Late 90s Ford 4.6 timing issue

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Kicking tires on a 1998 Town Car with the 4.6. It, supposedly, only has 73k miles on it but the older lady selling it says it needs a timing chain. I know the 4.6 is known as a tremendous motor. So I wonder why, with such low mileage, this car may need this work. Any thoughts? I once had a '97 Crown Vic and it was a really good car. The price is right on this one *IF* it's only a timing issue.
 
Honey, is that you posting on BITOG?!
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That would be unusual. I've had a couple of 4.6L with far more miles on OE chains. Possible that its developed some timing chain rattle from worn tensioner guides, though.
 
Failure to change the oil at prescribed intervals, or allowing it to run low, causing the chains to wear prematurely?
 
Highly unlikely... But not unheard of. Go take a peek and try to get more info. Sounds like there's missing information here.
 
The plastic chain guides probably broke. A known failure item. Causes a death-rattle type sound. Especially on cold startup.

timing_chain_4.6L_broken_guide.jpg


Sometimes they get to this point....

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Yeah, what Cujet said. It happens. Most of them last and last but you get the odd one that breaks for some reason.
And I'd take a '98 town car with under 100k over anything '18.
 
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+1 to all that is stated here.

A very good 20 yr old car is something to buy and keep rolling. A poor 20 yr old car should be salvaged for scrap.
 
I'd be all over that car if $2K or less and clean overall. Though a timing chain repair could be fairly expensive ($1,000+) though at least it would be done...along with belt, idler, idler tensioner, water pump, and probably vcg's and plugs/coils if needed. If you can do all the work yourself, not such a big deal. And the lady and/or her mechanic could be mistaken and not be a timing chain issue. This is pretty early for one of those to go...unless she's a lead foot driver (not likely). Just using the wrong oil filter can give startup ticking than sound like timing chain "problems."

The 1998 TC was specced for 5w-30. Then back specced by Ford for 5w-20 in 2001. Using that oil for the past 16 yrs could possibly contribute to more timing chain/chain guide wear...especially if OCI's were on the long side. My 1997 Lincoln 4.6 liter went 232K miles on the original timing chain, guide, and tensioner...all the way on 5w-30 conventional oil with 3K OCI's. That was a superb running 4.6l until the water pump failed.
 
The thing that needs to be remembered is that not all miles are equal. A car with that few miles after this long was likely driven many short trips, very little highway miles, so comparisons to what seems like an average # of miles for them 10+ years ago, don't apply.

Inspect the vehicle. Make sure they didn't put extra thick oil in trying to quiet it down. Insist it has not been started recently before you get there, start it up cold and listen for chain rattle which will be worst right after it starts and decrease as it gets warmer. If the rattle is quite loud or still unreasonable as it warms up, expect to need to replace it soon. If it is only a minor cold rattle then it may go another 20K+ mi before work "must" be done or it implodes.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Ask yourself do you really want (need) that 20 year old car ?

Why not? If he can do the work himself and get a deal on it. If you have to pay someone, forget it.I doubt the timing chain/components are bad after 73k miles anyway.
 
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Another thought, low mile, replacement 4.6L engines are $800 around here. You could even find a later model PI (power improved) 4.6L for that.
 
This job is not really tough to do. Granted my judgement is clouded by a decade at Ford, but tensioner/timing chain replacement on a 4.6 in a CV/GM/Town Car is easily doable for a DIYer of even moderate talent.
 
My 2002 Lincoln 4.6L is 17 yrs old with 78K miles. Despite mostly shorter 6-8 mile trips since I bought it with 22K miles, it's quiet and runs clean on the lubricating fluids. Buying a 20 yr old/low mileage 4.6L that has been taken care of is not a big risk imo. I'd be willing to bet this particular car has no timing chain/guide wear issue. Probably just a shop trying to scare the owner into a costly repair job that isn't even needed.

I know the Crown Vics and Grand Marquis in the late 1990's to early 2000's have plastic coolant "hoses" and parts that fail around this mileage and age. Not sure if the Lincoln Town Cars got something different. The 1996-2002 Lincoln Continental 4.6L didn't use plastic coolant parts.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
My 2002 Lincoln 4.6L is 17 yrs old with 78K miles. Despite mostly shorter 6-8 mile trips since I bought it with 22K miles, it's quiet and runs clean on the lubricating fluids. Buying a 20 yr old/low mileage 4.6L that has been taken care of is not a big risk imo. I'd be willing to bet this particular car has no timing chain/guide wear issue. Probably just a shop trying to scare the owner into a costly repair job that isn't even needed.

I know the Crown Vics and Grand Marquis in the late 1990's to early 2000's have plastic coolant "hoses" and parts that fail around this mileage and age. Not sure if the Lincoln Town Cars got something different. The 1996-2002 Lincoln Continental 4.6L didn't use plastic coolant parts.

It is the front crossover that goes between the two sides of the block, where the thermostat bolts into, is plastic, until sometime in 2001, when it was made aluminium. A '98 TC would definetly have the plastic crossover from the factory, and if its still on there, that would be the first thing I do after determining whats up with the timing chains. If they are bad, then the intake would get done at that time.
OE Ford Manifold of course. Me personally would use a later intake made for PI heads and RTV the gasket mis-match but I understand most people here especially would not want to bother. If it ended up needing timing chains I would throw some good used PI cams in it as well. The PI cams and intake are like 80% of the horsepower gain of the PI motor.
 
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