Timing chain tensioners

[07EddyB]

I've had a bit of chatter lately but only for a few seconds at start up. A few weekends ago I had the right valve cover off to check on a follower that I replaced a few months ago and noticed that my right timing chain had some slop in it where it went back down to the crank. I assume at this point that there should no slack even with the engine off and I need to replace that tensioner (6L266). So I'm looking around for parts and I can find the tensioners but while I'm in there I also want to replace the plastic pieces that tend to fail. As I understand it those are referred to as the 'guides' (6M256 and 6B274). There appears to be another 'tensioner arm' (6L253) that I assume goes against the tensioner and holds the chain against the 'guide'. So do these tensioner pieces need to be replaced also?

 

[07EddyB]

I know some of you have done this before - help me out here.

 

[gdgiordano]

Is this the v8 or v6?

 

[Explorer_PL]

Eddie -
If you are going to take the cover off, just replace all you can (less phasers if they are good).
Each side has a fixed guide held by 2 bolts, and tensioner with the tensioner arm mounted on 1 bolt.
I did that job 3 years ago and I recall that the chains, guides, and tensioners were not that expensive (Motorcraft). The phasers wereabout $500 for 2 of them.

Refer to the last 3 pictures in post 1 of this thread.

Why did I pull my engine out twice in a month - long story.

 

[07EddyB]

I think the chains are good - I assume that I can replace the tensioners and the guides without disturbing the timing and that's a pretty attractive approach to me. Looking at your photos again though I'm starting to question the slack in the chain. On that side the tensioner is on the bottom so maybe a little slack on the top side isn't so bad?
Remember that my Ex is only at 105K - relatively fresh for a 2007. I haven't even made the final determination on the problem yet - it's tough to find a noise that only happens for a few seconds at startup. I do know that it continues to happen with the belt off. If I have time this weekend I'll do a few cold starts while concentrating on the timing cover.

 

[Explorer_PL]

I replaced the timing thinking that was the issue back then - and it was not. But the new chains, guides and tensioners eliminated the slack even with the engine not running. Don't worry if you want to replace the chains as well. To set the timing on that 4.6 is easy. There are marks on the chains, phasers, and the bottom double-sprocket. You can't go wrong. Check the pictures, one of them shows the engine in perfect timing.

Here are OEM chains for $ 35

OEM NEW Genuine Ford 4.6L 3V Timing Chains PAIR - Both Sides Left Right V8 | eBay

 

[07EddyB]

PL - I went back to reread your engine replacement post - I hadn't read it in a while and just looked at the pictures. I remember looking at that cam phaser and thinking why is it bent like that? That's a bummer on a 'new' engine - one has to wonder how it got bent to begin with????
While we are on the subject - do you have to lock anything in place (ie, are special tools required) to do the timing on the V8? If there is a crank position where the cams aren't loaded and it coincides with the timing marks then that would be great. Otherwise I would assume that you have to lock the cams in position to keep everything lined up.
I remember the old days - take off the rockers - pull the rods and remove the lifters - pull the distributor out also. Then just two gears and one chain with easy to align marks. Pull the old cam out - put the new one in. Seems simpler somehow.
My Ex makes no noise whatsoever running - just at start up for at most 5 seconds. That's why I'm leaning toward something tied to oil pressure and I did notice that part of my right chain had some slack in it. Honestly, it's something most people would barely notice and run it.
I probably won't get a chance this weekend to look at it again (a wedding Saturday, our anniversary Sunday) but I have the Taurus to drive now so it takes a lot of the pressure off.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Eddy-
I think the phaser timing tab got bent when they disassembled the engine for cleaning and painting. They probably took the valve covers off and some worker accidentally bent it.

I did the whole job with a friend who knows a little more about engines, but even with replacing the entire timing including phasers, we did not use any special tool. I think the shop manual calls for some type of locking tools, but all we did is rotate the cams by hand and use the 2 black links on each chain to time it using the cams and the crank. Without the guide and tensioner arm, you have enough slack to time it, and then just add the plastics and you are done. I did it for both sides, then released the safety pins on tensioners, and before I installed the front cover, we cranked it to pump the oil to the tensioners and to make sure it did not jump with the initial small slack.
The front cover requires a little of the gasket maker at the bottom.

 

[07EddyB]

Good info PL - thanks.

 

[El Duque]

I just did this and it wasn't too bad. I didn't want to crank the engine since the chains were loose and I didn't want it skip a tooth. So I bought a pump from HF, pulled the oil sensor (temp or pressure, not sure what it is) and put in an adapter with a barb end. pumped oil until it came out of the tensioners. Bad thing was, there is no way to pull the oil sensor without pulling the entire oil filter adapter, so I had to get a new gasket for it.

But, after pumping in oil and pulling the oil filter adapter back off so I could put the oil sensor back in, no oil leaked out. Started the car and it purrs like a kitten now.

I saw the problem was the passenger side tensioner, it blew the gasket so oil would leak out overnight. 2010 with the 4.6 at 130,000 miles