I cannot for the life of me figure out this stinking tapping noise coming from the lower front part of my engine. It's been going on for the last 6 months or so and I've replaced parts left and right withot removing my tiing cover to do some investigating. The only thing I haven't replaced yet is my harmonic balancer, alternator and p/s pump. Everything else is brand new to include an electric fan conversion. I just got the fax from Lou at my local Dodge dealership and there appears to be NO TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER!!! I'm used to working on fords so I've never seen this before. In fords there are tensioners and guides for the timing chains. I'm lost and don't know where to go from here so ANY help at all would be so greatly appreciated. I'm hoping someone out there has ran into this before and corrected whatever was wrong. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

 

could it be a stuck lifter? Lower end rod knock? Lots of possibilities with tapping noises. turn the fan blades, are they hitting anything? get a stethoscope and pinpoint where the noise is coming from.

 

I'm not aware of any pushrod V6/V8 with tensioners. All the old Ford 289,302,351(W,M,C), 390,400,428 & 460 are standard chains just like Mopar and GM SB & BB engines. Don't need tensioners and guides when the crank and cam sprockets are only an inch apart. The Ford SOHC engines use all kinds of guides, which come apart regularly.

Anyway, yes, sloppy timing chains causing noise on 3.9's is a very common problem. Newtiming setand timing cover gasket set should run ~$80 from Napa. Mightconsider a double roller (Napa P/N: 201103) for another $25. And I'd go ahead and replace the W/P & bypass hose while you're in there;gotta come off anyway.

 

Yeah I ALWAYS sold the guides and tensioners when I worked for ford... and it was always on the explorers with the 4.0L SOHC engine!!

I've already replaced the W/P and bypass tube recently. I was hoping I wouldn't have to back into it all. It's not very time consuming which is good but I promised myself that I'd replace my harmonic balancer next time I put a ratchet to the truck so I'll prepare for doing the timing set on Sunday! I appreciate the feedback guys. I know for a fact that it's a light tapping and not rod knock and it's coming from the lower front of my engine near the front of my crankshaft so I would venture to say that it's not a stuck lifter nicegy525but I appreciate your help too!

I'll do it NEXT sunday and post the results from the repair! We're gonna go visit family for Turkeyday!!!

 

By the way...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

 

I've seen the mopars run with a slapping chain till it wore all the way through the cover.If its slapping thats what your looking at.I added a tensioner on my 5.9 when I rebuilt it.They are not very expensive and bolt on in place of the cam plate.

 

where'd you get the "universal???" tensioner??? So far Autozone, Advane nor Oreilleys has got a listing for one!

 

It might also be a berring inside the engine too thats what happend to me.

 

I think I have the same problem with my 94 3.9 it was just rebuilt last year with less than 40000kms on it since.