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3.4L Engine

  1. Remove engine cover. To remove right valve cover, remove right side of cowl vent screen. Disconnect vacuum hose from EGR valve. Remove EGR pipe from bottom of EGR valve.
  2. Remove power steering pressure hose. Remove 2 intake manifold supports. Remove front and rear intake manifold surge tank stays. Disconnect necessary vacuum and fuel vapor management hoses to remove intake manifold surge tank. Loosen intake air connector hose clamps and remove surge tank from intake manifold assembly. Remove ignition coils from right cylinder head. Remove bolts and right valve cover.
  3. To remove left valve cover, disconnect harness connector from Intake Manifold Runner Control (IMRC) deactivation motor. Remove IMRC deactivation motor from left valve cover. Remove ignition coils from left cylinder head.
  4. Remove radiator air deflector. Disconnect and position aside engine control sensor wiring as necessary to access left valve cover. Remove bolts and left valve cover.
  5. Rotate crankshaft in normal direction of rotation until camshaft lobe is directed 90 degrees or more away from valve tappet. Insert feeler gauge between camshaft and tappet. See Fig 1 .
  6. Ensure clearance is within specification. See VALVE CLEARANCE SPECIFICATION (3.4L)  table. If clearance is not within specification, remove and replace shim with correct thickness shim.
    VALVE CLEARANCE SPECIFICATION (3.4L) (1)

    Application In. (mm)
    Intake .006-.010 (0.15-0.25)
    Exhaust .010-.014 (0.25-0.35)
    (1) Clearance is checked with engine cold.
  7. To remove shim, insert lifter compressor (T89P-6500-A) between camshaft and tappet. See Fig 1 . Rotate lifter compressor to compress valve spring. Insert lifter holder (T96P-6500-AH) between camshaft and tappet bucket.
  8. Remove shim by blowing compressed air through hole in tappet shim. Install shim of correct thickness with number facing downward. Remove lifter holder. Recheck clearance. Rotate crankshaft and repeat procedure for all valves as necessary.
  9. To install valve covers, replace any damaged valve cover gasket(s). Apply silicone gasket sealant at 4 places on each cylinder head (valve cover sealing surface) where front cover and camshaft seal retainers align. Install valve covers and tighten to 71-106 INCH lbs. (8-12 N.m.). To complete installation, reverse removal procedure.
Fig 1: Checking Valve Clearance (3.4L Engine)
G96C29183Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.