98 SOHC Cold Start Idle problem | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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98 SOHC Cold Start Idle problem

That's even more disturbing. I never got the letter! I would have rushed to have it done, had I known.
Thanks for the info on the all data site.
 



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I picked up the M0012 kit from Ford on Friday for $50. It all looks straight forward except for the chain tensioner part. They give you this little dipstick thing to install and there is no part like that in the schematics I'm looking at in the Haynes manual.

If I don't find anything soon I'm just going to tear into it anyway.

Perhaps someone can recommend a better manuel. The Chiltons seem to be equally useless for this task.

mikeh
 






The Chiltons seem to be equally useless for this task.

I'll second that! It's too broad. I'd rather have a manual covering my exact Explorer and not every mid-size truck since 1991!

What all does the kit you picked up come with?
 






Here is a picture of the 00M12 kit. Anybody know how to replace the timing chain tensioner?

Anyone. I know where to put the O-rings but the tensioner has me stumped. Do I go at it from the front or do I have to open up the valve cover or maybe both????

Thanks,
mikeh
 






Mike,

Shoot me a PM with your e-mail address and I'll send you a PDF of the installation instructions for 00M12.
 






Well I did it. I finally fixed my cold start idle problems. The 00M12 recall did it with the new O-rings. Fixed it myself for the parts cost of $50. It's a big job and takes a few tools that most people don't have. But there is nothing like the grin on your face when you've fixed a problem like this.:D :D :D

A big thanks to Robert for his help on this problem.

mikeh
 






Glad that I could help. Did you also go ahead and do the tensioners while you had it apart?
 






Robert,

I did everthing in the kit for the 00M12. But I did not do the 00M11 Chain guides replacement. The 00M11 would have been a lot more work and wasn't nessessary for me.

Runs like a top again. :D

mikeh
 






hey mikeh..don't you have to pull the engine to do the oom11?
 






mikeh,
How long did it take you to do this, and what tools did you need? I have the same problem, and would rather do it myself than fork out the $$$ to have Ford do it.
 






Look for a write up coming soon on how to do it. It takes some know how and a good set of tools to fix it.
It took about 8 hours total the first time. Only about 2 hours the second time.:)

mikeh
 






Well It's really fixed this time. I ended up having to take it apart again and change out a damaged washer on the Timing chain tensioner. Here is a full writeup with pretty pictures.

WARNING: Do not attempt this unless you are a fairly competent mechanic.

WARNING 2: I'm not a professional mechanic. In fact I barely know what I'm doing. I take no responsibility for mistakes I made in this write up. If you screw it up it is YOUR fault only not mine.

Tips:

1. Make sure the engine is completely cool.
2. Open and relieve the pressure on the cooling system by removing and reinstalling the radiator cap.
3. Do not use any silicone or other sealers at anytime in this installation. Everything you need comes in the kit other than the suggested extra washer for the timing tensioner.
4. In my writeup my left and right and front and rear is as I'm looking at the engine from the front while working on it.
5. Set aside 8 hours to do this job. It took me 8 hours the first time and about 2 hours the second time.

Parts Needed:

1. The 00M12 parts kit from Ford.
2. (suggested) A new washer that goes on the end of the timing tensioner that you are going to install. The kit comes with one but the replacement part from Ford is a better copper washer. So buy it extra.
3. Acetone.
4. Lots of clean rags.
5. WD-40.

Tools Needed:
1. Full socket and wrench set in metric and SAE. Stuff I used ( 7mm, 14mm, ...) on a 3/8" drive.
2. Torx drives that go on sockets #20 #25 #30. Also a set of torx that go on the end of a screw driver. Also a set of torx that are shaped like allen wrenchs. I had a screwdriver with a wobble head that allowed me to get the torx in bad spots.
3. 1 1/16 " Wrench.
4. Torque wrench
5. Channel locks.
6. Assorted large and small head screwdrivers.
7. A rubber mallet is handy.
8. A magnetic pickup tool can be handy.
9. Deep well 3/4" socket. (Not a sparkplug socket!!!)
10. Excellent mechanics light to be able to see.

Here is the 00M12 parts Kit:

258144_1_full.jpg


Steps Nessessary:

Picture before you start:
258144_2_full.jpg


1. Take off that top splash guard that has the "SOHC 4.0L" words on it. 4, 7mm screws.
2. Disconnect the two accelerator cables from the throttle body with two #20 torx bits. Wrap the cables back out of your way.
3. Disconnect the IAT sensor. The little seloniod looking thing on top and in the rear under the splash guard #20 torx bit.
4. Disconnect the fresh air tube to the throttle body. Also pull the tube out of the fresh air tube that is second from the left on the fresh air tube.
5. Disconnect the electrical connections for the IAC valve and the throttle position sensor. You can leave the IAC valve itself in place.
6. Disconnect the following vacum hoses.
a. Brake booster (toward the rear right of the manifold)
b. Two hoses on the rear of the upper intake manifold
c. One hose on the left toward the rear of the manifold.
d. Remove the two hoses that are connected underneath with small plastic clips. I gripped the plastic clip by one end with a channel locks and pushed on the other end with a screw driver. This really helped pull the white plastic clips out. Once the clips are out you can just push down on the connection to disconnect it.

7. Remove the upper intake mainfold screws using your #30 torx driver. These are a serious PITA. They will be hard to remove all the way out and they are really long. I forget how many screw there are maybe 8? But they are hard to find so make sure you get them all.

8. Now try to carefully remove the intake manifold and disconnect the things that you missed that you see holding it on. Slide the manifold up and to the left as you pull it off. The EGR tube is the big metal thing that is in the front and goes way up into the manifold. You have to slide it all the way off that EGR tube. There is nothing holding the EGR tube on just pull and wiggle until it is free. You can even bang it a little with a rubber mallet but be CAREFUL the intake manifold is plastic.

You should be at this stage now.
258144_3_full.jpg

The EGR tube is the metal tube thing that is sticking up in the front of the engine to at a 45 degree angle to the left.

9. Remove the vacum reservoir (the round thing that is on the left side of the lower intake manifold). Be careful those clips are plastic and will break. Place the vacum reservoir in the back to the left to get it out of the way. You can leave it hooked up to the hoses.

10. Remove the two electrical components on the rear left of the lower intake manifold by removing the whole rail. Two 7mm screws hold the rail on. Place the rail out of the way but still hooked up.

11. Now remove the lower intake manifold. 12, 8mm bolts hold this on. Place this out of the way. The green hard plastic gaskets on the bottom are the ones that are leaking causing the problems.

You should be here now.
258144_4_full.jpg


12. Put 6 clean rags down in the intake ports so that you don't get junk falling down in there. KEEP THESE VERY CLEAN.

Refer to the following picture for the next few steps.

258144_5_full.jpg


13. Remove the ECT Sensor that is to the left of the cam tensioner. Remove the electrical connection first. Then put a deepwell 3/4" socket over the electrical connection and remove the sensor. Some antifreeze will leak out under the sensor but just a little.

14. Remove the old cam tensioner. The hole on the front of that picture is where I removed the old tensioner with a 1 1/16" wrench. Discard the tensioner and washer.

15. Remove the oil galley plug that is pictured a little fuzzy just above and to the left of the cam tensioner hole. Use a #30 torx bit and make sure it is seated well in the hole before trying to turn it. It seats deep and is very stiff to remove. DO NOT MESS THIS UP!! BE CAREFUL!!

16. Take that plastic pencil thing that you got in the kit and put it in the hole where you just removed the #30 Torx bit. Just put it in all it does is sit in there loose.

17. Discard the old oil galley plug. Use the new #30 Torx head oil galley plug to put back in. Tighten it until it is flush with the block. The new one has some sealer already on the plug so don't add any.

18. Install the new Cam Tensioner with the new washer on the tensioner. Coat one side of the washer with a bit of grease and then put that side up against the new tensioner so that it will stick in the right place. Be very careful to install this and watch the whole way in so that it does not come off the tensioner until it is flush. Tighten it by hand all the way until it is flush on the block. When you put a wrench on it don't touch the washer so that it falls off. If it falls off remove the tensioner completely and start over. Tighten the tensioner to 32ft lbs. ( This is the part that I made a mistake in. I got the washer on crooked and tightened it down and deformed the washer. I never noticed it and the tensioner leaked a ton of oil out for a couple days before I had to take everything apart again to identify the problem).

19. Install and connect the ECT sensor that was removed to 15 ft lbs.

20. Take a break get something to eat. :cool:

21. Remove the old gaskets from the intake manifolds. Clean the top of the block and the seating areas for the new gaskets with clean rags and acetone. Let the acetone dry for a while and then install the new gaskets seating each one carefully into the manifolds.

22. Remove the shop towels from the cylinder heads.

23. Install the lower intake manifold with the new gaskets installed. Tighten all 12 bolts to 13ft lbs starting in the middle of the manifold and working your way to the edges.

24. Install the vacum reservoir

25. Put the rail back on that is on the rear left of the lower intake manifold with the two screws.

26. Put WD-40 on the EGR tube ring to help with installation of the upper intake manifold.

27. Pull the vacum tubes back so that they don't get pinched when installing the upper intake manifold.

28. Position the intake manifold on top of the engine sitting it over the EGR tube. Route the electrical connection up to the IAC valve before putting screws in. Check the vacum hoses to make sure they are properly positioned. Slide the upper intake manifold the rest of the way on. Look underneath until you see that the manifolds mate up properly. Shine a light underneath in front and to the right to see that they are aligned. You may need to tap it lightly with a rubber mallet to get it all the way on. BE CAREFUL!!! Take your #30 Torx screws and a screw driver and reinsert them. BE CAREFUL you are screwing into plastic. 5 ft lbs is recommended. Start with the front right screw to pull it down. When doing the final tightening start in the middle of the manifold and work your way out.

29. Connect all of the vacum hoses you removed.

30. Install the solenoid that is on top called the EVR/VIS solenoid.

31. Connect the fresh air tube up to the thottle body.

32. Connect the IAC valve and throttle position sensor electrical connections.

33. Correctly route and hook up both accelerator cables and tighten the torx to 2 ft lbs.

34. Go around the manifold and make sure you didn't miss any vacum lines with a good light.

35. Start the engine. If it starts and does not idle you probably missed a vacum tube on the back of the intake manifold like I did:p . If it runs perfect and idles fine reattach the splash sheild and you are done.:D :D :D

After your first drive for 30 minutes or so pop the hood immediately and look down in there and see if you smell any oil or anything to make sure you didn't cause an oil leak like I did.

Give me feedback if I missed anything or if this helps.

Good Luck,
mikeh
 






good write up mikeh.....this will help when i do mines.. it making the noise on a cold start up if i let it sit for 3 or 4 days if i start it every day it doesn't make the noise... can any one elaberate on that
 






WOW excellent write up Mike. I'm glad someone finally had the balls to do this themself.
 






WOW excellent write up Mike. I'm glad someone finally had the balls to do this themself.

Well, since I have no balls :)D ) and no tools, I think I'll just have a pro do it...Major congrats to you for doing it yourself thuogh, Mike!
 






Hey if you want to drive it down to St. Louis I'd be glad to give you a hand with it.;)

My Dad has an awesome set of tools.:D :D :D

mikeh
 






LOL

That's a bit of a stretch for me, especially with the engine running the way it is :D Thanks tho-it's the thought that counts ;)
 






Gasket spray?

Is there no gasket spray, where we could just spray over the place where the o-rings are.

If the problem solves if the engine is warm, would not it be possible that the gap, who causes the problem is really small.
This small gap gotta be solvet with some kind of external gasket, as spray, glue or whatever?

I do not know where this O-rings is, got the problem as well with my car.
But if the surround air goes in to this gap, it sounds as it may be possible to solve in one other way.

Does anyone know how long time it takes if you do it your self, if you not an relly good mecanic?

Is there pictures anywhere to show how to do?

Regards Mats
 






Oupps!

just wanna comment the great job Mikeh did to explain how to do, did not see the great job when I asked for just this.

Great Mikeh!


Regards Mats
 



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Still won't Idle after Warmed Up.

Guys (and Gals), my '98 Mountaineer has these symptoms re: not idling when cold starting, but now it's not idling even when it's good and warmed up! Runs great otherwise.

Mileage 60k, will ask Ford to replace that OOM12 kit..think that would fix it?

Thanks
 






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