Garry W
New Member
- Joined
- April 20, 2012
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Auckland New Zealand
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1997 Explorer XLT 4.0L V6
I just want to express my sincererest gratitude to all you guys n gals, i just purchased a 1997 Explorer XLT for a not so princely sum of $2000 NZ, the issue was a rattling rear timing chain, which the seller had been informed by his mechanic would mean an engine out jobbie at an horrendous cost.
By being able to check out all this awesome information on the forum, and me being apt around a spanner and socket I did my detective bit and Thanks to the excellent post ref: rear timing tensioner replacement by Rick,I had a fair idea what was wrong, I brought the truck and a new part from my local Ford dealer, after an oil and filter change and replacing the tensioner my truck is puurring away like a big kitten.
This has saved me around $2500 NZ, which at around $4500 for a non rattling Explorer is the going rate, Its been suggested i should sell it to make a handsome profit, my reply NO WAY this truck Is fantastic and when me and my wife cruise it around we feel very special.
Having come to NZ from England where all we can afford to drive are tiny tinpot cars (fuel costs are daylight robbery in UK) with sewing machine engines this is the biggest engined car ive ever owned, and i love the shear effortlessness how the big ford pulls away, Thanks folks for letting me glean more information than i ever got from the $100 I spent on a workshop manual which doesnt even mention hydraulic timing chain tensioners....
By being able to check out all this awesome information on the forum, and me being apt around a spanner and socket I did my detective bit and Thanks to the excellent post ref: rear timing tensioner replacement by Rick,I had a fair idea what was wrong, I brought the truck and a new part from my local Ford dealer, after an oil and filter change and replacing the tensioner my truck is puurring away like a big kitten.
This has saved me around $2500 NZ, which at around $4500 for a non rattling Explorer is the going rate, Its been suggested i should sell it to make a handsome profit, my reply NO WAY this truck Is fantastic and when me and my wife cruise it around we feel very special.
Having come to NZ from England where all we can afford to drive are tiny tinpot cars (fuel costs are daylight robbery in UK) with sewing machine engines this is the biggest engined car ive ever owned, and i love the shear effortlessness how the big ford pulls away, Thanks folks for letting me glean more information than i ever got from the $100 I spent on a workshop manual which doesnt even mention hydraulic timing chain tensioners....
not that it's slow, actually got some power. But 400+ horsepower is a little more fun 
