Boy am I glad I check that!

[thegoat4]

I have a kind of lengthy PM routine. Oil change, grease the ball joints, clean off the engine, vacuum gauge, fuel pressure gauge, oil pressure gauge, clean the pulleys, clean the radiator, clean the ac condenser. Tranny oil check, diff oil check, coolant test, battery electrolyte test, battery load test, tire rotation. Brake check, clutch fluid check, rear brake adjustment. Wash the damn thing. And last, but not least, pull my cam synchro sensor and check that shaft for play. 5mm socket, two little screws.

Last week I found play, so I ordered a new one. It arrived yesterday. Between then and now it began to squeal at startup and had pushed a little bit of oil up to the sensor itself. And it had a little more play in it than last week. I replaced it today and took the old one apart. The shaft itself had a little galling, but not much of the shaft wore away. The bushing was very worn.

The old synchro was a royal pain in the ass to get out. Just kinda wedged itself in place. I did not have the synchronizer tool, so I simply marked everything. Runs fine, but I'll take it in next week to get that rechecked or see if I can locate a tool.

So, if you fret over your cam synchro failing and obliterating your otherwise bulletproof engine, it takes only a couple of minutes to pop off that sensor and wiggle that shaft. If it moves enough you can feel the movement, go ahead and get a new assembly coming.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

its amazing how far a little PM will go to make a vehicle last.

and my friends wonder why i spend so much time under the hood of my vehicles...

 

[Bob Ayers]

Interesting! How many miles do you have on your 3.0L?

 

[Earl43P]

Mine's due.
Thanks for the reminder (as if I don't have enough to do already).

I just walked in from a PM on the neighbor's Taurus.

Needs 2 front tires, air in both rears (@26, 24), donut had 16 psi.
Wiper blades were pitiful. Brakes were good (I just did his fronts last summer) but I've never seen such dust-makin' front pads. I guarantee he hasn't washed that car since the brake job. Rims are BLACK.

He's heading for Vermont tomorrow. I told his wife (it's her car) she needs new front tires, etc. to dime him out. Fool would've just driven till one blew or he slid into a ditch in the snow. Both were wearing out the wear bars. So, he's off to see the "used tire guy" lol.

 

[thegoat4]

PM was at 125k. Replaced the synchro at 126,700-ish.

 

[thegoat4]

A little update. I still get that occasional squeal on startup, so it wasn't the cam synchro making the noise. Which ought to be even more motivation to pop off the sensor and check for shaft wiggle.

Whatever it is, it sounds like a failed bearing instead of a belt slip. Tomorrow before I leave for work I'll take off the belt and start it up to see if I still get the noise. It's pretty consistent after the truck has set over night.

 

[Earl43P]

I recently took my starter apart, cleaned and lubed it.
Free fix. Planetary gear was groady and the solenoid shaft was gummy.
2 long bolts and two screws. Mind the rubber insulator that lets you seperate the parts.

Couldn't be any easier, once its off the truck.
I've known folks that just spray the crap out of them.

Bet that's your noise.

 

[04 EDGE]

i cleaned my starter a few months ago, went wheeling soon after. now its noisy again.