According to the February '04 issue of Car And Driver, the '05 Mustang will use the Ranger's 4.0L SOHC V6 as the base engine.

By expanding the use of this engine, hopefully Ford will continue to support and refine it.

 

yeah i read that in the car and driver as well! Its a good engine so I assume they can trust it in the new mustangs which I like!

 

Don't do it. They have a tensioner called a cassette that keep tension on the sohc chains (both the one in the front for the left bank and in the rear for the right) that fails and when it does, ford wants to replace the short block for over $3000. It will also knock a hole in your $300 valve covers. There are two of them. one in the front for the left bank and one in the rear for the right. when they fail, the bust a hole in the valve cover and the tech bullitin from ford just tells them how to make it just like it was and you get to pay for it. This happend to my 97 explorer that was well maintained after only 79000 miles. This is not the timing chain but the chains that actually connect to the cams and ford has a tech bulletin on it but you have to shell out the $3000 for the new short block to fix it and you still have the same piece of doo you had to begin with. Do not and I mean do not buy one of these pieces of dung. I have a dead one setting in my yard right now because ford will not fix it unless I buy a new short block........................ If ford has a tech bulletin on it, it is a common problem. Everybody I know is going to hear about this unless ford decides to do something about it. any engine designed to last less than 80000 miles is junk................

 

smayberry, I'm sorry you had problems with your, 4.0 SOHC, but the vast majority of people don't. Just because you had a bad engine doesn't mean that they are junk. 97 was the first year of Ford using the 4.0 SOHC in the Explorer, and there was a problem with some, but it has been addressed and the problem fixed. I'm not trying to flame, but your first three posts here at FTE have all been about the same thing, and you bashing a very good motor. Look through the forums and you will read about several happy 4.0 SOHC owners, and yes you will find unsatisfied ones too, but that is what this site is for, to discuss problems, not talk trash about something because you have one problem with it.
Anyways, I think it will be beneficial to Ranger owners, because it should really open up the aftermarket on the 4.0, not to mention it is a much stronger motor than the 3.8 it is replacing.

 

I just got a Ranger this year with the SOHC. Does anyone here know if they have done something to address this issue? If this situation is a reasonable possibility for me, I may purchase an extended warranty. Does this problem appear to be a lubrication issue?

 

af4.0............
This is not an opinion. This is a fact.The 4.oL is a gutsy engine. This does not change the fact that it has a problem that is major and ford knows about it and will not fix it. The problem is not maintenance related and is simply a flaw in the engine. Any engine that lasts no longer than the 4.0 does without a $3000 repair bill out of your pocket is junk. The lubrication problem and plastic cassette failure long before the life expectancy of even a chevrolet is unacceptable and ford will not fix it. Every vehicle I own is a ford and that is all I buy. I own a F150, Lincoln MarkViii, Lincoln Town Car and a Mustang. I like fords. I am not bad mouthing fords but this engine is a failure and ford will not fix it. I am an avid ford fan but this 4.0 sohc is a just junk. As far as the vast majority thinking this is a good engine, you need to buy a new calculator if that is the percentage you come up with. If you read the posts you will find the oil problem and cassette problem the most talked about item by people who own them. When the post does not address this, it is someone thinking about getting one and not someone who has 80000 miles on one. I am glad you have had no trouble with yours if you have one but if it has been addressed as you claim, please let me know how it was addressed without costing what it would cost to buy a good used jeep.

Sincerely,

smaybery

 

af4.0..............
Not trying to be a smart a**. I love my explorer and would love to have it running again. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I currently have a 4.6 out of a MarkVIII that I would love to put in it but don't want to do it until I know what it would involve. If this site would let me list an e-mail address I would for your suggestions. Like I said, I love my explorer and wish it ran again but I will never stick another sohc in it. If you use my user name (smaybery) and stick the common "@" symbol followed by "dtccom.net" I might have just slipped my e-mail address to you. If you can help or have any further nastygrams for me, please do so.

Thanks in advance for your help.

smaybery

 

Ford fixed this problem in 2000. Any vehicle with less then 100,000 miles will be fixed free. contact you ford dealer.
Dave

 

I hope the aftermarket will come out with some good high flowing heads for it. I mean, with 3.95" bores and 3.32" stroke, it should be able to accept some big valves and make some good horsepower.

As per the timing chain issue, I suspect shortly after it comes out in the mustang, someone will come out with a belt drive kit. Problem "solved".

This will be good for explorer / ranger owners, as the Mustang association with the engine should explode the aftermarket parts availability. Or we can hope it will.

Hrm, a SOHC 4.0L V6 swap into my aging '92 explorer is starting to look pretty good.

 

I have talked to my dealer. The local dealerships claim that the tensioner for the timing chain from the crank shaft is covered but not the one to the ohc. There is a service bulletin but no recall and they will not fix it. If you know what I need to do to get them to fix it, please let me know.

Thanx

HEM

 

AG4.0 The problem wasn't fixed in 98, I have a 2002 that rattles at 2500 RPM when cold at 8000 miles on the odo. The dealer replaced the primary chain tensioner on a TSB and it still does it , I'll take it back , but the problem seems to be the secondary chain tensioners from what I've heard. If my engine manifested these problems at 8000 miles of easy driving I'm sure thousands of others have the same problem. Ford should have been able to fix these problems in4 years of production but I'm not sure if they have yet. I hope they don't put out thousands of mustangs with the same design flaws but by 2005 they will have had 7 years to iron them out and thousands of guinea pigs to buy trucks with this poor engine in them ....Jack...

 

smaybery & quickjack,

My '01Ranger SOHC 4.0L has 86K mi. I get a rattling noise between 2500-3000 RPM from the timing chain. The dealership said Ford would not cover it out of the factory warranty. I was assured that it was just a noise and that it was not causing harm. Is this true? I'll try and dig up the actual TSB they referenced.

 

The 4.0L that will be dropped into the 'Stang has a lower power rating than the one in our trucks. So apparently some parts in the engine are different. I wonder what they could be?

 

OK, I found it. TSB 02-8-1

"Some vehicles equipped wit the 4.0 SOHC engine may exhibit a Primary Timing Chain rattle noise. The noise is audible during hot and cold engine operation (but predominantly found on cold engines) under acceleration, typically at 2400-2500 rpm."

The solution is to install a "Primary Timing Chain Tensioner Kit" (2U3Z-6D256-BA for the Ranger). It also claim labor of 5.8 (hrs?). Instructions are included in the kit. Has anyone seen the instructions? Is this a DIY job?

The TSB makes no mention of harm to the engine. If this is just an annoyance, then I'll live with it.

 

I know your post is really old but I had to comment on it it all depends on your driving style really if you treat it right it'll last if you maintain it it'll last I have 280000 miles on my original motor and trans it's never been opened up and it's supercharged these days you can get these motors for a dime a dozen. It is actually an extremely reliable motor if you know what you're doing unfortunately it is an interference motor though.