cam synchro will not seat into oil pump drive

[Ray Man]

First, hello I am a newbe to the forum
I am having a great deal of trouble getting a new cam synchronizer to seat into the oil pump drive on my 2000 4.0 ranger. Tried three different ones so far.
have not tried a genuine motorcraft syncrho yet because of the cost. don't know what to do to remedy this issue. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. been down 4 weeks with this.

 

[dvdswan]

Welcome to the site.

Ford 4.0L Camshaft Synchronizer - The Ranger Station

 

[rhekman]

Welcome to the site.

Ford 4.0L Camshaft Synchronizer - The Ranger Station

That's the tech article for 94-95 cam synchronizers with the 180° vane sensor with window and vertical plug.

A 2000 Ranger should have the plastic solid cap sensor with right angle plug, similar to 3.0L and 5.0L motors.

More details here: https://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/camshaft_position_sensor_cmp.shtml

To troubleshoot further, some more info would be helpful. What's not seating? What was different about the multiple parts tried? Any pictures?

 

[Uncle Gump]

Compare the original to your replacement.

If you can't get it on the oil pump driveshaft... turn the oil pump drive shaft a little.

You can also turn the engine just a bit to rotate the cam/synchro while pushing the CMP down. Then rotate it back to TDC to ensure CMP is correct.

It's all about getting the oil pump drive gear to align on the shaft.

 

[Ray Man]

found a cam synchronizer that fit. set it at 15 degrees once seated. had tdc set but don't know if it was on compression stroke. bought a tool for that on amazon but none of the adapters would screw into spark plug hole.
put everything back together. won't start. gets a lot of hit and miss making you think it will but that's as far as it goes

 

[Ray Man]

update; got the ranger started, ran for about a minute. sounded good and smooth. shut off, now I get nothing. will not restart. wondering too, anyone know what kind of valve cover gaskets I could install that don't leak?
having a lot of trouble with leaking valve covers. used felpro metal with rubber liner on inside this time. still got one leaking. inspected them when I had them off. the looked and miked out fine. perfectly level with no blemishes.
got a new crank sensor installed as well. new info, after a couple hours I went back to try to start my engine. low and behold, it started right up, but this time there's a ticking / slight knocking sound coming from somewhere
anyone have this experience before?

 

[Eddo Rogue]

The cam synchro might have rotated, or crapped out. I did mine twice, using a NOS Motorcraft the 2nd time. The aftermarket one I tried initially lasted about 100 miles until the cap somehow munched off. I did the lower intake gasket while I was at it the first time. The second time I was able to finagle it taking just the upper intake off.

It might not be the gaskets, but the valve covers. I like to take a ball peen to the bolt holes and tap em flat or just above flat. It seems both cork or silicone/rubber has pros/cons. I have one of each (long story) on my valve covers, and neither leak. Mind the bolts, do not over torque them, but do cinch them down when they come loose (they will).

You might be talking about the 4.0 tick. If its a ticking sound that goes away after warm up, then its just the 4,0 tick. It does that. If its more of a squeak, then its your cam synchro (again).

 

[rhekman]

update; got the ranger started, ran for about a minute. sounded good and smooth. shut off, now I get nothing. will not restart. wondering too, anyone know what kind of valve cover gaskets I could install that don't leak?
having a lot of trouble with leaking valve covers. used felpro metal with rubber liner on inside this time. still got one leaking. inspected them when I had them off. the looked and miked out fine. perfectly level with no blemishes.
got a new crank sensor installed as well. new info, after a couple hours I went back to try to start my engine. low and behold, it started right up, but this time there's a ticking / slight knocking sound coming from somewhere
anyone have this experience before?

Re: Leaky Valve Covers
I second Eddo Rogue's recommendation of giving the valve covers themselves a once over. Make sure the pan rails are not deformed by putting the cover on a flat surface and checking for gaps. Use a hammer and lightly massage any high spots. The thin sheet metal has a tendency to warp around the bolt holes. You can use stainless 22mm fender washers (might have to ream the I.D.) on the valve cover bolts to provide more even pressure, particularly on the corners.

Make sure both mating surfaces are clean - oil and grease free. Wipe down with a degreaser soaked rag, then follow up with some acetone or brake cleaner and let dry completely. If there's any pitting, smear a bit of Permatex Right-Stuff RTV in those areas. Also put a dab of silicone where the lower intake meets the cylinder head, and around each bolt hole on the valve cover.

For gaskets, I've had the best luck with the plastic/silicone overmolded type. Examples are the Fel-Pro PermaDryPlus #VS50368T or Victor Reinz #151057601. Use loctite on all the bolts. Follow the RTV instructions to the letter when installing - install the cover immediately after applying, but only run the bolts in finger tight. Come back after an hour and tighten one turn. After another hour, torque to spec. Wait 24 hours before running the truck (heat and oil will prevent RTV from curing correctly).

Re: Ticking/Knocking Sound
As Eddo mentioned, valve train ticking is normal with these engines but should go away when warmed up with full oil level. If it's a chirping or squeaking coming from the back of the block, it's probably the cam synchro again. Chirping is also possible from the front accessory drive - idler, alternator, water pump, A/C compressor. To help narrow it down, a mechanic's stethoscope is your friend.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

I forgot to mention the accessory drive. An easy way to check is run it without the belt, BUT only do this when cold and for a short time because the waterpump and alternator will be out of play. Fresh Idler pulleys regardless is a cheap precaution.

 

[Ray Man]

really appreciate the reply s.I did order the valve cover gaskets suggested Sunday. did make mistakes with the others. to anxious to see if it would run. don't have ticking sound never did got 180 thousand on it. my sound is more of a knocking sound. may be off on timing. sent for an analyzer to see if that helps. thought i would leave the after market can synchronizer in to see if it will last.
wanted to ask, do I need to use any rtv on the valve cover gaskets other than the bolt holes?

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Naw, run em raw ...only needs some dabs. just torque em down right...as in check em again after work up and cool down....on my corkers I let em soak up a lil bit then torque em down,ever so lightly of course.

 

[rhekman]

really appreciate the reply s.I did order the valve cover gaskets suggested Sunday. did make mistakes with the others. to anxious to see if it would run. don't have ticking sound never did got 180 thousand on it. my sound is more of a knocking sound. may be off on timing. sent for an analyzer to see if that helps. thought i would leave the after market can synchronizer in to see if it will last.
wanted to ask, do I need to use any rtv on the valve cover gaskets other than the bolt holes?

Extra RTV is not needed. The modern silicone impregnated plastic gaskets are pretty forgiving as long as the mating surfaces can apply even pressure, which is why proper torque is crucial. Thankfully they don't crack, blow-out, or become porous like old cork gaskets, so treatments like gasket sealant aren't necessary. And if you still get some seepage after 5 or 10k miles, you can get away with adding a quarter turn to all the bolts.

Regarding the knock, it's hard to diagnose without more info. A scan tool is very handy, and a scope can be helpful to troubleshoot computer controlled systems. Nothing wrong with starting with the basics however. Check oil level and hook up an analog oil pressure gauge. Check timing with a timing light, and if you have a scanner that will show live data, compare with the advance the PCM is commanding.

 

[Ray Man]

Finally, got the engine running, but, now, I'm hearing that knock some are talking about. Don't know why. other than the knocking sound, that's louder than a "tick" engine idles fine

 

[Ray Man]

Checked for any default codes. don't have any but a P1035

 

[rhekman]

Checked for any default codes. don't have any but a P1035

Do you mean P0135? That's an O2 sensor heater circuit malfunction. P1035 doesn't exist in the references I could find.