Around What Mileage do the Timing Chains Give Up?

[DiGiornoRisingCrust]

My '07 V6 has 150k, 145k when I bought it. The dealer did not have he matience records, and the one in the owners manual was not filled out. Am I way past the average mileage to where it probably isn't the same engine, or am I traveling into the jaws of death? My transmission is already going and I really don't want to have to buy a new engine too.

Given the amount of other crap that's wrong with the car, I think he previous owners neglected it and probably didn't change the oil as often as they should've, but that's just me guessing.

 

[gdgiordano]

I’ve heard of the timing failure off the dealership lot and there are people with 300k on the motor. It’s all about maitenence and luck to be honest. What makes you think you’ve got a failed timing cassette? The fact that your transmission is acting up too could be a sign of a spark issue/misfire too!

 

[Rcflyer330]

I dont think there is a set mileage. There are some people that have over 200k miles on original timing chains and then there are people that didnt get to 100k before having problems. I have 136k on mine and i get some rattling in the winter and thats with the oil being changed when oil change message came on (~7k miles) till around 60k then changes every 5k till now. Also timing chain replacement is very costly dealer quoted me $3100 for all 4 chains. I havent checked any independent shops for a price yet.

 

[Tech By Trade]

Mine is an 07. My cassettes failed at around 170k kms which would be around 100k miles. I bought it at 120, so I have no idea what the previous owners maintenance was like, but it it was like everything else it was piss poor. It has got oil change light changes since I bought it with full synthetic, and regular maintenance.

 

[DiGiornoRisingCrust]

I’ve heard of the timing failure off the dealership lot and there are people with 300k on the motor. It’s all about maitenence and luck to be honest. What makes you think you’ve got a failed timing cassette? The fact that your transmission is acting up too could be a sign of a spark issue/misfire too!

I don't have a failing timing chain (Yet), I'm just wondering when it will fail. And it is definitely the transmission. Whining noise, rough shifts, slips into nuetral, and hard to shift out of park.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

I don't have a failing timing chain (Yet), I'm just wondering when it will fail. And it is definitely the transmission. Whining noise, rough shifts, slips into nuetral, and hard to shift out of park.

your chains will fail at 181,521 ... definitely 181,521

 

[kydirtscooter]

Best thing is regular oil changes with quality oil and change the front and rear tensioners every 70,000mi. It seems like the springs get tired in the tensioner and since they don't have a mechanical jack to hold them in position, when they get weak and you start the engine the guide gets slapped against the chain as it takes up slack. All of our 4.0s have not needed guides but are only at 150,000mi or so but have all maintenance records.

I have found a lot of the gen 3 and 4 Explorers for sale have been used hard and hardly maintained.

 

[Zagnut]

Bought an '06 about 2 months ago. 202k miles, no maintenance records (even running VIN through Autocheck).
So far so good. Mine was a fleet vehicle at some point, so I'm assuming at least basic maintenance.

gdgiordano might be onto something about ignition/misfires.

Pretty sure I have the well known exhaust crack. Since it developed, ive had one misfire/backfire and odd acceleration, on more than one occasion, where the truck doesn't want to accelerate.
Which would correspond with my catalytic error code that popped up.

And today while installing the new stereo, I had the truck idling in my driveway and smelled unburnt exhaust gasses.

 

[thebahm22]

I have 172k on my 06 and im pretty sure they are the original tensioners. Has anyone heard of putting in new ones breaking the guides or cassettes because they are too tight? This is after going so long with the chain slap and everything is probably worn now? Sorry dont mean to hijack the thread but I definitely agree with cooter change those tensioners before its too late which might be the case with mine!