Solved TSB 02-7-6 4.0L SOHC Timing Chain Rattle

[diy]

Thanks Don, I was *hoping* to hear that. Removing/replacing the cam followers didn't make any sense, but both Mitchel and Helm included this step in their instructions.

I was surprised to see the obvious deterioration of the primary tensioner - sure glad I pulled the engine front cover and took a look. Based on the many threads here regarding the primary chain/tensioner/guide I didn't expect to encounter any damage. Based on the large chunks of plastic broken off from the LH tensioner, I suspect the damage may have been the result of plastic geting caught in the primary chain and perhaps striking the tensioner. I found large pieces of the LH tensioner both in the head and stuck behind and around the primary timing chain- I don't think I had much more time before the oil pump cavitated and major internal engine damage occured.

Thanks for the great thread regarding progressive removal of the crankshaft pulley - I was scratching my head trying to figure out how to get it off (and I stripped 1 set of 90mm M8-1.5 grade 5 bolts) before I found your detailed explanation.

I have one questions based on the somewhat conflicting Mitchel and Helm instructions:

Can I remove the jackshaft retaining bolt with just an air wrench or do I need to pop the cap and hold the jackshaft from turning with the special tool? Do you recall what size Torx fastener I need to pick up to remove the jackshaft pulley?

Many thanks to you and all the other contributors who have made this resource so valuable. Your past posts and reply to my post have been very helpful and I am very grateful for your assistance. I hope I can help you and others out in the future.

-Rick

 

[CDW6212R]

I'm glad to help Rick, it makes it better for all of us.

When you have the engine at TDC, then you can begin to unbolt the jackshaft bolt. There are no splines or a key for that jackshaft pulley, thus the shaft and rear cam is going to shift as they want to. It's a pressure connection, like a ball joint in a spindle. I'm not sure of the size, it's around a T14. I bought a cheap set and one cheap socket. The one socket was it, and I took the cheap set back(Autozone).

The cam cassettes come with cam gears, so you will pull the cam bolt loose and off for that. Having the jackshaft bolt loose or the cam bolts loose separates the crank from them etc. Once you have the parts out you it will be very clear as to how Ford did the timing. The crank assembly stays at TDC during the whole process. When you attach the tools onto one camshaft that moves/sets the cam at TDC, there are no timing marks of any kind. That's when you lock in(tighten) the camshaft bolt. Of course change the jackshaft chain and gears/tensioner/guide first. Tightening that bolt is not easy, it's attached to the right cam, and the crank then. You tighten it by procedure(odd), and don't move the crank off TDC much at all doing it. Restore the crank to TDC any time that it moves some by the other work you do.

Double check the TDC tool on the crank very carefully just before tightening each of the cam bolts. That tool can be shifted or moved front/back, and the rotation of the crank shifts a little. Just be comfortable with how it is all attached(tool) before setting the cam bolt, each time. That is the timing of the engine, it can be easily moved off time depending on how the tool is lined up. Regards,

 

[Howarda]

Hi Everyone, thanks for all your posts, very informative.

I have my 97 torn down and am in the eprocess of putting it back together. One Question. On the jackshaft bolt, the E18 torx headed one, did you replace it or reuse the old one? How did you tighten it? The instructions I have say 40ft/lbs then an additional 90 degree turn? That sound right?

Thank You for all your help, Howard

 

[CDW6212R]

Welcome, and take your time with that work. Many many of the Ford bolts now are supposed to be used only once. I think that that jack shaft bolt may be like that. I know that I used my old one, many of the parts had to be special ordered, and when I got to that point I decided not to wait more for various parts I may or may not really need. Try to oder replacements for as much as you can when you begin collecting parts.

That 40lbs.ft. and 90 degrees is correct, that was no fun to do. Having a second person to hold part of the assembly to keep it still, is wise. Good luck,

 

[diy]

Removing Upper Oil Pan (98 SOHC)

I'm in the final stretch, but running into difficulty removing the upper oil pan. I dropped the front drive shaft and removed all 3 front differential mounting bolts, torsion bars, etc and the diff housing is low enugh to access all of the mounting bolts on the upper oil pan. I've removed them all, but I have't been able to work the upper pan off the car - there doesn't seem to be enough space above the steering rack to clear. I checked several other threads, and there seems to be 3 general answers:

1) even if manage to get the pan off, I won't be able to get it back on and lined up on the transmission end. Engine needs to come out.

2) I won't even be able to get the pan off without pulling the engine.

3) The pan should just come off without any problems. (I wish!)

The pan has to come off to replace the balance shaft tensioner (broken)

Any suggestions welcome and appreciated. I'd prefer not to pull the engine, I'm working in a location that won't easilty accommodate a hoist (and neighbors will object) Perhaps I loosening/removing the steering rack? Perhaps a floor jack under the transmission housing to lift the engine just enough to free the pan?

-Rick
Redwood City, CA

 

[CDW6212R]

I did my balance shaft also, because of a mistimed chain. The tiny tensioner broke taking it apart, be careful with that.

I believe that I had my front diff. out at the same time as the engine work. You will have to lift the engine slightly, a couple of inches. remove the two engine mount nuts, and unbolt the collector nuts. Take your time with the collector nuts, spray them with penetrant first.

Be sure to remove the two rear pan bolts, which go into the bell housing. Those are the two which the manual states need to be perfectly aligned. I made note of their positioning very carefully before I unbolted the pan. Those two horizontal bolts were no0 trouble for me to get back in their same place. Good luck,

 

[diy]

Removing Upper Oil Pan (98 SOHC)

Don-

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll let you know how it goes tommorow.

I've located the engine mount bolts, but I'm not sure what the collector bolts refer to -where are they located?

Thanks

-Rick

 

[CDW6212R]

I loosened the exhaust from the engine to make lifting the engine easier. That was almost three years ago now, and I had no body on my truck when I did the engine work.

Begin by taking off the engine mount nuts, that will let you begin to lift the engine up. I used an engine hoist because I had it available. Have the balance shafts parts ready when you get the pan off, and read the process of timing the balance shaft.

If you get the engine to come up enough to do the pan bolts, great. The exhaust may touch the body and stop the engine from coming up more. Watch the top side of the exhaust, to the body. Regards,

 

[Howarda]

All,

I finished putting my truck back together Saturday night. Runs great, no leaks, still rattles. I replaced both cam tensioners, jackshaft chain guide, jackshaft chain tensioner, and LH cassette.

What I found was that the primary chain tensioner had a few cracks but was basically intact. The straight side, or back, of the LH cassette was all busted up. I found all the pieces.

The rattle I hear shows up under partial throttle between 2k - 2.5k rpm, worse if you "float" the throttle a bit. If you "crack" the throttle You hear somthing that sounds like heavy detonation for just a second in the RH side of the engine (alternator area).

Opinion - am I screwed because I didn't replace the primary chain or is the RH casette likely to be the issue?

Thanks, Howard

 

[CDW6212R]

Did you not replace the jackshaft chain? That is the same as a normal pushrod engine timing chain, you want to replace that whenever possible. That shouldn't be the source of a rattle like you describe though. A timing chain(jackshaft chain here) is a component which will stretch as it ages. As it gets longer that alters the timing slightly for the cam(cams here).

I'd say spend a good bit of time listening very carefully to the noise. Use a stethoscope type of tool, and try to pinpoint the location of the noise.

 

[rmcknight]

yes, the primary chain, tensioner and guide should have been replaced, and are the cause of the noise between 2-3K, my guess is that the tensioner is weak and or is cracked.
Did you put in a new tensioner? i believe the new part has 7 metal bands, and placed a lot more tensioin on the crank to jack chain.

Ps, why did you bother with the balance shaft - i thought it wasn't worth the effort to fix that unless the engine was pulled?

 

[CDW6212R]

I did do the chains at the front(stretch), and the tensioners up there. I skipped the gears which would have been special orders back then.
I would have left my balance shaft alone, but I caught that it was out of time. There are tiny dots on each gear. When I set about to try to remove the chain, the tiny tensioner broke in my hand. So I had to pull the pans to unbolt the balance shaft to re-time it. The manual I had didn't mention another way to re-time that, did yours?

 

[rmcknight]

Timing the balance shaft is done from the front of the engine with the timing cover off. but you cant change the balance shaft chain tensioner without doing what you did (pulling the ladder frame off). and you cant do that easily with the engin in the car!
By the way - the balance shaft sprocket dots will line up only once per 7 revolutions, to TDC on the crank. (has to do with some reverse thingie - anyone know about this?).

 

[CDW6212R]

I know, that was what I did learn from the cheap shop manual of a friend's. I don't use manuals generally, just for odd stuff that I've never done before.

Others have suggested that the balance shaft could be left out after plugging something, they never finished the idea. That thing is a lot of trouble to work on.

 

[TEMYS]

Remove

 

[Howarda]

For any of you that installed the crankshaft gear backwards and ran the engine...Did it damage the timing cover? Just curious....

 

[CDW6212R]

No, the crank gear installed backwards pushes the balancer out about 1/8", no harm to my cover. I have posted a picture of it in a couple of threads. The crank gear fits onto the crank with the concave side back.

 

[crankshop1000]

I suggest that if your engine has any broken pieces or metal to metal damage (chain contacting head) that you do a complete tear down of the heads.Remove and replace ( or disassemble and clean) all the lifters (pivots). The oil galley and pivots themselves were full of metal and plastic debris. The same goes for the oil pickup screen. My outcome would not have been a success without the head disassembly.10K later and so far ,so good. Chuck.

 

[Howarda]

crankshop1000 - small world...I bought my OTC kit from you on ebay. Anyway, my daughter put about 1500 miles on the truck with the crank gear backwards, no harm. On the plus side only about 8 hours the second time, I know lots of tricks now.

Thanks to all for the advice!

 

[Midwest Kid]

Well.. i went to finish mine up and time it.... low & behold... right guide is in pieces so im having to replace that. I have the trans out and rh cassette. Now i just need to order the new set and see how im gonna get the new guide in without removing the engine at all. lol