1997 "white" 4.0 SOHC primary and D side secondary chain guide repair-Fill neck hose replace-

[donalds]

Yeeyeee

 

[allmyEXes]

Thanks Doc. There have been a couple of times that I have encountered uncertain things about this repair and you have experienced it first. I appreciate the veterans of this repair procedure for there patience in our quest through it and know that they had to figure it out before us. Many have selflessly taken pictures and provided multiple ways to address certain issues and I overlooked naming another member who has provided information that might have taken alot longer to find on my own swshawaii as he provided TSB info and more, and those of you whos names have not been mentioned the fact that you posted and your name shows up is the mention itself. I don't feel as if you hijacked the thread at all and I have forgotten to mention @Rick who has made this all possible in the first place.
These old Trucks, ours are 22 years old, still have alot of life in them and ALL of us are going to get it out of them before they are done and scrapped and turned into Prius', Tesla's and self driving cars.
There is more to come ya'll. I'm thinking I have a LH drivers side in the USA cylinder head removal to address a few bent valves. Just didn't want to talk about it until I finish the cylinder leakdown test.

 

[donalds]

@allmyEXes if you put @ with no spaces in front of their names it will notify the person you mentioned their names.

Yeeyeee

 

[drdoom]

I have been working along on my truck in the evenings a bit: I have most of the engine accessories back on including harmonic balancer, PS pump, pulleys, idlers, serpentine belt, intake manifold, emissions lines, throttle cables, battery tray, and miscellaneous plumbing.
This evening I removed the oil pan, and found all the missing pieces of the failed guide assembly.
So what i have left to do is: oil pan, radiator & hoses, lower cover, fan & shroud, PS reservoir (I broke the old one, so I need to obtain a salvaged one), intake hose, engine cover, battery, and fluids.
I think that is everything.

 

[allmyEXes]

I'm glad to hear that the repair is going well for you and sounds like you are on the home stretch. Maybe someone will read this that has a "parts" Ex truck that they could retrieve the part and mail it to you USPS. It's small enough that it will fit in one of the "if it fits it ships" boxes.
My repair is on hold until I obtain at least two more tools. I need an E12 socket and a T-55 torx bit and I want to get good quality ones so I don't break either one unbolting the LH cylinder head.
Currently I'm looking for a lost part and a lost tool. I've misplaced my best screwdriver a #2 Craftsman Phillips Screwdriver and the busted Primary Timing Chain Tensioner.
ADDED 1-26-20. Last June I found the screwdriver under the hood of the blue "97 V-6. It road there for 3 months after using it and the old tensioner was on my welder at work.
I still need to pull everything out of the back of "Mo the 5.0" to see if they are in there and after that if I haven't found the screwdriver I will assume that my dog got it when it fell out of my pocket when I was playing with her and took it to her favorite spot and chewed the handle off and discarded the rest of it.
As far as the tensioner is concerned, I had planned to take it to the drill press and make a hole in it to bolt back on the front of the engine to keep tension on the chain until I am ready to install the new tensioner. I borrowed a piece of White98's picture and made a yellow mark approximately where I want to add a hole to slide it over and press against the chain.

So far the results of my pressure test are that the middle LH cylinder is not holding which means the head will be coming off. I haven't tested the front or rear cylinder. More later...

 

[drdoom]

Last night I finished my replacement of left side timing chain guide assembly. So far everything seems to be working well. I have driven around the farm roads and the engine is running smooth and strong, but have not put the tags back on yet, so no real road test as of yet.
I will make another post after some time back on the road.
Thank you once again to everyone for their knowledge and support.

 

[drdoom]

I finally transferred some tags and insurance to my '97, and got a state inspection. I immediately put it back into service, but was concerned by a couple of misfire codes (both banks). The truck had sat for almost a year with a full tank of fuel, and apparently the misfires were from the stale fuel and likely a bit of water in the system. I ran one can of Seafoam and now am on a fresh tank of fuel. Truck has been running fine and no codes have returned.

 

[allmyEXes]

UPDATE: I have finally acquired An E-12 socket and a T-55 torx bit to remove the head but as I type this I remember that I need to purchase a hardened 3/8" to 1/2" adapter to even be able to use these new tools and 1/2" breaker bar to remove the head. Back during the winter I bought the 12" bolt cutter and cut the balance shaft chain. It is no longer an issue and won't be dealing with replacing its tensioner which is barely if at all accessible. Just one other issue I'm dealing with is my shoulder. Back in the middle of December when I swapped vehicles with my Wife after The '97 5.0 with 250 K miles developed a misfire, (out in the mushy yard) I swapped 3 sets of matching wheels and tires between the 3 matching vehicles and put the best (newest) tires on the one she commutes in and the worst ones on poor old "Mo". 3 sets x 4 (12 tires and wheels) plus two jacks and 2 spares later, The next day I woke up with a messed up right shoulder (this is back in December). It hasn't entirely recovered if much at all but work prevents me from gaining much recovery, just dealing with it. Just thought I would mention it.
Drdoom… How is your '97 doing?

 

[allmyEXes]

I just barely started reading Phil's SOHC engine removal thread and find that I will need an "E" series socket for the exhaust studs in the head...

 

[drdoom]

@allmyEXes my '97 is doing well. The JB Weld patch on the valve cover is still holding, power and fuel mileage are very good. Coming up soon to the next oil change interval, so I will looking closely for any debris. Also it will be due for tire rotation, lube, fuel & air filters, and slip yoke service. But amazingly it's doing great, thank you for asking.

I hope your shoulder gets better soon, and that you get all your trucks fixed.

Doc

 

[allmyEXes]

Thanks about the shoulder. It hasn't got any better. I've had a more serious health issue since the shoulder. Early morning Memorial day I was up coughing/hacking my head off. I had been having a grass and fescue allergy problem. after a little while I noticed that my right hand fingers were numb and the right side of my face. I first thought that maybe I had been bitten by a spider. At sun-up my Wife got up to make coffee and I got up too. She normally would already left for work but it was a holiday. She started talking to me but I couldn't talk back.. She said she thought I was having a stroke so we quickly got dressed and drove to the hospital. By mid week my fingers were working and weren't numb and I got out of the hospital late Thursday. I can walk and and use my fingers, arms, hands but my speech is messed up. My left carotid artery is 100% blocked and my right 60%. I went back to work Mon June 3rd and by Friday July 12th at 11:30 p.m. had just about overdone it trying to make it to a car show with a '70 Mustang Convertible that we have been restoring for months. At that point I had to back off or get sicker.
I need to get back on the white '97 and if @donalds was several hours closer I would take him up on his offer to help. When it cools off a bit I will remove the left head. I just need to know the E size socket that I need for the exhaust manifold studs an maybe a link or two to some helpful pages. Thanks in advance!

 

[allmyEXes]

After reading Phil's engine removal thread, I decided to take a look under the hood of my white '97.March 1st I hit a tools and parts dead end. As I was assessing the project at 4 a.m. today I discovered two red wasps nest. That will be the 1st things on the to do list. From my experience with red wasps and worse it is best to have a nearly new can of foaming wasp spray. One usually has just one good shot at getting rid of these boogers. The ones that you don't kill have a tendency to come after you.

 

[allmyEXes]

Wed 8-21-4:20 a.m.
I gently opened the hood and the 2 nest were barely stirring. I was able to get a clean shot at both nest this morning keeping me from having to do this again Thursday morning. There is also a birds nest on top of the antilock motor drive thing. I had forgotten about the house wrens that had set up home in there this spring. It doesn't look occupied.
I went over to the plum colored '94 where I keep some tools and parts and opened the pass front door and had an active Red wasps nest in there on the door post. I took care of it too.
Over the next few days and the weekend I'll get familiar with all of this again.
I remember clipping the balance shaft chain with the short bolt cutters. Also I left the jackshaft and the passenger cam in the correct time. I need two more tools and momentary hand to get the left cylinder head off of this thing. More later...

 

[allmyEXes]

I'm officially back on this project and I have been getting the parts on the way that I need to work on this vehicle. @donalds has been helping as it has to do with part numbers and tensioner issues and @koda2000 got me headed in the right direction having to do with the valve spring compressor tool and removing the rocker arms properly. This afternoon my brother is going to help me break the head bolts a loose. Next Monday is an arterorgram for me and then on Tuesday the Vascular Surgeon is going to clean out or do something to my right carotid artery. During recovery I might can do some very light tasks on the white '97 but we will see.
I remember back in the late winter when @drdoom was fixing his truck, I think he reused his cam gear bolt. I hope that I can do this because a new bolt is ~ $45- and up and I just can't do that, but I can't have a cam gear getting loose or worse, OFF. I wouldn't be as concerned about it if the cam and gear had a dowel pin. Even if it got a little loose it would stay in position. If it moves it bends the valves again. Didn't I read somewhere where someone drilled their gear and cam to add a dowel pin? How would one line it up anyway to do this...? Pondering...

 

[donalds]

Progress

 

[drdoom]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery amigo... you and the truck.

 

[allmyEXes]

Thanks @drdoom. This past Monday I had to be at the hospital at 7 a.m.for my scheduled arteriogram. The results of the test showed that my left side carotid artery that was supposedly 100% blocked actually had a little blood flow so the Dr opted to operate on the left side instead of the right that is 60-70% blocked. I trust his judgement. He installed a stint and I need to find out what it is made of ( to find out if it is metal) because it is my understanding that one cannot have an MRI if there is metal in their body. Wed a post surgery ultrasound indicated that I have very good blood flow. Thanks for everyones cares and prayers
But back to the truck. Thursday the drivers side cam bolt (FoMoCo) arrived in the mail.

I feel lucky because I was looking for one to buy and they were $45- and up. I found one on Ebay for $23- plus $9- shipping. I ordered it late Sunday night. I was inspecting the unopened Ford package and noticed that a month ago in September it was Bought by a Ford dealer in Tuscon AZ and shipped from a Ford dealer in Rancho Cucamonga Ca to Tuscon AZ. I want to thank the person in Tuscon that ordered the bolt and then didn't pick it up because it looks like I got it at cost plus shipping.
The parts that I have received are Felpro head gasket, timing cover gasket, lower oil pan gasket, head bolt set. Melling exhaust valves. Injector spacer seals and a ~$20- rocker arm removal spring compressor tool that @koda2000 helped me with the information about .

I may have overlooked upper intake O ring set. Also I have 2 mechanical tensioners on the way from China
Stainless Cam Timing Chain Tensioner Manual Gasket For Polaris RZR 570 XP 900 S1 | eBay
and I have some other parts that I bought this past spring. If you click on this link you can see pics of them.
1997 "white" 4.0 SOHC Upper Intake Removal & primary and D side secondary chain guide repair

 

[allmyEXes]

Lower oil pan seal and parts for the injectors

One side head bolt kit and 2 out of 3 exhaust valves

Lower oil pan gasket and valve stem seals

Left (drivers side USA) Felpro Head Gasket

 

[koda2000]

The Polaris style mechanical/adjustable chain tensioner is only helpful for the rear TC cassette. The tensioner for the front cassette is different. I don't believe you can use the adjustable tensioner on the front. Why did you buy two?

My list of parts and tools that will need to be replaced as I rebuild my SOHC includes quite a list of parts and tools. If you want I'll try to compile a list, but there's a bunch of stuff you will need. I'm doing the front and rear cassettes so my list may be longer than your's if you're only replacing the front TC related parts.

 

[allmyEXes]

The plan was to use one on the front too if it will work. Me @donalds and several others discussed the tensioners quite a bit several months back. I will have to ask donalds where this info is on this forum. IIRC the front tensioner is a couple of mm longer. However the issue is on the 1st gen 4.0 SOHCs is getting the tools in there to adjust it and lock the nut down. I have an original upgrade hydraulic if I have to use it.