Balance tensioner experiences – any Ford Techs out there?

[Russ in CT]

Some may recall my tribulations with my timing chains (4.0 SOHC ’99 Ex). Local mechanic did the jackshaft chain & tensioner, front cassette, and both front & rear tensioners. All was good for two days, then all of a sudden I’m getting a LOUD ticking/clanking noise. Sounds like chain against metal. To me it sounded like it was coming from bottom front of motor, and I concluded it must be the balance tensioner (which they did not replace), and that they must have damaged it repairing adjacent components (which I had read on this board has happened to people), while mechanic insists this new noise is coming from the rear cassette (which he did not replace), that noise is radiating to front of motor through jackshaft and only sounds like it’s the front. He said no way new noise is the balance tensioner, not possible.

Mechanic dropped oil pan, and found a couple of pieces of flat spring steel, and a piece of plastic, which he said looked like they came from the rear cassette guide. Mechanic offered to pull engine, find problem, and if its his fault, he pays to fix it, not his fault, I pay to fix it plus his labor to investigate. But when I tried to define ‘his fault’ to be that the balance tensioner was broken and causing the new noise, now he is saying even it IS the balance tensioner, it can’t be his fault. If it’s the balance tensioner, it must have been total coincidence that it failed two days after they did the adjacent repairs. Note, I was later able to positively ID pieces found in pan as from the balance tensioner, but haven’t told mechanic that yet.

Mechanic is saying he talked to several Ford Techs that work on these engines all the time, and that they’ve never seen a balance tensioner go bad, and that even if one did go bad, it couldn’t possibly be due to anything done during the replacement of the nearby jackshaft chain & tensioner (and front cassette, etc). No way it could be his fault.

So my question is, especially for any Ford Techs out there, what have you seen? I’ve heard the balance tensioner can become very fragile, and breaks easily. But could it have been damaged when doing a replacement of the nearby jackshaft chain & tensioner (& front cassette, etc)? The tensioner is kinda down inside the pan (ladder frame), and they did not remove pan for this repair, so they couldn’t have manhandled tensioner directly. But I’m sure they must have wrenched the engine forwards and backwards lining things up, to get those timing chain locking jigs in place, etc, could cranking engine backwards have caused it? Is it really likely just a total coincidence that the balance tensioner let go just two days after these other repairs?

 

[MadExplorer93]

You already have a thread on this issue posted back on March 13 this year.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cach...ance+tensioner+broke&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ca

If it is the primary Jackshaft or Tensioner then the chances of it going is a coinsidence of the mechanic changing the part in the first place is no chance in my book. Then of course something i would suspect they did improperly and they should be fixing it and anything else it may have damaged.

If by all means if you have to do so .. take it to court, but make sure you have 100% proof from Ford Techs and Pictures and what not.

 

[Russ in CT]

Yes, there was already a thread to discuss this, hence the 'some may recall' part of my post. But since this is a new question, I thought it easist for potential responders to new question to be a new thread. Apologies if this is in violation of a policy I didn't pay enough attention to.

Perhaps I wasn't clear, the parts they did change are fine (well, as far as I can tell), what is broken is the balance tensioner, which they did not replace.

Since the balance tensioner let go just days after replacing adjacent components, could that repair have caused the balance tensioner to break, or is it just a big coincidence? Looking for experiences others have had, especially Ford Techs who might have lots of experience.

 

[MadExplorer93]

Ok so now i understand what you are stating, but here is the thing, prove they broke it or mishandled the job.

I know it sounds depressing, but try and call that mechanic and explain that while he was on it, maybe, just maybe he damaged it.

 

[CDW6212R]

The balance chain tensioner has to be compressed partly to get the chain of of it, as part of the crank gear work etc. That handling of the tensioner is by hand, the chain and tensioner don't take much effort to remove. That handling of the tensioner is more force than they see in normal operation. As tiny and fragile as they are I'd say it's possible to decrease the lifespan of the part by working on it. Mine didn't break the first time I did the other components. But it did break in my hand the second time that I removed the chain. That's the question, is it likely to happen on all of those, or was mine so special that it broke the 2nd time I handled it.

 

[Russ in CT]

They didn't replace the balance chain or tensioner (or guide), just the jackshaft chain & tensioner (and the front cassette). Would they still have needed to compress the balance tensioner (or manipulate the balance chain in any way) just to do these parts mentioned?

I thought the balance chain was the farthest in back, so therefore its crank gear wouldn't need to be touched just to do the jackshaft stuff. Do I have that wrong?

 

[Russ in CT]

MadExplorer,

Yea, how do you prove it. Well it happened just two days after they worked on the parts right next it, so it would have to be a real big coincidence that it broke totally on its own.

What mechanic is saying he heard from the Ford Techs is a little conflicting, on one hand they say nothing he could have done could have broken balance tensioner, on the other hand they say it never breaks (they never sell any, etc). So while he couldn't have broken it, they are saying it wouldn't just wear out and break on its own either.

So he is going on what Ford tells him, so that is why I'm looking for more real-world info. What happened to your trucks when you had this service performed, and if you're a Ford Tech, what have you seen happen (with regards to balance tensioner failures)?

 

[CDW6212R]

I removed my crank gear the first time before I went in to Ford for parts. I wanted to compare what they might have had in stock to the old parts. That's when I found out that none of it was stocked, and the costs. I chose to not order the gear with the jackshaft chain.

Meaning that yes they didn't have to disturb the balance shaft chain or its tensioner. But what I have found out from the other techs at my dealership is that they often do the exact same things as I do. They may have done the same thing, and of course you will not find that out with the dispute going on. Regards,