Chill, just because YOU had a noise which wasn't the tensioner doesn't mean no one else can have a noise that IS the tensioner.
Lots of people on this board, including myself, had a noise which sounded a whole lot like ping, and it was the jackshaft tensioner. There is a Ford TSB on it, so they also assert that such a noise often IS the tensioner. Bottom end noise (like an engine bearing) is usually a tapping or rapping sound, different noise than timing chain.
The job is not trivial, only because the timing setup on the SOHC is not keyed in any way. Once you loosen stuff up, the cams move with relation to the gears, and the valve timing is way off. There is a special tool used to lock the timing system in place so you can replace the timing chain(s). Tool is about $200 IIRC. Job would be about $600-$1200 for a local shop, more for dealer. More if they have to replace some of the other timing components.
There are 3 basic timing chains, jackshaft chain, front (drivers side) cam chain, and rear (pass side) cam chain. The jackshaft is a 'dummy' shaft that resides in the traditional OHC cam location. It is driven by chain off the crank. It in turn drives the 2 overhead cams (via chains). If you have 4x4 you also have a balance shaft, driven by another chain off crank.
The jackshaft chain uses an internal tensioner that uses flat metal springs that push a plastic guide against chain to provide tension. the plastic fails, springs fall out, tension gone, rattle (and springs and plastic can clog oil intake, resulting in blown bottom end, which may have been that other guys issue, tensioner WAS bad, but its carnage took out motor). The TSB is to replace the jackshaft chain and tensioner and guide (the guide is a solid piece of plastic on the other side of chain).
The balance shaft chain uses a similar sort of tensioner as the jackshaft. The 2 cam chains use an external tensioner. Looks like a large black bolt. Front one also as a 'reservoir' so it looks a little diff, well, the one does anyway, the original was same as rear). These 2 tensioners contain an internal coil spring, and they press against an internal plastic guide that rubs chain to provide tension.
In addition to the jackshaft tensioner issue (which affects all SOHC up through '02), there were also issues with the tensioner and guide of the cam shafts up through '01. There is a TSB that replaces the front tensioner with 'reservoir' version, plus adds this little plastic 'anti drainback' thingy.
If you wanted to DIY the jackshaft tensioner noise, you could replace just the tensioner (and perhaps the guide on the other side), and leave the chain and gears alone. That way you don't need any special tools, little to no chance of messing up the valve timing. Some may balk, but the jackshaft chain has just as many miles on it as the 2 cam chains, and hardly anybody ever changes both of those (the front sometimes yes, but rarely the rear). So what reason is there to think changing the jackshaft chain & gears, but not all the valve train chains & gears, really buys you anything?
A case can be made you already have it all apart, why not change all the parts, but if touching those parts requires special tools, and exponentially increases the risk of messing the job up (to the point it scares off many would be DIY'ers), I say it makes sense to do just the tensioner.
One last piece of advice. Regardless if you have a pro do it, or DIY, or even decide to put it off, do yourself a HUGE favor and drop the lower oil pan and clean out any broken tensioner parts, paying special attention to the oil intake screen. If the tensioner has failed, you don’t want its remnants blocking your oil and destroying your engine. Its easy to drop the lower pan, its like 12 10mm bolts, do it on your next oil change. Pan gasket is reusable.
Lastly, if you do change (or have pro change) your jackshaft tensioner, I want your old one, even if its in pieces (long story, PM me if u want the details).