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I've got a rough idle, a sort of farting noise under high RPM and load (downshifting going uphill) along with loss of power. Also got an oil leak which is at least pooling oil in the valve cover bolt next to the passenger side timing chain tensioner. The engine has a CEL (although turns out my physical CEL light is blown out as well) and has a P0172 System too rich bank 1. It was also throwing misfires on cylinder 1,2,3 which I suspect it is probably doing but I just cleared the CEL 3 miles and it still has P1000 not complete, so I can't give you that accurately right at the moment.
What I've done is pop off the valve covers and put in new seals, put in a new PCV valve (which was shot and the drivers side cylinder is sludgy, although this forum has clearly seen worse from pics), new PCV elbow (shot), and a new passenger side timing chain tensioner (old one was shot and wouldn't prime properly although it only traveled about 1/2 a cm under thumb pressure) along with new spark plugs (old ones were "gapped" more than 080 -- they were all very old but none of them looked uniquely bad or had any weird coloration) and wires and coil. None of this has resolved the primary complaints though of the oil leaking from around the passenger side timing chain tensioner "vicinity" and dropping down onto the exhaust along with the rough idle and issues at high RPM or the CEL (EDIT: oh yeah the fuel pump was replaced probably 15-20k ago, along with the fuel filter and air filter and I just did the MAF sensor as well).
The oil has not leaked out enough to have me need to put in a quart of oil yet since the last oil change (3.5k ago). The condition of the oil doesn't look bad (no foam or grit or anything on the dipstick). The condition of the coolant also doesn't look bad, although I didn't test it for oil, but after draining it half out there was nothing visible. The engine temperature has been totally fine, not running hot at all. The exhaust isn't bad at all, its not blowing coolant that I can tell. It might blow a bit of oil smell right on startup then but not when it hasn't been sitting.
I have not done compression tests on any of the cylinders. I'm kind of thinking that's the next step. The only thing I can think of is blown head gasket, even though there's none of the other common telltale other signs. It is real difficult to see back in there to try to visibly check what it looks like is leaking.
Anyone got any other suggestions? After the compression test I'm going to be a bit out of ideas.
Last edited by LeakyValveCover; 06-26-2022 at 07:40 PM.
Is your oil leak
from the Right ValveCover or
from the RightRear OilPressurized TimingTensioner?
Its common to misalign the Tensioners Gasket\Seal\Washer or not fully Torq that Tensioner & have it leak.
The exact spot of the leak is difficult to determine.
I replaced the tensioner and it didn't come with any kind of gasket/seal/washer. The old one didn't have one either. Various threads on this forum and elsewhere seemed to suggest the tensioner on that side isn't supposed to have one? (I did get the real Ford part for it). I basically torqued the tensioner as much as I could (going in through the wheel well with a very long socket extension and a u-joint which made it difficult). I had a torque wrench on there but it was upside down and I couldn't read it, but it looked deflected at about 60 ft lbs (IIRC that the correct torque, but I'm going off of my memory).
...exact spot of the leak is difficult to determine.
...replaced the tensioner and it didn't come with any kind of gasket/seal/washer
...torque wrench on there but it was upside down and I couldn't read it, but it looked deflected at about 60 ft lbs
Both OilPressurized TimingTensioners DO require the Gasket\Seal\Washer; people carelessly spout off bad info much too often.
Cheap bas'ards at Ford only sell them seperately. Highly likely leak is around that RightRear Tensioner; remove & redo.
As you snug Tensioner, take care to center Washer on the seat, then torq to 49LbFt; AluminumHead can strip, mind that TorqWrench. Click here for more info on OilPressurized TimingTensioners.
Last edited by DILLARD000; 06-27-2022 at 08:59 AM.
My original right side tensioner did not have a washer either. Both times I replaced that tensioner, I used a little silicone sealant sparingly to make sure none of it got inside the tensioner. I torqued to spec and let the silicone cure before starting the engine. I never got even the slightest leak from it. I tried to order a washer for it the second time I replaced it but it was on national back order and I could not wait. I have also reused the washer for the left tensioner twice successfully without any oil leaks. I don't recommend that but it works if it is not damaged and a new one is not available.
Still waiting on parts. Here's some pics I just took though of what I'm looking at. If the T30 screw below is the relevant one that doesn't seem to be involved in the leak.
"Pictures are worth a thousand words"; what smart person said that a long time ago?
Leave the T30 Plug alone; it's not leaking; leave it be!
Drip on bottom edge of right OilPressurized TimingTensioners = it's leaking; remove & install proper Washer & proper Torq.
Oil around back outer corner of ValveCover; it may be leaking also.
Fix known leak around Tensioner first, then give area a good cleaning & watch for more leaking oil, go from there.
Have you renewed or at least cleaned the PCVValve on the back end of the left ValveCover, in the last 4Years\33kMiles?
If not, a clogged PCVValve can result in excessive CrankCase pressure which can cause oil leaks at seals\gaskets.
This is after redoing the timing chain tensioner, with teflon and the washer, going in straight through the wheelwell and accurately torquing to 49.
It feels like it is running better in the midrange now with more power. It still has all the same basic complaints though of rough idle and farting noise at high rpm under load. That rivulet of oil is suggestive to me that the problem is the valve cover is still leaking. I'm not sure that glob of oil under the tensioner is coming from the tensioner.
I just checked the PCV hose itself and that is fine.
I'm a little worried that the valve cover is warped or something like that.
(If it is warped that may be problematic because it seems like the 2003 passenger side doesn't seem to have any new parts available -- looks like it changed in 2004+)
Yep, does now look like leak around that rear right ValveCover corner\bolt.
I'd try again once more replacing that ValveCover gasket; had mine off once, without issue,
but others in this forum likely have more experience & better advice on getting that to seal up proper.
Valve cover is cracked. You can see the seam in the previous image I posted, but after driving it for a few more miles it opened up a bit wider and more obviously.
I was wondering how the oil was splashing so far up the cover against gravity, now it makes sense that it was just oozing out there and running down all over everything.
Now it looks like junkyards are the only option for that one though.
"1L2E-6582-BE" is the Right Side Passenger Valve Cover for a 4.0L V6 SOHC 2001-2003 Ranger. It changed in 2004 on the Ranger. I think the same part was used in Explorers from 1998-2003 although the SOHC and OHV engine overlapped years for a bit on the Explorers.
It does look like the chain was slapping the valve cover and broke it, there's some grooves on the other side of the crack that look about timing-chain-width wide. I'm hoping that comes down to the bad tensioner. The cassette guide does feel pretty snug without any play other than just a little of side to side. So in my theory the tensioner went, the timing chain had too much play and jumped up and smacked the cover, breaking it. The timing chain issue caused the misfires, with the broken valve cover leaking pressure causing the rich conditions.
...does look like the chain was slapping the valve cover and broke it
...grooves on the other side of the crack that look about timing-chain-width wide
...hoping that comes down to the bad tensioner
...cassette guide does feel pretty snug without any play other than just a little of side to side
...in my theory the tensioner went, the timing chain had too much play and jumped up
...timing chain issue caused the misfires
...cover leaking pressure causing the rich conditions.
Suspect you've got a seriously broken TimingCassette\Guide; bad news as it means pulling engine to fix.
Recommend closely inspecting Guide from top while Cover is off & dropping OilPan to look for plastic Brokens\Schrapnel.
I don't believe CoverCrack+OilLeak by itself would cause Lean\Rich TroubleCode; TimingChain may have jumped a tooth.
Last edited by DILLARD000; 07-04-2022 at 07:17 PM.
Well this is a 4x4 so dropping the oil pan means lifting the engine anyway. Faster and easier to replace the valve cover and see if it still has issues or not.
...4x4 so dropping the oil pan means lifting the engine...
Nope, lower OilPan can be easily dropped even with the front Diff there, done it twice on my 2001 V6~4.0L~SOHC 4x4;
so you can inspect for Brokens\Schrapnel in OilPan without much hassle & clean the OilPumpSuctionScreen while there.
Dropping "Girdle" above OilPan is a different story:
Okay I got the valve cover replaced. I still haven't gotten around to dropping the oil pan yet to see if there's any shrapnel. It still runs rough at idle.
The weird thing is that I expect that either I'd throw the valve cover on and it'd fix the problems or else i'd get the same symptoms and codes as before and I'd know the timing chain cassette was shot.
Instead now its throwing P2196 "O2 sensor signal stuck lean - bank 1 sensor 1" which is entirely novel and I haven't seen that one before at all. Wondering if I messed up a wiring harness somewhere, or if the oil leak took out the sensor or what is going on...
...got the valve cover replaced
...haven't gotten around to dropping the oil pan
...still runs rough at idle
...now its throwing P2196 "O2 sensor signal stuck lean - bank 1 sensor 1"
...Wondering if I messed up a wiring harness somewhere, or if the oil leak took out the sensor
OxSensor11 connector is directly below OilLeak on rear of right ValveCover;
disconnect+inspect+spray with ElectricalContactCleaner, make sure it snaps back together tight.
How old are OxSensors?
Still a good idea to drop OilPan & look for plastic guide shrapnel.
Last edited by DILLARD000; 07-08-2022 at 10:54 AM.
Oil pan checked out okay. Bit of sludge but that was to be expected from the formerly bad PCV valve and condition of the left bank. Nothing solid that I can find after playing around in the mud with a (gloved) finger for quite a bit. No plastic bits or metal bits.
That's a little bit of good news. Did you get a real good look at the RightRear TimingCassette before putting ValveCover back on?
Judgement call as to what to do next? If you truely think TimingCassete is NOT broken & TimingChain has NOT jumped a tooth,
could get those old original OxSensors replaced.
Yeah the Cassette felt okay and with no shrapnel I'm feeling better about proceeding and replacing the oxsensors and doing the rest of the maintanence that it needs.
It still won't run right. It is highly rich on the right side (side with the timing chain tensioner issue) with LTFT of -25, which does drop to around -18 at 2500rpm and its around +18 on the left side. I tried blowing smoke in the intake and didn't find much of anything (a tiny pinhole leak in the throttle sensor though which seems weird, but covering it with my finger doesn't help anything at all), tried taking out the right side O2 sensor and testing backpressure under the theory it was the catalytic converter on that side and the backpressure is entirely fine at idle or at higher RPMs. Tried blowing smoke up the exhaust and I found a pinhole leak in the muffler, but that doesn't explain anything, visual inspection of the exhaust manifold doesn't show anything and nothing smoked out of the manifolds or cats or anything forward of the muffler. I didn't test the left side backpressure or change the O2 sensor there. Both O2 sensors do bounce between 0.1 and 0.9. I didn't try blowing smoke into the power steering vacuum line. Doing the exhaust smoke test required removing the battery to position it at the rear of the vehicle which I believe had the side effect of resetting the PCM, so that's been done as well.
I still don't quite understand how it would start so easy with a slipped tooth or something wrong with the timing chain, but at this point I have no other good ideas. I haven't investigated the fuel side of the equation at all, but it wouldn't be something like the pump that would affect both sides, and there's no codes for single cylinders that might indicate a particular injector. I guess I need to know the procedure to check for a slipped timing chain? I've got an appt with the Ford Dealer for a computer diagnostic but they don't have any slots until the 8th, so I might as well keep on trying to beat my head against this looking for an answer.
Last edited by LeakyValveCover; 07-21-2022 at 01:55 PM.
06-26-2022
