Now I'm confused for the longest I've been told that the 4.0l v6 sohc engine is a interference engine. But now I just seen a Ford article that says they are not? So what's really the truth? Because I believe they are since on my 03 ranger does have some dings on the Pistons and I did find some bent valves. But I didn't have a broken chain it was loose due to broken guides. So was the cause of bent valves and dinged Pistons the cause of loose timing chains and interference or could it have been because there were times I would pull some heavy loads with the truck?

 

Everything I've ever read indicates that the SOHC version is an interference design.

 

Thanks and that's what I thought to!!

 

The 4.0l OHV was a non-interference engine, I think thats where the confusion comes from
4.0l SOHC is an interference engine

There are several articles about the 4.0l being non-interference, and they are correct, UNLESS the 4.0l is followed by SOHC, then they are incorrect

Bent valves are from piston strikes, no other way for it to happen
Cam just needs to be out of sync with crank to cause valve piston strikes, in fact broken chain would usually NOT cause strikes because a cams "neutral" position wouldn't have any valve fully open just because of each valves spring pressure.
A cam has virtually no mass, so once it looses power(chain breaks), it stops instantly because of valve springs pressure, and it stops with some valves maybe 1/4 open, a 1/3 at most, which couldn't hit piston