Does anyone know for a fact that ALL 3.9 Lincoln engines where shipped with 1st gen timing tensioners? I have a buddy with a 2004 T-BIRD with the AJV8 and he wants to know if it needs new secondary tensioners. I have been trying to research this and get him an answer just by the engine serial number. However, I have read that all the 3.9 's used by Ford and Lincoln where the earliest ones off, the engine assembly line. I know he could look for himself, but he is an older gentleman, and not all that mechanically inclined, and I don't have enough time available to look for him. If all he had to do was look at the engine serial number, that would make his life a whole lot easier. Thx.

 

Ford's use of the AJ engines experienced the same tensioner failures in the same time frame as the Jaguar AJ26/27's did. We just do not have specific information as to the date and time of the Ford conversion. I would suspect that since Jaguar upgraded to metal tensioners in August '01 that Ford did so in a similar time frame. That would make your friend's '04 far outside of the questionable window.

 

How similar were the AJ engines that Ford/Lincoln used? I also have a 2002 Lincoln Continental FWD 32v 4-cam V8. At 100K miles, it has never displayed any impending tensioner failure.

 

You could consult lincolnvscadillac.com for the finer points. The problem is well known there.

 

The date of the change to metal tensioner bodies for the Ford Thunderbird/ Lincoln LS is not definitively known. The model year 2002 was the key. Jaguar changed in August of '91 with the start of the '02 model year.

It would be helpful to know the month of production of your engine and which generation tensioners were used.

With the addition of an external spring on the second generation tensioners the warning sound of chain rattle went away. Often the first symptom of tensioner failure is destruction of the engine.

 

Your Ford Modular Engine is a completely different engine than the Jaguar Engine. Not known to have Tensioner Failure.