1998 ford explorer rear timing chain noise

[alex4659]

Hi,

I am looking at a 98 ford explorer 4x4 that needs a rear timing chain the owners say.

The owners are hearing a noise and soon it shuts down, all power options shut down to and the check engine light comes on along with battery light and all the gauges drop. Starts back up after a few minutes.

They are selling it for 800 bucks and I had an explorer '96 v6 2wd and before and loved it to death but wrecked it. Mine was doin the same exact thing. My mechanic said if it was the timing chain, it would not even move or turn over or such. The owners mechanic traces the noise to the rear timing chain. Would the SUV shutting down be caused from the trimming chain issue or vice versa?

I remember my explorer only did it during the summer at the hottest part of the day. At night, it never did it. The owners of this explorer e saying this was the first time it has done it and it did it when it was hot mid day.

Just wondering what yall think could be the issue. The noise is like a humming sound or similar, same pitch.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[drdoom]

Exactly which engine? OHV, SOHC, or V8...

 

[alex4659]

Exactly which engine? OHV, SOHC, or V8...[/QUOTE

It's not the v8. I believe its the sohc

Could the noise have anything to do with it shutting down like this?

 

[Sedition]

Timing chain noise doesn't sound like a humming noise, more like holding a peice of plastic against a bicycle chain or a shaking spraypaint cans, depending on which chain guides are busted. I would plug in an OBD2 scanner and read the code atleast before I bought it if I wanted to keep it. The check engine light could mean 1 code or 50 codes there's no way to tell unless you plug a scanner in.

If the rear guide is completly shattered and missing, the passenger side camshaft will be about 10 degrees retarded relative to the rest of the engine. This will cause an uneven power pulse, ruff idling ect.. but it won't cause your engine to shut down electronically. Engineering failure won't occur until its about 20 degrees out of time, that will bend valves, but I'm pretty sure it can't happen on the rear chain.

If I personally seen it for sale here. I would probably offer them 500 bucks for it, fix it up and sell it for a tidy profit.

Because the battery light is comming on with the CEL that kind of says to me to look into the battery and charging system first. Perhaps it's something simple like a loose battery terminal but who knows?

 

[alex4659]

Timing chain noise doesn't sound like a humming noise, more like holding a peice of plastic against a bicycle chain or a shaking spraypaint cans, depending on which chain guides are busted. I would plug in an OBD2 scanner and read the code atleast before I bought it if I wanted to keep it. The check engine light could mean 1 code or 50 codes there's no way to tell unless you plug a scanner in.

When the check engine light comes on along with the battery light, I have to turn the truck off. Should I hook up that obd2 scanner before I cut the engine off? Because after I turn the the truck back on, it cranks just fine after waiting a few minutes. It's almost as if its over heating. That was my truck though. But this one is having the same prob.

If the rear guide is completly shattered and missing, the passenger side camshaft will be about 10 degrees retarded relative to the rest of the engine. This will cause an uneven power pulse, ruff idling ect.. but it won't cause your engine to shut down electronically. Engineering failure won't occur until its about 20 degrees out of time, that will bend valves, but I'm pretty sure it can't happen on the rear chain.

I'm not following you when you say 10 degrees this and 20 degrees that. So I'm lost and don't no what you are talking about.

I appreciate your feedback though.

If I personally seen it for sale here. I would probably offer them 500 bucks for it, fix it up and sell it for a tidy profit.

Because the battery light is comming on with the CEL that kind of says to me to look into the battery and charging system first. Perhaps it's something simple like a loose battery terminal but who knows?

 

[alex4659]

Timing chain noise doesn't sound like a humming noise, more like holding a peice of plastic against a bicycle chain or a shaking spraypaint cans, depending on which chain guides are busted. I would plug in an OBD2 scanner and read the code atleast before I bought it if I wanted to keep it. The check engine light could mean 1 code or 50 codes there's no way to tell unless you plug a scanner in.

When the check engine light comes on along with the battery light, I have to turn the truck off. Should I hook up that obd2 scanner before I cut the engine off? Because after I turn the the truck back on, it cranks just fine after waiting a few minutes. It's almost as if its over heating. That was my truck though. But this one is having the same prob.

If the rear guide is completly shattered and missing, the passenger side camshaft will be about 10 degrees retarded relative to the rest of the engine. This will cause an uneven power pulse, ruff idling ect.. but it won't cause your engine to shut down electronically. Engineering failure won't occur until its about 20 degrees out of time, that will bend valves, but I'm pretty sure it can't happen on the rear chain.

I'm not following you when you say 10 degrees this and 20 degrees that. So I'm lost and don't no what you are talking about.

I appreciate your feedback though.

If I personally seen it for sale here. I would probably offer them 500 bucks for it, fix it up and sell it for a tidy profit.

Because the battery light is comming on with the CEL that kind of says to me to look into the battery and charging system first. Perhaps it's something simple like a loose battery terminal but who knows?