Quick engine-type question (X) vs. (E)

[BestUsernameEver]

What the difference between these engine types?

4.0L 245cid V6 MFI (X)
4.0L 245cid V6 MFI (E)
4.0L 245cid V6 MFI (U)

And how do I find out which one I have, could not find any info on that last letter... Got a 1997 Explorer XLT V6 SOHO, is it one of them?

Thanks!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

x = OHV 4L (dam near unkillable)
e = SOHC 4L
u = :scratch:

 

[BestUsernameEver]

Awesome! Thanks!
Why is OHV unkillable? you make me sad I own a sohc

 

[vroomzoomboom]

corkey on here has one in his truck, it is at the 400,000km mark, i have one in my 90 ranger, it has about 370,000kms on it. the SOHC isn't a bad motor, but they have timing chain and tensioner problems. don't worry, my evil little sport has a SOHC in it.......for now!

 

[BestUsernameEver]

hehe yeah, my chain is waking up the neighborhood as of now, so im buying the tensioner and kit 00M12... thanks again!

 

[ranger7ltr]

Don't be sad;Be concerned...

Awesome! Thanks!
Why is OHV unkillable? you make me sad I own a sohc

The OHV has to be one of the strongest engines Ford made...With the exception of the heads propensity of cracking the engine with even half-ass maintenance with run 300-500k without breaking... Keep it cooled, keep it oiled, keep it fed with fuel and it is happy...

The SOHC has the issues with the multiple timing chains and the questionable methods of keeping them in tension and aligned and the alignment methods and materials are suspect...The tensioners and guides frankly are made of materials that don't seem to survive inside an engine well past their replacement periods and the tensioners seem to be only spring loaded instead of engine oil pressurized like the OHV...And the springs tend to lose tension after a while...

Plus there is the interference of the pistons and the valves if/when a timing chain slips/breaks/moves...Valves introducing themselves to pistons will not be pretty...The OHV doesn't have this issue as it has one timing chain with a tensioner that is both spring loaded and oil pressure fed...And if the chain breaks the valves will not hit the pistons...

But the SOHC does produce more power for the complexity than the OHV!!! I would have to say the SOHC requires more attention to replacement maintenance than the OHV if you want the engine to not make noises and/or break/bend expensive parts by strecthing the maintenance intervals...

Check out some of the timing chain replacement threads active right now to see what some SOHC Explorer owners are going through...