Don't buy 3rd Gen with 4.0L

[94Eddie]

Many companies now usw the updated guides from the git go. Fords remans, Jasper, Dahmer, and Powertrain products iirc all do last I checked a few years back.

Im not to familiar with 3rd gens but iirc both used the 5r55w, so I think the 4.6 should mate with your tranny physically. You likely will need the PCM from a v8 rig, as well as all the "dressing" for the engine like hoses manifold etc. Not sure if exhaust, etc is different. But I think physically it will bolt up. Although you may think the SOHC is the weak link, in my eyes, I see the tranny as the weakest link. Make sure to change fluid refularly & keep it cool. JMO.

One could go through two 5R55s before one 4.0L SOHC engine. Maybe three. A maintained 4.6L 2V will outlast the rest of the vehicle in the Rust Belt. I think a lot of the reason the 5R55s die young is due to lack of 60k mile service intervals. Ford's 150k recommended service interval has killed many of these transmissions. Then some people never change the fluid until it dies because of Ford's claim the fluid lasts a "lifetime." No fluid lasts a lifetime unless the vehicle is a POS from the factory.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

One could go through two 5R55s before one 4.0L SOHC engine. Maybe three. A maintained 4.6L 2V will outlast the rest of the vehicle in the Rust Belt. I think a lot of the reason the 5R55s die young is due to lack of 60k mile service intervals. Ford's 150k recommended service interval has killed many of these transmissions. Then some people never change the fluid until it dies because of Ford's claim the fluid lasts a "lifetime." No fluid lasts a lifetime unless the vehicle is a POS from the factory.

Mhmm. Keep the tranny cool and fresh,, drive easy on it, and I see these things last a long time! But I still see these trannies as being weaker than the engine, imo. To me the SOHC is a >200k motor, the tranny probably around 200k if maintained. I think I just got abnormally lucky.

 

[CDW6212R]

Yeah, the SOHC 4.0 and the 5R55E are weak units, both are much less reliable than the SBF, the 4R70W, or the modular V8's.

The 5R55E won't bolt to any V8, skip that idea. Almost any SOHC 4.0 will swap into any model of Ford with those. If you keep up with the proper maintenance, plus ignore service manual intervals, do fluid changes much more often like older Fords, then they all have fairly good reliability.

I still have my 99 that was my work vehicle, soon a spare when I retire, and I'll replace the SOHC valvetrain parts again(front and back), plus rebuild the trans. It will be worth less than the engine/trans alone given the age of the vehicle. But I'll sell it hopefully to a coworker who can deliver mail with it. They could recoup their cost if they don't push the new mileage too far. Most people know that these engines and transmissions need some serious maintenance done to them every 60-100k miles. Neglected vehicles are the ones with bigger problems.

 

[94Eddie]

Regarding the 4.0L SOHC, is one end of the engine more durable than the other? Are the odds of a guide/chain failure occurring distributed equally between the front and rear?

 

[CDW6212R]

The rear chain cassette has evidently had far fewer failures, and the early parts were not as durable as what most are now. The rear is obviously terrible to service, the engine or trans has to be removed to get at that chain/cassette.

 

[94Eddie]

The rear chain cassette has evidently had far fewer failures, and the early parts were not as durable as what most are now. The rear is obviously terrible to service, the engine or trans has to be removed to get at that chain/cassette.

Is it a difficult job to replace the front guides and chains?

 

[CDW6212R]

The external tensioners are rather easy to replace, those should be replaced any time a chain rattle is heard.

The front chain and cassette, internal tensioner and guides, those require the entire front of the engine opened up to get to the parts. So you take off the front dress, then the timing cover, plus the valve covers. Inside then it's about general work on the timing components, the special timing tool kit is needed to lock the cams and crank to TDC properly. The 4x4 version with a balance shaft use a tiny(very fragile) chain and matching tensioner. It's wise to do away with that given many examples if it not doing any good or harm(just cut the chain and remove those front pieces).

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Yeah, the SOHC 4.0 and the 5R55E are weak units, both are much less reliable than the SBF, the 4R70W, or the modular V8's.

The 5R55E won't bolt to any V8, skip that idea. Almost any SOHC 4.0 will swap into any model of Ford with those. If you keep up with the proper maintenance, plus ignore service manual intervals, do fluid changes much more often like older Fords, then they all have fairly good reliability.

I still have my 99 that was my work vehicle, soon a spare when I retire, and I'll replace the SOHC valvetrain parts again(front and back), plus rebuild the trans. It will be worth less than the engine/trans alone given the age of the vehicle. But I'll sell it hopefully to a coworker who can deliver mail with it. They could recoup their cost if they don't push the new mileage too far. Most people know that these engines and transmissions need some serious maintenance done to them every 60-100k miles. Neglected vehicles are the ones with bigger problems.

I thought the 3rd gen 4.0 and 4.6 both used the 5r55w (or was it S?)

Regarding the 4.0L SOHC, is one end of the engine more durable than the other? Are the odds of a guide/chain failure occurring distributed equally between the front and rear?

This one has only had the primary tensioner go. The rest are still holding up.

Is it a difficult job to replace the front guides and chains?

At least primary guide & tensioner was easy, and easy to hack balance shaft out. No experience with valve cover one. I think someone did the rear one with engine in, but it was all done by feel, no visual... so it comes wtith risk.

 

[TechGuru]

One could go through two 5R55s before one 4.0L SOHC engine. Maybe three. A maintained 4.6L 2V will outlast the rest of the vehicle in the Rust Belt. I think a lot of the reason the 5R55s die young is due to lack of 60k mile service intervals. Ford's 150k recommended service interval has killed many of these transmissions. Then some people never change the fluid until it dies because of Ford's claim the fluid lasts a "lifetime." No fluid lasts a lifetime unless the vehicle is a POS from the factory.

and the reason no one ever changes it is because it's not user changeable, don't even have a freaking dip stick!

 

[94Eddie]

and the reason no one ever changes it is because it's not user changeable, don't even have a freaking dip stick!

It has a drain plug that doubles as a fill plug.

 

[TechGuru]

It has a drain plug that doubles as a fill plug.

I have all the needed tools to do a engine swap yet I do not have any way of pumping in transmission fluid via a drain plug. Do you really think your average joe who only has enough tools to do their own oil changes would have the equipment to do it?

 

[94Eddie]

I have all the needed tools to do a engine swap yet I do not have any way of pumping in transmission fluid via a drain plug. Do you really think your average joe who only has enough tools to do their own oil changes would have the equipment to do it?

All they need to do is a search on YouTube. It can be done with a wrench and a $5 hand pump. Many do it by cutting a hole in the cap of the transmission fluid container, tight fitting a plastic tube in it and squeezing the container. It is way easier than doing a drain and refill for a 4th gen 6R60/80 transmission.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

They have ones that screw onto the top of the bottle...

 

[CDW6212R]

All they need to do is a search on YouTube. It can be done with a wrench and a $5 hand pump. Many do it by cutting a hole in the cap of the transmission fluid container, tight fitting a plastic tube in it and squeezing the container. It is way easier than doing a drain and refill for a 4th gen 6R60/80 transmission.

I've never had one of those non fill transmissions, but I've used the cheap pump to do many gear oil changes.

BTW, that pump may be under $10, but the aftermarket dipsticks you can buy are $250+, not funny. I've bought most of the little items to do a 6R80, but not the dipstick or the deep pan yet. I got a 6R80 shifter first, I wanted to know if it would easily bolt to the floor within the console, it will.

I need this trim piece though, which is an F150 console shifter trim, retail $375.

 

[CDW6212R]

I thought the 3rd gen 4.0 and 4.6 both used the 5r55w (or was it S?)

...

Ah, the 5R55E was the first Ford five speed auto, and it just bolts to the 4.0 V6's. The 5R55W bolts to the modular V8's, and I forgot what all the 5R55S mates with. The 5R55E is a smaller sized trans, it's the descendant of the small A4LD.

 

[94Eddie]

I've never had one of those non fill transmissions, but I've used the cheap pump to do many gear oil changes.

BTW, that pump may be under $10, but the aftermarket dipsticks you can buy are $250+, not funny. I've bought most of the little items to do a 6R80, but not the dipstick or the deep pan yet. I got a 6R80 shifter first, I wanted to know if it would easily bolt to the floor within the console, it will.

I need this trim piece though, which is an F150 console shifter trim, retail $375.

The last time the pan was dropped, I had a drain plug welded into it. This way I can just drain and refill every other service because the filter can go for 120k miles.

Looks like you are still working toward the 3.5L/6R80 swap?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Ah, the 5R55E was the first Ford five speed auto, and it just bolts to the 4.0 V6's. The 5R55W bolts to the modular V8's, and I forgot what all the 5R55S mates with. The 5R55E is a smaller sized trans, it's the descendant of the small A4LD.

Got it, my bad! Sorry about that.

 

[toobladink]

The rear chain cassette has evidently had far fewer failures, and the early parts were not as durable as what most are now. The rear is obviously terrible to service, the engine or trans has to be removed to get at that chain/cassette.

So realistically, even though the original post is about "only the front got updated, why not the rear?", that isn't really an issue?

Is there any way to check and confirm which side of the engine has broken timing, other than pulling the engine and looking at the rear? Other than hearing a rattle, opening the front, and seeing that it's fine (implying it's the rear that's bad)?

 

[nickelphillips]

Funny: I just posted an homage to my 07 with the 4.0 and the failed timing chain guide. Saw here on the Forum a guy offering this as a fix. Seems promising ... ???

 

[CDW6212R]

So realistically, even though the original post is about "only the front got updated, why not the rear?", that isn't really an issue?

Is there any way to check and confirm which side of the engine has broken timing, other than pulling the engine and looking at the rear? Other than hearing a rattle, opening the front, and seeing that it's fine (implying it's the rear that's bad)?

Any serious chain rattling noise should be fairly easy to locate. The front will almost always be one source, and it could be tough to hear well at the back to know if that one is really bad.

Here's the big issue, the external tensioners are much more prone to losing their strength, either the mechanical spring weakens, or the rubber one way valve doesn't hold oil pressure well enough. Those, one in each head, external, easy to spot, can be replaced without too much trouble, and no special tools required except the large wrench or socket. Be very careful at the front though when loosening that one, do not ever push against the temp sensor which is right there in the space where you need to put the wrench or socket. If you push against that sensor and make it leak, or break it, then the entire thermostat housing has to come off. That is bad because the original were plastic and the sensors usually seize in place, and break in removal, requiring new parts. There are multiple threads here about changing that housing with aftermarket metal ones, plus new updated sensors. That can be avoided if you simply don't touch the one close by sensor while removing the front tensioner. Just be very very careful in that one step.

Usually the best process is to replace the two external tensioners because they always need to be with any chain noise. Then see how it runs and sounds. That often is all that is needed until the chain cassettes wear out, which for some that's 200k etc, and others it's way less. Any loose chain will wear the plastic cassettes much faster, the chain rides or slaps against them.

Also be sure to check the oil condition often, the color and age, and if you suspect any chain issue, cut open the used filters to look for any plastic. The plastic cassettes wearing should produce smaller pieces that might get through to the filter, or else they will be caught at the pump pickup, and that might show with low oil pressure. If everything seems great with the oil, often a noise starting doesn't mean the cassettes are gone, but just that the external tensioners are weak.