Timing Chains took a dump!

M

mk8fanatic

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Hello all...
Its been a while since I posted, but then again I haven't had any problems with my Lincoln's for a while either. lol

My 97 daily driver started to have a horrible clattering sound coming from the drivers side head that just got worse and worse. :eek:
I took it to several shops in my area just to get an idea of what a few "professionals" thought it may be. I was told everything from a collapsed lifter to a broken valve spring.
I decided to take it home and pull off the drivers side valve cover...PITA....just to see if there was anything obvious going on. When I could not find anything I decided to pull the diode fuse and had my wife turn the motor over and Ah Ha! the sound was most defiantly the timing chain/tension arm/guides.
After a few cuss words, and a screw driver stabbed in the ground I realize just how lucky I was for that to be the problem and for it to have not jumped a tooth from the chain being so loose.
So I ordered the parts, pulled it all apart, did a little research, put the crank gear marks at 6 o'clock on TDC, swapped out the guides, lined up the marked link on the cam gear, lined up the marked link on the crank gear and with a 18mm wrench I rotated the cam just a tad so that the crank gear lined up with the keyway and slid it back on, added the tensioner and arms, pulled the pins and rotated the motor by hand 4 or 5 times checking for valve interference....all was good. :cool:
After putting it all back together it was such a relief to heir the motor purr like a kitty cat, and run smoother than it ever has before and most importantly with no clattering sounds. :big-grin:

Just thought I would share my experience with others, and offer any novice help I can to anyone thinking about doing this job as well.
 
I unfortunately had to do this job on a gravel driveway in 100+ degree TX heat.
It took me a combined total of about 8 hrs...taking breaks of course.
I am sure it would have been much faster if I were to have at least been in a garage with an air ratchet etc..
 
mk8fanatic said:
So I ordered the parts, pulled it all apart, did a little research, put the crank gear marks at 6 o'clock on TDC, swapped out the guides, lined up the marked link on the cam gear, lined up the marked link on the crank gear and with a 18mm wrench I rotated the cam just a tad so that the crank gear lined up with the keyway and slid it back on, added the tensioner and arms, pulled the pins and rotated the motor by hand 4 or 5 times checking for valve interference....all was good. :cool:
Click to expand...

Wow! Impressive. :)

Not too many times you hear of anyone doing this. Congrats on the fortitude and good work. ;)
 
brave man lol, thats something i still wouldnt tackle after 11 years of working on nothing but mark VIII's! great job and you already know you saved a killin if you had gone to a dealer or any mechanic for that matter!
 
Thanks for the kind words guys!

I have always understood and been good with the mechanical aspect, but when it comes to all the electrical gizmo's I look a little more like this :confused: LOL. Thats when I usually ask the pro's like yourselves on LOD :wink:

Your right budpytko! I should have taken lots of pics and maybe even done a writeup step by step making it easy without all nobrainers like "remove the intake tube & airbox".

Here is a link that helped me though...its on a SOHC but it was exactly the same for the DOHC when it came to the primary chains/guides/tensioner/tensioner arms. http://www.modulardepot.com/articlesp.php?aid=32

Maybe if I do it someday to the blue 97 Mark, I will have a buddy over to snap all the photo's in exchange for a few beer's :D
 
The part your referring to is the "tensioner"...it pushes on the tensioner arms which is just like the guides but bow shaped.

Yes, I replaced all three. Left & right along with the primary chains. :wink:

To be honest though, I think I could have reused the tentioners just fine as they are also spring loaded and for craps and giggles I was able to reload one by drawing it in with a vice while using a folded out paper clip in the one hole where the locking mechanism is to allow it to retract with the pistion. Then there is another smaller hole that you can put the paper clip in to hold it all back in the loaded position....reinstall and pull the paper clips as if they were the pins that come in the new ones.
 
I think it was around $325 "with" the spring loaded tensioners....If I would have reused the old ones it would have been around $225 as they were about 50 bucks each! :eek:
 
Sorry, I didn't see you'd replied.
Thanks for the info. I'll have to check to see what they cost up here as I'd love to get rid of the annoying rattle at start up mine has sometimes. If they aren't to bad I might do it :)
What is the mileage on your car btw?
 
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