What is leaking?

[mountaineer2004]

I would trust a good running 200k mile 4.0 sohc with new timing chains better than a reman or rebuilt engine. As long as you keep oil, coolant and timing chains in them they will run for 500k miles. I have torn a ton of these engines apart and the minimal wear I have found with 200k on them makes me a believer. I have seen them sludged up with 135k on them too.

I have a 2004 Mountaineer (original owner), that I'm planning on keeping long-term. It has 125k on it, and only recently I heard the timing chain rattle on start-up for the first time.

I drive about 300 miles a week now, so I know the engine still has lots of time, but eventually it'll need work on the chain assembly. I'd love to keep my engine, because it's been well maintained, with oil/filter changes every 5k tops, but I'm really worried about an experience like the OP.

I always figured a rebuild, while more money, was a sure way to avoid trouble. You're the first guy I've heard say go rebuild over reman, regardless of the $$$ question. Now I'm confused. Shouldn't a factory reman be better than a dealer rebuild?

PS--my dealer is All American, in Kingston...yup, same group!

 

[mountaineer2004]

Don't know if it matters much, but my engine is the 4.6, not the 4.0.

 

[boominXplorer]

I have a 2004 Mountaineer (original owner), that I'm planning on keeping long-term. It has 125k on it, and only recently I heard the timing chain rattle on start-up for the first time.

I drive about 300 miles a week now, so I know the engine still has lots of time, but eventually it'll need work on the chain assembly. I'd love to keep my engine, because it's been well maintained, with oil/filter changes every 5k tops, but I'm really worried about an experience like the OP.

I always figured a rebuild, while more money, was a sure way to avoid trouble. You're the first guy I've heard say go rebuild over reman, regardless of the $$$ question. Now I'm confused. Shouldn't a factory reman be better than a dealer rebuild?

PS--my dealer is All American, in Kingston...yup, same group!

Not to kill the OP thread but the thing that usually stops a 4.6 is the heads, not the bottom end. Around 150k the timing chains are worn though and starting to hit the tensioner. At about 175k they start wearing though the head of the tensioner and oil is spraying out. The oil pressure to the heads is being reduced causing more wear and eventually will lock the camshaft up sometime after 200k.

If you put new chains and tensioners in your 4.6 and keep good oil in it it will go on for another 125k without an issue. The chains on a 4.6 is only about 6 hours labor compared to the 22 hours in a 4.0. Everything is under the front timing cover. The only hard part is pulling the oil pan to clean the oil pickup free of timing chain debris.

 

[mountaineer2004]

Thanks for the info...I appreciate it!

 

[Tyleryac]

Picked up the truck...they just needed to re torque the valve covers.