sounded like a prodominant knock developed in my '08 ranger out of nowhere today but i figured after making sure i had oil and doing a once over i'd put it away till tomorrow.

just went out now to get an audio clip for y'all and it sounds more like a playing card in my bicycle spokes with engine cold.

maybe timing casette?

where should i start tomorrow considering i have no code scanner and how catastrophic and immediate does engine die with a bad cassette.

guessing these are interference engines.

miss my sho.

 

Can't hear much

Yes, 4.0l SOHC is an interference engine

I doubt its a timing chain issue from your description, thats a "rattling noise" look for videos about that noise, there are lots out there

Not sure what it could be

You can do this..........
Stone cold engine
Loosen and remove fan belt from Crank pulley
Start engine, you can only run it for 2 minutes without the water pump, Battery Light will be on(no alternator), so be quick about it

Without the fan the engine bay will be very quite, see if you can narrow down the location of the noise
If noise is gone then its a Pulley issue, not an engine issue

 

good tip with the belt removal..

i think the initial knock was a valve hitting piston due to slack in the timing and maybe the aux chain followers are the culprit (watched some vids) but i'll go at it tomorrow with an open mind using your advice.

​​​​​worse case scenario if it is timing chain am i going to bend a valve or worse by sarting it a few more times​​ to try an locate source of issue?

p.s. audio clip was from cab so ya its not very revealing.

 

The 4.0l SOHC is "barely" an interference engine, so a cam would have to stop moving completely while crank still turned, for a piston valve strike and it wouldn't run after that, of course

 

so i pulled the belt and good thing, it's a bit cracked..

less than 200kms on the motor it does sound like the followers are shot on the timing chain going to the drivers bank cam.

i was going to pull and check the hydraulic tensioner before starting the motor (minimizing running time in this state) but looks like the upper has to come off to do so.

if you can check the new mp3 i'd appreciate a confirmation that the chain sounds like its slapping around against stuff in there.

rockauto has a kit for $200 including everything pretty much.

i'm wondering if my auto-rx treatment didn't glob up the small holes where oil flows through in these tensioners.

​​​​​​maybe an oil change and torch to the tensioner will melt down and pass an obstruction but i'm guessing the plastic followers are shot inside and will need replacement anyhow.

hoping sprockets are still timed and in good shape to bypass need to clamp down anything to maintin TDC while fastening.

not bucking or backfiring, but the knock when i first noticed and she was warm was pretty concerning.

 

Yes, that noise is to fast for just a valve train issue, most likely a chain guide has broken, bummer

You can use the cheap kits for the cassettes but only use Motorcraft tensioners on the long chains

 

i'd like to get away with minimal work do you think it's possible just a stuck tensioner could be the cause?

pretty sure its just the drivers side bank casette.

isnt that cam chain a long one? do you think aftermarket tensioner will be okay here?

if the plastic casette is too torn up (which i can inspect by pulling the valve cover when/if replacing the tensioner does not remedy the noise) can i get away with just pulling the rad and waterpump to access timing bits you think?

 

I know it sucks, but if you plan to keep the truck it's worth it to go ahead and pull the engine. I just did the timing on mine in April, and in order to change the passenger side timing chain cassette you need to pull the engine. I had the same or a very similar sound, and it was the cassette on the passenger side. When I got it all apart, I found the other two chain cassettes were also cracked.
I had to buy a hoist and engine stand, an alldata subscription, plus all the timing parts, and get them shipped to Hawaii. I still came in at under $1500 total cost.
In my opinion, if the truck has over 100k miles on it, a bandaid fix of timing chain issues is just that, a temporary solution. It will fail sooner or later. Better to pull it on your terms than when it decides to **** the bed.
I'd be happy to answer any questions about what I went through while doing it. I made a thread about it but I left out a lot of the technical stuff, just highlighted the issues I ran into.
https://www.ranger-forums.com/4-0l-o...begins-161325/

 

oh i plan to keep it..

i take good care of my things and run them in to the ground when they finally go.

i have an engine stand and cherry picker.. but the trucks so rusted the less i have to pull the less will break.

where did you source all your timing bits, straight from ther dealer?

i read that thread investigating my issue.. pass side makes it easy though you have no choice but to pull and may as well do it all while out.

i think maybe not changing hydraultic tensioners and extreme heat/cold cycling does a number on the plastics.

if just swapping in the tensioner does not take the noise out then i'll pull valve cover and see how torn up plastic is.. if its all chewed out i'll source gaskets and get them on order while slowly taking apart the front end in the bay.

if it gets to be too much i can pull the motor at any point.. maybe if i do i'll swap in a new clutch also.

thanks for offer of help, other than sourcing the cam rocker remover and then parts that clamp cam down for timing it and holding TDC while tightening i am pretty set up for the job in my scope of experience.

Mahalo

 

A faulty tensioner was probably the cause, but now that the noise is there, the damage is done and your guides are broken and need replaced.

The front driver side can be replaced in the truck.

The rear passenger side requires the engine to be removed from the truck.

 

I used the otc tools, the timing kit was $200 and the valve spring compressor was $50, got em both on amazon.


I'll get the spring compressor info when I get home, can't remember the tool #

If you get the felpro gasket kit for the heads, you get new valve stem seals and gaskets for exhaust headers, iac valve, throttle body, intake manifold, fuel injectors, and egr. It's super worth it. I got it at orieleys but I'm sure it's available at most parts stores. Head gasket kit was $100 and bolts were $50. I've got 5k miles on it since rebuild and I'm happy with the felpro gaskets, they seem like great quality.

 

sweet.. thanks for link and tips on gaskets.

was always worth it to spring for felpro kits.

i'll know early in if i can avoid the ~250CDN otc timing kit on ebay after shipping.

 

Look on ebay, or ??, for the timing kits, people, like yourself, will buy the kit and then resell it after using it, they don't really "wear out"

Also check local auto shops to see if they will rent you the kit, it just sits on their shelf until they need it, not making them any money, its not a daily use tool

 

Ron is right, I only bought the tools because I was unable to source a used or rentable kit. I figure I'll need to do engine work on it again eventually, so I don't mind having it on hand for when the time comes.
I got the spring compressor part #, the one I used anyway.


The most important feature is the ability to detach the two pieces of the tool, makes it much easier to maneuver it into position. The units that are a one piece assembly you will have to push the pin out and take them apart to get to a couple of the rockers.

 

ya i just needed something to start my search with.

otc and the number from your search did the trick.

$250 all in aint bad, i'll hold on to it and put it with my other one time use tools heh.

spring compressor looks better than the one in the part 2/4 teardown vid and its cheaper thanks!

still hope i dont need it tho. that casette should go in would even removing the chain and hopefully from seeing the damaged one out i can tell if too many bits arent floating around in the pan.

 

alright so i got a good amount apart.. screwed up not removing the clutch fan when the belt was still on and the driver side pullies are all apart and alternator off i'm not sure how imna get that fan out now.

anyway wanted to ask about an electrical connector over the drivers bank valve cover.

there are two side by side that are pretty big. one has a standard clip securing it but the other has some sort of basket handle covering it with pivots that allow it to turn and unlock?

could not figure this one out. anyone know what i'm talking about i didnt snap a pic while out there and wanted to call it a day so i dont start breaking stuff from fatigue.

 

I believe a 36mm wrench or some big channel locks/Crescent wrench will fit over the four bolts in a square pattern that are on the pulley behind the fan. Then you get another crescent on the fan bolt and hope they don't slip.
As for the connector, I can't seem to see anything on mine that looks like your description. Is it in this photo?

 

ya i had some channel locks around it i'll have another go with the adjustable on it too.


this guy..
coil pack is unbolted and out of the way in case you are trying to use it as refrence.

 

Duh, my bad, it's an 08. The handle looking lever is a locking device, so if you pry it outward away from the plug it should allow them to be pulled apart. Check the sides and bottom for a locking tab, might need to slide a flat head driver in to release those. Theres a similar plug on earlier models, it's on the abs plug.

 

hey all, chipping away at this job, seems i don't have the right bolts my puller https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/h...0145p.html#srp came with:

• Includes: 3/8" x 24", 5/16" x 18", 3/8" x 16", and M8 - 1.25 x 80mm bolts

apparently the m8x1.25 are the ones i want but a bit too short.

the balancer isnkt accepting these gracefully though without the puller on the face of the balancer.

do they ever come with other sizes other than m8 or is it safe to start torquing the hand forced m8's i did manage to thread on?

 

No you shouldnt do that its gonna strip the threads in your pulley out and youll6be replacing it if you can even get it off. Ask me how I know :)
Go get some long m8x1.25 in the highest grade you can get. I broke a bolt off in the pulley, and ended up using a 3 jaw on the outside to get it off. Its a bear, and those m8 bolts like to snap off, so be careful.

 

the threads are soaking in wd40 and i should have 100mm bolts by the end of the week.

maybe a thread chaser set would be a good idea too?

like i said, trying to thread the bolts alone feels like they are binding up not threating smoothly.

i do suppose though this is a weather exposed part of the motor so some corrosion may be a factor.

 

Yeah the threads on mine were bad, had to use a round brass brush and really ream them out to clear the threads. The rubber damper on my pulley was damaged upon further inspection, so you may want to take a close look. If the rubber is starting to separate from the pulley its going bad.

 

man seems like a good time to invest in steel/brass straw brushes but these are not the reasonably priced items you usually find on ebay/amazon unless you are willing to settle for nylon.

thread taps seem ok but most max out at 8cm for the m8's.. *edit* found success adding "long" to search string and scored a 96mm m8x1.25 tap for $10 shipping in.*

 

update as this is ongoing..

my brushes came in.. paid $40 for 4 sizes of brass and stainless.

terrible idea.. can only supppose that the smallest is the best size for task and helicopter them around in the threads to get any loose dirt or rust off the threads.

the ones that fit tight get immediately deformed and mangled when i try to ream the rust off the balancers pulling hole threads.

i ran a stainless bolt through the threads and got a good 4 or 5 full turns before everything binds up.

i guess slowly i'll swap in new bolts and keep pushing, clearing the oxidized threads bit by bit and removing them after gaining some ground and clearing threads off before the next go.

wish the tap would show up it took two weeks to ship since i ordered it last month from china.

cold weather coming tho i may not have the luxury of time to wait for the tap and get the threads properly chased.

we'll see.. shes soaking in more wd40 for now.

hope i didnt cross anything it does feel true and just binds from years and years of offroad salt and goodness getting in all the crannies.