Timing chain rattle? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Timing chain rattle?

a_kraker99

Member
Joined
May 31, 2011
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
City, State
Zeeland, MI
I just bought a 2002 Sport trac 4X4 and I am just curious what the timing chain rattle sounds like? Is it more like a clanking noise?
If I am trying to listen to something my ears get really sensitive to little things that might mean nothing. With the radio and air off, just before shifting into 3rd gear I can sometimes hear a very faint white noise type of sound. Its not clicking, it sounds more like an analog TV in between channels.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Some say bicycle chain, some say ball bearings in a tin can, ............
 






Crap, "ball bearings in a tin can" sounds strangely familiar to what mine sounds like. :(

I always thought it sounded like marbles or small screws rattling around somewhere in the intake.
 






2001's and 2002's are famous for it ! :-(
 






Morning @all,

our '02 developed a slight rattle after 20.000mls back in ’04. It occurred only between 2.400 and 2.600 rpm. After going through some TSBs it became evident it was the primary chain. Had the dealer changed the primary chain with a tougher tensioner and the prob went away ever since.

Normally ’02 and newer engines shouldn’t have a timing chain prob. But keep in mind the 245 V6 (4.0) had been build in Cologne/Germany and installing engines was far away from JIT. Our ’02 was built in October 2001 with an engine casted and assembled in May 2001
 






Which timing chain(s) need to be replaced to fix the problem? If it's just the crank to whatever chain in the front, I might be able to do this. I'm not really up for pulling the entire engine to do the chain the back, though...
 






Where is the noise, front or rear? You will have to determine that.
 






The first tensioners to go is the ones from the crank to jackshaft and the balance shaft(you can do by removing the front cover and oil pan).

The only problem is if your hearing it inside the truck, its most likely the back one.
 






Talked to a dealer about it and he said even if you do hear the chain it doesn't hurt anything to leave it that way. True or not true? I can only hear something every once in a while and it might just be my mind playing tricks on me. If I am not going to have catostrophic failure at some point I can deal with it.
 






Back
Top