Hello, has anyone got experience or thoughts on timing chain rattles / tensioner on the 5.0 litre SC? Opinions on the web seem to range from 'this engine is bullet proof' to 'the tensioner design is inherently weak and unless replaced there is a good chance the slack chain will jump a tooth or 2 and damage the engine'. I am considering another range rover with this engine. Should I budget for changing the chain and tensioner as preventive maintenance (seems to be about £3500 at a specialist)?
A

There will be a VIN cutoff point, old v new parts... Well worth trying to find the date/VIN the factory fitted the revised parts... Im guessing the L405 never suffered BUT that is just a guess!

Problem is, JLR never sold many 5.0 compared with the TDV8 so failures don't get widely publicized!

When I looked into it before buying the 5.0 L322 I found information that all 405's had the revised tensioner and the problem no longer existed...

I read it following a Google search so it must be true....!!!  Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Cam-Tech-Craig wrote:

Problem is, JLR never sold many 5.0 compared with the TDV8 so failures don't get widely publicized!

That's what Craig meant, it's a rare engine here (UK) with not much information along the lines the OP was asking... The specification of a Home market spec vehicle can differ greatly to the NAS or EU spec ones  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Thanks all