cam alignment tool issue

[24gtmaxx]

hi guys, yesterday, i pulled the motor from my 97 explorer sport, its the 4.0 sohc, heres what i found

on the front of the motor, the timing chain guide is broken in 4 peices

on the chain that goes thru the head to the cam on the driver side (facing motor left side), that guide is broken and loose in there

on the rear timing chain, all appears ok, but still changing it anyway

i set the motor to tdc, locked the crank with the crank locking tool, the cam for the rear timing chain lined up perfectly with the cam alignment tool

however, the other side (front timing chain) it seems to be out of alignment by a tooth.

how can i line it up without rotating the crank alittle to get the tool to bolt to the head and hold it without turning??

i ordered my kit, but want to be ready when it gets here, so id like to get it all lined up before i proceed

any advice is appreciated

this is my first post, ive been reading all i can about timing chain issues and replacment
this is a great site for info

 

[waskly]

rotate the cam with no chain on it....

 

[2000StreetRod]

suggestions

hi guys, yesterday, i pulled the motor from my 97 explorer sport, its the 4.0 sohc, heres what i found

on the front of the motor, the timing chain guide is broken in 4 peices

I suggest that you replace the primary (crankshaft to jackshaft) tensioner as well as the guide. The replacement has 6 spring leaves instead of the stock 3 and a much stronger base.

on the chain that goes thru the head to the cam on the driver side (facing motor left side), that guide is broken and loose in there

on the rear timing chain, all appears ok, but still changing it anyway

i set the motor to tdc, locked the crank with the crank locking tool, the cam for the rear timing chain lined up perfectly with the cam alignment tool

however, the other side (front timing chain) it seems to be out of alignment by a tooth.

how can i line it up without rotating the crank alittle to get the tool to bolt to the head and hold it without turning??

i ordered my kit, but want to be ready when it gets here, so id like to get it all lined up before i proceed

any advice is appreciated

this is my first post, ive been reading all i can about timing chain issues and replacment
this is a great site for info

Make sure that the crankshaft is at TDC with the #1 cylinder in compression. The camshaft position sensor protrusion on the left camshaft should be above the axis of the camshaft as shown below.

The left and right camshaft sprocket retaining bolts will have to be removed in order to replace the cassettes. After cassette replacement the sprocket retaining bolts are in place but loose allowing the camshafts to rotate relative to the crankshaft. Timing of the camshafts using the OTC 6488 tool set is normally done after the front timing cover is installed. The tools when installed properly will align the camshaft relative to the crankshaft. There are only tools in the set to align one camshaft. The right one is done first and then the left one after moving the tools. Remember that the right (rear) camshaft sprocket retaining bolt loosens clockwise and tightens counterclockwise.

Your current timing could be off because of a weak primary tensioner and broken guide, because of the broken left guide assembly, because the chain slipped, or because there is no hydraulic pressure in the upper tensioners to make the chains taught. The spring pressure in the hydraulic tensioners is to weak to make the chains taught for accurate timing. That is why there is a special calibrated tensioner in the tool set.

Even though I timed my camshafts without the tool set I just purchased a used OTC-6488 for a better understanding of it use and convenience on possible future SOHC engines. If you have any questions on using the set I'll try to answer them.

The following threads may be of some use:
Rear Timing Chain Tensioner Replacement
SOHC V6 Timing Chain Inspection & Repair
SOHC V6 Rear Cassette Replacement

 

[24gtmaxx]

ill be replacing everything in the kit, tensioners, guides,sprockets, and chains

the motor is at tdc #1 on compression stroke

i pulled the crank pulley and front timing cover off found the broken parts, currently i have front cover back on so i could line up the timing marks

im guessing the next step to this would be to pull the crank pulley off again, remove the timing cover, reinstall the crank pulley, and relock it in place

once thats done, im not sure where to start, the left (front or driver side) cam is slightly out of time, do i loosen the bolt and rotate the cam so it aligns with the tool in the kit?

or should i do the right (pass side or rear) cam first?
does it make a difference? i read i need to leave the sprokets loose and set the timing after i do the primary chain with the cover in place.

but this confuses me , as i thought the sprockets are not on a keyway and once they are loosened the cams will spin out of time

thanks

 

[2000StreetRod]

accurate alignment not required for disassembly

It is not necessary to accurately align the camshaft with the crankshaft prior to disassembly.

If you PM me your e-mail address I'll send you disassembly/removal instructions and a copy of the 2005 Mustang SOHC V6 assembly instructions. It describes where to put RTV to prevent oil leakage. Does your rear crankshaft seal leak? It is much easier to replace when the engine is out and hanging from a crane.

 

[24gtmaxx]

i pm'ed you my email address

the motor is pulled and is on a stand (did it yesterday)

 

[24gtmaxx]

not sure if u got my pm

my email address is
24gtmaxx@gmail.com

thanks for your help

 

[2000StreetRod]

documents sent

i pm'ed you my email address

the motor is pulled and is on a stand (did it yesterday)

By now you should have received an e-mail containing three attachments. In my opinion they do not adequately explain the left cassette replacement. It is probably best to:

1. remove the primary (crankshaft to jackshaft) timing chain components
2. replace the left cassette
3. install the primary components
4. replace the right cassette
5. time the right cassette
6. time the left cassette

I may revise the above after giving it more thought. Since you don't have the replacement components yet, you can just remove things to be prepared for when your timing chain kit arrives. Do you have the balance shaft?

 

[24gtmaxx]

no balance shaft

 

[24gtmaxx]

just checked the kit and what is included, the jackshaft seal isnt included, i need to order that from the dealer, ill find the part number and order it


ill be doing this project this week, seems as though, the toughest part was pulling the motor, now its more technical, but with the emails i just got and printed out, ill be able to wrap my head around this, and get it done

any other literature you can email me, i would appreciate it, i can read it during the day while at work,lol any questions, ill post em here

thanks again

 

[2000StreetRod]

jackshaft rear plug

PN for the jackshaft rear plug is F77Z6026AB

I try to keep a list of parts with current part numbers here: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2420031&postcount=2

Since you don't have the balance shaft you may be able to replace the timing components without removing the upper oil pan/reinforcement section. When you removed the front timing cover did you damage the gasket section that fits between the bottom of the cover and the reinforcement section?

I got by without replacing the front timing cover seal. I was careful not to damage the seal when removing the front timing cover.

 

[24gtmaxx]

No I was very careful when I disassembeled everything
Even the waterpump and timing gaskets were not torn.
I will be replacing those and the valve cover, intake manifold gaskets
Also, I ordered them so its cheap insurance to me.

Thanks for the part number, ill b calling the dealer to order one
I just assumed it was in the kit, since I had to destroy it to
Remove it.
Sorry if this reply is choppy looking, I'm using my phone to reply
and I have no idea how its going to look on a PC screen

 

[janolsson]

Once again Dale has said everything.
I'll just add that once in there with the kit, following the mustang pdf you'll soon get your head around everything. Good wrenching

 

[24gtmaxx]

I should have my kit today, and new jackshaft plug tomorrow from Ford
I've read all the info in the emails
I will be doing primary chain and all parts related to it (tensioners,sprockets,etc)
once I remove the crankshaft locking tool and pull the sprocket and chain,(bolts will be loosened with tool in place) is there any chance the crank is going to rotate?
The cam alignment tool will b in place holding the left/front chain,sprocket,tensioners etc

Once I'm finished up front I will be doing the right/rear chain and all related components

Thanks in advance

 

[2000StreetRod]

left & front together

You shouldn't install the jackshaft front sprocket until the left cassette has been replaced. The left guide assembly lower mounting bolt is located behind the jackshaft front sprocket as shown below.

I suggest waiting until both cassettes are replaced before installing the front timing cover. The jackshaft front sprocket retaining bolt is torqued to a higher number than the jackshaft rear sprocket retaining bolt. There are problems if both the front and rear jackshaft bolts are loosened at the same time.

 

[2000StreetRod]

timing chain removal order

Here's an off the top of my head removal order for the timing chain related components.

Assumes that engine has been removed from vehicle and #1 piston is at TDC on compression stroke

loosen harmonic balancer retaining bolt (a chain attached between the flexplate and the head is one method to prevent the crankshaft from rotating)

remove flexplate

mount engine on stand

remove harmonic balancer

remove valve covers

remove lower oil pan to extract guide and tensioner fragments

remove oil pump pickup tube to extract fragments from screen

remove reinforcement section or front bolts that attach reinforcement section to front timing cover

remove front timing cover with water pump attached

remove jackshaft rear plug

loosen (counterclockwise) jackshaft rear sprocket retaining bolt while preventing crankshaft or jackshaft from rotating (the jackshaft front sprocket retaining bolt can be used to prevent the jackshaft from rotating)

loosen (clockwise) right camshaft sprocket retaining bolt (use OTC 6488 tools to prevent sprocket from rotating)

remove hydraulic/spring tensioner

remove guide assembly upper mounting bolt

remove guide assembly lower mounting bolt

remove jackshaft rear sprocket retaining bolt and spacer

remove right camshaft sprocket retaining bolt

remove right cassette (camshaft sprocket, guide assembly, chain and jackshaft sprocket)

remove jackshaft chain tensioner

remove jackshaft chain guide

remove left hydraulic/spring tensioner

remove jackshaft front sprocket retaining bolt (loosens counterclockwise) while preventing crankshaft or jackshaft from rotating (a chain attached between the jackshaft sprocket and the head is one method)

remove jackshaft front sprocket, chain and crankshaft sprocket as an assembly

loosen (counterclockwise) left camshaft sprocket retaining bolt (use OTC 6488 tools to prevent sprocket from rotating)

remove guide assembly upper mounting bolt

remove guide assembly lower mounting bolt

remove left camshaft sprocket retaining bolt

remove left cassette (camshaft sprocket, guide assembly, chain and inner jackshaft sprocket)

 

[24gtmaxx]

i got all the parts in fine, but as i was checking everything over, i see i made one critical mistake
i must have set tdc #1 on the exhaust stroke

i didnt see the crank position sensor until just a few mins ago, and its pointing down.

what should i do to correct this

i used the otc tool kit to make sure nothing moved, and all is lined up perfectly, just 180 off

i guess its a good thing i found this sooner than later.

 

[2000StreetRod]

common mistake

That is a common mistake even done sometimes by engine shops not familiar with the SOHC V6. The original Ford timing instructions were unclear. The engine will start and run (but poorly and with potential damage) with the camshafts 180 degrees off.

Have you torqued the front and rear jackshaft sprocket retaining bolts to specification? The jackshaft sprocket retaining bolts are torque-to-yield bolts and should not be reused. The camshaft sprocket retaining bolts are not torque-to-yield and may be reused.

I will assume that everything is assembled and torqued to specification. The first thing is to confirm that the camshafts are actually 180 degrees off. With the crankshaft at TDC check the slots at the end of the camshafts. The slots should be parallel to the head where the valve cover mounts. If one camshaft slot is above the axis of the camshaft and the other is below then the camshafts are 180 degrees off. If both slots are above the camshaft axis or both slots are below the camshaft axis then they are probably correct and the crankshaft has just been rotated 360 degrees.

 

[24gtmaxx]

Both slots are above the center axis of the cams, I thought it was odd that the tool didn't fit properly and proceeded.
Everything is torqued on the front, I have the back still not torqued yet, this is when I stopped because I noticed the cams positioning. Tab was not sticking up on the cam, instead it was pointing down.

So since both cams are the same (slot above center axis) its safe to continue?

Thanks for all your help n guidance thru this project.
when the motor purrs again, I owe it all to you.

Thanks again

 

[2000StreetRod]

close but not accurate

If you didn't install the tool then the cams will be close but not accurate. Remember, that since the crankshaft rotates twice as fast as the camshafts one degree of camshaft error represents two degrees of crankshaft error. You need to rotate the crankshaft 360 degrees and retime the camshafts using the tool. Since the SOHC V6 is an interference engine (pistons can strike valves if timing significantly off) the camshaft should be rotated with the crankshaft to keep the timing close. I suggest that you tighten the camshaft sprocket retaining bolts enough that the camshafts rotate when the crankshaft rotates. Then with the slots below centerline and the crank at TDC loosen the camshaft sprocket retaining bolts, install the tools, and retighten. Make sure to use the precision tensioner to keep the chain taught when timing the cams.