2000-2003
4.6L V8 Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis Engines May Have Factory Defects
11 August 03
Robert Lane - Blue Oval News.com
Ford Motor Company has told its dealers that 2000 through 2003 model year Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles may exhibit a grinding noise from the engine timing chain area. This noise, according to Ford, may be caused by excessive wear of the timing chain tensioner arms. The tensioner arm has an aluminum base with a nylon surface. The condition can also be detected by fine nylon and or aluminum particles present in the engine oil.
Ford instructed the dealers to inspect the timing chain and arms, and to replace the timing chains, tensioners and tensioner arms should it be necessary. Ford may only remove residual nylon and aluminum particles via and oil and filter change. If the wear has progressed though the tensioner components, your Ford dealer has been instructed to remove the engine's oil pan and flush out the oil pickup tube.
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I was told the timing chains contact a lot of engine oil during engine operation.
Could it be that the majority of the affected Crown Vics (01-03) are using 5W-20 which is thinner than 5W-30, causing excessive/rapid wear of the tensioners?
When I briefly used 10W-40 in my 4.6, I could have sworn that it got a lot quieter during cold starts. With 5W-30, if I left my driveway w/o warming up properly I would hear this nasty racket in the engine and it'd go away quickly.
4.6L V8 Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis Engines May Have Factory Defects
11 August 03
Robert Lane - Blue Oval News.com
Ford Motor Company has told its dealers that 2000 through 2003 model year Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles may exhibit a grinding noise from the engine timing chain area. This noise, according to Ford, may be caused by excessive wear of the timing chain tensioner arms. The tensioner arm has an aluminum base with a nylon surface. The condition can also be detected by fine nylon and or aluminum particles present in the engine oil.
Ford instructed the dealers to inspect the timing chain and arms, and to replace the timing chains, tensioners and tensioner arms should it be necessary. Ford may only remove residual nylon and aluminum particles via and oil and filter change. If the wear has progressed though the tensioner components, your Ford dealer has been instructed to remove the engine's oil pan and flush out the oil pickup tube.
----------------------------------
I was told the timing chains contact a lot of engine oil during engine operation.
Could it be that the majority of the affected Crown Vics (01-03) are using 5W-20 which is thinner than 5W-30, causing excessive/rapid wear of the tensioners?
When I briefly used 10W-40 in my 4.6, I could have sworn that it got a lot quieter during cold starts. With 5W-30, if I left my driveway w/o warming up properly I would hear this nasty racket in the engine and it'd go away quickly.