2002 Timing chain catastrophe

[Kingassassin]

This is a caution memorandum. Replace your 11 th gen timing chain as scheduled. I failed to do so. My bird always ran great. I have owned it since Feb 2016. I drove it home recently and it purred. There were no threatening sounds. The next moning I went out to my driveway and tried to turn over the engine. It didn't make much of a sound. It just wouldn't fire. I had it towed to my mechanic's garage.
The timing chain had broken. The technician said Thunder chicken had no compression. He did a leak down test and found that the engine was blown. Yes the broken chain had slain my bird. Get your's changed

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[biddle]

What year is your car?

 

[Kingassassin]

What year is your car? View attachment 9609

My t-bird is a 2002

 

[Kingassassin]

I would of course like a low mile engine, but I think it's unlikely to find one

 

[The Flash]

How many mile are on the engine/car?

 

[Frankie the Fink]

You prob won’t have compression with a busted timing chain. The valves could well be open on the compression stroke in this case. Now if a valve dropped into a cylinder that’s bad news.

I’d get a second opinion.

 

[Tomstoy]

Did he scope the cylinders thru the spark plug holes or remove the heads to look at the valves and pistons? If he didnt the engin my still be good.

 

[JW in Dixie]

This is a caution memorandum. Replace your 11 th gen timing chain as scheduled. I failed to do so. My bird always ran great. I have owned it since Feb 2016. I drove it home recently and it purred. There were no threatening sounds. The next morning I went out to my driveway and tried to turn over the engine. It didn't make much of a sound. It just wouldn't fire. I had it towed to my mechanic's garage. The timing chain had broken. The technician said Thunder chicken had no compression. He did a leak down test and found that the engine was blown. Yes the broken chain had slain my bird. Get yours changed.

Sorry for your loss. What is the schedule for replacement? Thx

 

[bayfeet]

This is a caution memorandum. Replace your 11 th gen timing chain as scheduled. I failed to do so. My bird always ran great. I have owned it since Feb 2016. I drove it home recently and it purred. There were no threatening sounds. The next moning I went out to my driveway and tried to turn over the engine. It didn't make much of a sound. It just wouldn't fire. I had it towed to my mechanic's garage.
The timing chain had broken. The technician said Thunder chicken had no compression. He did a leak down test and found that the engine was blown. Yes the broken chain had slain my bird. Get your's changed

How many miles?

 

[Kalounda]

I've seen it happen where the chain breaks, the engine makes a few more revolutions, and the top of the pistons hit and bend the valves, but you would of definitely heard that. I agree with others and would get a second opinion.

 

[Mach5]

Definitely get a second opinion. (Back in the day we bought a gorgeous, perfect '69 Cadillac Coupe with a supposedly "locked-up" engine - we planned to part it out. On a whim, we put a five foot cheater bar on a socket wrench on the crankshaft pulley and tried to "wiggle" the engine loose. It wiggled. We tried and it started right up and purred like a kitten. Sold it for 10 times what we paid less than a week later.)

 

[TomThunder]

Same thing happen to me in October, but not my Thunderbird, my daily driver, a 2006 Ford Ranger. Shop said timing chain broke, have to rip out engine to replace it, $4.5k. Had it towed to a Ford dealer for second opinion (the first shop wasn't happy about that), they confirmed timing chain broke plus it did severe internal damage to engine. I did not want to risk trying to salvage engine. Had new Reman engine installed.

 

[JW in Dixie]

In most cases the forward momentum of the vehicle continues to turn the dead motor and only a couple of turns is too much.
Had the same thing happen in 1954 to a highly modified Chrysler hemi on the race track. Total ruin. Sick!! 🙁

 

[mfharper]

In most cases the forward momentum of the vehicle continues to turn the dead motor and only a couple of turns is too much.
Had the same thing happen in 1954 to a highly modified Chrysler hemi on the race track. Total ruin. Sick!! 🙁

He didn’t have any forward momentum. It broke sitting in his garage when he tried to start it. I’d get a second opinion.

 

[Brax]

This is a caution memorandum. Replace your 11 th gen timing chain as scheduled. I failed to do so. My bird always ran great. I have owned it since Feb 2016. I drove it home recently and it purred. There were no threatening sounds. The next moning I went out to my driveway and tried to turn over the engine. It didn't make much of a sound. It just wouldn't fire. I had it towed to my mechanic's garage.
The timing chain had broken. The technician said Thunder chicken had no compression. He did a leak down test and found that the engine was blown. Yes the broken chain had slain my bird. Get your's changed

3.9 Jag motor is not a interference motor so valve to piston breakage isn't a issue, I would get a second opinion it may just need new chain tensioners and resetting the the chain to correct timing positions. If the engine has no compression don't know how he can do a leakdown test.

 

[Tomstoy]

😵 Im sorry to hear that!! Are you going to repair/rebuild/or replace it?

 

[tigerpaw68]

This was a 2002. Should I be concerned about my 2005 timing chain with 20k on it?

 

[The Flash]

This was a 2002. Should I be concerned about my 2005 timing chain with 20k on it?

No. The timing chains are made of linked steel that wear out from use at about 100,000 to 120,000 miles.

 

[tigerpaw68]

No. The timing chains are made of linked steel that wear out from use at about 100,000 to 120,000 miles.

Thank you. That's what I thought. Timing belt is another animal altogether.

 

[hpreston]

Purchased 2004 T-Bird a few months ago. New to T-birds. Worried about timing belt/chain. Does this need to be replaced? If so, what mileage?

Much thanks
Harry