4.0 SOHC Timing Noise | Page 3 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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It's the metal backed guides making the extra noise, my old 2001 XLT, 4.0 2WD was slightly above silent like your 99, and the guy still drives it. I have an extra SOHC sitting here though, a 99 Sport, ford reman from the EARLY 2000s out a truck that didn't break 136K miles that's DEAD silent, like ZERO rattle. Gotta buy a truck eventually for that, thinking a mid 2000s Ranger.
My new one has zero rattle but you can hear the chains on the guides at 650 rpm hot like all the ones in These vids it's normal

I'll take a slightly noisy engine with better guides
Over a not much quieter one with all plastic guides
I am happy now I know it's normal now
 



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Just an FYI I pulled off the harmonic balancer and the front timing cover removed the chain guide to the balance shaft and cut the chain off the balance shaft and removed the tensioner part of the tensioner to the balance shaft. I removed the main chain tensioner and looked it over and looked at the main timing chain for imperfections and didn't find anything on the chain and minimum wear on the tensioner. For the hell of it, I put a $48 Ford brand main tensioner when I reassembled everything.

The results?

With my right hand on a stack of Bibles at least 80% of the noise is gone. I believe that the balance shaft bearings are worn because I DON'T believe the main chain tensioner would make any difference in the equation because it exhibited no sign of wear. The more observing and what little I can find on the internet about the balance shaft I would suspect it's spinning pretty fast (faster than the RPMs of the crank) and probably isn't worth a damn after 200k.

I have some videos of me cutting the chain and talking about the tensioners that I'll upload on youtube at some point.
 






Just an FYI I pulled off the harmonic balancer and the front timing cover removed the chain guide to the balance shaft and cut the chain off the balance shaft and removed the tensioner part of the tensioner to the balance shaft. I removed the main chain tensioner and looked it over and looked at the main timing chain for imperfections and didn't find anything on the chain and minimum wear on the tensioner. For the hell of it, I put a $48 Ford brand main tensioner when I reassembled everything.

The results?

With my right hand on a stack of Bibles at least 80% of the noise is gone. I believe that the balance shaft bearings are worn because I DON'T believe the main chain tensioner would make any difference in the equation because it exhibited no sign of wear. The more observing and what little I can find on the internet about the balance shaft I would suspect it's spinning pretty fast (faster than the RPMs of the crank) and probably isn't worth a damn after 200k.

I have some videos of me cutting the chain and talking about the tensioners that I'll upload on youtube at some point.
Happy to hear you got it quiet
 






I've left my balance shaft & chain in place, the bearings were fine. However I'd agree that it is a part of the engine that definitely produces noise.

Please let everyone know how it goes without it.

If I had to guess why there's a balance shaft, its because there is resonance somewhere in the engine and the balance shaft breaks it up somehow.
 






I think the balance shaft is in these engines due to there being a front driveshaft in 4WD trucks.
 






I think the balance shaft is in these engines due to there being a front driveshaft in 4WD trucks.

That is true and that is why it's on the opposite side as the front drive shaft. From driving around the past week I've not noticed any difference with or without it other than a quieter engine.
 






I had a 2WD truck with a 4WD motor in it and I couldn't tell anything was off, that was actually a really smooth truck.
 






I don't think balacnce shaft is related to front drive shaft vibrations. I've got this "counter weight" on the bracket that holds the front differential.

Do all EX's have this? Also another one at rear diferential.
IMG_20180817_173143.jpg
IMG_20180817_173143.jpg
IMG_20180817_173051.jpg
 






nope only seen that bracket and weight (vibration damper) on sport tracs
Gen II do not have this
all 95-01 have a weight on the 8.8 and 4wd have a weight on the t case. Only the sport trac and possibly only 2001 has the front diff vibration damper (weight) as far as I know right now.
 






Thankyou for that information, I've seen pics of the transfer case damper weights but never seen any info on weights on my sport trac.
 






I am building a 2001 Sport trac v8 right now
That weight on the front diff was a huge PITA to remove
First time I had ever seen one and I have built ALOT of explorers
This is my first ST build.
I am picking up another Sport trac (2002) next week I will be interested to see if it has it also

I almost always remove these dampers from the vehicles I build, I see them as band aids from the factory and I have never once had a vibration issue
 






Yes you're right a PITA to remove, which you must do to remove starter motor. This weight has been off since I rebuilt my motor and I've not noticed any adverse effects.

I may put it back assuming Ford had a good reason for doing this? However they also made the hydraulic tensioners that allow plastic timing parts to self destruct!

Since my rebuild I've put 300 trouble free miles on the ST. I labour this point regularly in my posts, "fit a pre-lube system" if you don't want timing chain problems. The v6 sohc becomes a trouble free motor, honestly! It was pre-lubed prior to rebuild, all my old timing parts were in good condition.

My rebuild was done due to aging ie me. Two or three years down the road I'll be 70 and I was up for it now, but maybe not by then?
 












That's the advantage you have over my pump and probably maintenance free. With a pump I could prime my rebuild a few times before start up, also after oil changes. That's splitting hairs though, any pre-lube system will 100% save those timing components for many thousands of miles.

As they say " pre-lube it or loose it "!!!!!!
 






That's the advantage you have over my pump and probably maintenance free. With a pump I could prime my rebuild a few times before start up, also after oil changes. That's splitting hairs though, any pre-lube system will 100% save those timing components for many thousands of miles.

As they say " pre-lube it or loose it "!!!!!!


Yep you are absolutely correct
The one disadvantage to mine is it holds a quart of oil
 






What about using manual timing chain tensioners?
I do not think anyone has done this yet.
I have installed them on our Polaris rzr engines (use same ford part) and the noise is gone because the tensioner is already under tension at start up.
 






What about using manual timing chain tensioners?
I do not think anyone has done this yet.
I have installed them on our Polaris rzr engines (use same ford part) and the noise is gone because the tensioner is already under tension at start up.
 






But what do you do with th oil galley in the heads
 






Nice! So it has been done.
Smart
Of course letting it slap around for sake of the video may not be the best choice.

Oil galley just stays there, oil can still flow into the tensioner, the galley hole is still present in the tensioner body.
The tensioner just no longer needs hydraulic pressure in order to pump up, instead it uses a spring and you set the tension then leave it there.
Over time spring wears out, you can tighten is up and reset it........
 



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In the OTC6488 timing kit is a assembly tensioner, for setting the tension on the chain. It is sprung but a little difficult to compress. It also sets the position of the chain on the cam shaft.

I'd seen that video before and wondered why it was not done and reported on by other owners of 4l sohc. It does seem like a fix but it would give a solid stop to the the plastic guides. My reason for not trying this is fear, it could be fine it could be a disaster.

I think little or no play in the tensioners may affect the timing, possibly stretching the timing chains under load/high rpm. Truth is I don't know, if someone is brave enough to try this please let us know the result!
 






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