Saving it from the junkyard, got a few questions

[kevbz]

I have an 05 4.0L flex fuel 2wd explorer, I am the original owner, bought it with 6 miles on it...its at 220,460 now. Its finally started to give up on us and we had to get another car, but I couldn't bring myself to trade it and get scrap prices for it. So since its now sitting idle with no hauling duties, I am bringing her back to life. Still runs an drives, just not quietly!

I think it has most of the quirks, timing chain tensioner broke, the roof paint flaked and pealed, blend door is banging, rear hatch didn't crack though!

First order of business is the timing chain tensioner and is the reason for retiring it from family hauling duties. Questions I have are:

Is this an interference motor? (meaning if the timing chain goes are valves going to hit pistons). I may have to move it from point A to point B until parts come in and I get the motor pulled. This is not my first motor rebuild, but it is the first SOHC I've attempted.

Looking at timing chains sets they ask if it has a balance shaft or not, how do I tell?

I am sure I will have a lot more questions, but these are my first two.

I appreciate it in advance.

 

[BigRondo]

Welcome aboard!!

I'll see if I can post up some info for you tonight when I get home.

 

[Explorer0204]

I have an 05 4.0L flex fuel 2wd explorer, I am the original owner, bought it with 6 miles on it...its at 220,460 now. Its finally started to give up on us and we had to get another car, but I couldn't bring myself to trade it and get scrap prices for it. So since its now sitting idle with no hauling duties, I am bringing her back to life. Still runs an drives, just not quietly!

I think it has most of the quirks, timing chain tensioner broke, the roof paint flaked and pealed, blend door is banging, rear hatch didn't crack though!

First order of business is the timing chain tensioner and is the reason for retiring it from family hauling duties. Questions I have are:

Is this an interference motor? (meaning if the timing chain goes are valves going to hit pistons). I may have to move it from point A to point B until parts come in and I get the motor pulled. This is not my first motor rebuild, but it is the first SOHC I've attempted.

Looking at timing chains sets they ask if it has a balance shaft or not, how do I tell?

I am sure I will have a lot more questions, but these are my first two.

I appreciate it in advance.

I do think they are an interference motor....
That being said I am not sure.

Looking forward to seeing this post develop wish I could help!

 

[kevbz]

This is day one of many I am sure, and I since I don't know what parts to get yet I got antsy and pulled the interior and just gave it probably the best cleaning of its life. I am pretty surprised at how good it looks, considering kids were 4,5,8, and 10 when we first got it, I did run across a few french fry remains, lol. I only made about 3 bucks in changed though!

I'm just going to keep running through my short list of to do items until I feel like I have gathered enough info to move forward.

I have to say, this motor (actually the vehicle overall) has impressed me. Take away the wear and tear maintenance items (tires, brakes, belts, batteries, etc) and I have only had to do an alternator in 9 years. And that's with a wife that thought the "Change oil now" on the driver display was a suggestion, not a requirement.

 

[Explorer0204]

This is day one of many I am sure, and I since I don't know what parts to get yet I got antsy and pulled the interior and just gave it probably the best cleaning of its life. I am pretty surprised at how good it looks, considering kids were 4,5,8, and 10 when we first got it, I did run across a few french fry remains, lol. I only made about 3 bucks in changed though!

I'm just going to keep running through my short list of to do items until I feel like I have gathered enough info to move forward.

I have to say, this motor (actually the vehicle overall) has impressed me. Take away the wear and tear maintenance items (tires, brakes, belts, batteries, etc) and I have only had to do an alternator in 9 years. And that's with a wife that thought the "Change oil now" on the driver display was a suggestion, not a requirement.

Bad oil is the number 3 cause of tensioner failures too.....so maybe it would have even gone longer if she really neglected the oil for a long time too!

 

[rmunley]

Have you considered just putting a used engine in it? I recently put a 71k miles engine in my 2002 for under a thousand. Was a fair amount of work but saved a ton of money. If you can find one from a wrecked vehicle and hear it run as well as pull a carfax on the donor vehicle you might just find an reasonable solution. Just a thought.

 

[kevbz]

Have you considered just putting a used engine in it? I recently put a 71k miles engine in my 2002 for under a thousand. Was a fair amount of work but saved a ton of money. If you can find one from a wrecked vehicle and hear it run as well as pull a carfax on the donor vehicle you might just find an reasonable solution. Just a thought.

That is a potential option. Local ford dealer wanted 4100.00 to do the tensioners, chains and guides. After I stopped laughing he suggested he could probably do a new crate motor for less or equal to that...since my laughing only subsided to a chuckle we ended the conversation. I had not thought about used low miles engines.

 

[BigRondo]

As far as I can tell, according to my shop manual for the '04, if you have 4x4, you have a balance shaft.

 

[kevbz]

As far as I can tell, according to my shop manual for the '04, if you have 4x4, you have a balance shaft.

I appreciate the info. I have a 2005 4.0L 2wd though. Same motor?

 

[oldmanina2003]

Info

The engine is an interference engine. To change all the timing chain guides you will have to pull the engine. If it checks good on compression you could just rebuild the top end and drive it another 80K.

 

[03explorereb]

read some of my previous posts regarding engine replacement. you have options. just my opinion but I wouldn't consider using the engine you currently have in it. to do the timing chains requires extraction of the engine, these are difficult engines to accurately time, and when it's all said and done you still have an engine with 200000 miles on it. there are engines from rangers and mustangs that work perfectly fine and cost a fraction of what a drop in replacement from another explorer would cost. swap a few things like your intake and exhaust manifolds, injection etc. and go. I did an interchange on a 03 explorer with a 05 mustang 4.0 non balance shaft engine and had zero issues with it. all out the door for less than 600 bucks with 48000 on the engine. but it's your call. if you have the know how and love a challenge, tear into the engine you have. it's all according to what you want to do....