Hello Experts, my son was driving my Explorer Sport Trac, and the rear timing chain tensioner vibrated loose, pumping the oil out.

Unfortunately, he didn't realize what was happening and continued to drive it until the car/engine stopped. When I turn the key, the engine clicks and doesn't turn over. I think bent valves or overheated crank/cam bearings.

I'm not sure exactly where to start. Any suggestions?

 

Welcome to the forum

Bummer
Shop for replacement engine

Once the oil got too low the main bearings overheated and "spun", then crank got too hard to spin, so engine shut down and now the bearings are "welded" to the crank, so engine/crank can't spin until its removed and disassembled
Called a seized engine

I doubt if it bent any valves but cams/jackshaft may be fried as well as crank, assuming 4.0l SOHC engine

You can pull the spark plugs and then try to turn the engine using a socket on the crank pulley bolt, should be easy to turn in either direction, if engine is OK
If not then seized engine for sure

As said shop for a replacement engine

Good place to look for used parts and/or engines is: https://www.car-part.com/

 

Yep, that's a bummer.
Though could be an opportunity to teach son how to work on a vehicle, &
have a forever memory of effects+costs of running an engine without oil.

 

I’m assuming there was a recent tensioner change ??

 

I learned here a replacement engine in a Ranger has to be matched to the original layout (2WD vs 4WD, auto vs manual).
It's gotta be the same for Explorer Sport Tracs.
I don't know the details but make certain you buy the right engine.

 

Used to be the 4 x 4 had a balance shaft & chain.

Here is a timing vid for the balance shaft

Powertrain has the Vin E engines ready to ship.

 

Adam has a 2005 SportTrac with V6~4.0~SOHC; shortblock is swappable into\from any 1997~2011 Ford\Mazda with a V6~4.0L~SOHC.
Doesn't matter if either engine has BalanceShaft or not;
Engine\Assembly plants stopped building\installing BalanceShaft around 2001~2002 after finding it wasn't needed.
A mating 5r55 transmission swap must be matched 1997~2000\2001~2011 & 2WD\4WD,
due to differences in early\later Sensor+Wiring arrangement & 2WD\4WD TailHousings.

 

Idk ? The guy in the video above says his is a 2010

 

Ford engineers added the Balancer shaft in the 4.0l SOHCs for 4x4s with Live Axle, to off set the possible front drive shaft vibrations that was always spinning when driving, it was a solution for a problem that only occurred "on paper"
So was dropped in later years
But the casting and blocks can be found in any year 4.0l SOHC 4x4 2001 and up
But only in 4x4s or AWDs

So any 4.0l SOHC can be swapped into a 2WD or 4x4, with or without Balancer, won't matter unless Balancer has a problem, lol

 

Yeah but according to the video, that guy said his is a 2010

 

Possibly an older block with BalanceShaft swapped into that 2010?

 

Last Ranger made was in 2011
Last 4.0l SOHC engines were in 2010/2012 Explorers/Rangers

Not a stretch to think Ford was rounding up parts, new parts but at the back of the shelves to put in the last production line vehicles, lol
Could have been a brand new just build 4.0l SOHC with Balancer shaft in a 2010

 

My son and I recently replaced all the timing chains, cartridges, and tensioners. The rear tensioner was torqued to spec and worked great for 6000 miles.

Getting an engine out of a scrap yard and moving the new timing components over might make sense.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Mine has the balane shaft. How do I know which transmission I would have? It is a 4x4.

 

2005 Sport Trac transmission will be a 5R55S 4WD model if its a 4x4, or 2WD model if its not, they are not interchangeable

 

Ok then. 2005 with a balance shaft.
i guess my 4 x 4 does too.

Anybody have any idea WHY his tensioner came un-screwed ??

 

Normal Vibration, I guess in the future it would be something to check every 2,000 miles or so for the first 6,000 miles
Maybe add some blue loctite to threads

 

My Edge does not have an oil gauge. Just an idiot light i guess.

Where is best place to tap in for an oil p gauge —- the kind where oil is tube fed to the gauge ??

 

Likely not installed proper; either CrossThreaded (easy to do) or not Torqed to spec or both.

 

I have to do mine. But i am layed up post surgery on foot.

Come October maybe i can stand on it.

Whats the best place to tap in for a oil pressure gauge ?

 

Does the 5r55s trans NOT have an ATF DipStick, while the 5r55e does?

 

Correct me if wrong, but think 5r55e was used in 2001~2005 aka Gen1 SportTracs;
not sure what trans went into 2007~2010 aka Gen2 SportTracs.

 

For sure, the tensioner wasn't crossed-threaded, and it was torqued to spec. Does anyone ever use lock-tite on the tensioners?

 

It would probably scrape itself off into the oil supply hole.