disable balance shaft by removing chain

[02ex4x4]

I recently Bought a explorer with bad timing chains and bent valves so I bought a wrecked truck with a what i thought was quiet good 4.0L as a replacement. I started resealing the valve cover and noticed the rear cassette is broke, I understand the timing procedure as I have done several 4.0s and have all the proper hold down tools and jackshaft wrench from otc. Now I am contemplating pulling the front cover to inspect but fear I will find a bad tensioner on the balance chain. This project already got more expensive than I planed with finding the rear cassette broke. I think I might do the front chains right away as preventive maintenance but do not want to remove the girdle. has anybody just disabled the balance chain by removing the chain and guides? its another moving part that seems to not be needed and has a high failure rate.

 

[410Fortune]

yes I have removed several balance chains and components
To remove the chain PRY IT APART at one link, it is super easy to get it apart. Do NOT CUT unless you like metal shavings in your oil pan.

The balance chain is the cause of many front end timing noises on these engines. Many repairs and upgrades can be made in the truck behind the timing cover, upgrade the main tensioner AND remove the balance chain....We have put many engine back on the road this way

 

[02ex4x4]

yes I have removed several balance chains and components
To remove the chain PRY IT APART at one link, it is super easy to get it apart. Do NOT CUT unless you like metal shavings in your oil pan.

The balance chain is the cause of many front end timing noises on these engines. Many repairs and upgrades can be made in the truck behind the timing cover, upgrade the main tensioner AND remove the balance chain....We have put many engine back on the road this way

thank you! that's exactly what I wanted to know. seems like 9-10 I pull apart that the guides are almost always broke.

 

[410Fortune]

yes sir! Exactly why I don't own any sohc engine vehicles I like the pushrods

But I do not mind trying to see how long we can keep the sohc on the road
The SOHC engines are like bomb proof........aside from the timing components
Very very rare have I ever seen a SOHC fail due to something other the timing guide/chain issues most of them are crushed way before they are tired....
If people would change their oil at 3000-5000 miles and USE FULL SYNTHETIC I don't think they realize how important that is for these hydraulically "tensioned" overhead cam engines.....

 

[02ex4x4]

yes sir! Exactly why I don't own any sohc engine vehicles I like the pushrods

But I do not mind trying to see how long we can keep the sohc on the road
The SOHC engines are like bomb proof........aside from the timing components
Very very rare have I ever seen a SOHC fail due to something other the timing guide/chain issues most of them are crushed way before they are tired....
If people would change their oil at 3000-5000 miles and USE FULL SYNTHETIC I don't think they realize how important that is for these hydraulically "tensioned" overhead cam engines.....

I agree the engine that I tore out every guide was broke and sludged up . The donor is super clean inside I'm surprised it has a busted guide in back.... but nobody ever changes the tensioners , they failed and bleed down and the chain slaps on startup and breaks guide. I have been rocking a 2002 with a 4.6 and love it but its getting crusty so I bought a nice 2007 with a bad motor and here I am. I agree about bomb proof unless you install cloyes timing components. redid all my brothers chains and guides a few years ago with cloyes and the front chain let go after a year... ripped it back apart cam stopped at rest and luckily didn't bend any valves . I have only installed oem components since. I bought the donor truck for cheap figuring I could slap it in cheaper than I could repair the old motor.
since its out I will pull front cover and change the guides on primary and disable the balance shaft. problem solved still cheaper. Thanks again

 

[410Fortune]

MUST USE OEM
I had similar experiences with Cloyes stuff, their tensioners lasted WEEKS
and the sad part is cloyes MAKES the Ford stuff....or so I was told.
Ford says to change the tensioners at 60K miles I believe
This is GOOD ADVICE
We run MANUAL CHAIN TENSIONERS on some Sohc engines with very good luck. Long story short the polaris Rzr (I own a few of them) came new from the factory with chain slapping noises at cold start. I recognized the noise immediatley on our 14 and 15 rzr 1000's. I did research and found the tensioner polaris used is the same FORD part..... The polaris aftermarket companies came to our rescue with manually adjusted tensioners. When I installed them in our Rzr I confirmed it is the exact same tensioner. Here we are a few years later and now you can get manual tensioners on Ebay for like $65. Work like a charm in the sohc engines too......
No cold start rattles in our XP1K Polaris Rzr's here.........

The 05+ Ford SOHC engines seem to be improved over the 97-04 models, I am consistently seeing over 300K miles from these Ford Rangers even with barely adequate oil changes.....

 

[donalds]

Just saying

 

[02ex4x4]

MUST USE OEM
I had similar experiences with Cloyes stuff, their tensioners lasted WEEKS
and the sad part is cloyes MAKES the Ford stuff....or so I was told.
Ford says to change the tensioners at 60K miles I believe
This is GOOD ADVICE
We run MANUAL CHAIN TENSIONERS on some Sohc engines with very good luck. Long story short the polaris Rzr (I own a few of them) came new from the factory with chain slapping noises at cold start. I recognized the noise immediatley on our 14 and 15 rzr 1000's. I did research and found the tensioner polaris used is the same FORD part..... The polaris aftermarket companies came to our rescue with manually adjusted tensioners. When I installed them in our Rzr I confirmed it is the exact same tensioner. Here we are a few years later and now you can get manual tensioners on Ebay for like $65. Work like a charm in the sohc engines too......
No cold start rattles in our XP1K Polaris Rzr's here.........

The 05+ Ford SOHC engines seem to be improved over the 97-04 models, I am consistently seeing over 300K miles from these Ford Rangers even with barely adequate oil changes.....

Thats crazy about the rzr manual tensnioners being the same as ford! and yea cloyes and ford def not the same.

 

[02ex4x4]

Just saying

that's actually a great idea 2!

 

[02ex4x4]

MUST USE OEM
I had similar experiences with Cloyes stuff, their tensioners lasted WEEKS
and the sad part is cloyes MAKES the Ford stuff....or so I was told.
Ford says to change the tensioners at 60K miles I believe
This is GOOD ADVICE
We run MANUAL CHAIN TENSIONERS on some Sohc engines with very good luck. Long story short the polaris Rzr (I own a few of them) came new from the factory with chain slapping noises at cold start. I recognized the noise immediatley on our 14 and 15 rzr 1000's. I did research and found the tensioner polaris used is the same FORD part..... The polaris aftermarket companies came to our rescue with manually adjusted tensioners. When I installed them in our Rzr I confirmed it is the exact same tensioner. Here we are a few years later and now you can get manual tensioners on Ebay for like $65. Work like a charm in the sohc engines too......
No cold start rattles in our XP1K Polaris Rzr's here.........

The 05+ Ford SOHC engines seem to be improved over the 97-04 models, I am consistently seeing over 300K miles from these Ford Rangers even with barely adequate oil changes.....

Please tell me more about manual tensioners how do you set the preload and how often?

 

[410Fortune]

okay preload is set by tightening the inner tensioner with your fingers until you cannot tighten anymore then back off 1/4 turn and tighten the jamb nut
I have never had to go back and re adjust, this is in a 2014 and 2015 Rzr Xp1K that we use ALOT
Remember these are sold for a Polaris DOHC engine from 325cc all the way up to 999cc with turbos making up to and over 200 horsies

Nobody makes them for a SOHC Ford engine, but the installation is the same
@allmyEXes is the one who is actually running them in his engine and for some miles now
I am sure some good feedback is headed your way
I personally do not own any SOHC engines in my fleet, but I do have a set of the $60 ebay special manual tensioners I was going to use in a flip truck I am building...but then I put a v8 in it instead

 

[allmyEXes]

~25K miles since I installed the manual tensioner.
Original topic... on another SOHC 4.0 that I own, I used a short handle set of bolt cutters to cut the balance shaft chain without making any shavings. First I tied a rigid wire through one of the chain links so that it wouldn't fall in the oil pan.

 

[410Fortune]

smart!! Those chains have always come apart like butter for me with just a slight prying
So glad the manual tensioners are working!!!!! they are holding up great in our Polaris, of course I got duped and bought the super expensive ones when they first hit the market, like $300 or some crap. Now you can get essentially the same unit for like $70 hahahahaha lesson learned

 

[Prometheusbob]

I recently Bought a explorer with bad timing chains and bent valves so I bought a wrecked truck with a what i thought was quiet good 4.0L as a replacement. I started resealing the valve cover and noticed the rear cassette is broke, I understand the timing procedure as I have done several 4.0s and have all the proper hold down tools and jackshaft wrench from otc. Now I am contemplating pulling the front cover to inspect but fear I will find a bad tensioner on the balance chain. This project already got more expensive than I planed with finding the rear cassette broke. I think I might do the front chains right away as preventive maintenance but do not want to remove the girdle. has anybody just disabled the balance chain by removing the chain and guides? its another moving part that seems to not be needed and has a high failure rate.

I cant answer your question but there is an assumption by all including good mechanics on youtube that 4x4 models always have a balance shaft. I own a 2006 Ford Ranger 4.0 SOHC 4x4 and there is No balance shaft in my motor.

 

[MakinJeepsWeep!]

I can vouch for this 100% with my 300$ merc premier i got my wife. New timing chains and its been back on the road another 100k+ only other issue ive had is the stupid fuel pressure sensor.

 

[1991 sploder]

Looks like a single balance shaft to me...

 

[MakinJeepsWeep!]

Sadly my phone that had the pics of the merc when it was apart got broke. It is 2wd and does have the a balance shaft.

 

[Prometheusbob]

smart!! Those chains have always come apart like butter for me with just a slight prying
So glad the manual tensioners are working!!!!! they are holding up great in our Polaris, of course I got duped and bought the super expensive ones when they first hit the market, like $300 or some crap. Now you can get essentially the same unit for like $70 hahahahaha lesson learned

So i know i already replied, but to go back to your question, if you are pulling motor i dont understand why not replace chains, seems like not too much more work but i can see the parts being over budget. I only replaced front and i only made 10k miles and then guess what my motor is in same position as the one you are replacing (most likely)

 

[imp]

So i know i already replied, but to go back to your question, if you are pulling motor i dont understand why not replace chains, seems like not too much more work but i can see the parts being over budget. I only replaced front and i only made 10k miles and then guess what my motor is in same position as the one you are replacing (most likely)

Do the various V-8s Ford built/builds all use a SPRING-LOADED chain tensioner? I think 4.6 does. A spring makes more sense to me than a hydraulic piston starting up with no pressure behind it.

 

[1991 sploder]

Alot of tensioners even hydraulic ones have a spring inside.