i seem to have a leak from around the timing chain tensioner bolt. what's the best way to fix this?

A new O ring/seal.

is there a doco on how to do this or do i just undo it

you dont need to completely undo it. just loosen it off enough of run some gasket sealant round the head off the tensioner assy and re torque it

done

If its the outer plug thats leaking, and you unbolt it at all, you will need to compress the tensioner, screw it back in, then release the tensioner. If you don't do this, you run the risk of the tensioner ratcheting out when you undo, and then forcing the chain too tight when you do it up again.

If its leaking from the central plug with the square head, you can remove this completely and seal it up as long as you don't let the outer plug turn at all.

It is the outer plug. how do i compress the tensioner?

Remove the inner plug only (if possible). If they both come out together, you'll just need to remember the order in which the parts of the tensioner come out and reassemble them.

If you get a mirror and look in the hole you 'll see a small hexagon for an allen key. Get one the correct size and turn it in the direction that it feels springy. Sorry about the bad description, but I can't remember which way it was, but I think it was clockwise to compress it.

You'll feel it click against a detent when fully compressed.

Remove the outer plug, and you should also be able to get the tensioner out too. You will notice that on the other end of the tensioner there is a grove for where the timing guide needs to slip into. You will need to make sure that you have rotated the whole assembly enough so that this slot is vertical, and the guide is inside of it. Taking the cover off and looking is highly recommended! If the guide is not inside the slot, you may break something while screwing up the bolt.

Slide in the compressed and locked tensioner, fit a new O-ring to the outer bolt, and screw it in tight. You can use some flange sealant on the threads if you like, but it should be unnecessary with a new o-ring.

Get your allen key and unlock the tensioner by turning anti-clockwise (or opposite the direction you locked it in) and you should feel it snap into place. You should also be able to push against the timing guide and see and feel it spring back into place.

Throw the inner bolt in with some sealant and its all done.

wheres the best place to get the O ring? has anyone got a part number?

got mine from ford, $2.50
just asked for the oring that is on the tensioner
they got it no problems

awesome cheers

its so strange to think that a $2.50 o-ring can cause such problems.. ill take some pictures tomorrow

alright well here's what i got done today

a visit to ford



Removed the thermo fans, removed the power steering pump off (as well as the bracket, not really needed if you have the correct tools i assume but as you will see i used some vicegrips to secure the outer plug while undoing the inner plug)



using a mirror (as mentioned) is handy to locate the tensioner you need to lockup (by turning clockwise) prior to removing the outer plug



then you remove the outer plug. Here’s something i prepared earlier (from my dead engine)




here is (from the left) the EF outer plug, a used O-ring seal and a new O-ring seal



Here was my problem. Someone had obviously gotten to it before i got the new engine and installed a sump washer + gasket silicone to the outer tentioner plug instead of a $2.50 O-ring. go figure



so i took the sump bolt washer off, cleaned up the plugs, put on some thread tape, and re-installed everything, took it for about a 30 minute drive and not a drop of oil

awesome doc
Can you put that into a word doc and email it to nickter50@hotmail.com with your username

We will get it made into a tech doco!

nice work...just a question, when you put it back in...is there a specific way of doing it? and how do you set the tensioner to the correct tension?

phong =P~

no worries ill make a few changes first and send it to you tomorrow



hmm thats one thing i didnt get a picture of.. no worries but ill take a snap tomorrow of the one from my dead engine

but here is a step by step if you have taken everything out

1. slip the tensioner assembly (which should be compressed and locked) back into the engine (if you took it out) with the guide valley facing vertically

2. insert the small filter into the outer plug (where it came from), install new o-ring onto the outer plug (after removing the old o-ring), use thread tape/gasket silicone on the thread then install the outer plug into its original place

3. to unlock the tensioner (and once again not having the correct tools, or tool #1832 thats said in the book )i just simply got a screw driver and put pressure on the exposed face of the tentioner, which compresses and twists the tensioner assembly, which unlocks the tensioner and sets itself into its normal position

4. use thread tape/gasket silicone on the inner plug, screw it into the outer plug and your done! no torque rating was provided so i just did it up tight

tomorrow ill get some better pics so this makes more sense