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This is to post your solutions to various issues such as re-routing idle air pathways, location of PCV Connections, and anything else that benefits The Gadgetman Groove modification.
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TOPIC: Ford Triton 5.4L PCV re-route '03 F-150

Ford Triton 5.4L PCV re-route '03 F-150 26 Jan 2014 19:24 #1

  • Tracy Gallaway
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I'm going to show in words and pics how I re-routed the PCV system on a '03 Ford F-150 4WD Super Crew, w/ the Triton 5.4L engine. This one is kinda "cute" and took a bit of figuring out.

First the PCV valve in pass. side valve cover is confusing--looks like 3 hoses connect to it. Ford uses a heated PCV system sometimes, this one has it. Look closely at the silver PCV valve and there's 2 hoses heading away from it below the actual PCV hose--those are coolant lines, there is a tight u-bend steel pipe in a bracket at top of PCV, hoses are on ends of that. Same 2 coolant lines also found at the side of intake manifold where one of the 2 (yes 2) manifold vacuum nipples that draw on this PCV is located.

So there's the odd coolant hoses around the PCV valve, and around the manifold vacuum nipple behind the TB on passenger side.



Visible is the open hose that goes onto pcv valve top. It's a rubber right angle hose that connects PCV valve to a black plastic pipe, this plastic pipe has a branch about 5 inches away. The branch has another rubber right angle hose connecting to ANOTHER short plastic tube. This plastic tube in turn goes to the vacuum nipple on side of intake manifold here:


The first, main plastic black pipe, goes past the branch and heads around to back of engine, in I-can't POSSIBLY get-in-there-land, winds up on another large vacuum nipple on lower intake manifold at rear. Instead of trying to hassle w/ this ridiculously tight nipple, I chose to leave this plastic long pipe in place, and cap the open ends. 2 vinyl caps seal off this pipe, which IS connected to Manifold vacuum at engine rear where my hands wouldn't fit. The other manifold vacuum nipple w. the 2 coolant lines attached(!) gets its own vinyl cap and clamp for good measure. See it and the capped plastic PCV pipe here:





screwdriver tip points out one of the 2 caps

I dont yet know what Ford had in mind w/ 2 manifold vac. ports drawing on the PCV Valve. But I capped off both of them anyhow.
You can see the 3/8" fuel hose now attached to top of PCV Valve, and it goes around to the driver side, for the re-route part of this mod.




Here is the stock air duct on the TB, top plastic pipe is air to IAC valve, lower pipe is breather hose to driver valve cover. OK- all there is to do is splice the 3/8" hose from the PCV valve into the lower Breather pipe.










Easy with these parts, a 5/8" by 5/8" by 3/8" tee, a piece of 5/8" heater hose. Also shown is the 3/8" fuel hose, one of the vinyl vacuum caps and the rubber 90 deg. fitting originally on PCV valve.
Connected up it's like this:
Guess I hit the limit for photo uploads to the Site. I'll do a Part 2 to show the last photos. One nice thing about this re-route is it's near invisible, if you don't know exactly what to look for, you wouldn't see it! And this re-route did make the throttle a bit snappier!

Tracy G
Tracy Gallaway
Founder and Constant Aide to Gadgetman
Gadgetman Reno, NV

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Ford Triton 5.4L PCV re-route '03 F-150 04 Feb 2014 17:22 #2

  • Willis
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HI, Tracy
wow where do you buy these T's cant find them anywhere. Do you order
them from somewhere if so, please inform me where. You know these
5/5x5/5x3/8 T;s
thanks willis

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Ford Triton 5.4L PCV re-route '03 F-150 04 Feb 2014 22:02 #3

  • Tracy Gallaway
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Hi Willis, I got mine at O'Reilly Auto Parts. I have found tees at Home Depot and similar hdware stores too look in the Irrigation supplies section, maybe a Farm and home type store. Not this exact tee, but that's what the pic is for to show a part#. See if it's in the Help! parts section, maybe try a NAPA store. Ask a good parts person. Sometimes ya gotta get creative w/ tees, might have to do some combo to accomplish the goal. There's nothing holy about this tee, it just happened to be available and give an elegant hookup.

I should mention- there's nothing wrong with using larger diameter hoses in long legnths like 3-4 ft. long to do a pcv re-route. I learned this from the Condensator product. So if the PCV valve uses a 3/8" i.d. hose, you could adapt up to say a 5/8" or even 3/4" i.d. hose. Larger internal diameter and longer hoses increase volume compared to say a shorter 3/8" i.d. hose right? Longer hose gives more time for gasses to condense. larger I.D. slows down the velocity of the gasses. So this helps the gasses to slow, cool and condense--and IF you are trying to keep the stuff from being puked back into the air intake duct by using an air-oil separator, then this bigger hose trick will help. JV's unfortunate exp. with water freezing in his setup shows that there IS water vapor present--all-alumnum engines will be more susceptible to this, my Subaru is that type and produces lots of water condensation in the crankcase ventilation hoses.

I may start another thread about the PCV and re-route issue, I've got a lot to say, so do others! :cheer:

Tracy G
Tracy Gallaway
Founder and Constant Aide to Gadgetman
Gadgetman Reno, NV
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Last edit: by Tracy Gallaway. Reason: more info as usual!

Ford Triton 5.4L PCV re-route '03 F-150 07 Feb 2014 13:31 #4

  • Willis
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Thanks Tracy;
I have a question. would you please tell me whether the 2004-2010 triton 5.4 are
the same as to whether the groove will drill through and does it need any other
consideration like IAC adjustments because the throttle bodies are different slightly.
thanks for your help
Kirk

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Ford Triton 5.4L PCV re-route '03 F-150 08 Feb 2014 00:12 #5

  • Tracy Gallaway
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Kirk- answer depends on configuration of the TB in question.

I've just done an '05 Ford V6 4L TB, it was plastic and required a different strategy than aluminum. Plastic Ford TB's are thinner bore walls, I advise a Med. bit for those, and substantial epoxy back-filling is needed in several places, I also did a complete fill-in, bore wall contour match and IAC air hole drilled thru the fill for the IAC air port.

Next, if the TB in question is aluminum, is it cable drive or Drive By Wire (DBW)? I've not yet done a Ford DBW- but on the Chevy Vortec ones that are DBW there's a specific strategy for Groove location, and I suspect Ford's will be similar. You are looking on DBW TB's for a dark carbon stain that builds up behind the throttle plate on the bore wall, this black stain will go right up to where the throttle butterfly plate is positioned at hot engine idle RPM. DBW TB's typically lack any IAC passage and valve, instead the computer positions throttle plate at a slightly open angle at hot idle. The plate is moved further open for cold start idle, and will gradually close to the hot idle position as engine warms up. So- the plate will spend most of the time at the hot idle position when AT idle, therefore fine dirt and residual fuel vapor in manifold at hot engine shutdown will build up a black stain on the bore wall. The stain will have a sharp or pretty sharp edge to it at upstream end, denoting where the plate sits at hot idle. The Groove must be positioned a bit downstream from the edge of this black stain so the plate does not engage the Groove at idle. If it does, you can have an engine that will be making more power than normal at idle and not idle right. MY first Chevy Vortec 5.3 DBW Groove-the truck idled at 18MPH, had to stand on the brakes to hold it, would not idle properly. Had to fill the Groove and re-do it.

I did a Ebay quick search for '04 Ford 5.4L Triton TB's- and saw varying results of TB types. Some cable drive single barrel ones, some cable drive 2 barrel ones, and some single barrel DBW ones, and descriptions of these Ford 5.4 TB's covered the whole range of model years. I have done Ford Triton 6.8 and 5.4 Triton's, but only '99 and '03.

With the Ford DBW type's, there is NO IAC, idle air goes past throttle butterfly plate, depending on throttle angle. Further, (I don't know EXACT details yet) the Ford DBW TB's require some special procedure if the TB is swapped. SO- if you are going to do a Ford DBW TB Groove--it's best to do the one that's ALREADY ON the vehicle to avoid the swap issue, far as I know so far. AND-- you definitely DON'T want the throttle body to have been cleaned inside, you need that dark stain to indicate hot idle butterfly position. W/ the Chevy Vortec's we just put a business card under the plate on opposite side of plate from Groove, and hold or block the plate closed against the card, this uaually works to give the right position to cut the Groove. I'm thinking that Ford's will be similar. Basically- you look at the stain, and put the plate a bit downstream from that edge, so that the plate will cross over it at light acceleration. You have to find a position so the Groove is engaged at the right time, not instantly right off hot idle, but just a tad after that in plate rotation.

Kirk, to give more accurate info to you, I NEED to see pic's of what you're gonna Groove. The 99-03 Ford's I've done, 1 and 2 BBL types, were cable drive, aluminum, very straight forward, easy to get great results with. Newer ones may require more attention and care, I need to learn the newer ones too. I was going to wait for results on the plastic '05 4L V6 Ford I just did to post it w/ pics. But if you are looking at a plastic Ford TB, lemme know here and I'll post the pics and explanations of strategy I used.

If any other Gadgetman have done the '04 and up Ford 5.4L Triton, or, heck, ANY Ford's newer than '03, please jump in here and share!

Happy Grooving!

Tracy G
Tracy Gallaway
Founder and Constant Aide to Gadgetman
Gadgetman Reno, NV

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Ford Triton 5.4L PCV re-route '03 F-150 10 Feb 2014 09:04 #6

  • Willis
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Hi Tracy

I followed your outline for PCV valve reroute using your pictures
I believe I have I right, but now my engine is losing oil and sweating
that beige gook in my oil cap and dip stick a lot think I will change it
back until I understand what I did wrong if anything why is this happening?
me thinks I did this reroute correct, any suggestions?
thanks for your help.
Kirk :

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Ford Triton 5.4L PCV re-route '03 F-150 10 Feb 2014 21:15 #7

  • Tracy Gallaway
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Yeah Kirk, I've seen the same issue on my own Subaru after I capped/re-routed it's PCV. In winter cold and wet weather there's more water vapor and condensation in crankcases. PCv system pulls that stuff thru into intake to burn it. The yellow/tan gunk is oil/water mixing. That's why I made the home built Air Oil separator, described in post on front page of the forum. Also in back Index area in Service bulletins is info about using OEM euro type AOs's they usem 'em a lot on euro made vahicles. This tan junk is the unfortunate side effect from capping PCv vac. source. Be sure that the PCv hose connects to air intake duct either directly or tee'd into breather hose. Don't just cap off both ends of PCV, as a reminder. Might just reconnect PCV back to stock till spring warmer weather, this has been a bear of a winter. As a refresher I posted links to general info re:PCV systems on forum front page.

I think this winter is causing a high degree of crankcase water vapor, so make sure PCv is venting, add an AOS to the crankcase ventilation system when it's been re-routed, or go back to stock till warm weather. Dan has said, and he's quite right that properly processed, the gunk can be made into a fuel/fuel enhancer. This is a major subject in itself, I'm doing research, I don't have a workable method for this yet. We could use input about this one! :unsure:

Tracy G
Tracy Gallaway
Founder and Constant Aide to Gadgetman
Gadgetman Reno, NV

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