timing chain replacement on 4.0 liter sohc

[bluestream1]

I tend to disagree. I have 280,000 on my 94 and she is still running great. Sure she has parts go wrong. What vehichle dont? I think they are still young at 197.

Your 94 does not have the SOHC engine prone to the chain problems. If you can do your own work and just have to buy parts you can make a vehicle last forever. Most persons have to pay labor and that makes keeping an older vehicle less desirable...

 

[Dave98XLT]

I have 207k on my 98 SOC and have used M1-5w30 for the entire engine life and it runs like a top. I think synthetic 5w30 is recommended to prolong the life of this component.

I also think the front guides were replaced under warranty but I don't think the rear one was done. At what point do I risk engine damage and have to do this repair?

How much should I expect to pay for this job? How much for parts and how many hours of labor?

 

[2009KVFD976]

Im gonna start off with the easiest fix 1st-both tensioners. if that doesnt quiet the engine some, il replace all the front guides. thanks for the help yall! Il keep ya posted with the results.

 

[clean98x]

Im gonna start off with the easiest fix 1st-both tensioners. if that doesnt quiet the engine some, il replace all the front guides. thanks for the help yall! Il keep ya posted with the results.

point a flash light in the oil filler on the valve cover and watch the chain while its running. did this with mine hoping it was the front chain making the noise and found it to be the rear one OF COARSE.

 

[2009KVFD976]

I finally replaced both hydraulic tensioners and the noise got worse. do yall think when i removed the tensioners that the guide inside may have fell out or maybe a bad tensioner? Not looking forward to dismantling this POS motor, but if i have to i will. Next step is take down the front and replace the guides on the primary and balance shaft chains and hope it cures it. once thats done (and its quieter, this POS is GONE!!!

 

[rb142]

I finally replaced both hydraulic tensioners and the noise got worse. do yall think when i removed the tensioners that the guide inside may have fell out or maybe a bad tensioner? Not looking forward to dismantling this POS motor, but if i have to i will. Next step is take down the front and replace the guides on the primary and balance shaft chains and hope it cures it. once thats done (and its quieter, this POS is GONE!!!

I replaced the tensioners on mine (hoping the easy fix would work), and the noise was horrible upon startup. I am pretty sure, exactly as you said, that what remained of the broken guides fell out when the tensioner was replaced. (In retrospect, I think the way the right tensioner went in without resistance was a clue that the guide was gone.) At that point, the engine ran less than 15 minutes before the rear chain skipped and smashed the valves. If I were you, I would not start that engine again. Pull the engine and fix it before it gets even more expensive.

 

[rm787]

Did my rear timing chain without removing the engine. You can move the tranny back and put a jack under the back of the engine to make it move away from the firewall with plenty of room to get the job done.

I was curious: How long did it take you to move the tranny back and set the jack under the engine? When you say that you moved the tranny back, did you actually drop it down, or did you unbolt it off the fly wheel ..while unbolting a couple of other things? Is there an easy way to do this without completely dropping it? My suv is a 4X2, so I assume it's easier to move the transmission around than the 4X4. I've wrestled with a few trannies (chevy trucks) and they were not fun to re-align in an attempt to rebolt.

I assume that the rear cassette parts (guide and tensioner) can be replaced without removing the chain, I suppose.

 

[rm787]

I replaced the tensioners on mine (hoping the easy fix would work), and the noise was horrible upon startup. I am pretty sure, exactly as you said, that what remained of the broken guides fell out when the tensioner was replaced. (In retrospect, I think the way the right tensioner went in without resistance was a clue that the guide was gone.) At that point, the engine ran less than 15 minutes before the rear chain skipped and smashed the valves. If I were you, I would not start that engine again. Pull the engine and fix it before it gets even more expensive.

How many miles were on your truck, rb142? My 2001 ford explorer sport has 120K miles on it..I thought about replacing the tensioners, but after reading your post, I probably shouldn't. I don't hear any rattling yet, though. I just hope the previous owner did due diligence as far as maintenance is concerned.

 

[rb142]

How many miles were on your truck, rb142? My 2001 ford explorer sport has 120K miles on it..I thought about replacing the tensioners, but after reading your post, I probably shouldn't. I don't hear any rattling yet, though. I just hope the previous owner did due diligence as far as maintenance is concerned.

When that problem happened it was at just under 55K. (Yeah, that's got to be some kind of record.)

 

[2000StreetRod]

replacing cassette guide

. . . I assume that the rear cassette parts (guide and tensioner) can be replaced without removing the chain, I suppose.

The rear cassette guide cannot be replaced without separating the transmission from the engine block. The cassette mounting bolt and jackshaft rear sprocket retaining bolt are located under the transmission.

 

[rm787]

is there a class action lawsuit against ford on this issue? seems like there should be.

 

[rm787]

As far as the Cloyes set is concerned, are their plastic timing chain guides metal reinforced for the rear cassette, or is it the same lack of quality as the original Ford plastic guides?

 

[2000StreetRod]

SOHC V6 Timing Chain Parts Sources

As far as the Cloyes set is concerned, are their plastic timing chain guides metal reinforced for the rear cassette, or is it the same lack of quality as the original Ford plastic guides?

SOHC V6 Timing Chain Parts Sources

 

[2009KVFD976]

I replaced the tensioners on mine (hoping the easy fix would work), and the noise was horrible upon startup. I am pretty sure, exactly as you said, that what remained of the broken guides fell out when the tensioner was replaced. (In retrospect, I think the way the right tensioner went in without resistance was a clue that the guide was gone.) At that point, the engine ran less than 15 minutes before the rear chain skipped and smashed the valves. If I were you, I would not start that engine again. Pull the engine and fix it before it gets even more expensive.

I took the front hydraulic tensioner out and put the original one back in, it is significantly quieter than with the replacement. i guess i got lucky and it was all thats wrong and not a pc of guide falling down.

 

[2000StreetRod]

front tensioner source?

Was the replacement front tensioner you purchased an OEM part or an aftermarket part? Some members have purchased aftermarket tensioners that seized upon engine start in the extended position causing the cassette guide assembly to break because the chain could not flex. If you purchased an aftermarket part what was the brand?

 

[rm787]

Just wondering..but what is the part number for this motor? On my motor, on the valve cover, there is a yellow and white sticker with the following number: 1G986AA

 

[rb142]

Was the replacement front tensioner you purchased an OEM part or an aftermarket part? Some members have purchased aftermarket tensioners that seized upon engine start in the extended position causing the cassette guide assembly to break because the chain could not flex. If you purchased an aftermarket part what was the brand?

The ones I put in were from Autozone. I'm not sure who the maker was ... Borg Warner maybe. They were the black ones that there are pictures of on this site. (They are the only ones I found outside of the dealer.) In my case, I don't think the tensioner had anything to do with breaking the guides. I am pretty sure they were broken well before changing the tensioners.

 

[rm787]

are you sure that you purchased the right tensioner? Is it possible that you purchased the front tensioner and installed it on the rear cassette?

 

[rb142]

If you are asking me, no. I had both front and rear tensioners and they went in the right places. They were also a dead match for the stock ones.

 

[masospaghetti]

Just wondering..but what is the part number for this motor? On my motor, on the valve cover, there is a yellow and white sticker with the following number: 1G986AA

The plastic engine cover on top of the motor will say "4.0 SOHC", the overhead valve V6 will simply say "4.0 EFI".

This is the OHV engine. If it looks different, you have the SOHC.

I really have to wonder how ANY engineer could approve such a design in his right mind, or if this was a result of some savage cost-cutting during development.