Cross threaded tensioner 4.0 SOHC

[rangerrex]

Nice. I managed to cross thread my front timing chain tensioner. I’m not sure what to do now. I’ve taken it back out carefully and threaded it back in a few times, no change. Anyone go though this?

2003 4.0 SOHC

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Not on that particular application. You have compromised the thread. Probably a thread repair kit would be best.

 

[rangerrex]

Not on that particular application. You have compromised the thread. Probably a thread repair kit would be best.

I looked into thread kits, problem is there’s an oil galley that goes through the threads and a repair kit would block it.

 

[Curious Hound]

How would the repair kit block the oil galley but the bolt doesn’t? The bolt threads into the female threads. So, there has to be metal there for female threads to exist.

 

[rangerrex]

How would the repair kit block the oil galley but the bolt doesn’t? The bolt threads into the female threads. So, there has to be metal there for female threads to exist.

Well, it’s not a bolt, it’s a hydraulic tensioner. So the galley feeds oil to the tensioner through a small hole. If it was blocked then the tensioner wouldn’t get oil. Let me know if I’m wrong

 

[Curious Hound]

Ok. I mis-spoke calling it a bolt. You’re not wrong. The oil port must remain open. So there is a male threaded portion of the tensioner that must thread into some female threads. There must be a way to repair the threads, both male and female. So, in the female threads, if there is enough metal to have damaged threads, then it seems there must be a place to insert thread repair somehow.

Does the oil port enter in the side of the tensioner? Or on the end of (I assume) the threaded part of the tensioner?

 

[superj]

back it out and force thread it straight.

dude, that sucks. you may be replacing whatever it threads into. i hate when that happens to me. god dang i hate it

 

[pentode]

Is the oil hole that feeds the tensioner in a recessed area just under the hex head? If so, and if you get to the point where you definitely can't salvage the existing threads, I think it shouldn't be too hard to install a helicoil - you'd just have to get your measurements right and install it a bit below flush. The bigger problem with that I see is somehow avoiding getting the oil passages full of metal chips, which is probably going to require some creativity.

If it were me I'd try really hard to see if you can get it threaded in to the original threads securely enough. Even doing that, still need to be careful of metal chips.