Where can I buy some very good timing chain tensioners for my 03 4.0l v6 sohc ranger?

 

I would ONLY pay the extra for oem motorcraft tensioners p/n's 7U3Z 6K254A and 254B don't forget 2 metal o-ring seals also,they DO NOT come with tensioners motorcraft# XU2Z 6M252AA $14.30 EA ,TENSIONERS RUN $60.83 for 254A and $70.54 for 254B.

there are cheaper ones but they use crappy springs in 3rd party tensioners and will not last 2 months! Order from fordparts.com

 

I went to Ford parts desk and they ordered both for me. Cost was around $100 a piece. I had never replaced the tensioners on my 01 4.0 but it wasn't hard. The piece of mind afterwards was worth it. I don't remember if I primed one or both before installing, mixed opinions on if that's vital...

 

Glad you got the good ones,as far as priming,probably best to unplug coil pack or crank sensor,which ever easier to get at(so engine won't fire),crank it 10-15 secs..or until oil pressure shows on your gauge( if you have one).
Hey if you could do me a favor? When you go back down to dealership to get your parts,could you ask a service mechanic which way the arched shaped metal o-ring seal goes onto those tensioners,I'm getting conflicting stories and about 2 for 2 on answer,the next 3rd answer is the one I'll go with, some say arch side out,some say arch side in,and it does make a difference they say, THATS where I'm at in this process....I haven't yet pulled mine out,seems not as easy as yours,I've got intake clearances( barely), but no way room for socket,any way I digress, I'll pay attention when I pull tensioner and see if I can tell which way factory did my 08 xlt. Thanks ahead.

 

I dreaded the job until I did it. My little secret is, instead of pulling the whole fender well out just cut a hole for your socket/ extensions to go through. Probably not a secret. That and anti sieze. I love that stuff

 

How many miles are on your respective Rangers?

I know the recommendation is to change the tensioners before 100,000 miles. I've even read 80-100k miles.
Thanks

 

138k on mine,no noise yet,leaving them alone until I have injectors replaced near Xmas time,since intake man. has to come off anyway,then the left is right there..easy peasy,just like removing a 27mm bolt.

 

FYI: With my infrequently used ruck, I crank my engine in "Clear Flooded Engine" for 3-5 seconds before starting cold.
I want to fill and/or pressurize the tensioners before firing up.

 

Yes,thankyou. I believe you floor pedal b4 cranking,isn't that the way to put it in " clear flood" mode? I may have heard that wrong,but I will look in my ford factory service manual,it is a two book setup,the mechanical one with about 1500 pages,and a smaller 600 pg electrical book...worth the 180 bucks I paid for it from ford,you could literally build an entire 06 tp 11 ranger IF you had all the parts...pictures and step by step instructions on anything ranger in those years or iterations (3rd or 4th gen),thanks george much obliged!

 

My 01 4.0 is at 210,983 miles. I changed my tensioners at 205,000 (scary I know).
Dropping it off at repair shop this afternoon for an oil leak which I highly suspect to be rear main seal, not looking forward to that. I do love my truck though...

 

Nice setup there wow! Love the little rain cover over your compressor/gen? How did you have enuf room 2 get that left front one out,I really don't want to take top of thermostat off in order to get room to remove the one temp send unit about 2 inches from tensioner, I only have one sending unit,closest hole nearest valve cover is a dead hole, but still can't get a socket or even a ratchet wrench between sending unit and tensioner,plus that slide in clip that keeps sending unit in faces back toward intake valley,can't even get to that!
. I tried for 20mins 2get to that tensioner w/o draining water and breaking my seal on my alum thermo,that doesn't leak,but they want 3 hours labor to install tensionersx 180 an hour,becuz they say intake manifold must come off at a 30 year trusted and never ripped off local shop,but I know they are just going by mitchell manual r&r time, which is 3 hours..becuz I have a sub from them for my rig, plus they told me,they said they'd try w/o removing and just loosening manifold to get just enuf room to get a thin wall deep socket in there! So I give you alot of credit on doing that job! Cool flatbed tho...love it!

 

Thanks, air compressor is what that is. I should have been more clear, I did have to remove the top cover of my t-stat housing. I installed an aluminum after replacing it twice. My word of advice if you do remove the top cover - that gasket Is 100% directional. Hate to admit it but it took multiple times of getting it all back together then having a leak, take it all back apart until I figured that out.
To be honest, if you have the plastic t-stat housing, the tensioner job is a good time to put an aluminum housing in there and be done with that future fault. In my case, the thermostat that came the aluminum housing was hotter than the original. During all those redo for the leak I put in the previous thermostat to get it back to original coolant Temps. Hope that helps...

 

Wait sorry, I just looked back and read you have an aluminum housing

 

Thanks for info,I see the 3 bolts to the t-housing seem pretty easy to get to,but how hard was it to get that temp sending unit that is right in front of tensioner,with that slide in clip that is on the back side of temp sending unit out,or is there that much more room after t- housing comes off?
how much did you have to drain out of rad. so no water comes out t- housing or sending unit,and they say you have to get all the air out of cooling system after cracking anything open...how tricky is that? Sorry it seems that I never worked on trucks,but was a chevron mechanic for 15 years but got out and went to work for Boeing for 30 years,and was not in the mechanic buzz when they put all that CRAP on top of engines..around 1985 or so, so it all looks like wth are all these vacuum hoses and elect connectors doing in my way...ARGHH! I know if I can remove that temp sending unit AND it's connector,it's a straight shot right to front tensioner,but that is the cunundrum,never drained my radiator, in fact after getting out of the bizz,I decided never to turn a wrench again unless oil change or tuneup,but those rear plugs gave me a hell of a time and at 66 I just don't have the patience anymore,so I'm on the fence about having my local shop here do this (what seems) a simple job for 600 bucks,that I would really honestly try this,but don't want to break that sending unit or get a leak like you from not putting back right....thanks for tip on t house gasket...never would've known...my luck LoL !

 

I wouldn't be scared if your good with taking the top of the housing off, if you don't whoever does the job will. As far as the sensor goes, I seem to remember it still being tight but it was doable but that may have been non issue. If you need motivation then hear me, you can damn sure do it. That gasket thing is money knowing that!
As for coolant, I probably drained 1.5 gallon of coolant before starting the job. When all was done i added back to the radiator as t-stat opened. Checked coolant for a few days until it was all air purged out. No issue there.

 

Ok milk, you've talked me into it, I'm going to do it, as soon as these storms quit coming at us up here in Wa. State!
. Thanks for all the tips and "cheering on", worst that could happen is have to button back up and take it in and have them charge me 500 bucks! I'll let you know when I do it, thanks for the pep talk.

 

One thing to note about the aluminum thermostat housing is it is conductive and can create a problem depending on the polarity of your sensors. Polarity makes no difference with the plastic housing. When I installed the aluminum housing, I got strange readings from my temperature gage. I did a full analysis with my volt-ohm meter and came to the conclusion grounding through the aluminum housing was the issue. I switched the polarity on the gage sensor and that solved the problem. Most people do not have any problem, but it is good to know the fix if you do.

 

"I switched the polarity on the gage sensor... "

How?

 

I cut the two wires going to it and switched the wires when reconnecting and soldering them. Don't do this unless you have a problem with the gage reading.

 

When I bought my Motorcraft tensioners from the dealer (2011 4.0 sohc), they came with the seal already in place on the tensioner. I had ordered seals at the time not realizing that. Fortunately dealer allowed me to return the seals for full refund. They weren't o-rings, but very thin metal shims. There was a slight boss at the female thread (on engine block or was it the head?) where the shim would get "crushed" when it is torqued down. Photo below of pass side tensioner I still need to install. You can see the seal shim in place on it.

My tensioner p/n's were: Frt/Drvr side = 6L2Z-6K254-B & pass side = 6L2Z-6K254-A, of which I've not yet installed.

 

delete, duplicate post

 

When I replaced my tensioners the first time I didn't know about the seals. My rear one did not have one and the front did. I just reused the front one and used a very thin layer of RTV silicone on the rear one. Never had a problem with either one. On the second replacement I ordered new seals and they were on national back order with no anticipated date they would be available. I was doing a full cam timing chain system rebuild and it was already scheduled with my brother. So, I did the same thing I did the first time with the tensioners. At 312K miles I still have no leaks at the tensioners. I probably will not be replacing the tensioners again, so I don't need to look for new seals.