99 VDP 4.0 natural USA spec So some of you might have read my other posts

about a pretty loud ticking I have after and over heat. Thought it might be

2nd timing tensioners. Pulled the passenger valve cover and found it has the

updated tensioners. So I started the motor with the cover off and had a solid

stream of oil shooting out of a hole right behind the tensioner. Shot about 15'

and made a mess of my toyota. Looking at the hole I find it threaded. I am

wondering if that hole should have a plug in it to keep the oil going to other

places. The tick sounds very much like lifter and if I am loosing all my oil

pressure out of this hole it would make a lot of sense. To explain the hole if

you are looking at the 2 bolts that hold the tensioners it is centered right

behind the 2 hold down bolts. Thanks for any info

 

I know which threaded hole you are referencing to. The answer is nothing is supposed to be in there. I just went out and looked at one of my dismantled heads. There's not even oil going thru that area. You know what though, just stick a short bolt in there and tighten it down. I've seen crazier things happen! Since you've overheated it, I bet a valve seat is starting to drop out and cause excessive valve clearance which is all that clacking.

 

Thanks. So I did put a bolt in the hole and started it with out the cover on and now the oil is shooting forward towards the chains Hmmm now I wonder if I cracked a head and thats why the oil is shooting out of there. Going to keep the bolt in and then pull the other cover and see if I have the same issue. Thanks

 

So I pulled the other cover. The tensioner on the driver side is a lot higher the the passanger side. Also no oil comes out of the passenger side. I am waiting for sommone to get home so I can be right at the tensioner as it starts but I am pretty sure I have a bad tensioner. Looking at it wile running the oil is coming right out of the tensioner. Strange since this has the metal tensioners on it

 

Ok WOW. the oil is coming right out of the tensioner. Shooting through the chain.

 

Can you just try to hand tighten down the (2) 8mm bolts on that one tensioner and see if it persists or can you actually see that the aluminum tensioner body is cracked?? Can you post a picture of this tensioner?

 

Can you just try to hand tighten down the (2) 8mm bolts on that one tensioner and see if it persists or can you actually see that the aluminum tensioner body is cracked?? Can you post a picture of this tensioner?

 

There is a small 'chain oiling' hole in the tensioner as I recall.
Are the correct SHORTER bolts installed in the tensioner?????

Is the oil coming from UNDER the tensioner??? (bolts too long??)

Sometimes people have a secondary tensioner fail and the short chain 'stretches'.
The chain is then too long and 'slaps'.

I had another repair shop in Fort Worth call me about a similar situation and after talking a few times and I got more info we concluded that the chain had stretched and that was the ticking noise.
The plastic 'shoe' had come between the sprocket and chain but did NOT break the chain. It stretched and was too long for the tensioner to compensate.

They replaced the short chain and the engine was QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!

bob gauff

 

So I dont think its the bolts. The tensioner is not extending like the one on the drivers side. I think the tensioner has gone bad and is leaking inside. Like the Orings inside are blown and its bypassing and the only place it has to come out is the feed hole in the middle of the plastic. I am ordering one in the morning. Once I put it on I will post if it fixed the noise. I kind of think it will.

 

Make sure you order the 2 updated shorter bolts. I think motorcarman might be right. I bet one of the factory plastic tensioner bolts has been stretched when tightening it on a slightly shorter updated aluminum tensioner and the weakened stretched bolt failed. Btw, have you changed one of these tensioners yet? You need some good tools.

 

"The tick sounds very much like lifter and if I am loosing all my oil pressure out of this hole it would make a lot of sense."

You haven't got hydraulic lifters.

 

Thanks i know i dont but am using the lifter noise to explain what it sounds like.
If the tensioner was loose from the bolts being wrong and i changed the bolts do you think it might work again.
I have read how to change them without the tools. I am a transmission builder so i think i can do this but i admit i have not done one before

 

No special tools to replace the bolts. Just remove and replace one at a time, then torque to 124 in/lb. for new bolts.

 

Thanks. What i just did to make sure that the bolts were not the issue is remove them one at a time and put a small washer under them. Its not the issue. The oil is still shooting out of the center hole in the middle of the plastic. Ordered a new tensioner

 

Any chance of a picture of the hole?

 

I just put it back together but if you look at the plastic that the chain rides on, in the very center of it there is about 1/8" hole in it. The oil is shooting out of there. I is shooting about 15' or 5 meters for those using metric. Also the tensioner is not keeping the chain tight. When i pulled the other side apart it had the same hole but nothing coming out of it and the tensioner is holding the cain tight.

 

The lube hole lubricates the chain. It has enough pressure to shoot the oil 5 feet.

 

Hmmm the other side just dribbled but the tensioner is lifted holding the chain tight. This side is not lifting and holding the chain tight. It sprays 15 feet if not more

 

Hmm. Maybe take trip down to your local Lincoln dealer and see if they will sell you one tensioner and two short bolts? Lincoln LS and 2001 - 2 T-birds use the same tensioners. I think Christopher only sells them in pairs.

If it's a bad tensioner, it will be a first that I have heard of and will be worrisome to many of us.

 

Ok. Take it from me, any part CAN fail doesnt mean anyone elses will. This all started with an overheat. There are rubber seals in the tensioner and i think one or more seals inside blew out and is bypassing. But i could be wrong. Once i get a new one installed i am going to take the old one apart to find out what went wrong. I thought this car had the old style ones and was very surprised to find new style ones in this car.