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Timing chain replacement

Shooteruk

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March 7, 2012
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Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 North Face Exploder
Does anyone have or know where I can find a definitive guide to replacing the chains and guides on my Exploder? I have found several but some seem to be lacking in photo's, some don't actually make any sense and others are so off topic that it gets a bit confusing as to what they're actually getting at. I have the timing tool kit, I just need a good guide to work from.
 



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Are you doing front and back or just the front?
If you are doing both or intending on also doing the balance shaft chain tensioner then best to yank the motor and do on an engine stand. Below is a link to where you can download a pdf of engine assembly, step by step with pics and torque setting etc
SOHC assembly
 






Mustang SOHC V6 assembly instructions

If you PM me your email address I'll send you a copy of the Mustang SOHC V6 assembly instructions. It may be the same pdf file Jan linked to. Lots of drawings and assumes use of the OTC-6488 tool kit. Even though its for a Mustang it includes timing the balance shaft and installation of the balance shaft chain guide and tensioner.
 






Thanks gents. Yes Jan i am doing all of it. The engine should be out tonight all being well.
 






one question i do need answer to, do I actually need a new bolt and palte for the jackshaft? Where can I get one if I do?
 






Jan,sorry the link you put up doesn't seem to work.
 






Jan,sorry the link you put up doesn't seem to work.

Try this one
Link
Should bring up a page with stuff on it and scroll down to find the pdf. Hopefully you can download it. If this don't work pm your email and i'll send it. And it is the same one Dale has offered you.

As for the jack shaft bolts and the harmonic balancer bolts yes they should be replaced as they are like head bolts being TTY (Torque to Yield) or stretch bolts. Ford dealership about £4 IIRC. You will also need a new upper sump gasket (the one between the upper sump and the block).
 






Thanks Jan, it still wont work but if it's the same as Dales then don't worry as he has emailed it through to me.

I tried getting gaskets from Ford yesterday and was told they're not availible, mind you that was for the timing chain cover and the strainer on the oil pump. Not sure if he was saying they weren't availible because he could find them or if they genuinely aren't availible. I'll try rock autos and see what they have.
 






Tasca Parts

I use Tasca Parts for all of my OEM parts. There is a local Ford dealer who has very little in stock, charges list price, and requires pre-payment to order out-of-stock items. Ordering online from Tasca saves me money even when I pay the shipping costs, they maintain a large inventory, and they try and make sure that the correct part is ordered for your vehicle. I notice that they have recently changed their website. I hope they haven't changed their service and pricing. For timing chain related OEM part numbers: SOHC V6 Timing Chain Related PNs
 






Thanks Dale, do I not need a gasket for the front timing cover? and do you have the part number for the oil strainer?

Thanks for your help.
 






timing cover gasket

You can remove the timing cover without removing the water pump. If you do that you won't need a water pump gasket. It's probable that the timing cover gasket will be destroyed when you separate the cover from the block. I guess you could seal with RTV but I removed the remains of the old gasket and installed a new one.

By "oil strainer" are you referring to the screen in the oil pickup tube? I didn't replace mine. I removed the assembly and shook it violently to get out the particles. Then I used a bent wire to extract the cassette particles from the inner perimeter of the screen that wouldn't shake loose.
 






Thanks again Dale. I couldn't get the fan off, even with the spanner, straps and brute force and ignorance, so the pump had to come off. Never mind, getting there slowly.
 






fill the block with coolant

I'll mention this now to prevent it from happening in the future. The coolant will drain from the block when the timing cover comes off. Some members have overheated their engine after reassembly because there was insufficient coolant in the block. The water pump was just pushing air instead of coolant. To avoid that I remove the thermostat and fill the block up to that level when reassembling. Then I install the thermostat and upper housing/radiator hose and fill the radiator. I leave the radiator cap loose so air can escape and let the engine warm up before tightening the cap. Then it is safe to drive the vehicle with no fear of overheating.
 






For the fan I used to use a spike on one shoulder and shock it off. But you can make a tool to hold around the 4 bolts and lever against this with a fan wrench.
Oil strainer can be cleaned out.
I would find part numbers here then order them from Tasca. Of course we have to pay a lot for shipping and import duty etc so not worth it for a couple of little bits but if your going to buy a few bits then def worth while. Last time I bought stuff from there I got a couple of extra oom12 kits for the guys and a couple of extra timing chain cassettes.

If you have the timing chains etc then just buy the gaskets and tty bolts from rock
 






Thanks again Gents. I have the Jackshaft bolts and harmonic balance bolt on order from Ford, only a few quid each so not worth worrying to mmuch about. I had a look on Rock for the gaskets and they do a conversion kit which seems to have all the gaskets for the build. It appears to be a lot cheaper to buy it that way than individually. What exactly is the conversion that they are refering to, is it just a complete kit of gaskets for the replacement of the timing chains? It seems that all the gaskets I need are in that kit.
 






Sorry got that wrong,it appears that te conversion kit, whatever its converting is for the ohv engine. Anyway gaskets ordered, deep breath, I'm going in, tell the missus I won't be in for tea.
 






So ?????? How you getting on?

:ttiwwp:
 






Lol..fair comment
The weekend was abit frustrating, so no pics of the right cassette I'm afraid, although I am begining to wonder if I wasted my time and money as the cassette itself was still in one piece. Any way the biggest issue I had with the right cassette was that removing and re-installing it. The old one would not come out as jackshaft sprocket seemed to get jammed up between the jackshaft and the engine casing. I had to remove the guides first and then work the chain off of the sproket to allow the sprocket out first and then the chain followed. Installing was much the same but in reverse, the chain and sprocket seemed to get fouled on what seemed to be the casing or a head bolt that was protruding down. Again the sprocket was fitted to the chain about 3-4 inches away from the end of the chain loop so that the chain went past the Jackshaft first followed by the sprocket which sort of fell in behind it. I dont think photos would have made it ant easier to explain.
The other issue I had was that I didn't tighten the camshaft tool tight enough so when I released the bolts the bloody camshaft moved. Fortunately I figured out that the camshaft needs to have the slots in the end of it parallel to the face of the head with the off centre at the bottom.
The only other problem was that my old torque wrench has gone pear shaped in that it doesn't click at the correct torque anymore. There I am trying to torque the camshaft bolt and it's not clicking, just going round, very slowly, but going round. It was only when I tried another torque wrench that I discovered it was well over torqued, so released it and re tightened it. Hopefully no thread damage has occured.
Anyway just waiting for my harminic puller to arrive before doing the front chains and guides. I'll try and remember to take photo's this time.
 









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Dale is spot on with the torque wrench.
Mine works like a ratchet with a switch to reverse it but if I want to torque anticlockwise I have to flip the drive over in the casing so it faces the other way if you see what I mean.
For the timing cover bolts you will need a smaller torque wrench as the big 1/2 drive ones are generally not sensitive enough at low torque.
 






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