Found in lower oil pan...

[96eb96]

That is the trap with old cars. You end up with so many new parts but there is always something looming on the horizon. It becomes like an aging well loved pet and you have trouble letting go, trying everything to keep it going. When you think of what new car or truck cost a few hundred or even a thousand is very trivial. Two or three payments could easily amount to that, and they are rapidly depreciating by the minute.

 

[david4451]

Phil, that's the balace shaft tensioner, you want primary chain tensioner, with other side which is solid plastic ie. get set.
Your photo does look like one of spring leaves off tensioner, can't really be anything else.

 

[Tech By Trade]

The worst investment an individual can make is a new vehicle. The depreciation driving it off the lot the first time alone is insane.
Low mileage used is the way to go.
If were sure its the balance shaft I wouldnt bother doing anything. I cant tell just from the picture but there are 6 of those on the primary so it may not be the primary tensioner. As for the part, here it is on ebay, but I would splurge for the 20 dollar OEM version. Youll need water pump gaskets and a timing chain gasket too. Maybe a front seal if your feeling real ambitions.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/4-0L-Ford-Ex...ash=item233439bc1a:g:VbkAAOSw2GlXI5NA&vxp=mtr

 

[david4451]

New improved tensioners have 6 leaves, the originals only have 3. If it has balance shaft which is doubtful as 2WD, The balance shaft chain could disengage and thrash the engine!
When it comes to vehicles and many other things, "better the devil you know" a different vehicle could really be a PITA.

 

[koda2000]

Tech By Trade/david - Well I guess I won't know for sure unless I take it apart.

96EB96 - I agree, brand new vehicles are a terrible investment, but when I was working and making a six figure + income I bought new vehicles every two years or so (what can I say, I loved fancy new vehicles). My current situation (retired and living on a fixed income) means it is unlikely I'll ever buy a new vehicle again, however I have advised my eldest daughter to stop purchasing new cars and to instead buy low mileage 2-3 year old used vehicles, which she and her husband now do. They ended up getting almost new vehicles with only 20-30k on them for about 1/2 the price of new. My solution to giving up on new car reliability is to have multiple well used inexpensive vehicles. It can be a pain keeping them all on the road, but we're never w/out transportation. My '01 ST actually has the fewest number of miles on it of all my vehicles, It's just seems that as soon as I fix one thing on it, something else breaks on it. My '01 EB is/has been rock solid, my '00 XLT and younger daughter's '00 Mountaineer and '97 Sport have been very reliable. The total investment for all these vehicles was under $10,000 and, other than the Sport Trac, repairs over 5 years have been minimal.

 

[Stick4503]

Koda that part is part of the chain guide tensioner. It looks like a balance shaft guide part but could be from the primary. Problem is if it is a balance shaft guide that needs replacing you will have to pull your engine to get the cradle / upper oil pan off. Either way for the timing cover to be removed you will need to have a crankshaft pulley / harmonic balancer puller. More than likely you will need to remove your radiator to make room for the puller. Then of course the parts swap and an oil change and cooling system refill. Yes this can be done and it is not hard but don't be fooled that its an hour job.

 

[Tech By Trade]

You don't need to pull the rad, There is enough room. Hell, I left mine in when I pulled the engine. Cradle is another story.

 

[Stick4503]

It's just enough room. I ended up pulling mine because my balance was stuck on bad and needed an impact to remove it.

 

[koda2000]

Thank you all for your input.

 

[boominXplorer]

That pic definitely looks like the balance shaft spring. With the fact you only found one also I am 99% sure it is it.

 

[ZWilson07]

Well Koda how'd it end up going?

 

[koda2000]

Well Koda how'd it end up going?

The rattle comes and goes. Sometimes it doesn't make any noise for days. As little as I use this vehicle I'm not going to do anything with it right now. Maybe in the Spring. I'm tired of working on this POS (as soon as I fix one thing, something else breaks) and I have other things to fix on other vehicles.

 

[LoquetusofBorg]

Koda, IMHO it would be cheaper just to get a good used motor and drop it in when needed. I know you have a lot of time and money invested in your rig and I assume you like the body style. T'was the same with me, I am simply to deep and invested to let it go. I never had said anything about the fix for my rig other then the expense, but I now get up to 25 miles to the gallon consistently, (when the conditions are right), other wise on the not so good days I get 19-21. You can't replace that rig of yours with something that costs between say 2500-4500 and not have to work on it. You know your rig and it's downfalls with something else, who knows. If you decide to get rid of it, someone "WILL" get a great rig and you will have to start over, unless you buy new. Well that's my 2 cents worth. Good luck on what ever you decide.
Loquetus

 

[koda2000]

At this point I may drive just this engine into the ground and then look for a newer engine to replace it with. Who knows, as little as I drive this truck it could last for years. Our old '01 SOHC XLT ran for another 40,000 miles + before it jumped time and died (and it rattled like crazy from the day my daughter bought it). At around 4,000-5,000 miles a year that's 8 + years worth of use. If it dies it dies. It's not like I don't have other vehicles to use. Maybe I'll come across a V8 donor for cheap, do the swap and be done with the SOHC for ever.

 

[boominXplorer]

At this point I may drive just this engine into the ground and then look for a newer engine to replace it with. Who knows, as little as I drive this truck it could last for years. Our old '01 SOHC XLT ran for another 40,000 miles + before it jumped time and died (and it rattled like crazy from the day my daughter bought it). At around 4,000-5,000 miles a year that's 8 + years worth of use. If it dies it dies. It's not like I don't have other vehicles to use. Maybe I'll come across a V8 donor for cheap, do the swap and be done with the SOHC for ever.

If that little piece is all you found I bet you'll get another 50k miles out of it easily.

 

[LoquetusofBorg]

At this point I may drive just this engine into the ground and then look for a newer engine to replace it with. Who knows, as little as I drive this truck it could last for years. Our old '01 SOHC XLT ran for another 40,000 miles + before it jumped time and died (and it rattled like crazy from the day my daughter bought it). At around 4,000-5,000 miles a year that's 8 + years worth of use. If it dies it dies. It's not like I don't have other vehicles to use. Maybe I'll come across a V8 donor for cheap, do the swap and be done with the SOHC for ever.

That is going to be my plan as well. I will "not" put another SOHC in my rig. I will go OHV as they are a proven motor and a lot less work for me to do a swap, but my real hope is that the new timing that was installed will outlast me.
Loquetus

 

[Bulletslinger]

Just throwin' it out there, but I'll be getting out of my '02 EB in a couple years (startup rattle/intermittent 2200-3000 rattle). Hopefully I'll have the loan paid off by then. At that point I'm planning on moving to a Subaru Crosstrek/Outback/Imprezza Sport Hatch.

I have a little one and I need safety and mpg above all. Throw in reliability and you have Subaru.

 

[Tech By Trade]

Just throwin' it out there, but I'll be getting out of my '02 EB in a couple years (startup rattle/intermittent 2200-3000 rattle). Hopefully I'll have the loan paid off by then. At that point I'm planning on moving to a Subaru Crosstrek/Outback/Imprezza Sport Hatch.

I have a little one and I need safety and mpg above all. Throw in reliability and you have Subaru.

Not to mention timing belts. Subaru Timing belts are awesome to change I hear. Not as bad as the chains in these things though.

 

[Bulletslinger]

Not to mention timing belts. Subaru Timing belts are awesome to change I hear. Not as bad as the chains in these things though.

Yeah, anything is better than these chains. If I was getting better gas mileage, maybe then it would be worth maintaining for the usefulness.