When I removed my timing chain cover I saw what I believe to be wear. I'm not sure about this though, it could just be normal from the casting. I have seen the inside of one other timing cover, but his did not have the wear marks mine does. Does anyone here have experience with this? I thought it could be caused by an uncaged lower pulley. I'm not saying it was, just throwing the idea out there.

 

Der, I think you are nothing but a trouble maker. Where is you data to renforce something you obviously no nothing about?


Easter, every timing cover I've pulled off looks just like that. It's just part of the machining process. I even have two non-Lightning 5.4 covers here just like that. However for your piece of mind, just look at the trigger wheel. It's anodized. If it is really hitting the case cover, you'd see about 1/2" of anodizing shaved off the front of the wheel. Hope this helps.

 

Gosh, how in the heck could that “damage” occur and not hit the trigger pick-up? Isn’t the pick-up actually overlapping the supposed damage? So much for your theory. Easter, what are you pulling it apart for anyway? Do you think it’s wise to be doing this work yourself?

 

Have you checked the thrust bearing for wear?
The crank gears shouldn't move forward and contact the timing cover.
Have you got a different converter installed? It may be ballooning putting too much pressure on the thrust bearing in the motor.

 

I find this very interesting. I understand Nito Lightning's explaination, but what is the cause of it on a normal 5.4 engine non-supercharged? If Sal quote is correct: " I even have two non-Lightning 5.4 covers here just like that."

Is this phenomenon common to a 5.4 and enhanced when supercharged?

I would really lke to know if both versions of the 5.4 has this.

 

I don't really want to start a debate over this, I just want to, A- help Easter, and B- defend an uncalledfor remark towards a product that I ( and others ) sell.

I'm sure that you are probably more than qualified in your field Nitro, but that doesn't mean your info must be correct. I happen to be personal friends with the person who Ford contracted to design that lower pulley for the Lightning, and no matter what any other mechanics, vendors, engineers, rocket scientists, or just plain ole Lightning owners think, I know the real reason for the cage. The subject has been beaten to death, and I'm sure everyone has already chosen which reason they want to believe, so no reason to debate that anymore.

As Larry pointed out, the CID sensor sticks out over the "Shaved" area, which tells you that whatever made that mark, must be wider than the trigger wheel. Also, if the crank really WAS being pulled up on, there would only be a mark at the very bottom of the cover as the trigger wheel was pulled forward at the bottom. That mark goes almost 3/4 of the way up the pass side, there's no possible way it could be from the crank being pulled up. There are a lot of possibilities as to why the trigger wheel might with the cover (loose balancer, improperly installed cover, severe thrust bearing failure, etc.) but none of those are really even worth looking into because as previously noted, the shaved circle is larger than the diameter of the trigger wheel.

It doesn't take a mechanical engineer to figure out the things I've stated. It's just common sense from looking at the pics. It's not really fair to jump on a product as cause of failure, when none of the other possible causes have been looked at.

 

Easterisland,

If you wouldn't mind taken a picture directly above the crank sencer so we can determine weather the shaved area stops just before the crank sencer or just beyond.
From your pictures it is hard to see from that angle.
There is only a few thousands clearence between the crank sencer and the trigger wheel.

More pictures please.


Jim@JDM

 

I have only seen the inside of two covers. Mine and another Lightning owner who I know never used a lower pulley. His isn't scraped up like mine.

hurricane, I'm no mechanic, but I pulled the engine myself and I can certainly handle installing it again. I have seen one put together and it looks very easy.

Nitro, I'm 100% positive that the timing chains have not touched the cover. The crankshaft timing gear(or whatever it is called) sets next to the cover. I was just a little concerned that the gear may have touched.

There is no wear on the sensor itself and like Sal mentioned there is no wear on the gear. I guess I was just worried about nothing. Sorry for getting everyone worked up over this. I'll look at it tomorrow again and take a couple more pictures.