I just started hearing this chirping coming from my 5.0 engine. At first I thought I had to replace the belt or pulleys but after watching your video and following your steps the problem is now gone. Thank you very much for the clear and concise explanation.
Thank you so much just replaced water pump gonna have a new car fixing one problem at a time. Your videos are such a help!!! As a single mom rather do it myself than get scammed!
Bro, you are the man. Fixed my Mazda B3000 3.0 pick up in 15 minutes with 5W20 synthetic. Thank you very much for this. The funny thing is I'm a retired copier technician and most copiers use Phillips head and/or 5.5mm screws. I have magnetized 5.5mm drivers galore. Again thank you Sir.
Pulled cam synchro out for inspection at 120,000km. No appreciable wear but stiff to rotate. Drove out roll pin and pulled drive gear off shaft, very tight fit. Cleaned up shaft surface with crocus cloth and also cleaned out the bushings. Put shaft in drill press and bored .75 inch deep hole down into center and then cross drilled shaft to intersect this hole. Lube everything up and press gear back on, and install roll pin. Now a few drops of oil can be placed into the top of synchro shaft via the newly bored lube hole every several thousand km's. Be sure to de burr the cross hole and polish well with crocuses cloth and use compressed air to clear any swarf from boring operation. Should last life of the truck now. Mine had a steel pinion gear not nylon as has been reported by many others. I would only recommend this if you have needed drifts and support sleeves to remove and replace pinion gear, it is a press fit and a tight one at that. Don't forget to reference mark the pinion gear so it goes back in same orientation to the shaft.
Had this same problem with my 2008 ranger Sport 3.0, this really worked for me! I just unscrewed the two screws (the hard part) and shot a few drops down the inside and driving is nice and quiet now! It's amazing! Seriously do this before you take it to the shop! I could've saved some money. The only issue I had was that it really seems like ford intentionally made this thing hard to get to on mine.
Awesome tip. Replaced my belt, idler pulley and tensioner pulley, only to find it was the cam synchro. Ordered the part, but will take a week to get. This tip bought me some sanity until i can get the new one installed. Thanks.
I did the same thing. The non dealer mechanic I took it to, told me to replace belt and tensioner. Three weeks later the noise came back. I watched this video, bought the cam synchro at oreilly after market for half the price. Installed it myself, success. It is an easy job, about an hour if mech inclined.
Thanks very much. I had done what most had, replaced pulley bearings on my 5.0 '98 Explorer. Was about to get into the power steering when I watched your vid. To prevent the lubricant from draining away from the areas needing it, I figured the more viscous the lubricant, the better. I used a mix of 90 weight gear oil with a bit of Lucas assembly lube. The chirping bird has quieted up nicely! Again, thanks. I also found an issue that I wouldn't have found had I not been messing around in that area; there is a sensor, passenger side, about 3 inches aft of the cam sensor on the intake manifold. The 2 wires going to it had cracked/missing insulation. Looked like it'd gotten hot in that area. Fixed it as best I could without cutting any wires. I'm going to keep an eye on that area and may heat wrap it if I notice things deforming due to heat. I am at a loss though as to why it got that hot there. Maybe hot oil splashing on the underside? I don't know if these newer FI engines still have a heat port in the head, but the sensor would be in the vicinity if so. No heat discoloration on the manifold, and no evidence of a melted covering for those wires, except for a tiny, crisp bit right at the sensor.
Awesome video!!!! Wish I knew about this 4 years ago. I replaced the synchronizer on my 2005 Monterey with the 4.2. What a pain in the butt. Now my 2007 Freestar is starting to chirp. It's getting a small dose of the Motorcraft 5-20
A most excellent tip thank you for the idea. My son utilized this knowledge on my 08 4.2 f150. He modified the methodology by just loosening the coolant pipe, removal was not necessary as their was just enough space to remove the bolts holding the sensor in place. wiggle sensor out forward. No need to disconnect electrical connector or remove any coolant clamps or lines. Soak syncro with oil, replace sensor, reseat metal coolant pipe replace bolt and done. Way Cool.
I should have checked here first. I ended up replacing waterpump which probably needed it but the chirp is only happening when cold so I decided ill go ahead and replace the synchro. Great Video! Thanks.
Thanks! I wish I'd seen your video when I first bought my used van 5 months ago. The van had this same chirping sound and I ignored it because I thought it was from the car sitting for so long. The more I drove, the less frequently I heard the noise during initial crank up and warming. I now need to replace my camshaft position sensor and synchronizer.
Just happen to my truck 4.2 v6 hurd it at job and new what was cuz this machanic .i got it before it killed bushings. It was lot harder to do but saved me money love this channel I'm ford for life
I didn't have time or space to remove the sensor so I just drilled a hole in it and lubed the shaft bushing through the hole. Thank you Makuloco for showing that oiling the bushing would buy some time. Love your videos.
Great tip! 4.0L ohv on explorer is in the back, I have that truck.. I think the manifold has to come off. Years ago there were some issues with aftermarket ones...the roll pin would shear...and the oil pump would stop!
FordTechMakuloco Yeah the ford ones have a double roll pin. I would reuse it for an aftermarket. Aftermarket Dorman 4.6L intake manifolds with integral gaskets need RTV in the head holes where the old gasket locating pins are. Even dealers use them because they are durable and last. They changed the design to accommodate all 4.6L motors, and you get a vac leak because some intake ports straddle the holes. They may have the info in the instructions now, but was a pita to find. Years ago I installed them no problem, did one for a friend recently, had to redo.
Hi Brian - Thanks for this great tip to oil the cam synchronizer - my 2003 Windstar was making a louder noise - then ordered one from Rock Auto - if the noise ever happens again I will remember your tip of squirting a little oil under the cam sensor .
So glad I fornd this video I just replaced the cam synchronizer on a 3.0l in a 04 taurus and after a few months it started chirping like this and was thinking I would have to replace it again but now I will try this fix and see how long it lasts.
2004 mustang 3.9 v6 ---did the oil trick! it works like a charm! i did not blow it out not going to harm anything .iam going to replace it but for now its going to have to do till payday....lol saved my ass! and with -35 to -40 in canada prob. what dryed out the bushings...
Great vids. I'm not sure how I feel about oiling it, I'm on my 4th synchro. First one started chirping and the next day it caused the engine to buck real bad one time and started chirping very loud. May have binded and caused the cam to halt. Don't want to risk cam gear damage. Once I hear the chirp, I replace immediately. Also, there is some type of packing in there that keeps some grease (smells real bad). If you pull that tiny freeze plug on the side you can see the packing.
Jeep 4.0 version of this has a roll pin on the drive gear just knocked it out and disassembled then stuffed with assembly lube, well see if it's my new cam galling on cold start or just a cheap cam synchronizer.. 🤞 Nice and quiet once warm...
Man you should have done this on a Taurus! I just changed mine and the whole time I was asking myself "Shouldn't I be able to just oil this!?!?!?" Anyway I changed it and it's good to go now!
My 2004 Mercury Monterey just started doing this the synchronizer has a little freeze plug on it I wonder if you could pull it and put oil in there two. Thanks for the tip I will be trying this soon
I have replaced this part for the chirp sound. I was thinking when I pulled it that it didn’t look like it was lubed. I just started hearing rub / squeak. Lubed it this morning with a little Mobile 1 and no noise. Thanks for the video.
I put a ton of oil into the top, closed it up, and reassembled everything. I guess I forgot to sort of clean it out. Is it going to damage the sensor being full of oil in there? Also, when I put the intermediary oil pump shaft back into the Synchronizer.... Was it supposed to lock? It sort of held, but if you pulled on it it would have come out much easier than the way it was on the original one I took out. Kind of confused about that because it was sort of the easiest part putting it in and lining things up with my marks. No issue like tons of other people are saying about the hex shaft falling out or not sitting right. Does it rest on something at the bottom? ford 2005 f150 4.2l v6 camshaft Synchronizer intermediate oil pump shaft intermediary shaft
I'm about to buy a used 2004 ranger with a 4.0 SOHC v6. The symptoms seem identical to what youve said in the video however i'm not positive that that engine even has a camshaft synchronizer. In your experience, do the '04 4.0 V6 SOHC engines have this part? If they do then I'm sure the chirp is simply this issue and going to be an easy fix, if not I don't know if I should buy the truck. Any help would be massive, thanks.
i was able to pull of the plastic sensor cap... not easy to do on the windstar with all the hosing and return coolant line which is metal and hot! i used some MAF sensor spray to clean and wipe the top of the synchro. poured a few good size drops of oil on the top and replaced the cap. run the motor for about 5 min and the sound was the same.... do you think it may take a while for the oil to make its way down into the housing to get rid of that chirping sound? it sure sounds like the power steering pump bearing is going out... but then again, so many peeple replace pulleys and pumps and still have the sound.
I did something similar on my Vulcan. I have thought about drilling a small hole in the sensor and oiling via a syringe. A dab of RTV to plug the hole and then I could oil it every oil change. What on earth happened to the synchro you demo'd your oiling technique with? Oil pump locking up or something? I would hate to see that coming out of my engine! Cam gear probably didn't look too terribly good. Oh, and man I miss those Ford pushrod v8's. Nothing smoother or quieter. I sold my '68 Country Squire w/390 last year. Man that engine was velvet smooth. All you could hear was the fan. Nothing like the clattering and ticking threshing machine sounding engines of today.
use to work in a smal repair shop a customer came in with a 2002 Windstar 3.8 and the car was stalling but right before the engine stalled,you could heard a very high pitched belt noise, my boss replace the alternator, the A/C compressor and the belt i told him about the syncro of the camshaft but you know at the time i was 18 years old and i was mainly doing tire and oil change i didnt took my advise and give the car back to the customer. the next day the customer came back same problem and my boss orderde a brand new syncrhonizer install it and voila the van was perfect
Planned obsolescence at it's best. Thanks bean counters. This is a known problem that I think Ford engine designers hope would go away with overhead cam engines. Their hubris let them inherit cam phase issues instead. A splash lubrication channel engineered into the gear interface would have gone a long way to fix this issue.
I have a 2000 Taurus with 256k miles and mine never made a chirp.. However recently on a cold engine it sounds like a sewing machine above idle unless engine is warm. I did squirt some oil down in it and the sound went away but the center part does have some lateral play. I have purchased a new Motorcraft replacement and am wondering if I should go ahead and drop some oil down inside it before I install it in the engine.. Maybe prolong the life of it?
Hey man, want to start by saying thank you so much for this video. It fixed my problem in under an hour! When everything went back together though I have a high pitched, constant squeal. My guess is a vacuum leak from the throttle body? I have the rubber ring type gaskets, I did not remove/replace them when using throttle body cleaner on it, should I just reseat the throttle body and take more care in doing so,replace the gaskets or it's something else? I have been able to diagnose the sound coming from the throttle body specifically. Bear in mind before seeing your vid I had never even loosened a bolt on a car before.
I have a 2003 Winstar that started cherping recently and died once at a stoplight. If you replace the sycro do you need any special tools to calibrate / time it correctly or is it pretty much plug and play? Thanks!
Time it buddy.. And your engine may have been thrashed. The sync drives the oil pump. A roll pin holds the gear and if the pin goes, it'll die. Permanently.
I realize this video is older but I'm hoping you can still be persuaded to reply! 2014 Ford Flex. Two questions; If I ONLY hear the intermittent chirping while the car is actually moving but never while it is stopped or parked, is it still likely to be the synchronizer? And then, how long is this oiling trick good for...a few hundred miles, few thousand miles, etc? Thanks much, your video has been very helpful!
FordTechMakuloco Thank you for replying! Yes, I came to that conclusion yesterday when I was Googling to price out the part. Good news I guess, one less component to replace! Thanks again!
I have a 98 3.0 ranger, just swapped out this part, most things seem ok, but it bucks, and acts odd at 3k rpm, as well as a rough idle that is intermittent. I have an egr issue too. But probably gonna block that off as I'm getting a high intake temp as well..
Need to ask.. what kind of Oil should I use that are non flammable to put in my 2004 ford Freestar having the same chirping sound/noise coming from camshaft Synchronizer, I was just worried can any type of oil ignite and cause fire? It's a pain to get this synchronizer out and would like to try your way in this quick hack, please let me know, thanks
Cool idea. This is more of a temporary fix and replacement of the synchro is the permanent fix, right? My wife’s ’98 Mustang (3.8L) has a similar noise coming from the synchro/water pump area. It can be heard inside the cab on acceleration when warm. You mentioned adjustment of timing etc is needed if you replace the synchro. Is that just for the 5.0L motors or does the 3.8L need adjustment too? The factory service manual for my wife’s car implies that its just a swappable part (with the alignment tool). Thanks...
Yes it is swappable with the engine at TDC and the sensor tool at a certain degree etc so it is timing the sensor to the engine still which is easy to get wrong, unless you know my trick.
FordTechMakuloco, your trick? Do you mean oiling the bushings or are you referring to a trick to make installing a synchro easier? If the latter, do tell… or a link to a video. :-) Thanks...
The way I change synchros out is to mark everything we have done them for years like this never a problem even verified with an oscilloscope. I want to do a video on it but have not seen one recently and I have been looking. The one in the video I could not sell the guy because he was not even complaining of the noise I just did it for him since he was doing other work on the truck and is a good customer.
You saved my tail again! I went home, removed the sensor, gave it some oil, cleaned up the extra oil and like magic no more noise. I was stumped on the noise. I was checking water pump, idlers, and tensoners with no luck. I was just waiting for a total failure to find the problem. Thanks for the good work on your channel!!
I HAVE 214 CODE.....assuming it's cam sensor/synchronizer issue ...which it likely is.... I want to replace both of course since hassle tearing apart but for my 95 Explorer 4.0 ohv I'm having trouble finding/ confirming a synchronizer that will fit it being it's a stand alone animal in the 90's Ford range....do you have any insight on this? part number? I find some showing 93-95 but Ford master says only a 95 alone works on 95... ....I'm not having chirping so is it strong chance I can just change sensor alone?... it's surging/pulsing when accelerating....
Will this cause a 2002 Taurus not to start? It turns over and has good fuel pressure and spark just won’t start. It was running and then just died and now it just turns over. All help is appreciated.
Ford Taurus 2002 3.0L engine lost oil pressure intermittently noisy engine when oil light turns on can the cam synchronizer cause this since it drives the oil pump? also thanks for a good video for getting rid of chirp.
Question if I got the synchronizer one tooth out would it run like an old distributor engine and is there a such thing as turning it like a distributor for fine tuning . I`m wanting to do a 2002 3.0 engine and the haynes book says 37 degrees off center line but a number of vids are saying 70 degrees for that model so as you can see I want to do some learning for the project so as to be prepared. any comments will be appreciated thank you.
I have a question for you. I'm looking to replace A Camshaft Synchronizer on a 2007 For Taurus 3.0L and there are two different part numbers. One With a Step on Plug and one without. can you tell me what they are asking for. My best gust is the something to do with the two wire plug.
Last night I started to hear chirping then this afternoon my f150 4.2 started misfiring and stalling out. I'm thinking it might be the synchronizer but I thought Ford fixed this problem by directing some oil up to that bearing in the later models.
trying this before I change it out. mine has a quiet intermittent chirp randomly. can't pinpoint where it's coming from and no codes. if it stops then I'll know...
*update* swapped it out and the chirp is still there. I got curious and tightened the bolt on the harmonic balancer and it got quieter. it's either bad or I need to tighten more. don't have a holding tool yet.
I have a2003 Ford crown Victoria. it won't start it just clicks. last time it done this the little guy who fixed it said it had to do with the alarm. how can I fix it myself. please help.
it could be a dead battery, or a problem with the starter motor; do you use the car in a regular way?, or maybe you leave somo accesory on that made the battery died.
What does a camshaft synchronizer actually do? I have a 4.2 L and I am having a hard time finding any video Repairs on It. I love the 6 cyl eng. Have you ever heard of a souped up six. I would love to do that for my truck F150 ov course. Thanks, love your channel. very informative.
My '03 Taurus SES vulcan was bucking especially at highway speed and stalling at idle, and now when I start it up, it dies immediately. I was hearing a chirp near the transaxle, so I removed the camshaft synchro and it has a little up and down play and has a slight squeak, but isn't chipped up on the gears and the rotating metal tab isn't eating into the camshaft position sensor or otherwise tore up. It still spins freely for me.... Also, I was using a quart of oil every 600 miles, and the Egr valve stuck open and melted a hole in the intake plenum. After this happened the car wouldn't run at all, just starts and immediately dies. The plastic intake is somewhat oily inside. Since I was getting the P0420 code more and more frequently, I dropped the Y pipe and can't see any evidence of oil entering the cats. I used cotton swabs and they're bone dry, all I get is a little orange rust dust. The exact same thing is true for the EGR pickup tube. I just turned over 100k miles. I'd like to get a compression test done, and I'm not sure at this point if it's valves, injectors, or fuel pump related.... Any thoughts? Thank you!
EGR valve stuck open prevented my S15 from starting at all, I'm going to assume the same for your vehicle. Just unplug the solenoid and remove the vacuum line from the EGR side of the solenoid and blow into it, that should close it. I imagine after 7 months you've fixed it.
I have a ford freestar 4.2liter motor it has a grinding noise from engine when cold after heating up it calms down but never goes completely away any thoughts
+Cody Wichman Mark everything before removing and simply align the same marks going back in. That is the only way that I have done them. Also be sure to mark the block the housing mark.
Can you replace a cam sensor for a distributor? I bought an old 94 4.0l ranger and the cam sensor has no wiring harness, I'm assuming there was an engine swap at some point
thanks for this great video, i have a 2001 ford windstar that I was rattling my brain on trying to figure this out. Synchro needs to be oiled and if that doesn't do the trick replacement. Any recommendations on how to hand crank the engine to get TDC?
My 03 Ford Taurus is making that exact same noise, can I lube it with oil without putting it from its home? I mean can I just take the camshaft position sensor off and lube it where it sits?
i have the 01 taurus and i just took of the cam sensor and squirt some oil in the synchro. without taking the synchro out. so far its been about 1-2k miles later and still running fine no more squeak.
Hey, I have a 96 Ranger with the 3.0L, just picked it up a month ago for my Son. The check engine light was on when I brought it home, & it showed the camshaft code. I cleared the code, & immediately tried oiling the synchro bushings, like you suggested. The engine light stayed off for approx. 100 miles is all. But, besides the engine light coming on, it seems to be running fine. No chirping noise at all, that I've noticed. Also, when I removed the sensor to oil it, it looked as if it was in good condition. As far as the engine goes, I have noticed a couple of "extra rotations" of the engine, when the key is turned off. Is that related? Is there a chance, that even though the sensor looked okay, it is what is throwing the code? Or does it sound synchro related? Any Thoughts, are greatly appreciated! Thank You! Steve
Hello there good sir my name is Patrick. If you’re there, you may help guide me through the saga I’ve had recently. I have a ‘99 Ford Ranger 4.0L V6, I had the synchronizer replaced due to the chirping sound. Unfortunately I had the check engine light pop on and I keep getting the code P1309. They warrantied the part so they replaced the synchronizer and once again the check engine light came on and the same code. I’ve noticed some jolting or shaking type feel when accelerating. Is the synchronizer misaligned, or the timing is off? I just hope the third time is the charm with these guys, I’m over going back for this one part. Thank you for reading this if you did! :)
Does this work for the 2010 f150 4.6 3v. I ordered all new pulleys, tensioner and belt but the video sounds just like mine. Light squeal till it warms up then everything is fine. 116k on the truck. Hoping the new belt and pulleys well fix it. Thanks for all your videos.
How long will it go before you need to re-lube? My 3.0L V-6 Cam Synchronizer is a PITA to get to, so depending on how often I have to re-lube, might be better to just replace?
Poured a few drops of 5W-20 on a Ford Freestar 5 years ago. No more chirping nor stalling (it WAS causing stalling while driving). I'll probably oil it a bit more this summer.
Hey Brian, I hope you read this and reply. My CAM SYNCHRONIZER-CS was a lot louder than in your video (07 F-150, 4.2 V6, 148K miles). I bought a SPECTRA PREMIUM CS with a lifetime warranty. Being it has a lifetime warranty, do you think that SPECTRA might have fixed the problem of the CS ever squeaking again? I would think that they can seal the bushings with a lifetime of oil captured in this space.
Is it’s stick shift ? Might be throw out bearing, also you’ll hear a chirp when water pump is starting to go out. Assuming you already checked all pullies and belt.
The greatest value I get from RUclips is/are these repair videos. Saved me a ton of worry and $$.
You are "Chep" 😅
I just started hearing this chirping coming from my 5.0 engine. At first I thought I had to replace the belt or pulleys but after watching your video and following your steps the problem is now gone. Thank you very much for the clear and concise explanation.
Thank you so much just replaced water pump gonna have a new car fixing one problem at a time. Your videos are such a help!!! As a single mom rather do it myself than get scammed!
Bro, you are the man. Fixed my Mazda B3000 3.0 pick up in 15 minutes with 5W20 synthetic. Thank you very much for this. The funny thing is I'm a retired copier technician and most copiers use Phillips head and/or 5.5mm screws. I have magnetized 5.5mm drivers galore. Again thank you Sir.
life saver even 6 years later, helping people out, you're awesome, man
do you just use the motor oil for your own car?
@@izmanradzi2970 I think any works, I just used a little I had left in the bottom of a bottle I had leftover from the last oil change I did.
Pulled cam synchro out for inspection at 120,000km. No appreciable wear but stiff to rotate. Drove out roll pin and pulled drive gear off shaft, very tight fit. Cleaned up shaft surface with crocus cloth and also cleaned out the bushings. Put shaft in drill press and bored .75 inch deep hole down into center and then cross drilled shaft to intersect this hole. Lube everything up and press gear back on, and install roll pin. Now a few drops of oil can be placed into the top of synchro shaft via the newly bored lube hole every several thousand km's. Be sure to de burr the cross hole and polish well with crocuses cloth and use compressed air to clear any swarf from boring operation.
Should last life of the truck now. Mine had a steel pinion gear not nylon as has been reported by many others. I would only recommend this if you have needed drifts and support sleeves to remove and replace pinion gear, it is a press fit and a tight one at that.
Don't forget to reference mark the pinion gear so it goes back in same orientation to the shaft.
Had this same problem with my 2008 ranger Sport 3.0, this really worked for me! I just unscrewed the two screws (the hard part) and shot a few drops down the inside and driving is nice and quiet now! It's amazing! Seriously do this before you take it to the shop! I could've saved some money. The only issue I had was that it really seems like ford intentionally made this thing hard to get to on mine.
How long did it last? Thanks.
Awesome tip. Replaced my belt, idler pulley and tensioner pulley, only to find it was the cam synchro. Ordered the part, but will take a week to get. This tip bought me some sanity until i can get the new one installed. Thanks.
I did the same thing. The non dealer mechanic I took it to, told me to replace belt and tensioner. Three weeks later the noise came back. I watched this video, bought the cam synchro at oreilly after market for half the price. Installed it myself, success. It is an easy job, about an hour if mech inclined.
Thanks very much. I had done what most had, replaced pulley bearings on my 5.0 '98 Explorer. Was about to get into the power steering when I watched your vid. To prevent the lubricant from draining away from the areas needing it, I figured the more viscous the lubricant, the better. I used a mix of 90 weight gear oil with a bit of Lucas assembly lube. The chirping bird has quieted up nicely! Again, thanks. I also found an issue that I wouldn't have found had I not been messing around in that area; there is a sensor, passenger side, about 3 inches aft of the cam sensor on the intake manifold. The 2 wires going to it had cracked/missing insulation. Looked like it'd gotten hot in that area. Fixed it as best I could without cutting any wires. I'm going to keep an eye on that area and may heat wrap it if I notice things deforming due to heat. I am at a loss though as to why it got that hot there. Maybe hot oil splashing on the underside? I don't know if these newer FI engines still have a heat port in the head, but the sensor would be in the vicinity if so. No heat discoloration on the manifold, and no evidence of a melted covering for those wires, except for a tiny, crisp bit right at the sensor.
Awesome video!!!! Wish I knew about this 4 years ago. I replaced the synchronizer on my 2005 Monterey with the 4.2. What a pain in the butt. Now my 2007 Freestar is starting to chirp. It's getting a small dose of the Motorcraft 5-20
A most excellent tip thank you for the idea. My son utilized this knowledge on my 08 4.2 f150. He modified the methodology by just loosening the coolant pipe, removal was not necessary as their was just enough space to remove the bolts holding the sensor in place. wiggle sensor out forward. No need to disconnect electrical connector or remove any coolant clamps or lines. Soak syncro with oil, replace sensor, reseat metal coolant pipe replace bolt and done. Way Cool.
I should have checked here first. I ended up replacing waterpump which probably needed it but the chirp is only happening when cold so I decided ill go ahead and replace the synchro. Great Video! Thanks.
+Stephen Chandler Hahah I was right about to change the water pump, then the day of I seen this video....
Thanks! I wish I'd seen your video when I first bought my used van 5 months ago. The van had this same chirping sound and I ignored it because I thought it was from the car sitting for so long. The more I drove, the less frequently I heard the noise during initial crank up and warming. I now need to replace my camshaft position sensor and synchronizer.
Just happen to my truck 4.2 v6 hurd it at job and new what was cuz this machanic .i got it before it killed bushings. It was lot harder to do but saved me money love this channel I'm ford for life
I didn't have time or space to remove the sensor so I just drilled a hole in it and lubed the shaft bushing through the hole. Thank you Makuloco for showing that oiling the bushing would buy some time. Love your videos.
Great tip! 4.0L ohv on explorer is in the back, I have that truck.. I think the manifold has to come off. Years ago there were some issues with aftermarket ones...the roll pin would shear...and the oil pump would stop!
alb12345672 Awesome fix one thing to have another problem I really hate the aftermarket sometimes.
FordTechMakuloco Yeah the ford ones have a double roll pin. I would reuse it for an aftermarket. Aftermarket Dorman 4.6L intake manifolds with integral gaskets need RTV in the head holes where the old gasket locating pins are. Even dealers use them because they are durable and last. They changed the design to accommodate all 4.6L motors, and you get a vac leak because some intake ports straddle the holes. They may have the info in the instructions now, but was a pita to find. Years ago I installed them no problem, did one for a friend recently, had to redo.
I replaced this part on my 2006 Taurus for the same noise, wish I had know this tip back then. Great video thanks!
Thank you for this Ford tip, I have a 01 Windstar 3.8L. Loud sqeek squeel with the surpentine belt removed. I am going to replace the Syncro housing.
Hi Brian -
Thanks for this great tip to oil the cam synchronizer - my 2003 Windstar was making a louder noise - then ordered one from Rock Auto - if the noise ever happens again I will remember your tip of squirting a little oil under the cam sensor .
Thank you! My mechanic did this and I was a little nervous about it. I feel better now and the car isn't chirping any more.
So glad I fornd this video I just replaced the cam synchronizer on a 3.0l in a 04 taurus and after a few months it started chirping like this and was thinking I would have to replace it again but now I will try this fix and see how long it lasts.
Yes, I have to do this to my mustang about once every three years or so. Its good to use some thick gear lube if you have any on hand.
Great Video. Have had much lasting luck using STP leaving unit in place and oiling as you show.
2004 mustang 3.9 v6 ---did the oil trick! it works like a charm! i did not blow it out not going to harm anything .iam going to replace it but for now its going to have to do till payday....lol saved my ass! and with -35 to -40 in canada prob. what dryed out the bushings...
Great vids. I'm not sure how I feel about oiling it, I'm on my 4th synchro. First one started chirping and the next day it caused the engine to buck real bad one time and started chirping very loud. May have binded and caused the cam to halt. Don't want to risk cam gear damage. Once I hear the chirp, I replace immediately. Also, there is some type of packing in there that keeps some grease (smells real bad). If you pull that tiny freeze plug on the side you can see the packing.
Jeep 4.0 version of this has a roll pin on the drive gear just knocked it out and disassembled then stuffed with assembly lube, well see if it's my new cam galling on cold start or just a cheap cam synchronizer.. 🤞
Nice and quiet once warm...
Thanks mate, you saved me a fair few dollars and a lot of time with this vid
Man you should have done this on a Taurus! I just changed mine and the whole time I was asking myself "Shouldn't I be able to just oil this!?!?!?" Anyway I changed it and it's good to go now!
Thank you, this noise was driving me crazy. I can now return my pulleys.
Worked like a charm THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS! Blessings to you sir.
My 2004 Mercury Monterey just started doing this the synchronizer has a little freeze plug on it I wonder if you could pull it and put oil in there two. Thanks for the tip I will be trying this soon
That's the noise I 've been looking for. Thanks, thought it was throw out bearing on trans.
I have replaced this part for the chirp sound. I was thinking when I pulled it that it didn’t look like it was lubed. I just started hearing rub / squeak. Lubed it this morning with a little Mobile 1 and no noise. Thanks for the video.
The drive gear looks a wreck - are you sure you put this one back in the car or did you use it for an example and leave the one in the car in the car?
I put a ton of oil into the top, closed it up, and reassembled everything. I guess I forgot to sort of clean it out. Is it going to damage the sensor being full of oil in there?
Also, when I put the intermediary oil pump shaft back into the Synchronizer.... Was it supposed to lock? It sort of held, but if you pulled on it it would have come out much easier than the way it was on the original one I took out. Kind of confused about that because it was sort of the easiest part putting it in and lining things up with my marks. No issue like tons of other people are saying about the hex shaft falling out or not sitting right. Does it rest on something at the bottom?
ford 2005 f150 4.2l v6 camshaft Synchronizer intermediate oil pump shaft intermediary shaft
Totally fixed my 3.8l Mustang. Thank You!!!!
I'm about to buy a used 2004 ranger with a 4.0 SOHC v6. The symptoms seem identical to what youve said in the video however i'm not positive that that engine even has a camshaft synchronizer. In your experience, do the '04 4.0 V6 SOHC engines have this part? If they do then I'm sure the chirp is simply this issue and going to be an easy fix, if not I don't know if I should buy the truck. Any help would be massive, thanks.
i was able to pull of the plastic sensor cap... not easy to do on the windstar with all the hosing and return coolant line which is metal and hot!
i used some MAF sensor spray to clean and wipe the top of the synchro. poured a few good size drops of oil on the top and replaced the cap.
run the motor for about 5 min and the sound was the same.... do you think it may take a while for the oil to make its way down into the housing to get rid of that chirping sound? it sure sounds like the power steering pump bearing is going out... but then again, so many peeple replace pulleys and pumps and still have the sound.
I did something similar on my Vulcan. I have thought about drilling a small hole in the sensor and oiling via a syringe. A dab of RTV to plug the hole and then I could oil it every oil change. What on earth happened to the synchro you demo'd your oiling technique with? Oil pump locking up or something? I would hate to see that coming out of my engine! Cam gear probably didn't look too terribly good. Oh, and man I miss those Ford pushrod v8's. Nothing smoother or quieter. I sold my '68 Country Squire w/390 last year. Man that engine was velvet smooth. All you could hear was the fan. Nothing like the clattering and ticking threshing machine sounding engines of today.
The 390 was a beast!
use to work in a smal repair shop a customer came in with a 2002 Windstar 3.8 and the car was stalling but right before the engine stalled,you could heard a very high pitched belt noise, my boss replace the alternator, the A/C compressor and the belt i told him about the syncro of the camshaft but you know at the time i was 18 years old and i was mainly doing tire and oil change i didnt took my advise and give the car back to the customer. the next day the customer came back same problem
and my boss orderde a brand new syncrhonizer install it and voila the van was perfect
Jonathan Lessard I have only seen windstars get that bad where they buck from a worn synchro.
Great video! What if you have a ‘94 f150 5.0 with a distributor and are having the same problem?
Planned obsolescence at it's best. Thanks bean counters. This is a known problem that I think Ford engine designers hope would go away with overhead cam engines. Their hubris let them inherit cam phase issues instead. A splash lubrication channel engineered into the gear interface would have gone a long way to fix this issue.
I have a 2000 Taurus with 256k miles and mine never made a chirp.. However recently on a cold engine it sounds like a sewing machine above idle unless engine is warm. I did squirt some oil down in it and the sound went away but the center part does have some lateral play. I have purchased a new Motorcraft replacement and am wondering if I should go ahead and drop some oil down inside it before I install it in the engine.. Maybe prolong the life of it?
Will this same type procedure work for the OBD1 214 code on a 94 Ranger 4.0?
hello Sir,can you help me pls,my car is 2005 ford freestar,the problem is,there is oil coming out from the camshaft synchronizer.what should i do?
If its not coming from the lower o-ring then I would replace it.
Hey man, want to start by saying thank you so much for this video. It fixed my problem in under an hour! When everything went back together though I have a high pitched, constant squeal. My guess is a vacuum leak from the throttle body? I have the rubber ring type gaskets, I did not remove/replace them when using throttle body cleaner on it, should I just reseat the throttle body and take more care in doing so,replace the gaskets or it's something else? I have been able to diagnose the sound coming from the throttle body specifically. Bear in mind before seeing your vid I had never even loosened a bolt on a car before.
Did you managed to fix it?
Have a 2001 Ford Taurus gear shifter moves, but doesn't shift into gear when moved from drive to reverse, nuetral, etc. just remains in idle???
+Diana Olson See my other video on the transmission pump shaft.
+Diana Olson ruclips.net/video/bx6gTl16SMI/видео.html
I have a 2003 Winstar that started cherping recently and died once at a stoplight. If you replace the sycro do you need any special tools to calibrate / time it correctly or is it pretty much plug and play?
Thanks!
Time it buddy.. And your engine may have been thrashed. The sync drives the oil pump. A roll pin holds the gear and if the pin goes, it'll die. Permanently.
I realize this video is older but I'm hoping you can still be persuaded to reply! 2014 Ford Flex. Two questions; If I ONLY hear the intermittent chirping while the car is actually moving but never while it is stopped or parked, is it still likely to be the synchronizer? And then, how long is this oiling trick good for...a few hundred miles, few thousand miles, etc? Thanks much, your video has been very helpful!
No your car does not have a synchronizer like this.
FordTechMakuloco Thank you for replying! Yes, I came to that conclusion yesterday when I was Googling to price out the part. Good news I guess, one less component to replace! Thanks again!
This video helped me so much! Worked perfect! Ty!
I have a 98 3.0 ranger, just swapped out this part, most things seem ok, but it bucks, and acts odd at 3k rpm, as well as a rough idle that is intermittent. I have an egr issue too. But probably gonna block that off as I'm getting a high intake temp as well..
Need to ask.. what kind of Oil should I use that are non flammable to put in my 2004 ford Freestar having the same chirping sound/noise coming from camshaft Synchronizer, I was just worried can any type of oil ignite and cause fire? It's a pain to get this synchronizer out and would like to try your way in this quick hack, please let me know, thanks
I put a few drops of 5W-20 5 years ago in my 2004 Ford Freestar. No more chirping, no more stalling while driving ever since.
Cool idea. This is more of a temporary fix and replacement of the synchro is the permanent fix, right? My wife’s ’98 Mustang (3.8L) has a similar noise coming from the synchro/water pump area. It can be heard inside the cab on acceleration when warm.
You mentioned adjustment of timing etc is needed if you replace the synchro. Is that just for the 5.0L motors or does the 3.8L need adjustment too? The factory service manual for my wife’s car implies that its just a swappable part (with the alignment tool). Thanks...
Yes it is swappable with the engine at TDC and the sensor tool at a certain degree etc so it is timing the sensor to the engine still which is easy to get wrong, unless you know my trick.
FordTechMakuloco, your trick? Do you mean oiling the bushings or are you referring to a trick to make installing a synchro easier? If the latter, do tell… or a link to a video. :-) Thanks...
The way I change synchros out is to mark everything we have done them for years like this never a problem even verified with an oscilloscope. I want to do a video on it but have not seen one recently and I have been looking. The one in the video I could not sell the guy because he was not even complaining of the noise I just did it for him since he was doing other work on the truck and is a good customer.
Will this cause the engine to fail and die. Cause i still had power, but the eng8ne didnt want to move for a little bit.
Thanks but I think mine might be to fat gone but I hope not. One guy Saud it can ruin the engine is that right??? Help please
Excellent tip, thanks for your help.
great video. do you have a video of the reinstall?
This is probably a silly question, but what type of oil do you use for this?
Brittany Brilliant Any engine oil 5w-20 5w-30 etc.
That's basically the lower half of the old style distributor. Will this trick help the old distributor too? Thanks.
alvarowanda Yes it is basically, so I would imagine it would help those too although I have never heard those make noises.
I have the same sound on my 05 4.2 v6. I will give it a try.
You saved my tail again! I went home, removed the sensor, gave it some oil, cleaned up the extra oil and like magic no more noise. I was stumped on the noise. I was checking water pump, idlers, and tensoners with no luck. I was just waiting for a total failure to find the problem. Thanks for the good work on your channel!!
I HAVE 214 CODE.....assuming it's cam sensor/synchronizer issue ...which it likely is.... I want to replace both of course since hassle tearing apart but for my 95 Explorer 4.0 ohv I'm having trouble finding/ confirming a synchronizer that will fit it being it's a stand alone animal in the 90's Ford range....do you have any insight on this? part number? I find some showing 93-95 but Ford master says only a 95 alone works on 95... ....I'm not having chirping so is it strong chance I can just change sensor alone?... it's surging/pulsing when accelerating....
Will this cause a 2002 Taurus not to start? It turns over and has good fuel pressure and spark just won’t start. It was running and then just died and now it just turns over. All help is appreciated.
no
Ford Taurus 2002 3.0L engine lost oil pressure intermittently noisy engine when oil light turns on can the cam synchronizer
cause this since it drives the oil pump? also thanks for a good video for getting rid of chirp.
Yes. The gear is not interfacing right. Change it asap
Hey, I got it changed, however, The new one squeaks louder than the old one. Any ideas?
Was it a Ford unit?
@@FordTechMakuloco No, I purchased it from Advance Auto Parts. I believe it's CarQuest brand.
There is the problem.
Question if I got the synchronizer one tooth out would it run like an old distributor engine and is there a such thing as turning it like a distributor for fine tuning . I`m wanting to do a 2002 3.0 engine and the haynes book says 37 degrees off center line but a number of vids are saying 70 degrees for that model so as you can see I want to do some learning for the project so as to be prepared. any comments will be appreciated thank you.
I have a question for you. I'm looking to replace A Camshaft Synchronizer on a 2007 For Taurus 3.0L and there are two different part numbers. One With a Step on Plug and one without. can you tell me what they are asking for. My best gust is the something to do with the two wire plug.
Last night I started to hear chirping then this afternoon my f150 4.2 started misfiring and stalling out. I'm thinking it might be the synchronizer but I thought Ford fixed this problem by directing some oil up to that bearing in the later models.
trying this before I change it out. mine has a quiet intermittent chirp randomly. can't pinpoint where it's coming from and no codes. if it stops then I'll know...
*update* swapped it out and the chirp is still there. I got curious and tightened the bolt on the harmonic balancer and it got quieter. it's either bad or I need to tighten more. don't have a holding tool yet.
I have a2003 Ford crown Victoria. it won't start it just clicks. last time it done this the little guy who fixed it said it had to do with the alarm. how can I fix it myself. please help.
it could be a dead battery, or a problem with the starter motor; do you use the car in a regular way?, or maybe you leave somo accesory on that made the battery died.
What does a camshaft synchronizer actually do? I have a 4.2 L and I am having a hard time finding any video Repairs on It. I love the 6 cyl eng. Have you ever heard of a souped up six. I would love to do that for my truck F150 ov course. Thanks, love your channel. very informative.
My '03 Taurus SES vulcan was bucking especially at highway speed and stalling at idle, and now when I start it up, it dies immediately. I was hearing a chirp near the transaxle, so I removed the camshaft synchro and it has a little up and down play and has a slight squeak, but isn't chipped up on the gears and the rotating metal tab isn't eating into the camshaft position sensor or otherwise tore up. It still spins freely for me.... Also, I was using a quart of oil every 600 miles, and the Egr valve stuck open and melted a hole in the intake plenum. After this happened the car wouldn't run at all, just starts and immediately dies. The plastic intake is somewhat oily inside. Since I was getting the P0420 code more and more frequently, I dropped the Y pipe and can't see any evidence of oil entering the cats. I used cotton swabs and they're bone dry, all I get is a little orange rust dust. The exact same thing is true for the EGR pickup tube. I just turned over 100k miles. I'd like to get a compression test done, and I'm not sure at this point if it's valves, injectors, or fuel pump related.... Any thoughts? Thank you!
EGR valve stuck open prevented my S15 from starting at all, I'm going to assume the same for your vehicle. Just unplug the solenoid and remove the vacuum line from the EGR side of the solenoid and blow into it, that should close it. I imagine after 7 months you've fixed it.
I have a ford freestar 4.2liter motor it has a grinding noise from engine when cold after heating up it calms down but never goes completely away any thoughts
do you think it would be a good idea to lube a new one for install, when replacing one?
+Cody Wichman A squirt or so is all on a new one.
Any tips on a faster alignment procedure
+Cody Wichman Mark everything before removing and simply align the same marks going back in. That is the only way that I have done them. Also be sure to mark the block the housing mark.
wow was a lifesaver for me thank you so much.
Idk if mine was making noise, but I lube it anyway for preventive maintenance
Can you replace a cam sensor for a distributor? I bought an old 94 4.0l ranger and the cam sensor has no wiring harness, I'm assuming there was an engine swap at some point
thanks for this great video, i have a 2001 ford windstar that I was rattling my brain on trying to figure this out. Synchro needs to be oiled and if that doesn't do the trick replacement. Any recommendations on how to hand crank the engine to get TDC?
Michael McMahon Skip the tdc and mark everything on the old synchro before you remove it.
AMIGO U SAVED MY A$$...GREAT STUFF SUBD!!
My 03 Ford Taurus is making that exact same noise, can I lube it with oil without putting it from its home? I mean can I just take the camshaft position sensor off and lube it where it sits?
i have the 01 taurus and i just took of the cam sensor and squirt some oil in the synchro. without taking the synchro out. so far its been about 1-2k miles later and still running fine no more squeak.
@@safeway2008 thank you for responding, I think I'm going to try that
just an update 7 months later same cam synchro that i oiled (not replaced) still running fine 5-6 k more miles later.
Hey, I have a 96 Ranger with the 3.0L, just picked it up a month ago for my Son. The check engine light was on when I brought it home, & it showed the camshaft code. I cleared the code, & immediately tried oiling the synchro bushings, like you suggested. The engine light stayed off for approx. 100 miles is all. But, besides the engine light coming on, it seems to be running fine. No chirping noise at all, that I've noticed. Also, when I removed the sensor to oil it, it looked as if it was in good condition. As far as the engine goes, I have noticed a couple of "extra rotations" of the engine, when the key is turned off. Is that related? Is there a chance, that even though the sensor looked okay, it is what is throwing the code? Or does it sound synchro related? Any Thoughts, are greatly appreciated!
Thank You!
Steve
Hello there good sir my name is Patrick. If you’re there, you may help guide me through the saga I’ve had recently. I have a ‘99 Ford Ranger 4.0L V6, I had the synchronizer replaced due to the chirping sound. Unfortunately I had the check engine light pop on and I keep getting the code P1309. They warrantied the part so they replaced the synchronizer and once again the check engine light came on and the same code. I’ve noticed some jolting or shaking type feel when accelerating. Is the synchronizer misaligned, or the timing is off? I just hope the third time is the charm with these guys, I’m over going back for this one part. Thank you for reading this if you did! :)
poured some 75/90 VIA a small diameter vacuum hose N let it soak in......N Waaaaaalaaaaaa! GRACIAS AGAIN AMIGO!!
Does this work for the 2010 f150 4.6 3v. I ordered all new pulleys, tensioner and belt but the video sounds just like mine. Light squeal till it warms up then everything is fine. 116k on the truck. Hoping the new belt and pulleys well fix it. Thanks for all your videos.
No yours does not have this, belts and pulleys should be the fix on your engine.
My 00 Taurus oil light blinks when at idle. People are saying to replace the cam syncro sensor...not sure at all
Did you ever figure it out ? In this situation, it is because of a chirping sound.
it is necessary to remove the camshaft to put oil,or it is possible to remove just the sensor then just put oil?pls help me?
Just pull sensor and squirt the oil directly into synchronizer.
Aftermarket synchronizer (like SMP or Spectra) is ok over Motorcraft?
No
How long will it go before you need to re-lube? My 3.0L V-6 Cam Synchronizer is a PITA to get to, so depending on how often I have to re-lube, might be better to just replace?
Poured a few drops of 5W-20 on a Ford Freestar 5 years ago. No more chirping nor stalling (it WAS causing stalling while driving). I'll probably oil it a bit more this summer.
Hey Brian, I hope you read this and reply.
My CAM SYNCHRONIZER-CS was a lot louder than in your video (07 F-150, 4.2 V6, 148K miles). I bought a SPECTRA PREMIUM CS with a lifetime warranty. Being it has a lifetime warranty, do you think that SPECTRA might have fixed the problem of the CS ever squeaking again? I would think that they can seal the bushings with a lifetime of oil captured in this space.
No. The sensor just tells the ecm when to fire the plugs/injector. The whole unit should be swapped.
Will a 1998 Ford Explorer 4.0 Cam Shaft Sensor work on a 2000 Ford Explorer 4.0
bo-garret nadig SOHC or OHV
What kind of oil do we put in there
+gamingedit engine oil
It looks like I can do this... but, I'm still going to order one anyway. Thank you for the tip.
mine makes that sound when idling its vary faint..but when i give it gas its very loud lol funny this vid jus poped up
could this cause misfires on a 04 ford taurus
+Mike Thomas in general no not by itself. When these fail bad you will have many more issues like noise, surging etc.
Is there one on the 2.3 I have a chirp
Do we use motor oil or WD40 to lubricate it?
Engine oil
I have a 4.2 and had the cam shaft synchronizer changed and still have the chirp noise
Is it’s stick shift ? Might be throw out bearing, also you’ll hear a chirp when water pump is starting to go out. Assuming you already checked all pullies and belt.
Will this work on a 4.2L f150? 2007
i got a P1309 code on a mazda b3000. is this the cam synchro?
Solved the problem in my 3.8.
Can I pour oil
In place?