[offroadnt]

Those are not cam phaser symptoms...

You need to diagnose this properly. Cam phasers should not cause the engine to run rough, start with checking for engine fault codes then go from there. We have two F150s with 5.4 3V engines @ about 350,000km and they are both fine. One got a dose of water in the fuel and caused two injectors to fail, one injector I found and replaced right after the incedent, the other was intermitant and it took almost two years to figure out. When it acted up it displayed almost the exact symptoms you are describing.

 

[offroadnt]

Been reading this and following the videos because I have the startup tick in my 2008 that I have ignored so far but maybe I now have a job to do.

Check your exhaust manifolds, I bet you have a few broken studs and it's leaking there, goes away after a few minutes. Mine is right side front bolt.

I will put out that I had kind of similar symptoms Anvil is describing. Hard to say for sure. It was winter and going down the highway and my truck started running like crap. Stalled, would start and drive a bit, stall, sometimes idle, sometimes played with gas pedal. Eventually got it home the last 10 miles and did the fuel treatment and whatever else to solve a fuel issue. Eventually figured out the air density sensor in intake duct was dirty. A 10 minute cleaning solved it all.