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Ford Timing Chain Tensioner Cutaway

donalds

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1999 ford explorer sohc
Thought I'd post this. Thought it'd help someone. Any thoughts?


20201124_132727.jpg


 



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Interesting, makes me wonder if high mileage oil w/seal-conditioners would help.
 






Excellent work Donald! Don't recall anyone mentioning the rubber check valve that hardens. Definitely prone to fail and that explains a lot. Thanks!

BTW, sorry the tensioner "bit" you back. ;) Glad you didn't get cut or hurt too bad.
 






Excellent! always wondered what the inside of those tensioners looked like, now I know. In the process of doing mine this weekend along with the o-rings. Ford recommends replacement at 80k to 100k miles. May the check valve is why.
 






Cool job, thanks for the detective work. That makes more sense than wondering if the springs wear out.

So age and poor oil quality are the biggest factors to the tensioners going bad. Use best oil always, change more often, and replace the air filter often too. If the oil gets black quickly, check your air filter. That's either from dirt going through it, or a fairly worn engine.
 






Cool job, thanks for the detective work. That makes more sense than wondering if the springs wear out.

So age and poor oil quality are the biggest factors to the tensioners going bad. Use best oil always, change more often, and replace the air cleaner often to. If the oil gets black quickly, check your air filter. That's either from dirt going through it, or a fairly worn engine.
Yep.
I just heard at cold start a very dull sounding rattle ....same frequency as what we know as startup rattle but dull rubber like sound
That ment the guide didn't break so had the wife call out from work and went to ford they had them in stock gaskets to
So I just took the day and did both

The tensioner failed even with the pre oiler
When I cut it open to see why it failed a piece of the machine shop
...aluminum shaving just one .... was jammed in the one way valve ....looked like a piece of bolt threads...
The tensioner isn't made of aluminum
I then used my pre oiler to flush the oil passage and installed new tensioners
 






Yeah, that seal material is likely the same as what's in an automatic. As long as the fluid is super clean the seals can last a long time.

I'm changing my 302's oil today, it uses oil due to prior poor servicing. I bet the valve guides and seals are really loose/worn. People should go back to doing 3000 mile oil changes, too many people are getting used to 7500 and more(bad idea).
 












Some grades of stainless (the lower cost ones more likely used if any were) are also magnetic.
 






Bump for this great thread and video. Just requested this as a sticky with some of your other posts and videos.

Amazing effort. Much thanks!


EDIT- IT'S A STICKY NOW!!!
 












Nice thread
 






Hmmm - the rubber piece is to prevent drain back but the oil passage before the tensioner needs to be filled - I can see how a chip in a tensioner could overcome the pre-oiler .... why does the pre-oiler the only way I have found to prevent start up rattle even with new tensioner but 2 broken guides ...
 






It’s really a good thread Donald - thx
 






My best guess

why does the pre-oiler the only way I have found to prevent start up rattle even with new tensioner but 2 broken guides
Because the guides aren't broke all the way still wedged in their just enough
 












No spring
No oil passages
Just a rod o ring and a lock nut very Simple but very effective

 












No I unplug the crank sensor and prime with the starter
 



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