kydirtscooter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- June 6, 2018
- Messages
- 133
- Reaction score
- 22
- City, State
- ky
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2003 Explorer Limited 4x
Aug-2019
I was thinking of this the other day and I thought it could help someone else so here are a few notes on the 4.6 Romeo V8 2V timing components.
There are multiple choices when it comes to timing guides, tensioning arms, tensioners, chains, cam gears etc. If you want the cheapest route, stop reading.
Background:
There are many many different base plastics that can be used for making parts, some better suited to exposure to underhood environments others not. You certainly get what you pay for, cheap guides are just that.
Since late 2001 Ford decided to use a nylon variant known as PA 66 or polyamide 66 referring to the two monomers each having 6 carbon atoms. Other common grades of nylon or polyamide include PA 6 (very common) and 46 (also used in timing guide manufacture but $$$$). Without going into the weeds too far, PA66 is a nice balance between injection moldability, durability, and price point. You can read more from various virgin plastic manufacturers including heat aging, strength, and other tech data. As of 2019 (the last batch injection mold date I have a piece from), Ford is still using the PA66 material for tensioning arm face and guide.
Choices:
If you want to stick with Ford guides you can either purchase piece by piece from dealer or buy the Ford Racing M-6004-462V kit.
The Ford Racing 462V kit includes the following:
-Left and right cam gears
-Crank gear
-Cam gear bolts TTY
-Crank sensor trigger wheel
-Harmonic balancer bolt TTY
-OEM Morse Chains
-OEM Morse tensioner arms
-Pivot arm pins
-Cast iron tensioners with ratchets
-Tensioner bolts
-Timing cover bolts and studs
-Timing cover gaskets
-Updated Right guide
-Updated upper right guide bolt (longer)
-Left guide
-Left guide bolts
-Crank seal
Even with the Ford Racing kit, you will still need TA30 sealant, valve cover gaskets and possibly grommets.
More notes:
-Morse makes the original timing chains also provided with the 462 kit
-Morse makes the tensioner arms NOT cloyes
-OTC cam tools if you dont want vise grips on your cams
-Cast iron tensioners do not have blowout and resulting low oil pressure issues. (All 4.6 Explorers after 10/02 had glass fiber reinforced tensioners NOT cast iron)
-Pull fuel pump relay and crank until adequate oil pressure before first startup
-Heat cycled valve covers are brittle, do not force
-11mm bolt holding AC evaporator lines must be removed, lines need to be pushed up slightly for cover removal
-04 and 05 model year purge valve bracket can be removed using single bolt to move out of the way of cover
-10mm flex head racheting box wrench for lower forward power steering bolt, access from behind pump (not too bad)
-8x1.25 bolts for balancer
-Extended reach installer for balancer works fine
-Water pump can stay in place, cooling system untouched
-Cover radiator with cardboard
-AC compressor stays in place
-TA30 on balancer keyway groove
-Make sure you have longer bolt for right (passenger) guide as the newest Ford guide has been revised
And probably most important for long guide life (other than quality parts and oil) is a filter with an anti drainback valve!
I was thinking of this the other day and I thought it could help someone else so here are a few notes on the 4.6 Romeo V8 2V timing components.
There are multiple choices when it comes to timing guides, tensioning arms, tensioners, chains, cam gears etc. If you want the cheapest route, stop reading.
Background:
There are many many different base plastics that can be used for making parts, some better suited to exposure to underhood environments others not. You certainly get what you pay for, cheap guides are just that.
Since late 2001 Ford decided to use a nylon variant known as PA 66 or polyamide 66 referring to the two monomers each having 6 carbon atoms. Other common grades of nylon or polyamide include PA 6 (very common) and 46 (also used in timing guide manufacture but $$$$). Without going into the weeds too far, PA66 is a nice balance between injection moldability, durability, and price point. You can read more from various virgin plastic manufacturers including heat aging, strength, and other tech data. As of 2019 (the last batch injection mold date I have a piece from), Ford is still using the PA66 material for tensioning arm face and guide.
Choices:
If you want to stick with Ford guides you can either purchase piece by piece from dealer or buy the Ford Racing M-6004-462V kit.
The Ford Racing 462V kit includes the following:
-Left and right cam gears
-Crank gear
-Cam gear bolts TTY
-Crank sensor trigger wheel
-Harmonic balancer bolt TTY
-OEM Morse Chains
-OEM Morse tensioner arms
-Pivot arm pins
-Cast iron tensioners with ratchets
-Tensioner bolts
-Timing cover bolts and studs
-Timing cover gaskets
-Updated Right guide
-Updated upper right guide bolt (longer)
-Left guide
-Left guide bolts
-Crank seal
Even with the Ford Racing kit, you will still need TA30 sealant, valve cover gaskets and possibly grommets.
More notes:
-Morse makes the original timing chains also provided with the 462 kit
-Morse makes the tensioner arms NOT cloyes
-OTC cam tools if you dont want vise grips on your cams
-Cast iron tensioners do not have blowout and resulting low oil pressure issues. (All 4.6 Explorers after 10/02 had glass fiber reinforced tensioners NOT cast iron)
-Pull fuel pump relay and crank until adequate oil pressure before first startup
-Heat cycled valve covers are brittle, do not force
-11mm bolt holding AC evaporator lines must be removed, lines need to be pushed up slightly for cover removal
-04 and 05 model year purge valve bracket can be removed using single bolt to move out of the way of cover
-10mm flex head racheting box wrench for lower forward power steering bolt, access from behind pump (not too bad)
-8x1.25 bolts for balancer
-Extended reach installer for balancer works fine
-Water pump can stay in place, cooling system untouched
-Cover radiator with cardboard
-AC compressor stays in place
-TA30 on balancer keyway groove
-Make sure you have longer bolt for right (passenger) guide as the newest Ford guide has been revised
And probably most important for long guide life (other than quality parts and oil) is a filter with an anti drainback valve!
