5.0 Injector Lifespan? Worth replacing during Timing Chain job?

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gsxr

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Lots of good insight here, thanks. Is it not alarming that this timing chain stretched beyond service limits in a little over 100k miles? Seems ridiculous to me.
Excessive chain stretch is very, very likely related to either incorrect oil being used (not meeting the JLR spec), and/or the oil not being changed at the proper intervals.
 

ktm525

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I suppose but even the availability of kits on the internet for 5-6 year old vehicles is a little scary. My Honda timing belts last 10 years lol..
 

gsxr

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I suppose but even the availability of kits on the internet for 5-6 year old vehicles is a little scary. My Honda timing belts last 10 years lol..
I think JLR was pushing the limits a bit too far in search of fuel economy. The reduced weight of a single-roller chain, combined with super thin oil pushed to extended drain intervals, leaves no margin for error. A double-roller chain would have been more robust but may have cost a few percent in MPG. Add an owner who is either too busy to change the oil on schedule, or too cheap to use the proper oil, and the results are ugly.

:vollkomme
 

SBrownE

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Not sure if the chain was stretched beyond the service limits, however its wear definitely contributed to the overall issues. I did see a technical service bulletin on tensioner replacement and chain wear associated with the rattling noise. It stated that replaced chains were evaluated by LR ( I assume the dealer sends back removed parts for evaluation) and within spec- not sure what the average mileage was or any other details.- At any rate, your assessment of ridiculousness is spot on, shouldn't have had the problem with the tensioners & guides in the first place. On the bright side, my repair was a total of about $1800 with at least $650 of that going to special bosch tools.
 

ktm525

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If mine ever starts to rattle I will let you come over and put those special tools to use again lol.
 

Saltyfly

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I got my LR4 back last night. The timing chain noise is 100% gone. My mechanic told me it’s now as quiet as a 5.0 gets. Aside from the faint tap tap tap from the injectors and high pressure fuel pumps, it’s as quiet as my LR3 4.4 was. I also no longer hear the engine at all when at a stop. All I hear is the exhaust note, instead of the awful rattle of the timing chain.

The drivability is also much improved, which could be from the new injectors or a timing chain that isn’t stretched. I’m sure the timing was quite a bit out of wack before. The top end Power was always fine, but my low and mid-range power seemed to be suffering. Before I had to really give it some gas to get it to accelerate. Now it takes off from the instant I press the accelerator. It is also noticeably smoother!

It’s pretty windy and rainy this morning, so I’ll get an ‘After’ video when the weather clears up.
 

Saltyfly

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Not sure if the chain was stretched beyond the service limits, however its wear definitely contributed to the overall issues. I did see a technical service bulletin on tensioner replacement and chain wear associated with the rattling noise. It stated that replaced chains were evaluated by LR ( I assume the dealer sends back removed parts for evaluation) and within spec- not sure what the average mileage was or any other details.- At any rate, your assessment of ridiculousness is spot on, shouldn't have had the problem with the tensioners & guides in the first place. On the bright side, my repair was a total of about $1800 with at least $650 of that going to special bosch tools.

I’m ultra impressed that you did this job your self! I’m an extreme DIY’er, but this job really made me uneasy.
 

SBrownE

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Thank you for your kind words- glad your LR4 is working great! I was a bit nervous to begin the project, however I spent quite a bit of time in preparation and planning- thankfully the execution was straight forward. Overall, my LR4 has been terrific and never given me a bit of trouble-I hope to get another 100K miles out of t!
 

ryanjl

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I got my LR4 back last night. The timing chain noise is 100% gone. My mechanic told me it’s now as quiet as a 5.0 gets. Aside from the faint tap tap tap from the injectors and high pressure fuel pumps, it’s as quiet as my LR3 4.4 was. I also no longer hear the engine at all when at a stop. All I hear is the exhaust note, instead of the awful rattle of the timing chain.

The drivability is also much improved, which could be from the new injectors or a timing chain that isn’t stretched. I’m sure the timing was quite a bit out of wack before. The top end Power was always fine, but my low and mid-range power seemed to be suffering. Before I had to really give it some gas to get it to accelerate. Now it takes off from the instant I press the accelerator. It is also noticeably smoother!

It’s pretty windy and rainy this morning, so I’ll get an ‘After’ video when the weather clears up.

Yeah, this is making me think I merely scared the **** out of myself and don't have an actual problem. Mine is silent at a stoplight and I really only ever heard a noise on startup. Probably just the fuel pump or something dumb.
 

cperez

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Yeah, this is making me think I merely scared the **** out of myself and don't have an actual problem. Mine is silent at a stoplight and I really only ever heard a noise on startup. Probably just the fuel pump or something dumb.

LOL and can empathize. A little knowledge can drive you nuts, like when you get a hangnail and go to WebMD and suddenly you start believing you have some rare painful terminal disease.
 

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