4.0 sohc timing chain rattle

[DFracing]

so i know this issue has been bouncing around ALOT and there is a know fix.
my main question is wether or not it is more cost effective to buy a junkyard 4.0
or pay to have it rebuilt. my main concern is if i pay to have it fixed either way will the problem re-occur. if i have the chains and tensioners replaced and all that is it permanent or am i looking at another 50k before the issue reoccurs. this is my second ranger and i love it i dont want get rid of it. pleasesome advice would be nice. ive done hours of research on the issue and nothing has made me feel any better about it

 

[gw33gp]

You have given no information on the year of your 4.0. The only information given on your post is that you have a 3.0. I have over 130,000 miles on my 4.0 SOHC and have no issues with the timing chain. I plan to keep driving it to at least 300,000 miles.

 

[DFracing]

yea, sorry its been a while. its a 2002 4.0 with auto tranny. I am almost positive the timing chain guides are worn. i hear a definite rattle between 2500 and 3000 rpms at 1\3 to 1\2 throttle. not above or below those rpms. but can hear a grinding\rattling at idle. i use synthetic 5-20 but have tried up to 10-40. i bought the truck with 117k and the rattle started around 120,000 right before first oil change, or at least that's when i first noticed, who knows the guy was in a hurry to sell it. its not pre- detonation, i know what that sounds like, and it does not sound like valve train noise as it is not consistent. i just want some advice on what to do and if paying $1300 to have it fixed is permanent, or i should just try and find a 2005 or newer motor to drop in there.

 

[exbass94]

5w-30 is the correct oil viscosity for this engine. Do not bother using anything else. You have plastic chunks of timing chain tensioner floating around your engine. A different oil viscosity won't fix that. I would probably just replace the tensioners. The new ones you get will be the updated parts, same as those in the newer engines. You shouldn't ever have to do this job again.

 

[DFracing]

the motor has to be pulled to fix it correct?

 

[thechad66]

timing chain tensioners

I had this same problem with my '01. I've read that it is possible to change the timing chain parts for the driver's side bank with out removing the engine. My motors timing was jacked up on the passengers side bank and that timing chain/guides/tensioner is on the back of the motor... which means pulling it. I decided that if I was going to pull the motor I was going to put a much newer low mileage one back in. My truck now has a 4.0 out of a '09 with about 18,000mi on it (5,000+ form me.) It was the easiest swap I've ever done... I was actually worried it was so easy. You should be able to find some low mileage motors on ebay for cheap. I paid $750 + $200 shipping for mine with 13,000mi on it. At the time there were 2 other 4.0's with about 20,000+mi on them for about $900 shipped.

 

[DFracing]

holy crap! that is amazing! if i do that im getting the banshee supercharger kit with some headers.... probably will never happen but i can dream. beside a cherry picker any other special tools? how long did it take you.

 

[thechad66]

holy crap! that is amazing! if i do that im getting the banshee supercharger kit with some headers.... probably will never happen but i can dream. beside a cherry picker any other special tools? how long did it take you.

I got a load leveler and an engine stand from harbor freight that both helped out a lot. I borrowed a engine hoist/cherry picker with foldable legs from a friend. You will need a "ford engine fan removal tool," i got one of those at Auto Zone. I used a crap load of extensions, especially to get to the bellhousing to engine bolts. I didnt disconnect things that weren't necessary like the power steering & a/c stuff. I zip tied the power steering pump and the a/c stuff to the sway bar out of the way.
I spent about 2-3 weeks taking stuff off of the old motor very carefully while I was waiting for the new one to show up. Took pics w/ the cell phone of things that might be confussing routing or puting back together later. I also got 2 boxes of 'snack size' ziplock bags & a sharpie. *very important* Bag and label all fasteners with what it is & where & what side it came from. I over did it with this part, but it made puting it all back together very easy. After I got the new one in, it took me about one weekend of honest work to get it all connected and started.

 

[DFracing]

as much as i want the exp of doing this swap myself, seeing as im pretty mechanically inclined, i will probably pay a mechanic to do it. i dont have that kind of time. its my daily driver which is why this issue worries me so bad. thanks much for the help this is everything i was hoping to find out