Timing Chain Tensioner Problem on Some 2000-2003 Panthers

[gadget73]

probably better quality too. Most bolts at the big box stores are made of material that seems closer to magnetic cheese than actual steel.

[IPreferDIY]

True enough. To be fair though, the bending occurred before I bothered to find something to secure the plywood against the balancer to keep it from sliding down the inch or so of the bolts that were sticking out. I didn't need anything on a prior occasion (and maybe two), but on the latest occasion, the plywood kept sliding out towards the bolt heads. I ended up putting a socket between one bolt head and the plywood. Since the holes in the plywood are slotted from guesstimating, I should figure out the proper spacing and re-do them properly on the other end.

[IPreferDIY]

... I might as well note my recent experience when taking apart a 2001 MGM at a U-pull yard. The driver's side arm had obvious wear along most of its length, but the tip still had about half the material on it. On the passenger side, the arm was worn to the point where the chain was starting to eat into the tensioner. I recently saw someone suggest maybe taking out the camshaft sensor and sticking one of those camera probes in to check, but just because the driver's side arm is still okay doesn't necessarily mean the passenger side arm is too.

It turns out that one had over 370,000km, or over 230,000 miles. The arms were from Morse, and they had 1L2 part numbers, so presumably they were the updated arms. The valve covers did not have the markings that Ford put on vehicles that had the bad parts swapped out, so I would presume they were factory originals. The tensioners were the cast iron ones without any brand or part number markings.

... Unfortunately, my local stealership does not stock timing stuff, so I haven't been able to see if the new OEM ones are as bad as what I've been seeing, including on the outer side of a chain on a Mustang engine. ...

I took a valve cover off an Exploder with an 02 build date whose engine was sitting on the ground. Same shitty appearance on the outer side of the chain.

I was hoping Exploders and F-150s would provide more opportunities for me to find PI camshafts, but I can't imagine messing around with them.