : 35 ft-lbs

 

Oil Pan Installation

Ford 5.4L Oil Pan installation
Much like the timing cover on the 5.4L the oil pan plays an important role in keeping the engine oil inside the engine. For this reason I recommend using a new gasket as well as some silicone sealant during installation. Using the same technique as before with the cover you clean the surfaces of both the oil pan and the engine block and then install the new gasket onto the block and then follow it up with some silicone sealant. Be sure to follow your sealants instructions to ensure you get the best seal from your application. The oil pan bolts torque to 15 ft-lbs and then an additional 60 degrees in a cross patterns design. Along with the pan is the oil pan drain plug, this gets removed and reinstalled quite frequently and can be torqued down to 10 ft-lbs.

Ford Expedition Oil Pan Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs + 60°

Ford Expedition Oil Drain Plug to Head Torque Specs : 10 ft-lbs

 


Valve Covers Installation

Ford 5.4L Valve Cover installation
The valve cover installation is rather simple, there are rubber seals for each bolt hole and a silicone gasket that prevents oil from leaking out of the engine. It is recommended to replace both the seals and the gaskets although if they are in good condition you can reuse them. If you do choose to reuse them I would use some silicone sealant along with the silicone gasket to ensure it does not leak. The valve cover bolts torque down to 106 in-lbs or about 9 ft-lbs in a criss cross order. Be sure not to miss any bolts to avoid having oil leak out onto the exhaust pipes and cause a lot of smoking.

Ford Expedition Valve Cover Torque Specs : 9 ft-lbs

 

Intake Manifold and Fuel Rail Installation

Ford 5.4L Intake Manifold installation
When installing the intake manifold you want to make sure you have all the surfaces as well as intake holes cleaned out before placing the manifold into position. Once cleaned you can then place the intake manifold gaskets onto the alignment pins. If you want you can also use a little bit of sealant on the gaskets to help ensure there are no leaks. With the gaskets in place you can now put the manifold down onto the gaskets and begin to install the bolts. The intake manifold bolts torque to 18 ft-lbs and can be tightened starting from the inside and going outwards. The COPs or the coils for the spark plugs get torqued down to 60 in-lbs or about 5 ft-lbs and the spark plugs themselves can be torqued down to 15 ft-lbs, be careful not to overtorque these as they can snap and cause big problems. When installing the fuel rail make sure that all the fuel injectors are in good condition and that all the o-rings are in place and are in good condition. If everything is good you can place the fuel rail into position and push the injectors into their holes and start to torque the rail bolts to 90 in-lbs or about 8 ft-lbs.

Ford Expedition Intake Manifold Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Ignition Coil Torque Specs : 5 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Spark Plug Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Fuel Rail Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

 

Exhaust Manifold Installation

Ford 5.4L Exhaust Manifold installation
The exhaust manifold can be installed by cleaning the surface areas on both the head an the manifold itself and then by using the exhaust manifold gasket and putting it in place. Once the gasket is in location you can put the manifold onto the heads and begin to torque the bolts to 18 ft-lbs. I always use some copper spray from permatex on the exhaust manifold gaskets to ensure I do not end up with any exhaust leaks once done. When you go to install the engine into the vehicle or if it is already in the vehicle the torque specs for the exhaust manifold to the exhaust pipes is 25 ft-lbs.

 

Ford Expedition Exhaust Manifold Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Exhaust Pipe Torque Specs : 25 ft-lbs

 

Water Pump and Thermostat Installation

Ford 5.4L Water Pump installation
The water pump can be installed by using a new gasket and if desired some silicone sealant to aid it. Once prepared the pump can be moved into placed and the bolts should be torqued to 20 ft-lbs. The water pump pulley can be torqued to the water pump itself with 20 ft-lbs as well.

 

 

 

 

Ford Expedition Water Pump Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Water Pump Pulley Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

 


Front Dress and Pulley belt Installation

Ford 5.4L Pulley and Belt installation
Most of what is left on the engine is just place and tighten objects such as the belt pulleys, belt tensioner, throttle body, oil filter neck, crankshaft pulley, and motor mounts. If the items have a gasket and hold either oil or coolant inside the engine then feel free to add some sealant along with the gasket. Always be sure to inspect your gaskets and replace them if there is any deteriation or flaws with them. Before installing the belt system you can install the oil filter neck that is used for installing new oil filters. This part should have a new gasket and can be torqued down to 20 ft-lbs. For the belt system the crank shaft pulley gets torqued to 35 ft-lbs and then an additional 90 degrees. The belt tensioner and idler pulley can both be torqued down to 20 ft-lbs. When installing be sure they both turn smoothly and if they do not then replace them with new ones as the bearings can go bad. The engine motor mount can be installed onto the engine block if it hasn't been already, the torques for the mount to the block is 30 ft-lbs and then when installing the mount to the vehicle it can be torqued anywhere from 95-125 ft-lbs. Finally the throttle body can be installed on top of the intake manifold with a good gasket and some added sealant using 7 ft-lbs in a criss cross pattern. For installing the belt you can use a tool to move the tensioner into its springed state and install the belt as shown in the picture.

Ford Expedition Oil Neck Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Crankshaft Pulley Torque Specs : 35 ft-lbs + 90°

Ford Expedition Idler Pulley Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Belt Tensioner Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Engine Mount to Block Torque Specs : 30 ft-lbs

Ford Expedition Engine Mount to Frame Torque Specs : 120 ft-lbs

 


Timing Torque Specs
Timing Cover Torque spec block: 18 ft-lbs Head: 35 ft-lbs
Timing Guides Torque spec 8 ft-lbs
Timing Tensioner Torque spec 18 ft-lbs
Camshaft Bolts Torque spec 85 ft-lbs (M12) or 30 ft-lbs + 60° (M10)
Cylinder Head Torque Specs
Cylinder Head Torque Specs 30 ft-lbs + 90° | loosen | 30 ft-lbs + 90° + 90°
Valve Cover Torque specs 9 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold Nuts Torque specs 18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold Flange Torque 30 ft-lbs
Bottom End Torque's
Main Cap Bolts Torque Spec 30 ft-lbs + 90°
Jackscrews (Romeo style) 7 ft-lbs
Crossbolts (Romeo style) 15 ft-lbs
Crossbolts (Windsor style) 25 ft-lbs + 90°
Connecting Rod Bolts Torque Spec 25 ft-lbs + 90°
Oil Pump Torque Specs 8 ft-lbs
Oil Pump Pickup Tube Torque Specs 8 ft-lbs
Oil Pan Torque Specs 15 ft-lbs + 60°
Oil Pan Drain Plug Torques 10 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold and Fuel Rail Torque Spec
Intake Manifold 18 ft-lbs
Fuel Rail Torque Specs 8 ft-lbs
COP's (Ignition Coil Packs) 5 ft-lbs
Spark Plugs Torque Specs 25 ft-lbs
Throttle Body Torque Specs 7 ft-lbs
Water Pump & Pulley Torque Specs
Water Pump Torque Specs 20 ft-lbs
Water Pump Pulley Torque Specs 19 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley Torque Spec 35 ft-lbs + 90°
Belt Tensioner Torque Spec 18 ft-lbs
Belt Idler Pulley Torque Spec 18 ft-lbs
Motor Mount (Engine Side) Torque 30 ft-lbs
Motor Mount (Frame Side) Torque 95-125 ft-lbs
Oil Filter Neck Torque Spec 20 ft-lbs