OEM 2009 Lincoln Town Car Timing Chain Tensioner

2009 Lincoln Town Car Timing Chain Tensioner Parts Q&A

• Q: How to service and repair the timing chain tensioner on 2009 Lincoln Town Car?

  A: Before starting to service or repair the timing chain tensioner always position the vehicle in neutral on a hoist. First remove the engine front cover and proceed to detach the crankshaft sensor ring before disconnecting the 8 ignition coil electrical connectors. Then uninstall the bolts alongside the ignition coils. Clear away any well debris inside the 8 spark plugs by using compressed air during removal. Set the camshaft lobe to an upper position before inserting the valve spring compressor spacer as a protective shielding for valve stem seals. Start by marking each component for its original position to prevent engine harm before putting the valve spring compressor to work in removing the camshaft roller followers. Set the keyway of the crankshaft at 12 o'clock before removing all parts of the timing chain tensioning system including bolts, tensioners, tensioner arms alongside both timing chains and crankshaft sprocket. Uninstall the timing chain guides through the removal of their bolts and guides. Mount the camshaft position aligner while you detach the camshaft gear bolt. Workers should squeeze each timing chain tensioner plunger into a vise before they hold back the ratchet mechanism with a small screwdriver then lock it using a paper clip. The sealing bead of non-ratcheting tensioners should be checked for integrity before deciding on replacement. Place two hydraulic chain tensioner retaining clips onto the tensioner plungers before compression. The visible colored links should be marked for timing if they become invisible to the eye. You should install camshaft sprockets using new bolts which require a two-step tightening procedure starting at 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) and continuing with an additional 90 degrees rotation. Position the crankshaft using the crankshaft holding tool at top dead center (TDC) before you install the crankshaft sprocket whereas its flange faces forward. Tighten both timing chain guides to 10 Nm (89 lb-in) after proper positioning. Hold the RH camshaft sprocket at 11 o'clock marking as the position while positioning the LH sprocket at the 12 o'clock position. The colored links of the LH timing chain should point toward the timing mark at the crankshaft sprocket before installation of the chain followed by its tensioner arm and tensioner with 25 Nm (18 lb-ft) torque setting. The paper clip on the LH tensioner needs to be extracted. For the RH timing chain follow the same installation procedure with correct alignment before final tightening. Before inserting the valve spring compressor spacer check that the colored chain links match the sprocket dots then direct the camshaft to the up position before attachment. Apply clean engine oil to the camshaft roller followers before placing them correctly and installing the 8 spark plugs which you should tighten to 18 Nm (159 lb-in). Drill the 8 ignition coils into their positions by tightening all bolts to 6 Nm (53 lb-in). After that, reinstall ignition coil electrical connectors and place the crankshaft sensor ring on top of the engine front cover.