Hey guys, does the timing chain tensioner piston on an EF sit inside a tube attached to the lower chain guide, or is that tube the piston?

Cheers

this thread goes into detail with pics how it works

ford-4l-and-6-cylinder-f1/timing-chain-tensioner-t59820.html

Thanks mate I've had a read that but still unsure. The reason I ask is I took out the whole lot the wrong way. (Retiner plug + retainer together) The spring came out unlocked, the piston plug i got with a 480gm magnet, but I cant find the piston. Ive i put my finger in I can feel a metal tube which pushes and pulls on the chain guide, but i can't seem to get it out. Is that the piston and just stuck, or a guide it sits in.

Just praying I haven't dropped it.

Thanks

you talking about the part with 2 prongs that sits against the chain?

if so, take the rocker cover off, and push a screwdriver against it to push it out....... the tensioner parts can sometimes get stuck from built up sludge

Yeahp, that's the lot.... You should not have been able to "drop it" into the engine unless you've taken the cam out at the time really.... The tensioner is a tensioner, sure... But with the cam attached and the chain going around the crank, around the pictured tensioner on a guide shaped a little like a bow and up to the cam sprocket there really should be a whole lot of bad luck in order to loose anything to the depths of the sump via the timing chain void...

Good luck with all that matey... The bit in the picture on right is the "piston". If you can find all these parts, then you have not dropped anything. The "piston" bit could be lodged in quite solidly. I seem to remember having a bit of effort getting one out once upon a time. Which is mad, considering that the engines use oil pressure from the oil pump to keep the tensioner tensioning you'd expect them to just pull out, for sure.

If you cant get it out with a custom tool (make one - A bent nail perhaps!!!???) then you'll need to do what is proper... Take the cam sprocket off the cam and push the thing out with a flat head or a large nice chisel............

Last edited by fiend on Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yea mate thats the one, can see it against the chain but wasn't sure if it what I was looking for. Thanks a lot aye, thought I'd C**k that one up.

Beauty thanks guys, was stressing a bit there. I've seen your short shifts on TM fiend, if you still have some in a bit I will sus you in a month or 2.

Can I pull the head off with it still in? the chains got slack but the pistons stuck in hard, not to keen to put a screw driver in there incase i snap the guide.

Taking guide out is pretty impossible (from memory) without removing front timing cover... And that opens a whole new can of worms... My last engine was running with a broken guide for a few K's... Like 100,000.........!

Hmmm.

What are you doing to the engine matey? I take it that it's a EF six cylinder....

Why are you taking the head off? Is the engine in a car, or on a bench?

Yea mate EFII ghia 4l. Head had to come out, after I replaced thermostat she started pissing water more than normal, and always had a noticable oil leak. Had a look and the headbolts were loose as, and the water return holes and most of the oil gallery holes on the gasket were corroded over . A fair bit of water on the pistons as well.

Unfortunately it is still in the car, dropped the Ticky head off for a rebuild today but I'm picking up another motor from Turangi tonight which was going to be the rebuild project. Always the way haha.

That motor will get a bottom end rebuild, just want to have strong base, do the standard NA bizzo, extractors cams headwork etc. I would really like to go down the supercharger path, but the old girl might be too tired. Already got a T5 in there.

Most of the money and time has been on maintenance, she wasn't loved once upon a time.

Ahah... Mine is loosing the love for me.... Still, a bit of cash injection (one day, you never know....) would see it up and happy again...

The missus leaves me coz of the car, and now the car is too embarrased to be seen with me....