Ford Repair: 2002 Ford Taurus, ford taurus, pushrod

Question
I have a 2002 Ford Taurus with around 120000 miles on it and have a problem with my car hopping or jumping a little bit right before im about to hit 4000rpm. Other than at the 4000rpm mark, there are no problems.

Answer
Hello Grant,
    Your car has the 3.0 pushrod engine VIN code U right? I have ran into before on Rangers and Taurus/Sable with that motor. What I have done to fix it was replace the camshaft synchronizer assembly and sensor, which is fairly difficult. A way to check it is to remove the two screws on the sensor(it's kind of hidden under the wiring harness at the rear of the engine by the throttle body. Check for rust residue inside the synchronizer. It's like a cut off distributor for the sensor to sit on, and the shaft fails from lack of oil. If you get what sounds like a belt squeak in the morning on startup or all the time, that is a sign that it needs to be replaced. The squeak causes a "noise" in the electrical pattern of the sensor, causing it to jump and buck. It's weird, and I came across it by chance, by unplugging the cam position sensor, and it went away. I hope this will help you. I'm sorry that it took a while to get back to you. Good luck!   Shaun.