Timing issues

[02pos]

Alright I'm fairly new here and havent had time to sift through pages and pages of posts, I did run a search and found nothing relevant, at least not on the first few pages.

I have, or rather my wife has, a 2002 LSE with a bunch of issues, most bothersome being that it seems to have either jumped time, or dropped a valve. I am leaning towards the timing being off based on what others have reported on various sites across the internet.


Does anyone have, or know where to find, any information on how to reset the timing on a first gen 3.9? Mostly, does anyone know where to find the tool set recommended to do this job?

Also, I am fairly disappointed in the tech section for this particular vehicle. It seems to all be budget mods and nothing on actual maintenance other than coolant flushes and spark plugs. If I find everything i need to do this job I will post a write up as I go so maybe the Admins/Moderators can add it later. Or I may just burn it to the ground, haven't really decided yet

 

[fudge12]

Ok, first off welcome to the forums. You're not the only one with that issue as there are a few with the same problem. What most likely happened is that the timing chain tensioner failed due to negligence of unusual sounds from the engine bay which was an early warning sign. Most v8 owners figure it out before it gets to your level with jumping the timing. Though I hate to say it, this car isn't a fill-up-and-go 200k without problems type of car. You will have cooling problems, you will have tranny problems, and lastly you will have coil problems.

Remove the valve covers (replace the valve cover gaskets while you're there) and take a peak at those tensioners. I'm surprised to see that you haven't bent a valve yet driving it like that.

 

[stugots]

Alright I'm fairly new here and havent had time to sift through pages and pages of posts, I did run a search and found nothing relevant, at least not on the first few pages.

I have, or rather my wife has, a 2002 LSE with a bunch of issues, most bothersome being that it seems to have either jumped time, or dropped a valve. I am leaning towards the timing being off based on what others have reported on various sites across the internet.


Does anyone have, or know where to find, any information on how to reset the timing on a first gen 3.9? Mostly, does anyone know where to find the tool set recommended to do this job?

Also, I am fairly disappointed in the tech section for this particular vehicle. It seems to all be budget mods and nothing on actual maintenance other than coolant flushes and spark plugs. If I find everything i need to do this job I will post a write up as I go so maybe the Admins/Moderators can add it later. Or I may just burn it to the ground, haven't really decided yet

What makes you think timing issues? Gen 1s suffer from tensioner problems supposedly corrected in 2002. You sure it's not just a misfire from marginal coils. Codes? Noise?

 

[02pos]

I'm 99% sure that the exhaust cam on the driver' side skipped a tooth, either that or a valve came unseated. I can hear clattering coming from the second cyl from the front. (cyl. 6 if the chart i found is correct) it clatters on startup, and then again about 1700-2500 rpm.
I haven't taken it above that, only reason I revved it that high is that i didn't realize what it was at first and was trying to figure out if the frequency was increasing with rpm or wheel speed. noticed the clattering at startup when i stopped to make sure i didn't have anything stuck under the car, i was driving at the time and had just dodged a re-tread in the road but had to straddle some debris.

Google searching " '02 lincoln 3.9 engine clatter" turned up a handful of youtube videos of LS's with the same noises and the reported culprit was secondary timing chains with faulty chain guides and/or tensioners.

I did hear an almost chugging noise that I attributed to a faulty injector, now I'm thinking may have been a loose timing chain.

I have no CEL, coils were replaced not even 10,000 miles ago when I did a full tune up, (minus a transmission flush and filter change) before taking from SC to MI and back to visit family for Christmas. that was at 93K, car now has 102K.

I do however have a dimly illuminated red light shaped like a steering wheel with an exclamation point that according to what I have found online is a steering column lock warning only relevant on manual transmission models ( which for some stupid reason only came on the v-6's, I mean what kind of "sports" car doesn't come in manual?!?) I am attributing this light to be a loose back light for one of the other gauges, I havent felt the urge to tear into the cluster and I havent found anything so far saying that this is a problem on the v8's.

Also, I was under the impression that the 02 was still a first gen? The few articles I have read have stated that '03 was when they switched
my build date is 03/02 and I Know the front lower ball joints were changed from 14mm to 16mm in mid march, was that when they changed the engine over as well?

 

[02pos]

I managed to find time to tear into the motor a little more today, the drivers side valve cover is off, as well as all the plastic shrouds and cowlings on the front of the engine bay, debating on having the AC evacuated and pulling the condenser/oil cooler/radiator stack-up out for more elbow room up front.

I can see the cam and the tops of the valve lifters, doesn't seem to be anything wrong with any of them, However, I cannot see the valves themselves, I can see the springs on the exhaust side but the intake side is still full of oil and i cant see down in it. I have looked down the spark plug holes with a flashlight and see no metal on metal damage on the small area of the piston head that I can see, debating whether i should invest in a harbor freight bore scope, or just pull the head and know for sure.

The tensioners and guides look fine and feel solid with no noticeable slack in the chains, still have to pull what appears to be the water pump off to gain access to all of the timing cover bolts.

side note: I am NOT an auto mechanic, I am, however, an aircraft mechanic, I am doing this teardown with out a service manual at this point, as I am working on it on my back porch, after work, weather permitting, if i make some decent headway I may pick one up this weekend, unless someone has a PDF of a better manual than a haynes or a chiltons.

 

[joegr]

Do the flats at the front of the cams line up?

 

[02pos]

they are not visable at the moment, but i have not had a chance to crank anything, dont have access to the crank pulley yet and the weak-ass motorcraft battery was dead the morning after I parked the car

 

[02pos]

finally found the tool set to set the timing, as well as a full timing component kit, unfortunately the tool set is back ordered till mid-next month. went and bought the wife a GMC Terrain, only half the power of the LSE, but gets twice the fuel mileage and will run fine on regular gas. Now Im trying to decide if i should fix it and sell it, fix it, keep it and mod it, or just part it out as is.

 

[RigsLS]

1st GEN shop manual sequence and torque settings available.