97 4.0 - buying advice

[lilbilly]

Hey guys, I posted this originally in the new member forum, thought it might get some more attention here after I found the subforum.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=380393

Thoughts on the owners claims and price?

 

[backroads]

Do not buy any 4.0 sohc Explorer. Get a v8 one. Unless you can get it for very cheap.

 

[Bogatee]

What is wrong with the 4.0 L SOHC? From reviews i have read,(not on this site) it is the preferred engine when you don't plan on towing. Besides the timing chain tensioner rattle i keep hearing about, they seem to be fine. They were used in the Ranger and Mustang until 2011. How bad could they be?

 

[Desert Goat Herd]

Ya, I'd like to know myself. I have the 4.0 SOHC V-6 in my 07 Ranger 4X4 with 100K miles with NO problems.

 

[koda2000]

the timing chain problems are a major headache for the 4.0L SOHC engines. they also suffer from intake manifold vacuum leaks and come with a weaker transmission than the V8's. the V6 gets about the same MPG as the 5.0L so what's the benefit of the 4.0L? besides, the V8's engine and transmission are about as bullet proof as any combo ever offered by any manufacturer. why would the 4.0 SOHC be better for towing (just asking)?

 

[Bogatee]

The v6 wouldnt be better for towing, i think you read me wrong. I think (and have seen many examples) that the 4.0 SOHC will be just fine as long as it is treated like a truck and not hot dogged like a sports car. I also think not messing around with aftermarket performance parts will aid in its longevity. Take care of your vehicle and it will take care of you. I have owned an 86 ranger, 87 ranger, 88 f-250, 99 contour, and 99 Explorer, by far the least reliable, most expensive to maintain and drive was the big V8. I dont plan to tow anything so for a 4x4 people carrier, Ill be happy with my V6 with 106k. Runs great by the way, no cold start ticking going on here.

 

[koda2000]

The v6 wouldnt be better for towing, i think you read me wrong. I think (and have seen many examples) that the 4.0 SOHC will be just fine as long as it is treated like a truck and not hot dogged like a sports car. I also think not messing around with aftermarket performance parts will aid in its longevity. Take care of your vehicle and it will take care of you. I have owned an 86 ranger, 87 ranger, 88 f-250, 99 contour, and 99 Explorer, by far the least reliable, most expensive to maintain and drive was the big V8. I dont plan to tow anything so for a 4x4 people carrier, Ill be happy with my V6 with 106k. Runs great by the way, no cold start ticking going on here.

you're right, i read your towing comment wrong - my bad. my SOHC is the biggest POS engine i've ever owned (and from what i read on this forum my problems are far from unique). the problem is that if/when the chain cassettes go it's very labor intensive to replace them. unless you have the time, tools, and talent to do the job yourself, you're looking at a $2000+ repair bill to do the front and back chains. my V8's, on the other hand, have had no unusual or expensive repair problems. some people don't have problems with their 4.0 timing chains. maybe with regular oil changes with good oil since new, you can avoid the problems, but most of us are buying these vehicles used and don't know how they were maintained for the 100K+ years of their lives. i've been reading this forum for almost 2 years now and most of mechanical issues reported are on the SOHC V6. if i were to consider another SOHC it would have to have a dead-quiet engine with low miles and good service records. then there's the transmission reliability issue... the V8 trans is much more robust than the V6 trans. JMHO

 

[Bogatee]

You're right, if i had found a V8 one that was in good shape i would have bought that one instead. They all had more than 170k miles on them for $1500 more than this one. Unfortunately i didnt read this forum until after i bought the V6. Everything i had read on kbb, edmunds, cars.com, msn.auto, aol.auto and others said the V6 was good and the hp and gas numbers were good. The one i got is in excellent condition, both interior and out. Not a drop of oil on the engine, no leaks underneath, great tires and new breaks, spare has never even been used. I doubt it has ever seen any brush or rough roads. There wasn't any ford tick going on, until after three days of owning it and reading these forums, i started to barely hear the chain rub when i crawled underneath it while it was running. How many miles do you think i have before worrying about the chains? Even dumping $2000+ into it, it is in good enough shape to keep IMO. Unfortunately the biggest problem with it right now is the worry about the chains from reading these forums. Kind of off the subject, I have a Subaru Outback that is supposed to be indestructible but at 150k i had to dump $3000 into it because of a cracked head, cv joints, and catalytic convertor. So putting $2000+ into a vehicle that is bigger, cleaner and less miles doesn't seem so bad. Should have kept my 2.3L '87 I6 Ranger.

 

[koda2000]

my opinion (and it's my opinion, based on everything i've read) is that you can start hearing chain noise around 80K-120K. there are several things that can wear out which cause chain noise...

1. the hydraulic tensionsers (there are 2) tend to loose spring strength at around 75K. some suggest you replace them every 75K. they're not too expensive and aren't too hard to change.

2. there is an oil drain hole, for the front timing chain, that allows the engine oil to drain back into the oil pan. apparently this hole is too large and allows the oil to drain too quickly. for this, Ford came out with a restrictor kit (pn 00M12) which i believe comes with everything necessary to install a restrictor in the drain hole and replace the front tensioner. this is suggested for front chain noise at start-up. installing this kit isn't too hard a job either.

3. the next thing that cause chain noise is the front guide. it lives under the driver's side valve cover and is made of plastic. it can wear allowing extra slack in the chain and causing noise. it's fairly easy to change this guide and it may even come with the 00M12 kit (i don't recall).

4. the biggie - the front and/or timing chain cassettes can break (more plastic). this is where it get expensive. the front cassette can be changed with the engine in the vehicle (not easily mind you). the rear cassette requires removing the engine (or transmission) from the vehicle - thats where the labor expense gets high. and that's assuming the chain didn't break and ruin your valves...

for the cassettes, i can't justify paying the labor, or doing the work myself, on a truck with 175K on it. i've considered what some have suggested and buying a used '05 Mustang 4.0L SOHC engine and putting it in (using only the long-block) but even that may not be worth the trouble for my truck. apparently Ford used better materials in the engine by 2005.

one other option (if your noise isn't really noticeable yet) may be to add a pre-oiling system. this allows you to get oil pressure up before you start the engine and reduce noise/addition wear which occurs when the engine is first started.