need advice: 2003 Eddie Bauer, repairs to make before selling?

[jmonday7814]

specs:
2003 Explorer Eddie Bauer, 4.6L, 2WD, approx 126k miles. no mechanical issues at all. ~$600 underwater between loan balance and vehicle value

Backstory:
I've sent in two samples to Blackstone Laboratories for oil analysis and they show that I have increased levels of aluminum which could point towards a number of issues. At ~118k miles I had about 23ppm of aluminum then at ~122k miles I was at 27ppm and I'm due for another oil change so we'll see what it comes back at.

Their first suggestion was a timing chain issue, local shop quoted me $1,500 and 3 days to do the job. I could do it myself but I don't have the time to do it, honestly I don't really have the time to give them the truck for 3 days either. The truck will need brakes soon and upper balljoints which I will do before selling but should I consider tracking down this "aluminum" issue before selling it? I don't even know where to begin diagnosing it since there aren't any problems. Any ideas?

Or maybe I should just sell it without worrying about that. I also have an airbag sensor issue to track down and replace, not cheap at all.

I really don't even need to sell it, I've just been drooling on the 2012 mustang 5.0L for a while and I might pull the trigger on that soon.

sidenote: I also have a 2000 ranger 3.0L, Blackstone Labs showed that it has excessive potassium, silicon, and sodium which indicates a coolant leak but nothing that I have been able to find. No visible water or coolant in the oil during oil changes, any ideas where I can start trying to track that down?

Thanks in advance for the help. I used to be on RangerPowerSports quite often several years ago when I was lowering my ranger so I know this is the best place to answer questions like this. Thanks again.

 

[dla]

specs:
2003 Explorer Eddie Bauer, 4.6L, 2WD, approx 126k miles. no mechanical issues at all. ~$600 underwater between loan balance and vehicle value

Backstory:
I've sent in two samples to Blackstone Laboratories for oil analysis and they show that I have increased levels of aluminum which could point towards a number of issues. At ~118k miles I had about 23ppm of aluminum then at ~122k miles I was at 27ppm and I'm due for another oil change so we'll see what it comes back at.

Their first suggestion was a timing chain issue, local shop quoted me $1,500 and 3 days to do the job. I could do it myself but I don't have the time to do it, honestly I don't really have the time to give them the truck for 3 days either. The truck will need brakes soon and upper balljoints which I will do before selling but should I consider tracking down this "aluminum" issue before selling it? I don't even know where to begin diagnosing it since there aren't any problems. Any ideas?

Or maybe I should just sell it without worrying about that. I also have an airbag sensor issue to track down and replace, not cheap at all.

I really don't even need to sell it, I've just been drooling on the 2012 mustang 5.0L for a while and I might pull the trigger on that soon.

sidenote: I also have a 2000 ranger 3.0L, Blackstone Labs showed that it has excessive potassium, silicon, and sodium which indicates a coolant leak but nothing that I have been able to find. No visible water or coolant in the oil during oil changes, any ideas where I can start trying to track that down?

Thanks in advance for the help. I used to be on RangerPowerSports quite often several years ago when I was lowering my ranger so I know this is the best place to answer questions like this. Thanks again.

Personally I think you are over-analyzing it. Do you understand what the relevance of aluminum in the oil? Well neither does anyone else. Flakes of aluminum is is one thing, 27ppm is another.

 

[2000StreetRod]

timing chain wear

I suspect if aluminum in the oil is associated with the timing chains it would be due to the chains contacting the block or heads due to failed tensioners. At some point Ford "cheaped out" and began installing composite body chain tensioners instead of metal in the SOHC V8s. They prematurely fail resulting in slack in the chain. I think the DOHC V8s stayed with metal body tensioners. I would think if the chain is contacting another metal surface there would be detectable sounds. As I recall the main bearings are aluminum with steel backing. Perhaps the aluminum is coming from normal bearing wear.

 

[Limited02]

Personally, if it runs and drives fine I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[jmonday7814]

so everyone pretty much said the same thing, "stop overthinking it". hard to diagnose a problem without any recognizable symptoms. Just out of curiosity, what is the normal maintenance interval for the timing chain on these engines? I googled but couldn't find it, I would assume around 150k but maybe further?

 

[Limited02]

so everyone pretty much said the same thing, "stop overthinking it". hard to diagnose a problem without any recognizable symptoms. Just out of curiosity, what is the normal maintenance interval for the timing chain on these engines? I googled but couldn't find it, I would assume around 150k but maybe further?

I have 208,000 on mine and it's still going. I'm at the point where I either A, dump a bunch of money into mine to make it last a few more years or B, sell as in and move onto something else (Owned for 9.5 years).

 

[2000StreetRod]

4.6L reliability

The V8 camshaft timing implementation is significantly more reliable than the SOHC V6. Another advantage is that all of the timing chain related components can be replaced without pulling the engine. From my limited experience the 4.6L is more likely to experience spun rod bearings before camshaft timing component failure.

 

[jmonday7814]

I appreciate the responses guys, definitely letting go of this issue and focusing on the real problems like brakes and balljoints. 2000streetrod, thanks for the pics and info about the rod bearings which I assume are steel, right? If so, then there is no evidence that is engine is heading down that path yet. If they are aluminum then the oil analysis could be the first indication of an issue down the road.