Timing chain rattle

[hawks06]

I finally figured out what that noise was that i was hearing.Its the timing chain rattling. I heard if idont getit fixed that it can cause more damage possibly blowing out the whole engine. Is that very likely to happen? The car is at 78,000 warranty is up at 84,000 would it be smart to get that fixed now under warranty. Or do you think it could possibly blow and get me a whole new engine.

 

[mynameisaric]

get it fixed. it will slowly deteroriate your motor, and it probly won't be completely shot till 100k or more. my 4.0 made it to 135k and had been rattling since about 120-125k. new motor = 4800... not something you want to pay for out of warranty.

i've also had the truck since i was 16 and i'm now 19 and lets just say i was not easy on the truck.

 

[White98]

I just got done replacing all of the chains in my '98. I fired it up last night for the first time and it sounds great. I would by no means wait to have this issue fixed. There is a ton of crap that will circulate around the engine once this stuff starts grenading. I have a pic with all of the pieces that I pulled from my engine during the rebuild. Dont wait.

 

[mynameisaric]

you had to pull the motor to get to the rear chain(s) right? how hard was that and what would you say your level of expertise is?(ie. professional mechanic, car guru, novice... etc.)

i though about doing the chains myself, but i had to wait to pull the motor till i was done with school, and by that time i had lost compression in 2 cylinders and the timing was really starting to go. it barely made it to the dealer for the motor swap under its own power. there were a number of other things going wrong with it too, all related to the timing chains, i just can't remember what they were. but now i don't have to worry about my motor. 3 years/36k miles

 

[White98]

You dont need to pull the motor. I must say that it is far easier to access everything with the engine out and on a stand. There is a special tool kit that you do NEED to replace the timing chains. Not for the Primary chain, but for the Cam timing cassettes. That kit runs anywhere from $160-200 shipped depending on who you get it from. I am by no means an expert mechanic. I do reapir my own vehicles though. It is not the first time I have pulled a motor LOL. Having a "partner" help with the removal and install makes things go much faster. The actual replacement of the timing compnents maybe takes 45 min. start to finish. The removal/install of the engine takes a good bit of time though. I would say overall it took about 3 full days of work to complete the project. I did replace some other parts while I had it apart too. Heres the list. Primary timing chain, tensioner & guide etc. RH , LH cassettes, rod bearings, rear main seal, Upper and lower rad hoses. I also painted the valve covers, ladder frame, oil pan, and the a/c compressor bracket.

 

[BrooklynBay]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163298

 

[hawks06]

OH yeah my explorer is an 02 v8. I didnt see that on the tsb list. So that had me confused for a little while.