Getting Ready To Replace Timing Components 4.6L

[drdoom]

I have the start up rattle after the truck sits a day or so. So I definitely need to replace the tensioners & guides . I have a kit on the way from one of the unspeakable vendors, the kit without the sprockets. From Summit Racing I purchased an OTC 6477 camshaft holding tool. I am going to pick up the gaskets from the local parts house, and borrow a fan tool etc. I have read a lot of posts and watched some of the 1Aauto vid. I also have the Ford Shop Manuals, and a Haynes. I am thinking I will also need to borrow a harmonic balancer puller, and maybe something for the power steering pulley.

 

[Number4]

I bought a pulley puller from harbor freight for the balancer ($8?.) Think I had to get longer bolts though. I used the bump method to break the bolt loose, no issue. I also bought an OTC strap wrench, it's great for holding the balancer.
Rent or buy the power steering pulley puller. The tool scored my pulley so it wouldn't go back on, new one was cheap.

Get yourself a 8x1.25 bottoming tap. It'll clean the threads on the balancer (3 holes for removal) as well as the power steering pump shaft (so the tool will fully thread in.)

Remember, as soon as a tensioner comes off, the cam will try to rotate and jump 1.5 links or so. When done, just make sure you have equal amount of links on each side of the timing marks (cam sprocket and crank.)

I lodged a large screw driver through the pass cam sprocket and against the block (after I had it skip some links and my heart dropped.). Drivers side, I used a bunch of large tie straps to keep tension on the chain, just keep in mind they'll want to slip.

The cam sensor is behind the power steering bracket, might consider replacing it while it's accessible.
[MENTION=89008]Pontisteve[/MENTION] probably has the most experience.

 

[Pontisteve]

On a 4.6, if the motor hasn't already jumped time or something, I would rotate the crank until your on TDC compression. Then rotate it back a little til it's around 10:30 or so. That's the spot where the crank holding tool puts it.

Then I would remove all the rocker arms. At that point, there's no valve spring pressure trying to move the cam around. So you can just hold the cam still with the cam holding tool or a vice grip or something, just to mark where it is. Then pull off the chains, do whatever your'e going to do, put the chains back on, release the clip holding the tensioner in, and go. (FYI, while the tensioner is off the vehicle, you slowly recompress the tensioner piston, and then insert a clip of some sort to hold the tensioner in the depressed position until you're ready to snap the tensioenr in place).

If the cams have moved, you're going to need to realign them. That's where the specialty tools come in the most. You use the cam alignment tool in the back of the cam to line it up to the correct position, use the crank holding tool to put the crank in the right spot, then use the cam holding tool to hold the cam in place, then assemble everything, pull the pin on the tensioner, and go.

 

[leadfootdriver]

Startup rattle? Are you sure it's not the lifters that have bled down? It's takes a second for oil pressure to come up when you start the motor.

 

[drdoom]

Excellent replies, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED! Number4, will I need a helper for the bump method? Steve, on the 1Aauto vid, I did see that the crankshaft was in exactly the position you recommend, I believe there is a mark on the sprocket or a keyway? Leadfoot, the lifters are something I have not considered mainly because the empirical evidence I have gleened off the net points to a blown tensioner gasket. Thanks again everyone, very very helpful replies. Best wishes.
Doc

 

[Number4]

No on the bump method. It's just a light breif crank. The torque on the bolt isn't much to over come. I had to do it twice, just because I was "too" cautious. Just reset the breaker bar each time. There's really no way to screw anything up if you are cautious and set up right.

IIRC, I rested the bar against the drivers side frame.

 

[drdoom]

Thanks Number4, good tip.

 

[Pontisteve]

Excellent replies, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED! Number4, will I need a helper for the bump method? Steve, on the 1Aauto vid, I did see that the crankshaft was in exactly the position you recommend, I believe there is a mark on the sprocket or a keyway? Leadfoot, the lifters are something I have not considered mainly because the empirical evidence I have gleened off the net points to a blown tensioner gasket. Thanks again everyone, very very helpful replies. Best wishes.
Doc

As I recall, the mark on the crank sprocket is straight up and down, when the crank is at 10:30. The marks on the timing gears are dots, that line up with the copper link on the chains. Those are not straight up and down, but are generally near the top of the cam gears.

The chains have two copper links. Over time, those links are less easy to see. The links are simply located at the top and bottom of the chain, opposite each other by an equal amount of links. You don't need to find the copper links really. You can just fold the chain in half, and mark the top link and the bottom link with white paint. Then, one white mark will match up to the crank gear, and the other white mark will match up to the dot on the cam gear.

You have to do one chain setup before the other. I can't remember which is which, but whichever chain comes off the engine last must go back on it first.

Key thing to remember is that the cam holding tool and most of the procedures are all about one of two things: Keeping the cams from rotating due to spring pressure (which doesn't exist if you remove all the rocker arms), and re-aligning the cam and crank (which isn't exactly necessary if the thing isn't out of time in the first place).

So you can do pretty much everything without any special tools if you have to.

 

[drdoom]

Thanks Steve.