99 ford ranger v6 3.0 my timing chain was wore out and slipped a tooth how do i get it back in time

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/352238-timing-a-1997-2-3-liter.html

Les, The chain in the 2.3 is to last as long as the engine, normally if some thing was to happen, chain guides would wear first and you would likely here a rattling noise that would alert you to have things checked. This engine is known as an interference engine, meaning if chain did slip/break, it could cause real damage to engine valve train and pistons. If it would give you piece of mind and you have over 200,000 on it, have i changed. Check the attached links,instruction and guides, Good luck
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Timing Chain Replace Mileage Ranger Forums The Ultimate Ford Ranger...
Repair Guides Engine Mechanical Components Timing Chain Cover AutoZone com
Motor Ford 2 3 Lts 16 Sincronizacin Timing chain kit installation

Something wore out or broke

Look for some Youtube videos on this repair. If I remember correctly the links on this chain have different color metal for the spots that the cam tooth goes against. When each side is in the proper tooth the right and left colored links will be on the cam mark and the crank mark should be on the timing TDC mark. Sounds like the slack you describe is wrong and a tooth is off because the tensioner is allowing slack.. You need to slip a tooth one way or the other until the tensioner has room to be in a neutral position.

THE TIMING CHAIN HAS TO HAVE SKIPPED A TOOTH UNLESS THE DISTRIBUTOR HAS BEEN DISTURBED. IF THE DISTRIBUTOR WAS REMOVED THEN IT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED AND PUT BACK IN PLACE CORRECTLY BY FINDING TOP DEAD CENTER ON THE COMPRESSION STROKE ON CYLINDER NUMBER ONE AND HAVE THE ROTOR CONTACT POINT AT THAT PLUG WIRE WHEN YOU DROP THE DISTRIBUTOR BACK IN PLACE.

If you are referring to the ignition timing, then there is a fault in the engine. The timing chain or belt should not be loose enough to jump a tooth. You are going to need to replace the belt or chain and ALSO find out why it was loose. In the case of a belt, it could just be due to age but unlikely as they are made to not stretch too much.

The crankshaft position sensor (CKP) and Camshaft position sensor (CMP) work in harmony to control the spark/fuel delivery and timing. They both consist of a reluctor, or tone, ring which passes over a magnetic sensor, which generates a voltage, indicating position.

The crankshaft sensor is part of the primary ignition system and functions as the "trigger". It detects the position of the crankshaft relays that information on to the PCM or the ignition module (depending on the vehicle) to control spark timing. The Camshaft position sensor detects the position of the camshafts and relays the information to the PCM. The PCM uses the CMP signal to identify the beginning of the injector sequence. What ties these two shafts and their sensors together is the timing belt or chain. The cam and crank should be precisely timed together. If the PCM detects that the Crank and Cam signals are out of time by a specific number of degrees, this P0016 code will set.

Causes may include:
Timing chain stretched, or timing belt skipped a tooth due to wear
Misalignment of timing belt/chain
Tone ring on crankshaft slipped/broken
Tone ring on camshaft slipped/broken
Bad crank sensor
Bad cam sensor
Damaged wiring to crank/cam sensor
Timing belt/chain tensioner damaged

First, visually inspect the cam and crank sensors and their harnesses for damage. If you notice broken/frayed wires, repair and recheck.
If you have access to a scope, check the cam and crank patterns. If a pattern is missing, suspect a bad sensor or a slipping tone ring. Remove the cam gear and the crankshaft harmonic balancer and inspect the tone rings for proper alignment and make sure they're not loose or damaged or that they haven't sheared the key that aligns them. If they are properly installed, replace the sensor.
If the signal appears normal, then check the timing chain/belt for proper alignment. If it's misaligned, check for a damaged tensioner that may have allowed the chain/belt to slip a tooth or several teeth. Also check that the belt/chain isn't stretched. Repair and recheck..

try replacing the timing chain tensioner again, weve gotten some bad ones already

Hello;
The Ford motors are pretty good. I had 280K on a 2.9 V-8 that only needed the oil changed every 3K. Unless you have fluctuatuation in the timing then you should be ok.
These engines use a chain rather than a belt and have excellent life.
Thanks;
Rich RPM Northwest

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