Ford Explorer / Ranger / Mustang 4.0L SOHC V6 Teardown! Is This Why They're Called "Exploders" ?

For parts, please visit www.Importapart.com or email us at [e-mail].
Is this the first teardown you've seen on this channel? Wondering if I've torn down your engine? Check out 110+ of my other teardowns here: • Blown Up Engine Tear D...
My name is Eric and I own and run a full service salvage yard in the Saint Louis area called Importapart. Part of our model is stripping down blown or core engines and salvaging the good parts to resell. We do not rebuild engines, we merely sell parts to those that do!
Today's specimen is one of my lesser favorite engines ever produced, the ford 4.0L SOHC found in the 2002-2010 Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, 05-10 Ford Mustang, and 2005-2011 Ford Ranger.
Note: Not all 4.0's are like this, this is the particular 4.0L That I do not like. Earlier 4.0's are much less failure prone in my experience.
There are several reasons to dislike these engines. and most of those reasons center around the timing system design and component material. Its quite clear why these engines fail and the labor to repair far outweighs the value of many of these vehicles, and they sadly end up at the salvage yard.
I really hope you enjoyed this teardown! As always, I l love all of the comments, feedback and even the criticism.
Catch you on the next one!
-Eric

[@therealdojj]

I'm just here for the dipstick battle....

[@Vinincenz]

I love the way Eric babies those water pumps and timing chain guides.

[@warrentinsley5490]

...and to see a hapless waterpump yarded across the shop

[@12345.......]

What is Eric's record against dipstick tubes this season?

[@riccocool]

That thing is going to put his eye out

[@concernedcitizen780]

I also like it when he says “ this is a valuable part” hen throws it across the room.

[@alanburkhart7036]

My dad had the OHV 4.0 in his 1995 Ranger and when he died the truck had 633,000 miles on it and it still ran great.

[@stinkycheese804]

Sorry for your loss, but the 4.0L OHV did not have the components that were at issue as the weak link on the 4.0L SOHC.

[@caterpillar6nz310]

in 95 is a cologne engine single cam desing now is a sohc desing very different engine

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

@@stinkycheese804 What he was saying is the SOHC version was a modification to SOHC from the 4.0L OHV. that jack shaft is where the cam use to be. WHY Ford went to the SOHC on that engine is unknown BUT probably for a MPG increase. They did bump the HP up some. but they made the engine way over complicated, must have been over engineered by the British as that seemed to be their thing !! !

[@juvandy]

I got a 95 Ranger with that engine in 2001 and it is still running now as far as I know. I only got up to 300,000 miles before I sold it for farm use last year, but it was a great vehicle. The only issue I had was with some of the electronics in the ignition. It's a shame that Ford gave up using that engine for something less reliable.

[@alb12345672]

@@juvandy I drive an 96 Eddie Bauer explorer with that OHV v6 engine , 200K runs perfect. Needed valve covers for some reason they got rusty and holes :lol:. The OHV are extremely reliable. Also has 4.10s great offroad in 4 low

[@yo_its_gingey5329]

That 4.0 is insanely reliable. Don't let him scare you by talking bad about the timing chain. Just do your oil changes every 5k and give it an italian tuneup every once and a while and you're golden.

[@jordanhart9708]

I've always heard people have one of two thoughts about the 3.0 on Rangers... It's the most reliable of the engine options... Or it's trash because it doesn't have the power of the 4.0 or fuel efficiency of the in line 4

[@jordanhart9708]

@IncitatisTheTrannySenateHorse Is it that OHC is bad, or it's just a bad design?

[@ryanarledge51]

​@@jordanhart9708how is the 3.0 L reliability actually?

[@jordanhart9708]

@@ryanarledge51 I'm over a 230k miles on a 2002, original engine and transmission still running, and I'm the 6th owner.

[@joaquinpinon2872]

I don't think he's trying to scare anyone. I have a buddy mechanic that also hates these engines. If anything, it's a pretty dumb design

[@GHELM-wp5yj]

Mine has 253000+, great engine, never failed me. Sorry you fail to convince me.

[@cabuco2006]

Good maintenance is key. People who have issues with their cars usually change oil every 15k miles Lol

[@waynewood8840]

They also abuse their engines. Mine has 200,000 with no issues. Maybe “some people” should learn how to treat an engine right.

[@number7oneone]

On the front drivers side timing chain guide, you unclip it so it splits into 2 halves, then you can remove it without pulling the head 👍

[@lynzoido]

Better take good care of those afterwards

[@kenney5454]

lol glad someone was paying attention

[@thezoomguys385]

While pretty much every manufacturer comes out with a dumb engine design here and there, Ford seems to hold the top spot year after year after year. This entire engine is an insult to engineering and common sense, as well as mechanics and the consumer.. Ford should have just made it cam in block with pushrods, instead of that insane timing chain/driveshaft/cam design. Would have been much cheaper to build, more compact, simpler, lighter and much more reliable. It's not like the engine is moving Ferraris around. It's just a workaday 6 cyl with low/medium output. Could have just done something simlar to the GM 4.3, which was a great & simple, reliable workhorse for decades. Not Ford though- Let's come up with the dumbest way of doing things & get it approved for production...

[@Conservator.]

@@thezoomguys385 It must have been for the enormous power output that they needed a SOHC 🙄 🤷‍♂️

[@thezoomguys385]

@@Conservator. LOL, yup. They must have been hitting the bong when they OK'd this design...

[@Directcars950]

im a used car dealer and I have been in the business for over 25 years. The 3rd and 4th generation ford explorers have been my best sellers for a super long time and I know them super well. The 4.0L soho motor in 80% of them that I've purchased. out of the hundreds of them that I've owned only one of them needed new chains and guides and STILL ran perfect. this motor is nowhere near bad at all. just keep up on oil changes, they like thicker oil and clean oil.

[@Clean97gti]

Just keep up on the maintenance...and that will be $2600 for a timing chain and guide replacement please. welp, time to junk the truck.

[@thirdpedalnirvana]

The most impressive thing about these engines is they are almost impossible to stall. A buddy had one in a mustang when he was learning to drive stick, and he could regularly get going with the rpm's dropping below 250.

[@AustinRides7264]

Wow! That's crazy 😂 ha. I learned stick on a pos Saturn years ago. That bitch stalled super easy. Driving on a highway with traffic lights to work in it the first couple of times was fun! Haha

[@1987FX16]

Can confirm, just cleaned the throttle body because of a random low idle in neutral rolling up to a red light. It would idle with the needle on the 0 rpm stop ped for about 4-6 sec before the ECUs wait time for ignition idle control could kick in(I lowered it in tune to 1 sec). You could rev it off of the super low idle too, you'd think it would intake backfire and stall but nope freakin little tractor engine. FYI, if you haven't done the EGR tube mod it is 100% worth the 30 minutes it takes to do for free if you have the tools. A nice increase in throttle response above 2500 to redline.

[@CringeOMusic]

@@1987FX16lost oil pressure and guess the engine got out of time. still ran (pretty sure it's interference engine) and kept running. turned off and back on a few times too first turn over it starts just completely out of time and at like 300 400 rpm sputtering. but doesn't stall just barely runs!!

[@BS-lb3qy]

Bought a 1998 explorer with the 4.0 SOHC brand new in 1997. 290,000 miles and never had an issue with the engine or even the transmission. Most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned.

[@chipcook6646]

Transmisión 5 speed auto i did have to rebuild but at 200k

[@samholdsworth420]

Those transmissions are trash...you got lucky or just drove highway miles 🤣

[@OmegaHellHound543]

@@samholdsworth420for real, I have a 2002 Explorer and it’s gone through 2 transmissions since it was new. It has 184k on it.

[@rdeiriar]

This is what one ends up with if one converts a simple ohv design to overhead camshafts without re-designing the whole timing system. That shaft in the valley is where the cam used to be in the old "Cologne" V6. Thanks again for all your great videos, all the best!

[@texan01]

Yep, it’s a bad design, the OHV is pretty solid, the SOHC is a house of cards.

[@thezoomguys385]

@@texan01 Exactly. They should have just left it cam in block and did other upgrades thru the years.. It would have been waaay cheaper, simpler, more reliable and waaaay more common sensical. Just some FI work and a few other upgrades and the original OHV V6 could have served them well, well into the 2000's & got 220-260hp....perfectly fine for a workhorse mid level engine of that era. This OHC design is one for the books (of idiocy).....

[@406Steven]

@@thezoomguys385 They went OHC because they needed an engine which could meet the stricter emissions standards and wanted more power and torque. It was a huge improvement in power and torque (no idea about emissions but they pass) but whoever thought up the timing system way overcomplicated it. They easily could've blocked off the oil passages going to the cam and just hung the chains off the front like almost every other engine ever made.

[@thezoomguys385]

@@406Steven They could have easily got all that with simple pushrods. GM did. By that time, there wasn't a crazy difference in efficiency between a GM or Ford pushrod head. All they needed to do was reshape combustion chambers, get decent FI and a few other things. Ford really takes the modern German approach to engineering; Why solve the problem with 1 or 2 simple parts, when you can use 50 or 100 complicated ones...

[@truthsmiles]

It might already exist, but it would be amazing if there was an aftermarket kit to “back-convert” these engines to single cam pushrods. Add some idler gears and you could get rid of every chain in the engine.

[@HamJamming]

A relative of mine has a 2003 Explorer with this engine, and his "mileage varies" ("YMMV") greatly from that expressed in your opinions. The original engine has 225,000 miles on it, uses no oil, makes no noises and has very good oil pressure. He drives it every weekday at least 100 miles on his commute. He changes his oil every couple of months. The only repair he has ever had to do was the thermostat housing. Maintenance makes a difference.

[@ToddBigelow-zg6vs]

Yep, my 04 explorer has 207,000 miles on it and still runs like a champ! Had it since new and changed oil every 4000 miles with the recommended oil from Ford. It does NOT burn any oil and has no noises! As you said maintenance IS everything!!

[@fishrocker95]

that sounds exactly like the 4.0 thats in my 09 ranger. no issues at all and she’s pushing 150k

[@FordBronco-pz4lv]

My 07 explorer with 136k miles is starting to rattle decently on startup but prior to me owning it, it was poorly maintained

[@Drmcclung]

Remember, this guy actually likes BMW's so of course he's going to bag on a decent Ford engine

[@elfairmont40]

You know there's always lucky people right? Theres people with captiva v6s that haven't had to do timing chains. Those people are also lucky. These are still a shit engine.

[@KAS_Motorsports]

I have had 2 4.0L fords and there was absolutely no problem. 1 in a Ranger and 1 in an Explorer. Both had plenty of power and never left me stranded.

[@jonathanjadotte]

I have a 93 2.3 5 spd with 500k thinking about doing a swap to a 4.0 or something else what do you think will be relatively cheep swap?

[@KAS_Motorsports]

@@jonathanjadotte best to go to a clean salvage yard and pull the drivetrain with the wiring harness and ECM.

[@jonathanjadotte]

@@KAS_Motorsports thank you

[@kodypagel9167]

My grandpa had a ranger with el Manuel and it was a glorious engine with us. The induction noise was awesome. Changed oil every 3k. Hauled more wood than most half ton minivans even dream of.

[@jr1andonly]

Had to do the timing chains on my wifes Explorer about a year ago... biggest thing that had me questioning the universe was: non-keyed cam gears (held in time purely by bolt torque), that required a toolset to time... That engine better hold up after all the hours I put into that. Notes for others that are looking to perform the timing chain repairs: 1. No, you cannot do the rear timing chain cassette without removing the engine... people are full of crap if they say you can. you have to remove that little torx bolt towards the bottom of the cassette to remove the guide, and its obstructed by the trans bellhousing, as stated in the video.... (yes, it leaks from the rubber seal if you try to reuse it, don't ask how I know...) 2. as I've previously stated, you need that timing toolset to reset timing on the cams... it's not worth saving the $40-60 if you end up having to replace the engine. 3. get a replacement rear main seal, its worth it. 4. If your 4.0 has the balance shaft (when looking at the front of the engine, its to the lower left of the crank), be very careful torquing the 4 E-Torx bolts that hold the balance shaft assembly in, I snapped 2 of them off.... added 2 weeks to my repair time waiting on parts. 5. yes, you can get the front cassette chain guide out and in, without removing the cam or head. just remove the jackshaft gear, and pull the old chain guide out through the bottom, by pulling it hard towards the front of the jackshaft. if you have patience, you can very carefully maneuver the new one in, though its a pain... if you're impatient like myself, just remove the c-clip on the hinge of the guide, and replace it when you get it in place. 6. it's expensive, but CHECK WHICH BOLTS ARE TTY!!! There are ALOT of them when doing this job... I have Ford part numbers, if anyone needs em, just reply to this comment. {Edit: when I says it's impossible to do the rear cassette without removing the engine, I was referring to separating it from the transmission, and yanking the motor out. Sure, you probably could pull the tranny out, but I would strongly advise just pulling the motor... So much easier to torque things to spec with the engine out, ESPECIALLY when it comes time to time the cams}

[@TestECull]

Yeah yanno I don't think I'm willing to do head gaskets on my mom's 04 Explorer with this engine after all. Fuck that thing. Half tempted to just swap a 300 into it and call it a day, but I don't think the nose is long enough.....or that the transmission would be able to handle a proper torque factory. 300s were notorious for cooking C4s out because their torque comes on so strong so low down that they'd boil the fluid in the converter and the C4 is way more robust than the Advanc-Trac bullshit in her exploder.

[@johnhull6363]

Excellent advice, and yes I agree that it's crazy the cam gears aren't keyed.

[@johnhull6363]

​@@TestECull put a 5.0 in it or a 4.6, they were available factory and can all the brackets and hardware harnesses at u pull it, but would probably be cheaper to buy a whole wrecked or rotted runner and scrap it after you get what you need

[@TestECull]

@@johnhull6363 If I were to V8 swap it I would put a Holley ProJection on an 8BA and swap *that* in. And even then I'd only be putting the efi on it because my mom likes her fuel injection! If I were to keep it for myself I'd 8BA/T5 swap it. Dont mind losing the front drive if it means I have a reliable engine and manual trans. And I'd leave the Stromberg on the ol' flatty, too. Might throw a mild cam and some edelbrock heads on it to bump it up to around 150-175hp to account for the extra weight, drag an SUV would have, but nothing crazy. Swapping in a Windsor 5.0 sounds good on paper but in practice it is a bitch to service in there. Back two spark plugs are already a cunt to reach on the 4.0 SOHC. We had one of these with a factory windsor smallblock in 5he family and it is night impossible to reach those back plugs. Packaging is a nightmare. Flathead V8 alleviates that concern. Also sounds better!

[@spex20]

You can do the back side timing chain with the engine in the truck (I did my 05) you just pull the transmission out. But pulling the engine is the better way. (Hahaha I almost wrote "easiest" way)

[@MrBillrookard]

I had an 05 mustang with this motor, had 190k miles when I sold it. Ran flawlessly, but I always kept up on the maintenance and oil changes. It was a fun car with the manual trans and got decent mileage.

[@Anthony-kn8cn]

The 4.0 does well with a 5 spd manual in the mustang. Agree 💯

[@theawesomeguy9999]

I had an '05 vert with the 4.0 and the 5 speed, was fun on a budget. Had it until 140k, changed the oil every 5k. Only issue I had was the harmonic damper split in two and threw the belt, but not a big deal. Kind of a lazy engine but had enough torque to be fun

[@agentorange2554]

My wife had a '07 'stang with this motor and a 5 speed. Pretty peppy in 1st and second gear, just dies in 3rd on up. Sold it with 70k on the motor, ran like a top, Mechanics I know warned me about the cost of working on the engine if something did go wrong. Still, I hated to see her sell it. I have a '08 GT, it was cool having his and hers mustangs.

[@issaccolunga4488]

i actually have an 05 stang and it has 225,000 miles on and still runs perfect. but i also am always doing maintenance on it every week just due to the fact that i work in an autoparts store. but really don’t hate this motor and it’s been perfect for the life of it

[@jonathangarzon2798]

And mine blew up at 220k with perfect maintenance, it's a dogshit motor with a serious engineering flaw why do y'all defend this dog shit so much?

[@corpsiecorpsie_the_original]

The Ranger with that engine and the manual transmission was so much fun. It didn't do anything perfectly, but it did just about everything well enough. It's one of those vehicles that you grow fond of.

[@joeysartain6056]

Thanks for the video. I grew up working on vehicles, and worked professionally for 18 years on them. I stopped making a living doing it in 1997, just before the time of the 4.0L timing chain failures. I always heard what a dumb idea they were and what one would have to go through to make the timing component repairs. After watching your video I am glad I avoided it. Thanks again for taking me down memory lane. I truly enjoyed you video. Wishing you all the success in the future. P.S. there sure seemed to be a lot of shellacking in the bottom of that oil pan.

[@lupercal78]

The reason the timing components are backwards like that is because this engine was developed from a pushrod block (The Ford Cologne V6). The shaft that goes through the center of the engine to drive the rear timing chain was originally where the cam went on the pushrod version of the engine. If you look at the top of the block on either side of the valley you can see the cutouts where the pushrods would have went into the OHV heads.

[@ulukai_555]

That most be the cheapest engine ever done. It also seems that the cylinder heads are the same.

[@maverickdallas1004]

Converting this engine from push rod to SOHC ruined a perfectly good engine and created a maintenance headache.

[@efrainmaldonado5677]

That’s why they charge a lot and most of there mechanics 🧰 don’t know this, I rather have and old engine.

[@timlee4204]

@IncitatisTheTrannySenateHorse But you don't sell engines or parts if the original lasts forever!!!!

[@joaquinpinon2872]

Would have gone.... Great observation though

[@rmkilc]

This is an OHC engine design based on a older pushrod engine. That's why the timing chain design is so odd. The jackshaft is where the camshaft was in the pushrod version.

[@TestECull]

Almost makes me wonder if it's possible to backdate one to pushrod and be done with the complicated clockwork.

[@AmericanLocomotive1]

There are plenty of OHV engines that morphed into OHC without this nonsense. This very same engine family (Cologne V6) had DOHC variants in europe (2.9 DOHC) with a much simpler and robust chain setup. Ford wanted to save money by using the same head casting for both sides of the engine, which required this obnoxious chain setup.

[@rmkilc]

@@AmericanLocomotive1 I don't disagree with that at all. I'm just saying what they did. They had a 4.0 OHV in the Explorer/Ranger and wanted a cheap way to make it a 4.0 OHC. And honestly, when it first came out, its power levels were respectable. If they would have had the timing chain guides figured out, this crazy design would have never been the big issue it is today. And yes I've done a timing job on one of these.

[@AmericanLocomotive1]

@@rmkilc What I was saying is that just because the engine has OHV origins, doesn't mean it had to be the way it is. The Explorer 4.0 is part of the Ford "Cologne" family of engines. Ford had already converted the 2.9L Cologne to DOHC back in the early 90s. It used a single timing chain, and still had the jackshaft to drive the oil pump. The timing system on those 2.9 BOA Cosworths isn't particularly troublesome.

[@mbspoobah]

Wow! Explains the what but I am curious about the why. Why go to SOHC with no intent to change the valve arrangement from wedge to something else? What is to be gained? This move makes zero sense to me when it seems the OHV would be much simpler and more reliable.

[@davidadams1293]

I've owned two. One one currently. 1998 explorer sport. I love the 4.0 v6. Keep up with oil changes and don't drive them low on oil. And you will never have a timing chain issue. It definitely doesn't lack in power in the explorer either. Mine dips.

[@tonyb6828]

Hands down my favorite KZbin subscription. I bought a 2008 2wd with just 48k on its ticker a few years ago. It was a guy’s wife’s truck and he made damn sure it would never leave her stranded: oil changes every 3k, always detailed, garaged. All service receipts. I continued caring for the truck with this obsessive adherence to maintenance, changing ALL the fluids and using synthetic everything; new plugs, wires, filters. It was the best deal I ever scored. I learned about the timing cassette issue later and dreaded about it but not before I put 35,000 more miles on it in 16 months. I had to sell the truck to raise money for my kid’s tuition. Sold it to my brother for his high school son. He got T/boned in it and it was totaled. But he walked away unscathed. Truck did its job with its canopy of airbags and stout frame design. I wish I didn’t have to sell it. Eric, can you tear down a Mercedes M112 V6? If you can find one. They are amazing engines that if properly maintained have the life of a good diesel.

[@skildude]

I just happened to watch a video from another channel. The Foam was intended to keep critters and debris out of the valley. They unintentionally made the foam absorbent so it allowed water to build up and rust anything that is in the valley. They apparently did this with multiple different engine designs

[@bobroberts2371]

LS motors have this, it is noise control near as I can tell.

[@poprawa]

Imagine foam, that is hydrophobic. This technology is so advanced and hard to come by, that hyundai puts it as hood and firewall noise cancelling :v Also, this gets expensive - like retail 80 dollars for hood size one while it's just a inch thick :v

[@jst_TV]

@@poprawa ok but have you ever considered that head of management and the executives all need to be able to buy matching yachts that summer? $80 is too much, best we can do is $25. /s

[@TestECull]

I can confirm it doesn't work. I have had to replace the coolant temp sensor plug on my mom's 4.0 SOHC numerous times because the squirrels were nesting in the valley. They chewed a PCV hose on the back in half, chewed on plug wires, hell they tried to eat through the fucking fuel rails.

[@TestECull]

@@poprawa And the car sounds worse for it. God I miss the days when you could actually hear your engine running....

[@gregsimon1285]

Just sold a 1999 Explorer 4 liter I bought new. It had 186,000 miles and was running well for its age. Oil was changed religiously every 3000 miles. I had heard the horror stories about timing chain death rattle but my experience was good. I think most issues are probably due to infrequent oil changes.

[@stinkycheese804]

That and cold climates where once the chain tensioners' springs got weak, the colder oil took longer to pump and prime the tensioners to reduce chain slap against the plastic cassettes, wearing them out faster. Combination of factors. However, most vehicles with that engine did make it to 186K mi if something else (collision damage or cash for clunkers program) didn't take them off the road first.

[@sdvten]

So was mine. Synthetic oil changed every 3k-4k miles. But I pulled the valve covers off (170k) to replace gaskets and found a broken chain guide at the rear timing chain. Only way to replace it is to pull the engine. Engine ran fine and sounded fine, spotless clean on the inside. But the plastic just broke. A lot of people have broken guides and don't know it.

[@computerdoctor1]

My folks still have their 1999 Explorer that they bought new. It has only 103,000 miles and has had oil changes every 3,000-4,000 miles. Everything works except the radio display.

[@zenjon7892]

This is my favorite engine autopsy channel!

[@johneric3886]

Nice work, I always enjoy watching your videos!!!!

[@Adam-nv9zo]

I love your enthusiasm, man. I never miss an upload. It's one of my favorite favorite channels on KZbin. Can't wait to see more engine teardowns.

[@hangman396]

I love the dipstick battles, it's fun to watch... Love the channel, and I never miss a tear down...

[@Skillzpatchi]

I know people with ford sport track with the 4.0 and still running till this day with out problem but not going to lie thanks to this channel I now know how these engines are built

[@jamesmcintire3800]

The 4.0 is actually a very durable motor if it’s taken care of. A lot of Ranger guys love it, especially the older OHV version. Admittedly the OHC version has a disaster of a timing chain design.

[@nexpro6118]

Because too many people will go against common sense and knowledge to protect their little egos in not wanting to admit they made a mistake in having a car with a shit motor

[@JAO911PLIST]

It's a cheap design that work. It's a modified ohv engine with identical sohc heads, but one is backwards. The original camshaft hole now has a rod to run the cam on both sides.

[@JAO911PLIST]

I wonder if the new corvette motor is like this. Or is it a completely new designed engine.

[@user-xg8yy7yl1d]

​@nexpro6118 He's not wrong about the pushrod version though. Pushrod 4.0 is skookum

[@nexpro6118]

@@user-xg8yy7yl1d oh OK. Thank you!

[@mannyzx1]

I have an explorer with that engine. I bought it new in 2002. It was a great little engine when new, and it towed an 18 foot boat for almost every summer. At about 130,000 in 2013 it’s started the death rattle. I’m like, oh well, it’s been a good truck, once the engine blows up I’ll get a truck or something… wouldn’t you know? 10 years later and about 70,000 miles more the darn thing is still running. It was my first car, and it does hold sentimental value. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a Cheap XLS AD car I bought from magic ford 21 years ago.

[@anthonys7534]

Get the timing set done with new Oem parts, it will be good to go. It will most likely gernade when mash the gas to pass someone. That’s when mine died. Otherwise good engine

[@406Steven]

@@anthonys7534 New OEM timing parts and, for the love of all that's holy, do NOT buy the Dorman thermostat housing that's in this video. Mine made it 18k miles of DD use before the seam started splitting. There's a guy online who casts aluminum ones, I bought one of those and it was flawless until I sold the truck at 185k miles. I made the mistake of buying a Cloyes timing component set since they're made in Germany, these engines are made in Germany, what are the odds they're the OEM? Nope, different from OEM and I started getting a little chain rattle around 2800 RPM if it was under 20 degrees out so I think their tensioners must be weak.

[@anthonys7534]

@@406Steven Ive learned to always by oem. Especially inside the engine.

[@406Steven]

@@anthonys7534 Most of my experience is with Subarus with Ford being a distant second and the number of people swearing by aftermarket head gaskets absolutely baffles me. If you want to run aftermarket brakes, serpentine belt, etc. that's fine but you're absolutely right about the internal stuff! And Thermostats...never go aftermarket. At least the aftermarket thermostat I put in my Ranger failed in the good way (opened too soon and wouldn't get up to temperature at anything less than WOT).

[@buyallmeans425]

Got a 2001 ranger with this engine, start up rattle when cold. It has 167k and is a dead reliable set up for the last 20 years. Then again the engine has never been pass 3000 rpm.

[@kodogtwh]

I'm in the 'like' group, from an engineering standpoint. That engine started out as a 1200cc OHV V4 with a balance shaft in 1962. And after 49 years went through the removal of the balance shaft, had two cylinders added, went from a cam gear to a cam chain setup, was there are the beginning of EFI, went through several more displacements and was then retrofitted for single AND DUAL overhead cams (cosworth version). The fact that these engines still held up as well as they did after basically being a genetic freak, goes to show how good the original design was. And, truth be told, the lifetime and failure rate of the factory timing chains is about equal to many other engines, it's simply the labor costs, difficulty and complexity that puts people off. Having one chain up front and one out back, for one, allows one cylinder head casting to be used on both sides, and for two, allows the vesitgal camshaft tunnel to be taken up by a 'jackshaft' as people call it.

[@randyhall2135]

Had a V4 version in my 1969 Saab model 96 It was a very reliable engine.

[@NoName-qs6ei]

Ever done timing chains on one?

[@gdaytrees4728]

Looking at paper design does not equal the pain and suffering of being the guy who is trying to fix the junk. Abysmal design. One of a few really bad Ford designs. The new Ford motor company lost me as a fan because of this design ideology. They are deliberately designed to be ridiculously difficult to fix.

[@sqmotorsports9230]

​@@gdaytrees4728 just like every other manufacturer today, unfortunately

[@shadowopsairman1583]

​@@gdaytrees4728 ford cuts corners, which is why they have the oval in their logo.

[@Nobluffbuff]

I wanted a Toyota 4Runner but couldn't find one in time that was good condition, so I settled on a 1996 Explorer 4.0 OHV V6 around 4 years ago. It just passed 240k miles. The engine being so reliable has definitely made me less apprehensive about throwing money into other parts of the car to keep it rolling. I don't want to get rid of it. Even if I had to rebuild the engine next week, I am confident it would outlive me.

[@use-ThatIsWhatIamTalkingAbout]

I have a whole new respect and appreciation for mechanics who know what they are doing ans how much they charge for repairs after seeing this teardown.

[@caseyeldridge5557]

Had nothing but great luck with those. Smooth, no noise

[@gmlover82]

Our 2005 Mustang with 182k is still going strong. No noise, now I’ve replaced both the tensioners and stayed on top of the maintenance. Engine is great around town but not great when cruising and you want to pass someone. Knock on wood it’s been a good engine for us. Not my wife’s daily anymore so only sees 5-6k a year.

[@chefdan87]

Our Sport trac was the same. Plenty of low end grunt but once on the highway it was pretty sluggish. We had around 300k on it when my dad traded it in for the new Maverick. Still ran great.

[@Conservator.]

@@chefdan87 When 1 in 100 fails, that’s a bad engine. Thankfully you were with the 99. 😉

[@RAWRMotorsports]

I actually rebuilt one of these POS about 5 years ago and it is still running .. used all high quality aftermarket parts , higher compression , flat tops ,milled heads etc etc

[@shaunoneill5789]

Hello Sir, I have a 2002 ford explorer sport trac, this why I watched your video of the 4 ltr engine . Normally I don't subscribe to these channels. The people don't make a lot of sense, and they tend to really ramble on or are stating thing that are incorrect. You were talking and it really wasn't rambling. really enjoyed your video, I plan on seeing more of them.

[@kevincurry4735]

Good evening Eric. Looking forward to this tear down.

[@kennethross786]

FINALLY, a teardown of an engine I own. I have a 2006 Ford Explorer with this engine. Just ticked over 190k miles. I had to replace the tranny about a year ago at 176k miles and a few suspension/wheel pieces but the engine just keeps running. The only major engine repair was a harmonic balancer in 2017.

[@mikedempsey7804]

Found your video's about two weeks ago, and for fun, I thought I would watch an engine teardown. So I kept seeing more teardowns, I have watched about five of them, and enjoy seeing what is internal on various engines. I like your methods when tearing down an engine, along with your commentary makes it entertaining! You are a lot smarter than all those yaks out in Warshington, why not run for congress? Haha. Keep of the video's, enjoyable and educating!

[@rodneyross5282]

You are on a roll in my life first the Dodge V-10 and now the infamous 4.0 ford. Yep I had a 2011 little ranger 4x4 with this engine and the knocking started. It was well maintained. I took it to ford and asked about it and they told me point blank. We can replace with a new engine cheaper than repairing that one. So I am still running it after four years. I make sure the oil pressure is up and the engine is warm before moving. That helps a lot with the knock. However, looking to put a 5.0 in it. Lots of these swaps have happened. Thanks again for the awesome insight into this engine.

[@RAVAGERrules]

The chains were what sent my parents 98 explorer to the junkyard. It started to clatter something awful and to have it fixed wouldn’t have made financial sense, at the time it had just under 200,000 miles and the rockers were ate up with rust.

[@bsgarey]

If it did not die from chain failure it died from rust failure. The life of Ford Explorer.

[@One_Shot_Garage]

Or cash for clunkers. The post facelift explorer was the most traded in vehicle under the cash for clunkers program. My dad had a 98 with the SOHC 4.0, he bought it in 2000. It had just under 200k miles and had the timing chain rattle for at least the last 40k of those miles. I had just started driving around the time the rattle got bad and I still beat the ever living hell out of that poor truck. He heard what the shop quoted to repair it and said screw it I'll drive it till it dies. Lucky for him the cash for clunkers program was perfect timing. Almost $5000 for something that was months away from a junkyard. He ended up buying a base model 09 lancer for less than $10k new. Still drives that today.

[@hank1556]

​@@One_Shot_Garage yup the 1998 Explorer was the most turned in vehicle. You're the only one I've seen in the wild also know this. I also had a '98 4.0 Explorer Eddie Bauer 4x4 that my gran parents bought new. Fun little SUV, good offroad too. 6 CD changer, leather, Mach sound system. It was great

[@mattt198654321]

Eric, I just got done working a 22 hour shift...and after THAT, there is nothing better than plopping down on the couch and having a new I Do Cars episode pop up on my screen...

[@lilsmoot4488]

Jeez you're an animal dude. 22 hours is insane

[@connorbnjgg67754]

he has a good attitude, it feels good to relax and watch the video

[@Rick_Kn]

Good video Randy. I hope all is well with you and yours.

[@seanys]

I’ve learned quite a few things about engines watching this channel but, mainly, I’ve learned some excellent interpersonal etiquette… always start at the front.

[@Wheelman1966]

Awesome tear down.. Very happy to see this one. I hope in the future you're able to tear down an OHV version of this engine. As a Ranger owner, I'd love to see it.

[@marathoner43]

Liked this one. Had one of those in my '08 Mustang. Treated me well,but I traded the car at 84,000 miles, From day 1 I had the chain noise, but it never caused me a problem. Mine had Mobil-1 from day 1, and it had oil changes every 5,000 miles.

[@RedfishCarolina]

My family has had several of these engines and they're all rock solid. I cannot say I share the heat on these.

[@halamadrid0709]

This is actually a reliable engine. I have 212k miles on my mustang, full synthetic every 5k miles. Never had any problems except changing the plastic thermostat. Really simple engine and can run forever if you just change the oil on time

[@kellykun5090]

Not always the case mine died at 76k miles oil changed every 5k

[@brothaben4]

Sparkles!!! 😂 I like how you comment on things. Your attitude towards what you do makes it worthwhile to watch. I'm an automotive technician and I find your channel absolutely fascinating because you show me what I'll be looking forward to on some engines that I have torn into as you have so that I'll know what to look forward to. Thanks for your help bud!

[@guyh.4121]

I had an 03 Ranger with the 4L 2WD in it and I loved it. Wife needed another vehicle that “wasn’t” a truck so I had to watch it go.

[@RickTroutner]

What a satisfying pop to those sparkplugs

[@chriscadman5715]

ALWAYS a lotta fun to watch!

[@christophernavleris5731]

This one brought back memories for me. When I was in college, learning about cars, in my engines class my instructor brought one of these from his shop to tear down. Each kid paired up with another, all tearing down engines and then rebuilding them. I wasn’t the biggest fan of my partner, but tearing this thing down was a blast. I remember not knowing what I was doing most of the time, and that one of the timing guides was absolutely blown up. Then when it came to putting it all back together the teacher gave us a new timing set to put back in, however we didn’t have timing tools for it, so we made one out of some nuts and bolts and sent it all back together. Not sure if that engine ever ran again, but it was really cool to see the whole thing on this channel. Thanks! Btw as far as I know, the balance shaft was there to help with vibrations, that’s what I was told at least.

[@Conservator.]

Great story 👍 Afaik the only purpose of balance shafts is to reduce vibrations caused by secondary imbalances of an engine. You can run an engine without one but that would limit the max revs and/or the lifespan. An in-line 6 has no primary or secondary imbalances (nor has a v12 which is basically 2 in-line 6 in a V) A 120° V6 would also be perfectly balanced but because the are very wide, that would defeat the purpose of having a V6.

[@gregbarnett3141]

Anytime there's a safety tote sighting, it's a great video. I remember when these engines first came out. Ford recalled these for tensioner issues and the oil pump drive. That drive on early versions would rub the side of the block and cause sparkles, enough to require replacement of some engines. I did a couple of them in Explorers back in the day.

[@user-fu7fm9xw5z]

Love the channel Eric! Apparently the balance shaft was used only vehicles with 4x4 drive. The little info I’ve seen speculates it reduces vibration overall with the transfer case on the 4x4 drive train.

[@Deerector]

This guys great. Wow. So glad I came on this channel

[@garymcghee4142]

Always love watching these videos , I'm in the UK and really like seeing the engines you get over the pond. I'm not sure if you get theses engines over there but maybe strip an Audi 4.2 V8 or a Volvo V8 petrol or D5 diesel engine , those Audis have a rats nest of timing chains at the rear of the engine, the Volvo V8s leak oil like a BMW and the Volvo D5s don't tend to go wrong unless you skip oil or timing belt changes. Alternatively a Volvo 5 cylinder petrol would make a change, good luck with the business and videos in these challenging times.

[@TheHomePros6221]

I had a 2002 ford explorer 4.0 that I sold last year with 290,000 miles ( mostly highway) put two transmissions in it but engine ran good, I actually really miss it, I like how it rode with the independent suspension and lots of room to get giggy w it in the backseat

[@armedfarm3429]

Between my wife & I we have owned 5 of the 4.0-liter engines they all have been good to us. I still have a 2001 Ranger with 220,000 miles on it, it's the smoothest engine I've ever seen or heard. I use it around the farm & as a grocery, gas, beer, deer getter now a days. We had a rear end go out on one ranger 'hers', & some minor 4wd problems related to the electric motor that engages 4wd. Some of our engines were made in Germany, very smooth engines , some in Canada.

[@I_like_turtles_67]

I had an 03 ranger with a 4.0 and a 5spd. I loved that truck and I luckily never had any issues with it.

[@Wittyusername82]

I had a 2001 Ranger with this engine and I loved it! With a tune, 4.56 gears and 33’s it was fairly quick. I ragged on that truck for nearly 20 years! Engine never gave me a lick of trouble. I’d buy another one.

[@frankm8533]

I had a 03 Ranger reg cab step side 5spd for 10 years I paid $2500 for it had 258k miles no issues at all would smoke the tires all day posi side ways haha wish I still had it but it was stolen in 2019 never saw it again can't find another one that clean

[@Bereft777]

​@@frankm8533 nice rig! What a shame it got stolen

[@frankm8533]

@Jack Tradesman yup I didn't care it was a 4.0 with the chain issues I was going to fix it when the problem came up I bought from a woman who used to haul lamps and curtains around to flea markets she just wanted something bigger it was a very clean truck

[@AustinRides7264]

I have a golfing buddy who had one of those too. He now has a newer 2019 ranger with the 2.3 turbo which is a great truck too but he loved that old ranger LOL 😅

[@mkbarber65]

That was one of the easiest dipstick removals I’ve seen you have Eric!

[@dirtfarmer7472]

Yes almost disappointing, other wise still a good video

[@Lowen264]

Hey its the engine thats in both my cars!!! Exciting stuff. haven't watched the whole thing yet, but I know its going to be cool.

[@larrychapman5491]

I had a 2005 Ranger with a 4.0 SOHC, and I absolutely loved that little truck.

[@howieedi9257]

That engine has some sentimental value to me since my first vehicle I learned to work on in my parents old 2004 ford explorer though the transmission was more of an issue than the engine. Btw the middle shaft for the timing system is called a jack-shaft.

[@chefdan87]

My father had a Sport trac with 300k that ran perfectly fine. Last year he traded it in for a new Maverick. Other than replacing the coil pack and a fuel pump nothing went wrong with that engine. I have heard these engines had timing issues but we lucked out and didn't have any problems.

[@1998gst4611]

Your lucky you didn't have any timing issues with it for 300K miles. I own a 06 Ford Explorer 4.0L v6 and its got about 170,000 miles on it and I hope I don't run to any of those timing issues because that will the day i'll trade my suv in for another vehicle. I am not a fan of pulling the whole motor just to do a timing chain and timing component replacement. To me if you had to replace a timing belt or chain and its timing components it is done in the car.

[@user-xg8yy7yl1d]

are you sure it was OHC or was it a pushrod version? They had both versions available for awhile

[@super20dan]

2010 was last year of thes crap engine, your dads sporttrac must have been newer with a new engine desighn. no way one of these is making 300k

[@chefdan87]

2005@@super20dan

[@super20dan]

hard to believe as 2005 were the bad engines@@chefdan87

[@mrgmc6314]

I had the 4.0 in my 04 explorer and it was a awesome suv !!! It was in my family for about 10 years ...

[@dongeorge4037]

Well done. An interesting tear down.

[@mec7568]

Our 2006 Explorer with one has 340,000+ miles and still counting.

[@EverydayDIY2023]

I've owned two of these engines, a '97 and '02 Explorer. I have to admit that I had no idea the timing system was this complex, but my experience saw both engines be incredibly reliable. Ford issues a recall on the timing chain tensioners on the '97 somewhere around 2000. That took care of the rattle. The '02 never had a rattle and for the 135k that I owned it, not one issue with the engine or any other part on the drivetrain. Of course mine got regular oil changes, etc but I know several other with long lived 4.0 SOHCs. Also had a fleet of 4.0 rangers at work. Same story, no engine problems whatsoever and most of those went well beyond 180k when other problems led to turning them over. Just my two cents worth, but I think these engines get a bit of a bad rap...

[@toothguy441]

I had three Rangers with this engine and all three went over 250,000. Miles with only spark plugs oil and grease.

[@davidfields2290]

My dad had '94 ranger with this engine that hit over 400k miles and I had an identical one in high school with 311k miles, just on standard maintenance

[@dylananderson4421]

​@@davidfields2290 a 94 would have had the much simpler OHV version of this engine

[@buyallmeans425]

I have this engine in a 2001 ranger.. 167k miles and has been a dead reliable truck. Just went to DC from south Florida and back. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[@williamcooper2037]

they get a bad rap because its unfamiliar territory. Change terrifies simpletons.

[@jaredclarkgray231]

The scrap been sound is becoming a new favorite

[@shmeee_150]

Congratulations 🎉🎉 You're one lucky soul🤗🙂 Contact the above to get your (car engine,tyres and headlights) Terms and Conditions apply

[@EdK-pe8vb]

I had a 4.0 SOHC in my 2004 Explorer Sport Trac bought new. Put 200k miles on it and pulled my boat a lot. It was a great running engine. Changed the plugs at 100k miles. Only problem - had to re-lace fuel pressure sensor that cost $20 bucks. This is a great engine.

[@bikrboy128]

As an independent tech who's had to work on these, I hate the 4.0 sohc. And actually had to dust off my timing tools for a 4.0 late last year, after I thought they were all dead and gone.

[@samholdsworth420]

Lol I see em from time to time. Rattling to high hell usually

[@hypocriticalharambe8274]

mine refuses to die 285k miles working AC and rattles its ass off want to do some timing work on it? i sure know i don't and in turn won't work on it past keeping it riding good as i plan on doing a whole V8 swap as mine has next to no rust and has been good to me.

[@stinkycheese804]

Why would you think that they're all dead and gone? The problem was overstated, normally takes north of 200K mi and there are still a million + vehicles on the road with these engines. People would see them with this problem so often, because the engine was used in so many millions of vehicles sold. I don't mean to suggest that it wasn't a crappy design, but there's still plenty of them out there, and those remaining will probably take longer till they fail because as vehicles get older they tend to rack up fewer miles per year.

[@bobroberts2371]

The issue with these is less of a chain guide issue and more of an oil fed tensioner issue. The tensioners do not have a ratchet that prevents them from fully collapsing. This results in chain slack hammering until oil pressure comes up and will eventually break guides. I measured and made sleeves to prevent the tensioner from collapsing with the engine is off. ( Left about 0.020 compression so I'm not artificially binding the chain )

[@GMbowtie350]

@@stinkycheese804 Completely agree. If they’ve been maintained pretty well usually after 235K seems to be where they were on borrowed time.

[@spex20]

My 05 Ranger had 527000km on it. The timing chain had been done. Regular maintenance is key, like with everything. The transmission was the weak part of that truck. The engine did eventually die but that's because it got hydolocked. And it actually drove home that day, and for an additional 6 months. It's getting 5.0L V8 swapped currently.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

Thanks very much. That engine is a mechanical nightmare. This is another educational and enjoyable video.

[@mikemustang5488]

I owned an Exploder with this engine. If I recall correctly it had 220K miles on it when I got rid of the vehicle. Not only didn't it burn oil. . . it didn't even leak any oil. Yes it didn't make a lot of power, but it was dead reliable for me.

[@allq7138]

Yeah, but at where I'm going to school at We've replaced one of those engines, and we have 2 more to do.

[@heyboy33333]

I have a 2010 explorer with 239k on it and it still runs great. I did all the scheduled maintenance and changed the oil every 5k miles with Valvoline Synthetic blend oil and a Motorcraft oil filter. Put in a Jasper remanufactured transmission at 220k. My son drives this vehicle to school and work daily.

[@chrsshears4528]

Our 2010 had the metal,cassettes installed….theyngon300k…2002 and below had plastic….200 k max

[@musikomax]

Did the timing on mine few years ago! Still running strong ... knock on wood (nervous sweat)

[@DreamKeeper.]

You knock on wood inside your car and the knocking doesn’t stop even after you stop

[@gearhead996]

I have a 2000 Explorer with this engine. I had the chains replaced 10 years ago and it is running well at 190,000 miles. I use full synthetic oil and change it often.

[@JimmyCasket02]

@@DreamKeeper.I had three of them all over 200k with no major issues

[@msdee8721]

Excellent video best on this engine ive seen

[@johndoe-vb9sm]

I love my old pushrod 4.0. Its was cammed, headers, bored throttle body, bigger maf sensor at around 100k miles. Now has 250k and never had any issues. Good vid. Maybe one day you can tear down the o.g 4.0. Thanks

[@smokinmeatz6302]

I had a 2005 Explorer back in the day that had over 170k on it before I sold it. My grandparents bought it new and sold it to me with around 80k miles. No chain rattle, never leaked, never didn’t start

[@Prestiged_peck]

Like anything, if you maintain it well enough and didn't get horribly unlucky with the QC on your particular example, they can actually be pretty awesome.

[@zapcity8992]

Ditto, had a 2000 Explorer that i ran to 175k, sold it and that person still has it on the road. Replaced it with an '05 Explorer 4.0, 176k miles no issues. ran an '06 Mustang with a 4.0 and no issues. Buying used was always a crap shoot. Was dreading seeing the hate this engine would get

[@TestECull]

170k is right about when my mom's '04 shit the bed. Total HG failure.

[@young11984]

About 90% of those engines if the owner would simply replace the $100 tensioner when the old one fails, generally around 160-180k miles, they would run another 100k miles flawless. Have done dozens and many ran another 100k+ before the second tensioner failure, some i did a full timing gear replacement on and still running today. 6 have over 350k miles still driven daily

[@harralk]

Hey Eric, how about you made a series of instructional videos showing how to "properly" dismantle and then rebuild engines? Not sure how you would decide to go about that, but I really enjoy watching your videos and would like to see some of the more interesting engines go back together again. I'm in the middle of an engine bore/stroke rebuild and it would be great to have a good source for all things engines I could go back to.

[@chrissyrett673]

I’ve been begging for this!!!!

[@laveritesurlestemoinsdejeh8522]

There IS a way to get the front timing cassette out without removing the head. I saw it on Ford Tech Makuloco, you need to tap on the hinge in the cassette from below until it clears the limited space between the head and the block. Of course, a timing job on these is an engine out job, so you havo lots of space....the new cassette comes with a hinge that can be disassembled for easy installation.

[@DreamKeeper.]

I would love to see a tear down of a Buick 3800. Series 3 preferably but I’m not particular. That motor is really reliable, from what I’ve heard, so I understand if it’s hard to find

[@Oddman1980]

That would be awesome to see. They were crazy dependable engines, I've seen multiple examples of them with over 400,000 miles.

[@DreamKeeper.]

@@Oddman1980 my mom drove hers until our family got too large for it. I think it was around 300 K. Cause mine is currently at 188,000.

[@mph5896]

I paid my way through college swapping out 3800 engines. They would ingest coolant from bad lower intake manifold gaskets or UIM where they melted around the EGR and rod knock.

[@Discretesignals]

They are good engines because they are simple port injected push rod engines. Not much goes wrong except the plastic intake plenum, lower intake gaskets, water pump, and bypass elbows. Never seen bottom end go bad unless it was neglected.

[@NoName-qs6ei]

​@@Discretesignals Mine hydralocked. Put the updated intake gasket and new intake on and it was fine surprisingly. It happened at idle.

[@s1283]

I had one of the ohv 4.0 in a 99 ranger, then 2 of the sohc 4.0s in 2 newer rangers. Never had any engine trouble besides the serpentine tensioner pulley bearing squealing after 30k miles… I replaced a lot of those. And a bunch of clutches… but that’s it.

[@joey2718]

The early warning signs of timing chain issues on the 4.0L are almost always ignored. Yes, the timing system is very flawed in design, but there are steps that you can take to prolong the life of the timing system and engine. The first part in this timing system that gives is the chain tensioners, which leads to broken guides and eventual failure. As the poorly designed tensioners age, they become weaker (as we saw in the video) and cannot hold down the guides to keep adequate pressure on the chains. This is especially true on cold starts because oil does not reach the tensioners immediately, which allows the timing chain to slack and bang off the plastic guides, creating the characteristic 4.0L "startup rattle". After many cycles of this, the guides break and the rattle becomes constant while running/under acceleration until enough of the guide material is broken and the timing jumps--leading to an often catastrophic failure as these are interference engines. This can be prevented, or at least prolonged, by replacing the chain tensioners every 50-70,000 miles with new OEM units (Ford still makes them and they are cheap); they're outside the engine as seen in the video and easy enough to replace that a DIY'er can do it. Another issue that isn't spoken about nearly enough is the use of improper oil filters on these engines. These motors NEED oil filters with anti-drainback valves (OEM Motorcraft FL820S or equivalent) to help against oil starvation on startup to the chain tensioners--this alone will help prolong the lifespan of the timing system in these motors; the same ironically applies to the 4.6L SOHC V8 which can suffer from similar timing issues. Both the tensioners and oil filter are cheap insurance that almost anyone with minimal mechanical knowledge can do in their driveway. It's not uncommon to see these reach very high mileage, even while rattling around on broken chain guides--they're actually quite durable motors. Notably, the original nylon chain guides on this engine from 97-01/02 were deemed to be too weak by Ford, and the timing components were revised. Later models do fare better, however, all of these engines will eventually run into timing issues unfortunately as the design is just inherently flawed as a whole--the trick, again, is to catch it in time. The upside is that they made literally MILLIONS of these engines and parts are easily obtainable. I've owned and continue to work on a number of cars with this engine. By far the worst 4.0L timing failure I've personally seen so far was an 01 Ranger on original chains blow a hole straight through the driver side valve cover at around 260k.

[@x135792468]

I'm gonna try putting manual cam tensioners for polaris 1000 in mine when i rebuild

[@jesseclute5299]

​@@x135792468did this work? Great idea. What polaris 1000 what? Rzr?

[@jfan4reva]

Considering how difficult it is to service the timing chain, I can understand the "only thing wrong is some timing chain noise" . Can also understand why it gets let go until it fails. Seeing the difficulty involved in fixing the chain 'noise' problem is likely pretty pricey, hence the owners reluctance to fix it.

[@user_name_took]

I bought a 99 explorer with this engine for 500$, the timing chains rattled from 292000 miles to 312000 miles when I sold it, for 500$. Eddie Bauer, everything worked, also crashed it and got insurance money. Amazing truck

[@ronaldtober9443]

rebuilt my 2004 4.0 because of the timing chains , the small chain on the balancer is on all wheel drives, that one was the main one that was loose and rubbing on the cradle . if you ever do one , make sure you don't buy the cheap timing chain kits ,I went with Cloyes complete kit for 330 i believe ,also bought a special tool to align over head cams , for 200 and sold it after for 150 . all in 1300 for refreshing everything including the heads. Runs like champ

[@appealingpit]

My explorer had transmission issues. Motor was great, my timing chain sound was always present. Still ran great.

[@manbearpig2164]

I loved the power and smoothness of this engine in my97 explorer, but mine rattled too, gave it to my friend at 250,000 miles, still ran great, I got a mint wj now

[@68dylan68]

I like these engines because I'm a parts manager at a Ford dealer :)

[@CoryRwtfyt]

Plus the tritons, the 3.5/3.7 water pumps, cracked ecoboost blocks...

[@johncoops6897]

Parts manager at a Ford dealership is DEFINITELY a job for life.

[@68dylan68]

@@CoryRwtfyt Diesels are where the parts money is at, cyclone water pump jobs are 400$ in parts and 1500$ in labor. Ecoboost shortblocks are one shortblock you make a few hundred bucks on and a million little gaskets, bolts, and nut that don't add up to shit except 2 hours of your time wasted. lol

[@sson386]

I drove a 2004 explorer with this engine for several years and in my opinion this engine was the best thing about that vehicle. The engine was super quiet and on idle sometimes i couldn't tell if the engine was running or not. Put about 280k on the engine, but ultimately the poor transmission eventually sent it to the junker.

[@Sparklywoof]

I was hoping I'd see one of these torn down. I have 230k on my mustang with this engine and it's been great, even survived a mega overheat after the thermostat housing failed. It's my daily and sees 4.5k+ rpm very often. There's no complaints from it's loyal service here.

[@Dappersworth]

If you're interested you can find metal thermostat housings on ebay.

[@Sparklywoof]

@@Dappersworth I appreciate the heads up; I bought one and installed it long ago, however.

[@Dappersworth]

@@Sparklywoof Nice

[@user-re3qq7pi7i]

Friends have a 2005 with over 310,000 miles on it. Fluid changes early and often. All original. Probably built mid-week.

[@fernandoaviles6759]

and here I was thinking about buying an 07 v6 mustang, thank you very much!

[@scottbivins4051]

Great engine those were I had one in a Ranger and used to refer to it as a big block.

[@guikirsch9758]

I liked the torque this had at the bottom end and the sound was not unpleasant. The OHV version of the 4L makes more sense to own.

[@stinkycheese804]

It was weaker. Makes more sense to just have the 5.0L OHV if going that route.

[@EarlSinclair97]

Agreed, I owned both 4.0 versions of Ford Exploders. The 4.0 OHV (X) was simple and inexpensive to service. The 4.0 SOHC (E) was much more enjoyable to drive with the better low-end torque, but I didn't enjoy working on it nearly as much.

[@robertbell525]

Agree on the torque. One of my kids had a mustang with the 4.0 and the other kids has one with the 3.7 the 3.7 is geared so tall the acceleration sucks for 300hp. I think the 4.0 could match it. We should have raced them. I think if one put 3.42s in a 3.7 that thing would scream.