Questions on timing cover 4.0l

[aspevacek]

I know most manufactures recomend pulling th eoilpan when pulling a timing cover. With BMW we had discovered it was eay to pull the cover and do a gasket spice at the block. I am wondering if it is even possible with the 4.0l.

The reason for the pulling of the timing cover, a cooling leak between the cover and the block on the drivers side. The coolant is leaking externally, nothing entering the oil pan.

Being in a 4WD it looks like it would be near impossible to remove the pan with the engine in the truck and I do not feel like pulling the engine for a coolant leak.

Edit: The truck is a 97 Splash it only has 84k miles on it. About what milage is the start of timing component wear out?
Normally at fairly low mileage I would not consider swapping the timing set but if I am going to be in there it may be worth the couple extra bucks the parts are going ot cost me.

 

[kunar]

you can pull the front cover without pulling the oil pan but it's tough. its been a few years since i did mine but i remember there being studs on the cover that stick through the oil pan, you kinda have to pull the top away from the block then pull it up and out. youve got to put it back in on an angle too. i think my gasket set came with the small pieces to go on the front half of the oil pan, i just used some rtv or something in the corners. the timing set should last a few hundred thousand miles. it's a chain and they really don't wear out. i wouldnt worry about it unless you see something obvious when you have it apart. make sure you get the bolt on the harmonic balancer nice and tight, use some loc-tite to keep it from backing off. if it starts to come loose, youll shear the key off the timing gear. ask me how i know.

 

[AllanD]

LAst I looked those little 6mm studs had male "E-Torx" tips on them kaing it possible to unscred them with the cover in place.

In my experience about half the time they unscrew when you try to remove the nut.

 

[aspevacek]

ok well thx. I was asking about the timing set as I was going ot order the gears, chain and guide and tennsonier from Rock auto before i break it down. Guess I will just hold off until I get in there then, or just get the guide rail and tensonier. Will orde rthe gaskets and everythign so hopefully it will ship and be here in a few days.

I do thank yall for the input on that, I was thinking I could snatch the cover with out dropping the pan, but did not want to get it 1/2 way apart adn find out it has a lip inside holding the pan or something. The 2 studs are the back 2 on the over and I was looking at them under the truck. They do have torx heads and I have the sockets to pull those. BMW uses torx heads on alot of the stuff on thier engines.

 

[AllanD]

If you ever come across a 4.0OHV engine that needs a timing chain there is a procedure you follow before replacing it...

Remove the engine from the truck and fly to england, drive to the English/welsh border and hire a helicopter.

From the helicopter drop the engine in a large lake near sunset

IF the engine falls into the water but immediatly bobs to the surface held up by the shining male clad arm of the most beautiful woman you've ever seen and she hands you the engine back along with a big sword, then buy a new timing chain.

Otherwise if the timing chain is bad buy a running engine from a junkyard and move on with your life.

My 2.9 went 262k miles on the original timing chain, 4.0 timing chains last much longer because they only have to turn a roller cam which is 20% as hard to rotate.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Allan, you Sir have a way with words.

I can't ever remember doing a timing set on a 4.0L ranger ever at work or seeing one done...

Just reseal the cover and be done with it.

 

[Snoranger]

AD...

I've replaced 2 timing sets on 4.0l OHVs.

1) during a rebuild on a 250K+ mile engine, thought it was a good idea.

2) I bought my '95 with a "bad timing chain". Turned out the locator tab on the cam gear broke and the gear was just freewheeling on the front of the cam.

 

[aspevacek]

ok so unlike BMW, Ford has tensoiners and guild rails that are not prone to early wear. I just want to ensure when I pull it apart I have everything setting here. I am replacing the Water Pump while in there because I do not wish to go after it in 6 months. For me it is not a matter of the cost of the items but rather I hatre redoing things that I could have done the first time but was too lazy or cheap to do. The Truck is a 97, my wife drives it daily about 2 miles a day. She loves the truck to death and I have offered to buy her something newer btu there is nothing on the market that she will even consider.

 

[AllanD]

Allan, you Sir have a way with words.

I can't ever remember doing a timing set on a 4.0L ranger ever at work or seeing one done...

Just reseal the cover and be done with it.

THAT is why the 4.0SOHC is such a complete monumental Fu^kin& disappointment.

The 4.0OHV was RELIABLE and someone trying to improve it screwed it over.

This is also why I'm 97-1/2% decided on doing a 5.0 in my next build.

in essence a 4.0OHV ain't enough,
I don't want to either turbocharge or supercharge a 4.0OHV.
a 4.0SOHC is a POS reliability wise...
So the only other choice on an '01 frame is a 5.0.

And after a careful dimensional analysis I've decided that a 5.8 is
too much of a PITA. if a 5.0 proves to not be enough... well damn
it I've got TWO Eaton M90 Blowers on the shelf.

And I know if I buit two identical trucks one with a 5.8 and the
other with a 5.0 +5-6psi the blown 5.0 would stomp all over any 5.8

AD

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The early SOHC's were the problem years....Have not had many issues with them after 01-02?

 

[AllanD]

Want an '02 Explorer with a SCREWED passenger side timing chain?

I know where you can get one cheap...

AD

 

[Snoranger]

Want an '02 Explorer with a SCREWED passenger side timing chain?

I know where you can get one cheap...

AD

That would go nice with the 94K mile, 1 owner, '03 Mounty I found with the passenger side timing chain showing through the new "breather" in the valve cover.

 

[AllanD]

That would go nice with the 94K mile, 1 owner, '03 Mounty I found with the passenger side timing chain showing through the new "breather" in the valve cover.

Which goes to say ford did not "fix" the 4.0SOHC they just made it slightly less "Broken".

And I will not willingly own one.

My brother bought a 2000 SOHC explorer in abssolutely perfect shape...
except for the totally "fooked" 4.0SOHC.

Care to guess what he did to fix it?

I doubt anyone would be suprised he bought a 1999 Explorer
with a 4.0OHV engine that had been rolled
and simply swapped the powertrain and wiring from the rolled one to make himself a commuter/beater

AD

 

[Snoranger]

Which goes to say ford did not "fix" the 4.0SOHC they just made it slightly less "Broken".

And I will not willingly own one.

My brother bought a 2000 SOHC explorer in abssolutely perfect shape...
except for the totally "fooked" 4.0SOHC.

Care to guess what he did to fix it?

I doubt anyone would be suprised he bought a 1999 Explorer
with a 4.0OHV engine that had been rolled
and simply swapped the powertrain and wiring from the rolled one to make himself a commuter/beater

AD

No, they didnt fix it. They took a piss-poor design and threw some band-aids on it in hopes that it would get them through the warranty period.

 

[aspevacek]

Hey thx for the input on the timing set. I pulled that cover off and because I run Castrol Syntec in th eengine and do 1 oil change a year on it everything has a nice Brinze color and no build up whatso ever. The timing set was in wonderful shape the plastic guides did not even have any signs of noticable wear on them.

Now I am headed to pull the transfer case and Tranny out the bottom and make sure all that is sealed up tight. noticing a drip forming at the bottom of the bell housing, but not enough to drip to the ground yet. I like to fix things before it becomes an issue.