Yetii
Member
- Joined
- December 6, 2010
- Messages
- 32
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Columbus, Ohio
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 97 xlt
I just thought I'd share a little information I could not find on the site regarding the behavior of a bad rear tensioner on the 4.0 SOHC. On my car I was experiencing a non rhythmic, moderate clatter from the right side of the motor. It sounded like it was coming from the front, but you know how hard it is to localize noises on this motor. In cold weather, I would get startup rattle for 2 seconds and then all was QUIET until the motor warmed up. After warmup, the rattle described above would appear. I pulled the rear tensioner and compared it to my new one. I know it is not precise, But I could feel no difference in spring tension by hand compressing the springs. Even so, the new tensioner cured my problem. I don't know if the old one was leaking and not maintaining oil pressure or what, but it was bad. Perhaps my experience was unique, but it seemed weird that it was quiet when cold and noisy when warm. Perhaps this will help someone experiencing the same issue.
