2003 4.0L timing chain balance shaft question

[gotobob]

Hi, I'm new to the forum.

I'm presently replacing all the timing chains and guides in my 03 Explorer 4.0L SOHC
Many youtube videos mention that the balance shaft timing chain assembly needs to be working correctly if you have a 4 wheel drive Explorer and say it's not needed for the 2 wheel drive but fail to say you can disconnect it if your engine has one if your vehicle is 2 wheel drive.
Well, I've opened my engines front timing chain cover and even though it's a factory rear wheel drive the motor has a balance shaft timing chain guide assembly.
My question is, can I just remove the chain and not use it since I don't have 4 wheel drive?
Because that would save much time and expense since to change it I would need to remove the upper oil pan to change the guide and that's a lot of work.

Thanks for your help
Bob

 

[donalds]

Yes you can remove it use a flat blade screwdriver and just pop a link off

Lots of members have removed it with no problems even with 4wd

And welcome to the forum

 

[gotobob]

Thanks donalds for the quick reply.
I was just about to edit my post as I realized this is more of an introduction section and also found the correct area and re-posted my question there.
That's interesting that some 4wd members disconnected it and it makes no difference!

 

[donalds]

That's interesting that some 4wd members disconnected it and it makes no difference!

We don't know why but it works lol

 

[Mike65]

Welcome.

 

[imp]

Thanks donalds for the quick reply.
I was just about to edit my post as I realized this is more of an introduction section and also found the correct area and re-posted my question there.
That's interesting that some 4wd members disconnected it and it makes no difference!

@gotobob

It HAS to make some kind of difference, though maybe small and not pronounced. Ford does not throw away dough on "Engineering abortions" unless the least-senior guys are doing final design (doubtful).

"All V6 engines— regardless of the V-angle between the cylinder banks— are subject to a primary imbalance caused by each bank consisting of an inline-three engine, due to the odd number of cylinders in each bank. Straight-six engines and flat-six engines do not experience this imbalance. To reduce the vibrations caused by this imbalance, some V6 engines use counterweights on the crankshaft and/or a counter-rotating balance shaft."

See: V6 engine - Wikipedia

Many here have removed their balance shafts altogether from both 2WD and 4X4 vehicle engines, claiming "no difference felt", which of course is subject to question. Vibrational life-expectancy for the engine would be my guess for use of the jiggle-shafts. Personally, I just might remove mine for the hell of it! imp

 

[gotobob]

Thanks for the welcoming posts guys

So my guess is Ford (in those years anyways) built all the 4L engines with balance shaft regardless if it was going in a 2wd.
Probably easier to do that (manufacturing wise) then to have separated engine lots for 4wd and another for 2wd

 

[J.Rovirosa]

To confirm, it looks like '02-up 4.0 SOHC Explorers all had balance shafts, regardless of whether they were 2 or 4wd. My 2wd 2003 has one and this information is confirmed in the literature that came with my Ford tensioner service kit. Oddly, the printed factory service manual and most online parts websites will say that only the 4wd 2003's have the balance shaft. Because of this, be careful which "tensioner kit" you buy, since the crank sprocket between the non-balance and balance shaft engines are different thicknesses. The jackshaft sprocket might be different as well...waiting for the correct kit to arrive to confirm.

Also note that I received two standard thread camshaft sprocket bolts in my Ford OEM kit (one should be a LH thread for my application). This was a non-balance shaft kit, so I'm also waiting to see whether the balance shaft kit will come with the correct bolts.

UPDATE: it looks like the crank gear for the crank-to-jackshaft chain is the only difference between the non-balance and balance shaft Ford timing kits to service the jackshaft mechanism at the front of the engine. The inclusion of two standard thread cam sprocket bolts was a mistake.

 

[SixBucks]

Follow up question. If a person has their motor out and is doing the full blown replacement of all the chains, tensioners, etc.; can you physically remove the balance shaft from the engine then? Rather than leaving it in there and just not hooking a chain up to it?

 

[donalds]

Follow up question. If a person has their motor out and is doing the full blown replacement of all the chains, tensioners, etc.; can you physically remove the balance shaft from the engine then? Rather than leaving it in there and just not hooking a chain up to it?

The balance shaft has an oil supply


Thanks to @4pointslow

 

[Prometheusbob]

To confirm, it looks like '02-up 4.0 SOHC Explorers all had balance shafts, regardless of whether they were 2 or 4wd. My 2wd 2003 has one and this information is confirmed in the literature that came with my Ford tensioner service kit. Oddly, the printed factory service manual and most online parts websites will say that only the 4wd 2003's have the balance shaft. Because of this, be careful which "tensioner kit" you buy, since the crank sprocket between the non-balance and balance shaft engines are different thicknesses. The jackshaft sprocket might be different as well...waiting for the correct kit to arrive to confirm.

Also note that I received two standard thread camshaft sprocket bolts in my Ford OEM kit (one should be a LH thread for my application). This was a non-balance shaft kit, so I'm also waiting to see whether the balance shaft kit will come with the correct bolts.

UPDATE: it looks like the crank gear for the crank-to-jackshaft chain is the only difference between the non-balance and balance shaft Ford timing kits to service the jackshaft mechanism at the front of the engine. The inclusion of two standard thread cam sprocket bolts was a mistake.

I wrote this on another thread but want to keep repeating this because i have read alot online about this motor and I keep seeing that people say the 4x4 models have a balance shaft. I have an 2006 ford ranger 4x4 and it does not have a balance shaft. Maybe its an odd ball, or a mistake, or maybe the fact that I have a manual transmission could make a difference.