Engine making a noise like a plastic fan hitting metal.

[genesiss]

My 2001 sport trac with front wheel drive with 180,000 miles just recently started making a noise that sounds like something hitting the plastic engine fan except it's coming from the right front of the engine.

I am thinking it's the plastic timing chain guide because my wife was able to drive it several miles home and start it the next day with the same noise.

 

[2000StreetRod]

remove the serpentine belt

If I'm not mistaken the Sport Trac came with either rear wheel drive or 4/all wheel drive. Front wheel drive was not an option.

By "right front of the engine" do you mean the passenger or driver side? The 4WD SOHC V6 has a balance shaft on the lower front of the engine on the passenger side. It is chain driven and the chain tensioner commonly fails after 150K miles or so. To determine if the noise is internal or external to the engine you can remove the serpentine belt and run the engine for about a minute without over heating. If the noise is still present then it's probably internal to the engine.

 

[genesiss]

Thank you, I apologize for my lack of describing clearly the location of the noise. It is on the drivers side front corner of the engine. It is a rear wheel drive and not a four wheel drive. I will definitely try removing the serpentine belt to test the noise. I did also have issues with the engine making that famous sohc rattle when first starting for years. My engine now has about a 60db noise level like a lawn mower with something caught in the blade.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Timing chain rattle resolution process - SOHC V6

Timing chain rattle resolution process - SOHC V6

 

[genesiss]

As an update I did remove the belt and the noise is still present. I will try 2000streetrods link to resolve the issue.