4.0 sohc timing cassette pieces in oil pan :(

[stick_witch]

Dropped the oil pan on my 4.0 today… and guess what I found?! You guessed it! Pieces of the timing cassettes.

Its a 2008 explorer with 160k miles. Has the tiniest hint of chain on metal noise that could be easily be mistaken for something belt related, really no real audible rattle yet on start up or when you get on it. What do you guys think? Im about to take it down the Alaska Highway from AK to Montana; 2500mi trip lol.

Funny part is I just finished swapping in a rebuilt 5r55s into it last weekend… the thing is a never ending project right now… dargggg xD

 

[donalds]

That's the jack shaft chain
Your lucky so far
Pull the timing cover and replace imo

But wait for other opinions

 

[Mr. Alligator]

^Agree with Donalds.

If you can not get this done before the trip … close call. I would be inclined to take the trip. These problems do not usually implode, and these trucks were made for such trips. But, fairly remote travels where you are going. Maybe it depends in part on how flexible you are to stay and wait for parts in the event of troubles.

These trucks are projects.

Good luck.

 

[stick_witch]

^Agree with Donalds.

If you can not get this done before the trip … close call. I would be inclined to take the trip. These problems do not usually implode, and these trucks were made for such trips. But, fairly remote travels where you are going. Maybe it depends in part on how flexible you are to stay and wait for parts in the event of troubles.

These trucks are projects.

Good luck.

Yeah. My thing is… is that I have no idea how long those pieces have been in there. Could have been in there for the past 100k miles, or the last few thousand… The pan has never been pulled. The truck has run fine and I’ve taken it all over the country… there hasn’t been any noise changes, no start up rattle, really not much noise at all except what I said earlier, which could easily just be some very minor pulley noise… the timing chain tensioners to me seem they are still working properly, just the plastic end of one of the dumb, factory cassettes broke off… which to me doesn’t seem urgently concerning as long as its no longer interfering with oil pressure… I could be catastrophically wrong though…

I guess Im hoping its a 10k miles from now problem rather than a right now problem. I have a blown 2007 4.0 ex that I plan to rebuild next summer to swap, in full anticipation that this current 4.0 is on the end of its life cycle as far as needing the motor out of the car. (Plan is to eventually rebuild both and have 2 running 4th gens.)

I guess the best thing to do would be to pull the belt and run it just to confirm whether the minor noise I’m hearing is timing related or pulley related… then go from there.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

You have confidence. That is good.

These “problems” can exist for long periods of time, even with minor rattling and rubbing noises, without shutting your truck down.

I don’t think pulling the belt will give you a definitive answer.