Does anyone have a copy of the TSB concerning the Timing chain issue that states that Ford will repair this problem up to 100,000 miles? I have seen the one that covers it to 72000 miles, but I can't find where it will cover it to 100,000 miles. Any help will greatly be appreciated.

 

There never was a tsb that covered it to 100K (atleast as of DEC 2004). The one was actually a "silent" recall that covered the upper intake gasket's and the upper timing chain tensioner. The front timing chain/jack shaft tensioner TSB was an information TSB designed to help the dealer fix the problem right the first time and it only applied to 3/36,000 factory warranty or a qualifying esp's. It is bull because they usually don't get annoyingly loud until after the 36,000 mile mark, of course after warranty, and they are a major labor job that is quite expensive.

 

I took my Explorer in yesterday and they replaced the Cam tensioner ($237) and it didn't help at all. The engine has a rattle when it is cold and then goes away after it warms up. The shop manager said he was going to call Ford and see if they could "give me some help" on getting the big job done (pulling the engine, etc). Since my engine has 93000 miles on it, I was hoping there was some sort of TSB concerning this. I am going to talk to him today, and when I hear something I will post.

 

I had same problem when I bought my 97 Explorer six years ago. Ford replaced timing chain tensioner and upper intake manifold gasket just as 2000Mojave stated. Everything was fine until this winter. I am now over a 100,000 miles and when cold sometimes I get the same noise. I started substituting 1 quart of Marvel during oil changes, and the problem has for the most part disappeared. The Marvel has a mild detergent and is a lighter oil so I thought maybe the tensioner was sticking due to varnish build up. After three oil changes the noise is basically gone, and this is during the winter too. I am almost certain that the tensioner is sticking due to varnish build up. It is a low cost fix and you have nothing to loose if you try it. Also make sure you are using 5-30 oil as per the Ford spec.

 

I am supposed to hear from the Ford place tomorrow, but if they are not going to help me I will definitely try that. Thanks for the tip!

 

I was told that since I didn't purchase the vehicle new that Ford would not cover the repair. But the good news is, I found out that my extended warranty would cover it, even though the dealer I bought the vehicle from said the warranty probably would not cover it. I should have checked for myself on the warranty rather than taking somebody else's word on it. Oh well....

 

That is bull, I bought my 97 Explorer used from Ford in 2000. They still fixed the timing chain tensioner under recall. Also My father also has a 97 Explorere he bought used a year before me, and he had same work done at same time as me. Someone is pulling your leg. I would send letter to Ford and cc better buisness bureau about the dealer you are dealing with.

 

That is interesting. How many miles does your Explorer have on it? Also, when they fixed your truck, did they pull the engine? It is very frustrating getting any decent service from Ford.

 

My Explorer had between 35k and 40k and my Dads had over 50k when ours was done.

No they did not pull the engine. The tensioner under recal is on the top left side of the motor and they can replace it without removing the motor. There is another tensioner though not covered under the recal that requires you to remove the motor.

I have delt wit hfour Ford dealers, I am satified with two of them. It seems that I get better treatment from the service departments of the smaller Ford dealers. The large dealerships are only interested in volume.

 

I had the camshaft tensioner replaced first a couple of weeks ago because the noise would go away when the motor ran for a few minutes which usually indicates the camshaft tensioner. But after they replaced it, the noise was just as bad. The dealership told me they would have to remove the engine and replace all the tensioners. That was this past Monday. I called today because I haven't heard anything from them since I dropped it off. This is where it gets strange. The shop manager tells me they ran into some problems. He told me after they had tore the engine down they realized the cassettes were broken and they would have to remove the engine to fix it. I was scratching my head, because they told me Monday they were going to remove the engine anyway. When I asked him about it, he said they had just removed the front of the vehicle (grill, radiator, etc...I guess?) I really don't know what is going on. Then he said Ford was going to cover the replacement of the cassettes. So my question now is, exactly what is my warranty paying for? Stay tuned, and when and I get some answers I will post.

 

Has the lower cassette been replaced? Ill be that where your noise is from. Its the "additional" information to that tsb.

 

That is what they are doing now. My question is, after the camshaft tensioner is replaced, is the only other option pulling the engine? They told me that my lower tensioner was broken. Wouldn't that have caused other problems by now? The engine runs very well and has excellent power.

 

hey guys can you help me out too??? Im looking at a 00 v-6 explorer will it have the cam chain tencsioner problem?? or did ford fix it by 2000???

thanks ,sory for the highjacking

 

That is the year of my Explorer that is getting fixed now. I have read somewhere that in 2002 they changed the tensioners. I would check it closely for the problem. You can hear it when you first crank the engine, and also when the engine is turning about 2000-3000 rpm's. If this vehicle hasn't had this worked preformed on it before, it is a very good chance it will need it somewhere down the road. I highly encourage you to look into an extended powertrain warranty if you decide to purchase the vehicle. Mine has now paid for itself! My transmission is fine in my Explorer, but I have also read that this is another weak point. It seems to me that nearly all brands of SUV's have major glitches of one form or another. I guess that is the price we have to pay for the convience of being able to go anywhere we want to go regardless of weather conditions! Good luck!

 

I was told that to replace the lower tesioners that the engine had to be pulled. But I guess if you remove everything from the front you can get to the front of the motor. That would make sense as long as they can get the timing cover off. I was also told by Ford that the lower cassets were not covered under the recall, only the top one. The problem is due to that the tensioners, being hydraulic like a lifter, do not pressurize right away, or stick when you first start up. I started having the problem again after I passed 100k miles. I started substituing 1 qt of Marvel Mystery oil in during my oil changes, and for the most part the problem has disapeared. I also asked the Ford mechanics if this was ok, they told me that Marvel had a mild cleaner that would take any varnish build up off over periodic oil changes. Seems to have worked.