SOHC Cam Chain Guide lifespan

[victorysail]

Has any one with a 97 SOHC gone past 100,000 miles with no problem? My SOHC had some intermittent rattling noise a while ago, especially at the start. I have not notice that for the last three months. Not sure if it is the cam guyide problem since mine has only 60,000Km or 36,600miles on it. I do not have much confident in the orginal cam guide and would like to have it replaced before the 7-years extended warranty from Ford runs out. Need to find an excuse to get the dealer to replace plastic guide.

 

[Robert]

Maybe just try telling them it occasionally sounds like a diesel motor when you start it up. It doesn't do it everytime, but when it does it is very noticeable. If the dealer has done enough of them to know it is a widespread problem, they shouldn't have any problems replacing them even if they can't duplicate the noise this time. I have 82K on my SOHC which isn't too far from 100K. Ask me in another 9 months and I should be over 100K.

 

[guggy]

Me too

i have just over 100,000 miles or 170,000 km on my 98 SOHC motor and i have that diesel sound at start up.

I have had my intake manifold and timing chain ten. done before but can i get my guides done or am i too late for this extended warrenty ?


Thanks

Mark

 

[Robert]

Only your dealer will be able to give you a definate answer. The official warranty was 100K miles so officially Ford wouldn't have to cover it past that.

 

[KWFH]

My wife's 98 SOHC had the same problem, we had the ext. warranty. they changed the adjuster, july no problems since. Good luck. P.S. I just have the OHV in mine. Life ain't fair.

 

[WILL]

As I understand there was a recall or something about this. When I bought mine there was a strange sound on startup. It turned out to be the chain and guides rattling around. The fix was a new chain, guides and gasket. I was told this was a recalled problem that ford knew about? Let me know what you find, my local dealer did the work for no cost. From what I understand it is a $1000 dollar job...mostly labor

 

[WILL]

oops they changed the hydraulic tensioners too...I think that is what the recall was in regards to. If left unchecked there is a possibility of chain slipping and causing major damage to the engine at its worst.

 

[Diablo3305]

there was a recal on this for the 98 SOHC... i had that problem too.. I got a sound during acceleration... but it was all covered under warranty

 

[Robert]

It's not a recall. I have read Ford's letter to the Owner and Ford's letter to the Dealer and neither of them mention anything about this problem being a recall. What it is is an ONP (Owner's Notification Program). What it means is that IF Ford can verify a failure, they will replace the affected part per the details in the bulletin. If it was a recall Ford would have to replace the guides and tensioners regardless of whether or not they could verify a failure. Recalls are supposed to be issued for safety or emissions related items only. Personally I would consider the possibility of a complete engine failure a safety issue. There is a definate distinct sound difference between failing tensioners and failing cam chain guides. When the tensioners fail, it sounds like a small diesel at start up. It only lasts for a few seconds and then goes away. Ford's position regarding bad tensioners is that it will not cause harm to the engine. I have had mine replaced three times so I have become quite familiar with the tell-tale sound. When the cam chain guides fail the noise is a lot louder and it does not go away after a few seconds. The letter to the Dealer for the guides does state that under extreme conditions it may cause engine damage or failure. I don't believe the letter mentions that part. My guides have never been replaced on my '97 SOHC. I wish it were under recall because with 83K miles on it, I don't want to see how long they last. I want to know they will last well beyond the 100K that they are warranted to.

 

[Diablo3305]

well all i can say is that they stated that it was a recall on the slip they gave me when i picked up the truck. It was recorded as a cam chain recall...but like you said if it was a true recall they would do it on all of them....

 

[rednose]

Ok here is my story, I have a 98 sohc with 82 thou and knew about this about a year ago when I got my letter when I was still under the limit of 72 thousand miles.( Ok so Im lazy)... here comes the shady part----> I go to the dealer and tell him I wanted a new escape and was ready to deal today BUT!... this salesman asked me if I got my chain adjusters and O-rings done when I got my letter, so I says what letter and they tell me that not everybody got a letter, ( see where this is going )... well I cant very well buy a new ford if they are gonna stick it to me, so they send out the service manager and I stand there looking lustfully at the escape and they say no problem, we will fix it, and presto chango, it dont die on cold mornings or sound like a reject at a truck stop, am I slippery? maybe.. does ford owe it? absolutely

 

[IgotTwo]

BINGO! You got em at their own game
YOUR ARE MY HERO!!!!!

My short story
The guides and tensioner are at the "discretion" of the dealer. The "M" in the recall number is the clue. When I went in. I described the problem I was having, mentioned the "M" recall and the dealer said "we'll fix it"... no whining ...it was done.
The car ran pretty good for a few months and started acting up again with the same cam tensioner symptoms.

I went in thinking it was the cam tensioner again and they said "we'll replace the cam guides" That was the other "M" recall. They fixed it
(what futile mind decided to originally use plastic parts in that guide assembly! but I'm learning they don't wanted you to fix em or make them last ...just lease em for three years under warranty and flip em, I think?....something to do with capitalism)

So after 54?K The car ran absolutely great for the first time. I thought I was driving someone else's car.

Well that bliss only lasted for a few thousand miles when and I developed a rough idle and the car died last week. It is still in my garage... perhaps now falling victim to ???? those common problems of an aging explorer or who knows what. If I "post" any more questions on hard starting, I think my life will be in danger (just kidding...everyone has been great)

What do I think my chances are of making it to 100k?
"Looks so bright, I think I need shades"

or maybe I need an equity position in a Ford dealership?

>>>>>>>back to "cranks but no start....no codes"

ps I was told by the dealer that the warranty on the tensioner and guide recall is 12 months... after that time I pay.

 

[Robert]

Originally posted by Diablo3305
well all i can say is that they stated that it was a recall on the slip they gave me when i picked up the truck. It was recorded as a cam chain recall...but like you said if it was a true recall they would do it on all of them....

I know a lot of Service Adjusters use the term recall as a generic term. I guess if they are doing something after the warranty has expired it must be a recall. I tried to find my ticket since I remember it saying something odd when I had my tensioners replaced. By mentioning that it wasn't a recall, I am trying to prevent a bunch of people from going down to Ford and demanding that they replace their tensioners and o-rings under the recall. They would be wasting their time and might create even worse feelings between them and Ford which may cause the Service Adjuster to take a defensive stand and refuse to provide any kind of extra support. It doesn't take much for a Service Advisor to go on the defensive and refuse to bend. I have changed dealer's three times because of their inability to fix something right the first time and because of their attitude they give me when I bring it back for them to repair. Things like "I never told you that it was guaranteed to fix it, but give us some more money and we would be happy to replace the parts again, of course no guarantee again." My first Ford dealer told me that after I asked them to replace my tensiouners a second time since the rattling was back and I had a TSB showing that Ford revised the tensioners since the dealer last replaced them. After arguing with the Service Advisor, he called up the Techical Service Manager and asked him about revised tensioners. It was only after the Technical Service Manager told the Service Advisor that he just received a letter a couple weeks earlier regarding the update, that the Service Advisor agreed to replace them again.

 

[Diablo3305]

Originally posted by Robert


I know a lot of Service Adjusters use the term recall as a generic term. I guess if they are doing something after the warranty has expired it must be a recall. I tried to find my ticket since I remember it saying something odd when I had my tensioners replaced. By mentioning that it wasn't a recall, I am trying to prevent a bunch of people from going down to Ford and demanding that they replace their tensioners and o-rings under the recall. They would be wasting their time and might create even worse feelings between them and Ford which may cause the Service Adjuster to take a defensive stand and refuse to provide any kind of extra support. It doesn't take much for a Service Advisor to go on the defensive and refuse to bend. I have changed dealer's three times because of their inability to fix something right the first time and because of their attitude they give me when I bring it back for them to repair. Things like "I never told you that it was guaranteed to fix it, but give us some more money and we would be happy to replace the parts again, of course no guarantee again." My first Ford dealer told me that after I asked them to replace my tensiouners a second time since the rattling was back and I had a TSB showing that Ford revised the tensioners since the dealer last replaced them. After arguing with the Service Advisor, he called up the Techical Service Manager and asked him about revised tensioners. It was only after the Technical Service Manager told the Service Advisor that he just received a letter a couple weeks earlier regarding the update, that the Service Advisor agreed to replace them again.

yep...i see what your saying...All i know is i can't wait till i graduate....get rid of my ford and get CL Type-S....or maybe an RX-8

 

[Damn Yankee]

I just had the 00M12 TSB "Recall" performed today on my 98 4.0 SOHC. Mileage is 45,x... It was displaying

I asked the Service dude if they could go ahead and take care of the other "Recall" issues while it was in the shop. He said they can ONLY honor the other issues AFTER symptoms of problems arise!

So..... I guess now I have to wait for my plastic cam chain guide to break/wear out until I can take advantage of the 01M01 "Recall" with the REVISED chain guide.


(dead link)

Bulletins for 1998 Ford Truck Explorer 2WD V6-245 4.0L SOHC VIN E EFI

Safety Recalls
TSB Number Issue Date TSB Title 00S58 DEC 00 Recall - Throttle Body Replacement
FIRESTONE SEP 00 Firestone Tire Recall
00S14 JUL 00 Recall - Daytime Running Lamp Non-Compliance
00B33 MAR 00 Recall - Airbag Deactivation Shunt Replacement
99S18 JUL 99 Recall - Secondary Hood Latch Replacement
99S09 MAR 99 Recall - Speed Control Cable Replacement
97S93 DEC 97 Safety Recall - Warning Chime Inadequate Ground

General Recalls
TSB Number Issue Date TSB Title 01M01 APR 01 Campaign - Front Cam Chain Guide Extended Coverage
01M01 JAN 01 Advance Program Notice
00M12 NOV 00 Recall - Camshaft Chain Tensioner & Intake Gasket
00L09 SEP 00 Campaign - Supplemental Tire Inflation Label
99M02 JAN 99 Recall - Throttle Body Plate Sticks Closed


(dead link)

Make: FORD TRUCK Model: EXPLORER Year: 1998

Service Bulletin Number: 00M12 Bulletin Sequence Number: 164 Date of Bulletin: 11/00

NHTSA Item Number: SB616507
Component: ENGINE:OTHER PARTS
Summary:
FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL COVERAGE FOR THE 4.0L SOHC CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *TT


Make: FORD TRUCK Model: EXPLORER Year: 1998

Service Bulletin Number: 00M12 Bulletin Sequence Number: 167 Date of Bulletin: 12/00

NHTSA Item Number: SB616816
Component: ENGINE
Summary:
SUBJECT REGARDING OWNER NOTIFICATION SUPPLLEMENTAL PROGRAM FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L SOHC ENGINES - CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ADDITIONAL COVERAGE. *TT