Ford 5.4 Triton Firing Order
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The firing order of an engine is an important thing to know for a few reasons. If you are doing any modifications that have to do with ignition timing, you’ll have to be conscious of the firing order of your 5.4 Triton. This goes for tune-ups, cam upgrades, and other similar modifications. Knowing cylinder locations is also important to know in case your 5.4 throws a code for a specific cylinder.
Keep in mind, the firing order of an engine is different from knowing each cylinder’s numbered location. Since the purpose of a firing order is to balance out engine vibrations, the sequence on V8 engines, including the Triton, alternates between the left and right banks of the engine in a pattern that causes the least stress on the crankshaft.
For additional information about the Ford 5.4L Triton, take a look at our Ultimate 5.4 Triton Engine Guide.
Ford 5.4 Triton Firing Order
The Ford 5.4 Triton firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8. We’ll provide a visual aid for this below, but the Triton’s cylinders are numbered sequentially by bank. The cylinder bank on the passenger’s side is numbered 1 through 4, with cylinder number 1 being closest to the front of the vehicle. The cylinder bank on the driver’s side is numbered 5 through 8, with cylinder number 5 being the closest to the front of the vehicle.
This firing order applies to all of the V8 engines in the Ford Modular engine series except one. The 2011+ 5.0L Coyote V8 has a different firing order of 1-5-4-8-6-3-7-2. The 5.4 Triton’s 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 firing order is also the same as the older Ford 5.0 L HO and 351 CID.
Ford 5.4 Triton Firing Order Vehicle Applications
The Following 5.4 Triton-powered vehicles all share the same 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 firing order. That includes all variants of the 5.4 including 2-valve, 3-valve, and 4-valve V8s.
2-Valve Applications
- 1997-2004 Ford F-Series
- 1997-2004 Ford Expedition
- 1997-2004 Lincoln Navigator
- 1997-2017 Ford E-Series
3-Valve Applications
- 2002-2007 Ford Falcon/Fairmont Ghia
- 2003-2004 Ford Fairlane G220/G8
- 2004-2010 Ford F-Series
- 2005-2014 Ford Expedition
- 2005-2014 Lincoln Navigator
- 2006-2008 Lincoln Mark LT
4-Valve DOHC Applications
- 1999-2004 Lincoln Navigator
- 2002 Lincoln Blackwood
- 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
- 2007-2009 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500
- 2008-2009 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500KR
- 2010-2012 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500
- 2004-2006 Ford GT
- 2002-2008 Ford Falcon XR8/FPV GT
- 2007-2010 Ford Falcon FPV GT
Ford 5.4 Triton Spark Plug Issues
While it isn’t directly related to the 5.4 Triton firing order, it is important to note that the 5.4 is notorious for having spark plug issues. Pre-2002 versions of the 2-valve engines are prone to having spark plugs blow out of their holes and damage the cylinder head. Older 2004-2008 3-valve engines are prone to having the plugs break during removal. Ford fixed the issues in later versions of the engines. The primary solution to 5.4 Triton spark plug problems is to simply change them at a more frequent interval.
If you are interested in learning more about 5.4 Triton spark plug issues, take a look at our Ford Triton Spark Plug Issues Explained guide.
