Hello from CA - UHAUL dream crusher - thanks

[Mbrooks420]

If you didn’t buy Ford tensioners the problem is probably worse. The aftermarket parts are garbage, and often fail out of the box. If by jack shaft, he means balance shaft, I wouldn’t think it’s an issue.

 

[boominXplorer]

The jack shaft is the shaft in the center that drives the main chain to the crank and both heads. I'm sure at least the main tensioner is broken.

Changing the hydraulic tensioners with out replacing anything else is wasting time, they are the last thing to go bad. When they do go bad it's because they are filled with broken plastic from the guides.

 

[Laura F.]

The top tensioner by the left or thermostat that came out was stuck almost all the way in with a half inch piston sticking out. Investigating why it was put in a vice and squeezed and black thick oil sludge came out. It is believed that the little oil port under the nut is too restrictive and that piston on my tensioner got vacuumed locked. That hole is s little bit too small so we believe that unit is defective from the factory. Sure they work great in the factory but under most vehicles adverse oil conditions but once the oil in vehicles begins to break down and dirties sludgy and gets up in the tensioners the tensioner can vac lock and that is what is believed about these parts whether cheap or oem.

 

[Laura F.]

Think the guides are broken not sure how long i can drive like that. We are going to pull the valve cover and check the guide. We should drop pan too and look for plastic. My question is which is best to do first?