I BEEN HAVING PROBLEM WITH TIMING CHAIN SLACK. i just rebuilt the engine an i replaced everything from the crank, crank sprocket, heads, cam gears, timing chains, and now tensioners. the left side stays tight but the right side becomes slack when i bar the engine over. i thought i might have had a defective tensioner, so i replaced it an still the same issue. i also swapped the chain guides from left to right and the right side still stays slack. im pulling my gd hair out! im thinking it might have to be running to get the tensioner pumped up?

 

Yep it needs to run to build oil pressure to the tensioners. You have a open valve trying to close which is pushing on the cam trying to turn it.

 

i tried disabiling the fire and fuel and turned it over, but it wouldnt pump up. i just bought these heads and im thinking there might be something blocking the oil flow to the tensioner. i seen in the repair manuel there is a oil tube that feeds the tensioner, and says it should be cleaned out and checked for obstructions or tensioner wont work right. this motor is also a 2v 5.4 windsor not a 3. do you know if it is a interfereance engine?

 

I'm having a similar problem with mine. Did you ever get it resolved? Mine is not a rebuild just replaced the tensioners and the same crap! "Clacking noise" I opened it all up again after a few hrs and chain is slack again. Oil pressure is good and I blew out the feeders before reassembly, and I changed the oil.

Question: Should the chain be really tight or is there a general rule for some slack?

 

Did you check to be sure that the threaded oil galley plugs were not installed before bolting on the tensioner? The 2V cylinder heads will work on either side of the engine, you just put threaded plugs on the oil galleys on the back of the head. I've seen a few "reman'd" heads that had plugs in both ends when taking them out of the box. It could also be the oil restrictor in the rear of the passenger side head, or the front of the driver's side head-the passage is fairly small, and can be easily blocked with debris from an engine rebuild or teardown.
JL

 

The chains should not be "really tight" at all. That's the job of the tensions-to hold just enough pressure to keep the chains from being slack, but not too tight as to wear grooves into the nylon chain guides. Your issue sounds like a clogged/blocked oil passage.
JL

 

Thanks for the reply.

I've tried to blow out the oil passage right where the tensioner goes over. I don't feel any resistance.

After re-installing the tensioners.......The tension on the "Right" is so tight I can't squeeze a feeler guage in between on the top or bottom guides. The tension on the "Left" has a half inch of play between the guide and the chain on bottom guide.

Looking at the design of the tensioner,,,,,,once it extends,,,it locks and theres no going back on its own.

Is there a suggested "gap" I should be trying for? Any ideas?

 

The restrictor is in the rear of the head. Blowing air back toward it won't fix anything. You have to pull the camshaft's rear cap off to clean it out on the pass side,and the front cam cap off on the driver's side.
Tension will vary when there's no pressure on the tensioner, and because of the way the valvesprings hold pressure against the chain, the slack will swap back and forth from side to side of the chain as the cam turns. The way you're describing the "right" side, it's too tight. You're gonna have problems with nylon being shaved off of the guides and ending up in the pan and clogging to oil pump pickup if you don't relieve that pressure a notch or two on the tensioner "ratchet" mechanism.
JL

 

Ummm! Are there any diagrams anywhere on position of "Cam cap" and any procedures. Sounds like I'm gonna have to pull the whole engine out to verify the problem???? Not enough room to take the valve covers completely off. As far as the tensioners go. I'll back it off one notch. I guess I'm going to have to get used to that chain slapping noise on the front end.

 

The cam covers will come off no problem,and this can be fixed in-car no problem.
JL

 

Too much rain, mud and mosquitos tonight."Dam tropics!" The covers can't clear the firewall. I'll give it another shot in the morning. Can u give me a better idea of where these "cam caps" are? "We are talking about the 5.4L Triton (Gas) engine in a 2002 F250 Super Duty?" I know passenger side "rear" and driver's side "front". But inside cover or out? etc.

Thanks from Belize

 

Are you talking about some sort of "Gallery Plugs"????? or a "jacket"????

 

Note the above image.
The head shown above is a Romeo(although it's tagged Windsor in the image), but then Windsor is similar. Notice the RH end camshaft retainer cap has a triangular area that drops down toward the intake ports. That's where the restrictor is located. it's under that cap,and the cap must be removed to get it out. The cam covers WILL come off without pulling the engine-I've done it before. More than once. You just have to work at it.
As for the galley plugs:
Front of the cylinder head:

Rear of the cylinder head:


JL

 

I'm having the same problem with my 2004 f150 4.6 2v
I replaced chain, guides , and tensors and when I turn the engine over the passenger side chain come loose ever 2 turns
And I don't know what to do!!!
Please help!

 

I just had the same problem with my 2010 F-250 5.4, I replaced the timing chains and tensioners and the pass side kept getting loose and breaking guides, I installed the metal racketing type tensioners, Took the thing apart 3 times, fun. I finally got it, here's all I did, My Phasers were good so I didn't replace them, I had the tensioners go bad the plastic ford ones. So I got a chain and tensioner kit and replaced the oil pump while it was apart. I put it all back together and with in a few mins the chain slap came back, I work with a guy that use to work for Ford gave me a few things to check. You may want to do all of this because one of these steps fixed the problem. I took it apart again down to the chains, I pulled the VCT's out checked for damaged screens and dirt, both OK ( I did replace them during the first install) I removed an allen plug next to th P/S VCT and pulled the screen out to check for damage or dirt-OK, them I removed the allen plugs in the head the front one is just under the P/S Phaser gear and the rear one is at the back of the head about 2 inches down from the top of the head, and you can reach it from the top, I removed the P/s side tensioner and flushed out the oil ports with brake clean, air and oil, I couldn't tell of anything came out, it was done so fast. I replaced the P/S tensioner and guide, ( I did not use the backing plate that came with the tensioner!!) because the oil feed hole did not line up with the oil hole on the block. I put everything back together and everything is good now. Please note I did remove 3 rockers on each side the neutralize the cams, and I rechecked timing the last time also to be safe.