tappets or chains?

[aaron772]

Hello I have just brought an explorer with 95k on the clock. When you start the car it starts fine and runs with a rattle sound, like tappets hitting the rocker cover? I’ve read through the forum and firstly I thought it was timing chains however the noise doesn’t go away once warm, it seems to be constant even after a long trip. however when I hit about 40-60 mph it sounds fine maybe a little ticking but not loud at all sounds normal, I was told by previous owner it was tappets and the guy in garage he said confirmed this but he never got round to fixing it. Does any of this sound familiar if its tappets what sort of money am I looking at and also if it’s the chains could you give me a rough figure? I’ve only had the 4x4 for a few days and I already love it so I guess we will try and repair it.

 

[BIGHVM]

Hello and welcome, nice you have an explorer, I know you will have great advise from all here mate.
Regarding the noise, with the Explorer, I would really suspect the timing belt tensioners rather than tappets, you see a mechanic who never knew explorers would probably say it was tappets..............but and here is the crunch! Tappets can run for thousands of miles before damage to the engine, on the other hand the tensioners and your timing belt will not if they are that bad.
The best thing to do, if you are handy with a spanner and a basic tool kit is to do the oom12 job, you will find many write ups here and a few with detailed pics also, that would at least stop te fear of a wrecked engine.
If it still makes noise after this I would get a decent engine flush and run that then do an oil change with new filter using a good quality oil, after that feel free to say its tappets ..............( by the way tappets would probably not hit the rocker covers, they cant open that far, tappets make a noise when the gap between them and the cam is too big, this would cause wear on the tappet seating surface and in time in the camshafts), and have them sorted.
Regarding price, the kit I mentioned contains everything you will need to do the job on the left hand timing chain, a brand new redesigned tensioner to take up the slack in the timing chain and replacement upper and lower intake manifold seals and an oil restrictor to keep the oil at the top near the chain, Howard can get you the parts, search him out on this site, he may even do it if he has time, PM him and see mate.
I do not know how much tappets will cost, but you have to be careful, as I do not trust garages at all, they may say its your cams that are toast and then you are looking at a major expense!
Do things in the order I suggested please or you may end up with a car you cant drive!

If you need further advise, I would be more than happy to help mate, I have only just done my own oom12 kit as my engine was rattling a bit too.................now its perfect!

 

[aaron772]

how hard would you say the oom12 job is and where did you get the kit from?
many thanks

 

[BIGHVM]

The job took me around four hours and is tricky but not really so bad, I got the kit from Howard, I guess ford should get them to mate.

 

[wetdog]

welcome to the site mate
its good in here, with lots of advice and a good friendly word.
where abouts in this fine/going to the dogs country are you?
what model of explorer do you have? easy to tell, is the rear number plate in the centre of the tailgate or off to the left.

mick.

 

[aaron772]

welcome to the site mate
its good in here, with lots of advice and a good friendly word.
where abouts in this fine/going to the dogs country are you?
what model of explorer do you have? easy to tell, is the rear number plate in the centre of the tailgate or off to the left.

mick.

im in worcester, midlands, its a 97 4.0 sohc has as sound at startup some times sounding like http://youtube.com/watch?v=XIQY8OzStCM found on another thread it always has the same sound at 2500 + rpm. i gather the reason i dont hear it on the motorway is im only going 60 to keep my fule down and the rpm is about 1900. Howard also sugested the engine flush and a good oil, ill try this over the weekend, but to me it seems to clangy to be tappets dunno if that makes sense but i dont really know what im talking about... cheers

 

[BIGHVM]

Have to say mate, it does sound like the age old Explorer sound- dont take a chance please

 

[aaron772]

im not going to im not using it. ill do an oil change over the weekend and do a flush etc etc if that makes no difference Howard said he will do the kit so ill do that. I had a lisen and it seems to be comming from the lh of the engine looking front on..

 

[BIGHVM]

Howard will sort you out mate, he has done a good few from this site- glad you are looking after her, oh b4 I forget, please try and make the meet ok?

 

[eskimo]

I'll have to keep an eye out for you mate, just down the road in Pershore.

You can't miss mine now, it's the only Red/Grey Ex in Worcestershire with 4 spots on the roof!!

Have to say, it's worth talking to Howard as he sorted my Ex rattle with no fuss at all and sounds sweet as now.

Hope to see you around, give us a flash if you see me

Cheers

Carl

 

[wetdog]

im not going to im not using it. ill do an oil change over the weekend and do a flush etc etc if that makes no difference Howard said he will do the kit so ill do that. I had a lisen and it seems to be comming from the lh of the engine looking front on..

i could be wrong, i usually am(just ask our maude ). that sounds like the tensioner to me. ithink thats the problem with mine.

mick

 

[BIGHVM]

Yes, I have been reflecting on this issue and come to the conclusion that its possible the flange on the left hand side of the paramotech wheel is also a suspect in this unfortunate issue, I have heard that it can sometimes, given the right conditions fluctuate in a contradictory manner and cause unsympathetic transferance of harmonic frequencies in the 35 hertz range, causing the inner core to dampen and effect the main thrust flux generators by lowering the crystaline levels making for a slow output of the ion isolator matrix.

The answer...................have Howard do the job fella and smile again!

 

[wetdog]

Yes, I have been reflecting on this issue and come to the conclusion that its possible the flange on the left hand side of the paramotech wheel is also a suspect in this unfortunate issue, I have heard that it can sometimes, given the right conditions fluctuate in a contradictory manner and cause unsympathetic transferance of harmonic frequencies in the 35 hertz range, causing the inner core to dampen and effect the main thrust flux generators by lowering the crystaline levels making for a slow output of the ion isolator matrix.

The answer...................have Howard do the job fella and smile again!

, see, another fact that proves all drummers are mad :

good answer though

regards,
mick.