Can anyone ID these parts I found?

[Warmowed]

I recently did several major service items on my 2003 V6 and When I had the valve covers off for other work I took time to inspect the CAM timing tensioners and from what I could see they looked perfect (and I have no rattles). I also replaced the lower oil pan gasket and when I had the pan off I disturbingly found a plastic piece that looks like part of a tensioner and what I think is a bent leaf spring. My car's engine makes no noise so I don't know what that is from. On a quick google search I read that there is a balancer tensioner in 4WD cars but not the 2WD like mine is.

 

[Warmowed]

I couldn't see very much looking up at the girdle. I didn't look at the very front of the engine, but what I saw resembles this picture. That is interesting about the ford engineers making that change. If they determined it really didn't matter than do I need to even worry about this then?

 

[Tshaw88]

ive seen that on a couple of the 4.0 sohc motors. those are deff parts of a timing cassette. theres 4 in total, 2 of them can be seen with the valve covers off and those are the two that the tensioners push on. drivers side front valve cover and pass side rear valve cover. the other two are the balance shaft which is much smaller so i doubt the piece you found is from that one, the 4th is the main tensioner which is behind the timing cover pushing on the chain connecting the crankshaft and jackshaft. to really inspect them you need to remove the timing cover and valve covers so you can see which one is broken, but youre better off replacing them all.

 

[Warmowed]

ive seen that on a couple of the 4.0 sohc motors. those are deff parts of a timing cassette. theres 4 in total, 2 of them can be seen with the valve covers off and those are the two that the tensioners push on. drivers side front valve cover and pass side rear valve cover. the other two are the balance shaft which is much smaller so i doubt the piece you found is from that one, the 4th is the main tensioner which is behind the timing cover pushing on the chain connecting the crankshaft and jackshaft. to really inspect them you need to remove the timing cover and valve covers so you can see which one is broken, but youre better off replacing them all.

Okay well it isn't making any timing chain rattle so I won't be able to justify addressing that since it is an engine out procedure and that is a lot of labor to do myself on something I have no experience doing. Obviously getting a shop to do it is more money than the truck is worth. I'm a university student and this is my only car so I can't have vehicle downtime outside of school breaks. I was really hoping it wasn't a timing cassette part If I confirm that it is just that main cassette that is the issue could I replace that in the frame of the vehicle?

 

[Tshaw88]

Okay well it isn't making any timing chain rattle so I won't be able to justify addressing that since it is an engine out procedure and that is a lot of labor to do myself on something I have no experience doing. Obviously getting a shop to do it is more money than the truck is worth. I'm a university student and this is my only car so I can't have vehicle downtime outside of school breaks. I was really hoping it wasn't a timing cassette part If I confirm that it is just that main cassette that is the issue could I replace that in the frame of the vehicle?

the timing guides and cassettes can be done with the motor in the vehicle, its not fun and requires a special tool kit for the pass side camshaft bolt as well as tools to lock the pulleys in place so the timing doesnt jump. send me a pic of the plastic part u found next to a ruler, take a measurement of the length and width of it, i still have most of my old parts i should be able to tell you which guide that is off of. a lot of times when the main tensioner lets go you will NOT hear it rattle, the rattle is usually when one of the tensioners on the camshaft chains lets go.

 

[Tshaw88]

the timing guides and cassettes can be done with the motor in the vehicle, its not fun and requires a special tool kit for the pass side camshaft bolt as well as tools to lock the pulleys in place so the timing doesnt jump. send me a pic of the plastic part u found next to a ruler, take a measurement of the length and width of it, i still have most of my old parts i should be able to tell you which guide that is off of. a lot of times when the main tensioner lets go you will NOT hear it rattle, the rattle is usually when one of the tensioners on the camshaft chains lets go.

to redo the main tensioner the timing chain cover has to come off, which means pulling all the accessory pulleys off. im only a backyard mechanic but its a job that takes a full day or two and the motor can stay in the car for it.

 

[Warmowed]

to redo the main tensioner the timing chain cover has to come off, which means pulling all the accessory pulleys off. im only a backyard mechanic but its a job that takes a full day or two and the motor can stay in the car for it.

Okay well that is at least comforting to hear it can be done in-frame then. I can measure the part later today with my calipers and give you an exact measurement. If the part is from the main tensioner is it critical to change if it isn't making noise? Or would its failure cause engine damage?

 

[Tshaw88]

Okay well that is at least comforting to hear it can be done in-frame then. I can measure the part later today with my calipers and give you an exact measurement. If the part is from the main tensioner is it critical to change if it isn't making noise? Or would its failure cause engine damage?

i would say its pretty important. the chain it keeps tension on connects the crankshaft to the jackshaft so if it slips its more than likely going to bend valves. when i put new chains on mine i noticed its a tight fit, even without the tensioner installed i couldnt get the chain to jump a tooth but that was with brand new chains and sprockets, with a stretched chain and worn sprockets the odds of it jumping are higher and both camshafts are run off the jackshaft so if it does slip you'll need a new motor.

 

[Tshaw88]

HOPEFULLY it is the main tensioner, thats not too bad to get at. its been a couple months since i did mine but if i remember right only one cassette has those little metal springs and its the balance shaft tensioner. if thats the broken one then its not a huge concern, ive seen people remove the balance shaft completely without issues, but that one as well can only be seen with the timing cover off, and a busted balance shaft tensioner would not cause the rattle. its a sign the others dont have long tho. at the very least you need to put new hydraulic tensioners in.

 

[Tshaw88]

just checked some pictures i took when i did mine, the main tensioner does have the metal leaf springs as well so it is deff the main or balance shaft, judging from the size im guessing the main.

 

[Warmowed]

just checked some pictures i took when i did mine, the main tensioner does have the metal leaf springs as well so it is deff the main or balance shaft, judging from the size im guessing the main.

Okay thank you for letting me know about the dangers of not getting to it; I know it is an interference engine but I didn't know if just the main cassette wore out that it would cause problems I thought the cam tensioners were the only dangerous ones. I watched a video about replacing the tensioners and from what it looks like the only one that is a pain is the passenger side cam tensioner. I have a Haynes manual but is there a video you used/suggest? If t

 

[Tshaw88]

Okay thank you for letting me know about the dangers of not getting to it; I know it is an interference engine but I didn't know if just the main cassette wore out that it would cause problems I thought the cam tensioners were the only dangerous ones. I watched a video about replacing the tensioners and from what it looks like the only one that is a pain is the passenger side cam tensioner. I have a Haynes manual but is there a video you used/suggest? If t

ill see if i can find the link for the one i used, but i had the motor out and so did that video, if you are just replacing the cassette thats broken then you shouldnt have to worry about it jumping time, if you are doing the chains as well then youll need the kit to lock the pulleys in place.

 

[Warmowed]

ill see if i can find the link for the one i used, but i had the motor out and so did that video, if you are just replacing the cassette thats broken then you shouldnt have to worry about it jumping time, if you are doing the chains as well then youll need the kit to lock the pulleys in place.

Okay yeah I'm not going to replace the chain if I can get away with it. If I just replace the cassette and the hydraulic tensioners is it just a simple matter of unbolting and swapping the parts out? no special procedures of locking the cams or anything? Btw sorry it took me so long to get measurements of the parts. I have attached pictures of both parts with all relevant measurements.