Timing chain tensioners
10-28-2014, 05:21 PM
#1
Timing chain tensioners
Hello, I have an 05 5.4, anyways lately after its been sitting I get a tensioner rattle for about 1 sec, at least that's what im thinking it is from , from what ive been reading, anyways how important is it that I fix this? Is it a sooner the better type deal? will it get worse if I don't fix it?. The truck has 110,000 miles but I only put about 2k miles a year on it as im never home. Also is this job simply a matter of pulling the front cover and replacing the tensioners or do I have to pull the chains and all that crap? I know literally nothing about ohc engines. Thanks
10-29-2014, 08:27 AM
#2
if its the tensioners bleeding down you'll want to replace them soon. the timing chain isnt kept tight and timing CAN jump a tooth and it wont run like that. also mine had visible signs of the timing chains slapping the timing cover.
as far as how involved, ive found its easiest to just disassemble the whole timing set along with chains and then reassemble the chains making sure that all your timing marks line up. otherwise its a shot in the dark as to if things are lined up. chains are an odd tooth count so the discolored link on the chains will move a tooth at a time as the motor rotates. i put vise grips on the cams behind the cam phasers to hold them from turning when you take the chains off. then once you're ready to reassemble, put the one link of the chain on the crank dot, and then line up the 2 links with the cam phaser alignment mark for each side, using the vise grips to turn the cams ever so little as needed. do NOT turn the cams by the front bolt on the phasers, you'll ruin em.
while you have it apart, it might be worthwhile to replace the guides, phasers, and VCT solenoids while its all easy to access. phasers will inevitably go bad. also clean your cam phaser sensors and crank position sensor as well as they are magnetic and like to pick up small metal particles floating around in the oil.
its not hard to do and most everything is done with basic tools and a pulley puller. i can tear mine down and reassemble in about 8 hours.
as far as how involved, ive found its easiest to just disassemble the whole timing set along with chains and then reassemble the chains making sure that all your timing marks line up. otherwise its a shot in the dark as to if things are lined up. chains are an odd tooth count so the discolored link on the chains will move a tooth at a time as the motor rotates. i put vise grips on the cams behind the cam phasers to hold them from turning when you take the chains off. then once you're ready to reassemble, put the one link of the chain on the crank dot, and then line up the 2 links with the cam phaser alignment mark for each side, using the vise grips to turn the cams ever so little as needed. do NOT turn the cams by the front bolt on the phasers, you'll ruin em.
while you have it apart, it might be worthwhile to replace the guides, phasers, and VCT solenoids while its all easy to access. phasers will inevitably go bad. also clean your cam phaser sensors and crank position sensor as well as they are magnetic and like to pick up small metal particles floating around in the oil.
its not hard to do and most everything is done with basic tools and a pulley puller. i can tear mine down and reassemble in about 8 hours.
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