4.0 V6 chain rattle - Percentage | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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4.0 V6 chain rattle - Percentage

bogart219

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Year, Model & Trim Level
2004 ford ranger edge
Hello. Just curious. I've been reading about the 4.0 chain rattle, broken guides, replacing tensioners, etc on this board for over a year. I had a slight rattle on start up that went away after a short time. I replaced the tensioners and this seemed to fix the problem. My question is does ALL 4.0 v6's have or is going to have this problem around the 130K to the 170k mile range? What percentage of explorer's with this engine with proper oil changes and maintenance not have this problem?
There are million of these engines out there .Are they all doomed to this failure? Thanks!!
 



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Every 4.0 sohc ever built will suffer timing chain failure. It's not if, it's when.
 






Hello. Just curious. I've been reading about the 4.0 chain rattle, broken guides, replacing tensioners, etc on this board for over a year. I had a slight rattle on start up that went away after a short time. I replaced the tensioners and this seemed to fix the problem. My question is does ALL 4.0 v6's have or is going to have this problem around the 130K to the 170k mile range? What percentage of explorer's with this engine with proper oil changes and maintenance not have this problem?
There are million of these engines out there .Are they all doomed to this failure? Thanks!!
I ran synthetic in my truck from 36,000 on and started getting the rattle at probably 180,000. I finally pulled the motor at 205,000 and did the job. The engine was incredibly clean inside. The ending was well maintained. There was no way the problem could have been avoided.
 






Thanks for the replies fellows. Guess I will sell it .
 






Mines rattled since 60,000 miles, I'm at 186,000 now, sounds like I'm one of the few lucky ones.
 






Mines rattled since 60,000 miles, I'm at 186,000 now, sounds like I'm one of the few lucky ones.

Doug, interesting. That sort of was my question.There is got to be millions upon million of these engines out there. Are they all going to need timing chain work because of plastic cassettes?
Doug, did you ever replace the tensioners to see if that would help?

A few other questions if anyone can answer:
1) From what I have read on here the plastic cassettes is the main problem. The material was updated a few times. The model years were 2000 to 2005. Is this correct?
2) From 2006 on, is this 4.0 v6 still being used but with different cassettes or was a new redesigned 4.0 introduced?
3) So this engine, 4.0 V6, from 2000 to 2005 is a problem in any Ford or Mercury vehicle during these years?
4) Being they "upgraded" the plastic a few years would later models during this time frame have a better chance of surviving this calamity?

Thanks for any info!
 






they changed the pin in the front one so you could split it to change it without pulling the head. I did the chains on my 07 at 190000 kms after the cassettes completely fell apart. I got lucky and the chains didn't go. I bought it at around 120000 if I remember right. Not sure of the previous owners maintenance but mine gets synthetic changes when the computer tells me it's due. The block is the same from 97 to 2010, the heads had some minor ergonomic changes. For some reason the mustang doesn't seem to be as hard on cassettes.
 






Doug, interesting. That sort of was my question.There is got to be millions upon million of these engines out there. Are they all going to need timing chain work because of plastic cassettes?
Doug, did you ever replace the tensioners to see if that would help?

A few other questions if anyone can answer:
1) From what I have read on here the plastic cassettes is the main problem. The material was updated a few times. The model years were 2000 to 2005. Is this correct?
2) From 2006 on, is this 4.0 v6 still being used but with different cassettes or was a new redesigned 4.0 introduced?
3) So this engine, 4.0 V6, from 2000 to 2005 is a problem in any Ford or Mercury vehicle during these years?
4) Being they "upgraded" the plastic a few years would later models during this time frame have a better chance of surviving this calamity?

Thanks for any info!
I don't know how each year is different, I'm sure it's probably discussed somewhere on this site. Everything is all original on mine, I've had the rattle at start up and during acceleration around 2300-2800 rpms for the last 125,000 miles, it hasn't got any worse that entire time, but I've always felt I was driving on borrowed time since hearing all these stories. Mines an early 2002 with a March 2001 build date.
 






I don't know how each year is different, I'm sure it's probably discussed somewhere on this site. Everything is all original on mine, I've had the rattle at start up and during acceleration around 2300-2800 rpms for the last 125,000 miles, it hasn't got any worse that entire time, but I've always felt I was driving on borrowed time since hearing all these stories. Mines an early 2002 with a March 2001 build date.

I've had a slight rattle at start up. I changed the tensioners and that seemed to take care of it.(132K miles) You have to assume that your cassettes are not busted as it drives fine any other time. Maybe your tensioners just need changed? I don't know.
 






2002 with 106K, no rattle yet. Since it is being retired to sporadic hauling duty around town it may be a while.
 






I did read a theory that the 2000 rpm rattle may not be the cassettes, but the spring tensioners on the primary jack shaft chain, or the balance shaft, in which case shouldn't be catastrophic, as the traction side already runs on large thick plastic runner.
 






The "gist" of all of this is that as the multitude of connecting, moving, power-transmitting links in a chain each wear a little bit, the total change in apparent chain length, commonly called "stretch", becomes enough to alter valve timing events. In an effort to overcome this, the designers added "tensioners" to take up chain slack due to wear. That idea works.

The wearing away of chain guides, supports, etc., is another matter altogether. Plastic is cheap for OEM. Metal to metal needs constant lubrication. So, if every chain working between two sprockets like the old familiar "timing chain" on V-8s, were conceptually used on OHC engines, without concern for "timing change" due to chain "stretch", we'd be home free.

We live with it, and work with it, and cuss and despise some of it. imp
 






The "gist" of all of this is that as the multitude of connecting, moving, power-transmitting links in a chain each wear a little bit, the total change in apparent chain length, commonly called "stretch", becomes enough to alter valve timing events. In an effort to overcome this, the designers added "tensioners" to take up chain slack due to wear. That idea works.

The wearing away of chain guides, supports, etc., is another matter altogether. Plastic is cheap for OEM. Metal to metal needs constant lubrication. So, if every chain working between two sprockets like the old familiar "timing chain" on V-8s, were conceptually used on OHC engines, without concern for "timing change" due to chain "stretch", we'd be home free.

We live with it, and work with it, and cuss and despise some of it. imp
 






I got 213k out of mine before I sold it with the rattle. With some more TLC it probably would have gone 250k but the person I sold it to abused it and it let go finally at about 230k.
 






The "gist" of all of this is that as the multitude of connecting, moving, power-transmitting links in a chain each wear a little bit, the total change in apparent chain length, commonly called "stretch", becomes enough to alter valve timing events. In an effort to overcome this, the designers added "tensioners" to take up chain slack due to wear. That idea works.

The wearing away of chain guides, supports, etc., is another matter altogether. Plastic is cheap for OEM. Metal to metal needs constant lubrication. So, if every chain working between two sprockets like the old familiar "timing chain" on V-8s, were conceptually used on OHC engines, without concern for "timing change" due to chain "stretch", we'd be home free.

We live with it, and work with it, and cuss and despise some of it. imp


Well said Imp. Some more questions. Wouldn't you think that the engineers who designed this engine were aware of all that? Or was this just a case of "planned obsolescence"?

Does/did no other car maker besides Ford use this design (chain guides)? If they did wouldn't they have the same issues?

This 4.0 is a interference correct? , where if the chain broke it could destroy the engine. Why design something like this? "planned obsolescence" again?

Someone on here said a while back that the plastic material used for the guides were improved 2 or 3 times during 2000 and 2005 I believe. This is what I was referring to as far s percentage.
Each improvement should of increase the percentage that these guides would last longer. I would think. Hell I don't know.
 






I think in the end, it all comes down to the almighty dollar. You have to remember that they basically are using a 50 year old engine design. The block and heads in the SOHC are almost identical to the OHV that has been around since the 60's. All they did was pull out the camshaft and fill in the rod holes. They threw a jackshaft in the place of the cam, added a space to run the chains up to the front and back of the heads and threw in an overhead cam. The overhead cam got rid of the valve float over 5000 rpm so they adjusted the cams to create more power at higher rpm. A look at the power curves of the 2 versions of the engine will show this. In order to have the gears at the size they are, a longer chain had to be used, and therefore constant tension was required. With all those extra moving parts something has to give, and it was the number of links in the chains. Im sure the reason for using plastic came down to money, and maybe a small amount to engine noise, and planned obsolescence. Im sure the bean counters had the cost of failure calculated to the last dime. The upgrade to the front guide allowing it to be removed without pulling the head did nothing but put more money in the bank in warranty repairs. I doubt longevity came into the puzzle at all. In the end I'm sure they made a fortune dragging this technology out as long as they did. I mean, they are the only domestic that didn't have to take a bailout in 07, so they must be doing something right. And you don't get rich writing a lot of cheques.
 















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I noticed my timing chain rattle a few years ago, not certain on mileage. I have 222,000+ miles now, and the chains are loud but no kaboom yet! I change oil every 3,000 miles or less and add STP engine treatment, which I believe has helped postpone the inevitable.

2005 4.0 SOHC Flex
 






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