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

[allmyEXes]

Do any 4.0 SOHC owners own this toolset? It's a Camshaft timing set OTC-6488.
https://www.amazon.com/OTC-6488-Ford-SOHC-Service/dp/B000F5ED12

 

[allmyEXes]

Today after working with 3 different spring compressors to remove the keepers to get the valves and vs seals out and in I settled on the only tool that would work well and eventually on all six valves. I replaced the 3 exhaust valves and all 6 vs seals.
The tool below is what I was using. I had to clearance this one particular spot in the casting for the tool to work on the 3rd valve.

I had to attach the head to a board to fill in the gap between the valve top and where the head fastens to the short block. The tool was pushing the valve down too making it very difficult to remove the keepers. Also it was handy to have it attached to the board to keep the head from moving around. I used 4 of the old head bolts.

It's kind of hard to see the board in the last pic. Here is another picture.

 

[koda2000]

Good job. Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do when working on vehicles. Is that rust on the cam lobes in the first pic? Around $100 (including shipping) is a good price for a pre-owned OTC 6844 tool if it's not beat up and if all the pieces including the bolts, which often seem to be missing, are there.

I need to figure out a way to hold the rear gear on the jack shaft during installation of the rear cassette because I don't want to have to spend another $100 on this stupid tool (OTC 303-634). I'm sure i can come with something. I watched one video where I guy made a tool. You'd think this would be included in the 6488 tool kit.

 

[allmyEXes]

Is that pic of the OTC tool? I made a template for a plate to hold the front. I started making the tool but then realized that I didn't need it with only the left side cam gear unbolted.

The Melling exhaust valves are lapped and installed ready to go.

 

[koda2000]

Yes, that is an OTC tool (pre-owed BTW) and they still want about $100 for it. I've seen them selling new for as much as $169. Ridiculous! I think I can make one for around $5. I'm not even sure it's necessary as the D cam bolt is RH thread and the P cam bolt is LH thread. That being the case maybe you can hold one bolt while you torque the other. IIRC the cam gear bolts are TTY, so you can use an old one while you torque the other.

Tip: Check your harmonic balancer. On mine the rubber between the inner and outer pieces had many cracks on in and they are known for coming apart.

 

[donalds]

good job so far

 

[allmyEXes]

I have the 6mm allen wrench plugged into the notches. 2 bolts are screwed into two of the valve cover bolts holes and screwed all the way down. It works out that the allen wrench can be turned either way and the short leg of the wrench touches the heads of the bolts when the cam is aligned.

 

[allmyEXes]

@koda2000 Yes there was a little flash rust on the cam but mostly some oil residue. A little bit of emery cloth cleaned it up in 2 or 3 minutes.
The rocker arm/followers got installed. The cam caps were torqued to their spec before installing them.
Now the head is installed and have step 3 to go, the last 90 degrees. I'm saving that for the morning.
I want to install the timing cover sometime this weekend. It looks like I will need some RTV for where the bottom of the timing cover sits against the oil pan. Also I need to figure out which direction that the exhaust manifold gaskets go. Bridge at the top or bottom?

 

[allmyEXes]

Saturday with the help of my 6'3" 225lb stepson we got the 3rd step of the torque sequence completed. That is the second 90 degree turn of all of the 8 head bolts. No telling how many pounds that is. Before the 3rd step I put my old torque wrench on the first bolt and it didn't budge until it was reading 95#s.
Now I'm working with the timing and I have noticed that when the cam is parallel to the plane of the head the cam sensor nub is not quite perpendicular to the plane of the head, that is the surface that the valve cover bolts to.
QUESTION-Has anyone that has had one of these 4.0 SOHC engines noticed this?

 

[allmyEXes]

Sunday afternoon I was ready to install what DORMAN refers too as Fuel Injector Sleeves. These will not work. They are a hard plastic piece that doesn't have any give to them and the O-rings on the injectors wont fit tight in them. Someone on EF has experienced this and once recommended to me what brand to purchase. I need to get some locally before the rain moves in.
I was able to get the lower intake cleaned up and installed. The cleaning took a while. The installation not so bad. I didn't have hardly any of the items near it get in the way.

I installed a manual tensioner in the left front head. I played around with a couple of different adjustments. I will adjust it running like I did the right side one that I installed on my other 4.0 SOHC a year and a half ago.

I need some parts so I can keep going!

 

[koda2000]

Fuel Injector Seal Adaptor Kit Fits Ford Mustang Explorer 4.0L SOHC F77Z9G512AA

 

[allmyEXes]

It's funny how much the picture of the FORD parts look like the DORMAN.

I would hate to go buy them and they not fit too. I can't take the head off to take with me to trial fit them. It's odd that RA only offers the DORMAN seal adaptors.
The DORMAN parts are made of hard plastic. Even if I could pound them in it seems as if I could crack them doing so.
ADDED-I am going to take the DORMAN Fuel Injector Sleeves with me to pick up the Injector O-ring kit and see how well the new O-rings fit the sleeves. I can get the sleeves into the head holes with a piece of broom handle and a plastic DB hammer.

 

[koda2000]

It's funny how much the picture of the FORD parts look like the DORMAN.
View attachment 177965
I would hate to go buy them and they not fit too. I can't take the head off to take with me to trial fit them. It's odd that RA only offers the DORMAN seal adaptors.

Well IDK. I avoid anything Dorman whenever possible. There stuff almost never seems to fit right. Last Dorman part I bought was a rear axle and I had to replace all five wheel studs because they were too short.

 

[allmyEXes]

Monday I finished cleaning the timing cover. I was able to use an 8" piece of wooden broom handle and a hammer to install the DORMAN Fuel Injector Sleeves. The O-rings that I purchased for the injectors fit the sleeves well. I was concerned about that but it worked out. The upper intake still needs a little cleaning but it is not as bad as the lower half was. Within the hour my brother will be swinging by to hold the very large chain wrench on the damper while I tighten the new left side cam bolt to 63 foot pounds. I have the 6mm allen wrench plugged into the cam and A pair of vise grips attached to the cam sitting against the head to keep it in position. I see what all of the special tool kit tools do but I am going to make do without them this time. I've checked the 140k hb/damper and the rubber looks good in it.
More later...

 

[allmyEXes]

Tuesday I was able to get the valve cover back on the engine and what took the most time was getting the exhaust manifold studs back into the holes in the head. When I took it apart I left the manifold attached to the Y-pipe. I had to take the exhaust manifold studs out of the head so that I could lift the head straight up off of the engine.
As I was installing the valve cover I noticed a sticker on it that says 4x4. Now I am pretty sure that this is the original engine. Everyone has been saying that balance shaft engines were for the 4x4s. I bet the factory ran out of the 2WD version of this 4.0 SOHC and put these in, in their place. In the blue area of the sticker you can barely see 4x4.

 

[koda2000]

As I have said, my 2001 2WD Sport Trac 4.0L SOHC engine has the balance shaft. I do not plan to reconnect it. IDK if this is the original engine to my truck, but when I pulled the engine out I saw no indication that anyone had ever pulled the engine in the past. I had the same thought, that maybe Ford ran out of non-balance shaft engines on a given day and used the 4x4 engines instead.

If you removed your front timing cover it would have been obvious if you have a balance shaft. There would have been a chain, a guide and a tensioner coming off the crank shaft going to the right lower side of the front of the engine where the balancer shaft gear would be driven.

 

[allmyEXes]

Wednesday through Friday I had to work at my daily place of employment however Saturday I did a few things on the white '97. The highlight was taking a fuel sample and I was glad to see that it wasn't discolored and it didn't stink like bad gas. It has about an 1/8th of a tank and I'm gonna put in 5 gallons of fresh fuel.
I was able to tighten the tensioner guide bolt that is located inside of the timing cover behind the top gear attached to the jackshaft. I didn't have a 1/4" swivel if that would have even worked to tighten it. I was able to lightly hammer a double open end wrench onto the head of the bolt. It is a 10mm bolt head but I couldn't get good leverage with a 10mm wrench. The 3/8" end of the DOE drove on nice and tight an then I was able to get enough pounds on the bolt that it won't come a loose.

After that I removed cleaned and reinstalled the bottom oil pan. I found some debris along with coolant. I cleaned the pickup screen too. Later I installed the Timing chain cover and the PS/AC bracket assy.

We have 3 and a half days of rain on the way. I may come home from work early if the showers are spotted. I can keep installing parts as long as there are breaks in the rain. The temperature outside will be moderate for the next 3 days. The parts pile is getting smaller!

 

[drdoom]

2nd photo: do you have the square harness tucked in correctly? I can't remember if that goes behind the bracket or underneath?

 

[allmyEXes]

@drdoom I think that I have it routed correctly. It seems like there is only enough room behind the PS/AC bracket for the EGR bracket and the square harness goes below it. I have a double ended vacuum harness dangling that I think goes to the bottom of the upper intake. It will have to be disconnected and routed around the top and left of the engine.to be correct. The little harness with the bracket with 2 holes made to it is fastened to two timing cover studs on the RH side of the timing cover.
Sunday when the blue '97 was at home I used that engine as reference several times. From the dates on some of the ziplock bags parts of the project have been apart 14 months. That is a lot longer than I prefer...

 

[allmyEXes]

@drdoom I'm not so sure now on the flat harness. The other '97 won't be back home until 4 p.m. central time. Can you see if there is a harness going behind your AC/PS bracket from the drivers side towards the middle of the engine? It looks like it could go that way and if it does I won't have to remove the bracket entirely to get it behind it. I can loosen all 4 bolts and remove the bottom two to put it into place if that is where it goes. That's really the only reason it would be flat. I have the damper and water pump to install next and the pump may make it where I can see the routing. I sure would like to start this one by the end of the day, today.