Timing chain concerns...
 

I've got the 4.0 SOHC timing chain rattle thing going on. I have been reading up on it trying to decide what to do. I took it to the local Ford dealership and had them give me an opinion; 2 hours later they told me that it was nothing to worry about and it was just a noisy engine. The rattling has gotten worse in the last 6 months and I'm really worried about it. Which tensioner is the bad one? I have read that it could be one of 3, but I don't have the $ to have the engine pulled to replace all of them.

Is this problem uncommon? I can only pinpoint ~12 or so folks that have complined about it.

I believe it's the one at the back of the engine, towards the firewall- the reason its so expensive to fix. When i lived in the dorms over the summer, there was a guy who had a 2001 ranger with the 4.0L SOHC and he said his had the timing chain rattling issue, so i dont think it's uncommon, its just a couple of year models, i believe 01-02 in the Rangers.

mine rattles too,..... mainly while in the power band of the rpm range, get out of that and it goes away. like truckin up a hill at like 30mph itll get loud, or moderately accelerating on the thruway, or going up a super steep hill in the coutry, or going up a mountain on the thruway it gets loud. dealer says its fine, i made them document it so when the chain shears off a couple teath and blows my engine ford can replace it even tho its out of warranty.

edit: they prolly wont but if i threaten to take em to court they might cause i complained about it, they claimed it was fine and then it broke.. so obviously it wasnt fine and they were trying to weazel their way out of it. big bad ford pickin on lil ol me, might work...

Mine has had it since new. I've had it "fixed" twice, but its never gone away. I just let the engine warm up before I take it adove 2500 RPMs

My 2002 4.0L SOHC does it as well, ussually when my RPMs are between 2500 and 3500.

x2...

i have this problem big time.... yet ford can never hear it.

i can hear it when i start the truck up, when i am driving normally around 2500 rpm.

happens big time when i'm pulling a trailer up a hill

It's the front tensioner.

I have it as well. Usually when its under load. It makes me so mad because ford looked at it and they cannot duplicate it.

The reason they can never hear it is that they can't fix it. They get paid next to nothing by Ford on warranty repairs, but if they attempt the repair they must stand behind it.

Never had any timing chain issues. Although my last 4.0 had 28kmiles and the new one has 51k. About what mileage did you guys start to experience this?

mine has had it since ive owned it.. i bought mine with 34k

Its most likely to happen at 2000-3500 while the engine is warming up under a load
ie a hill with the a/c on.

95% of the time its the front tensioner which does not require the engine to be pulled.

Also for anyone who has a chip or tuner.. This can cause a VERY similar noise
my apten chip did sometimes.

my rattle started around 6K miles. and has gotten alot worse since about 26K miles

Damn man, I must be lucky then...*knocks on wood*

Wasnt this issue supposed to be fixed in 02+?

mine does it to but i was told not to worry about it its been the same for the whole 20thousand miles that i have had it....