My timing chain let go on I-40 outside Knoxville and I had to limp it 3 miles to an exit

I was heading back from a parts run in my personal truck, a 2005 Ford with 230k miles, when I heard this nasty rattle under the hood. Knew right away it was the timing chain, everything I've read said stop immediately but I was stuck in the middle lane with semis everywhere. Managed to coast onto the shoulder and then nursed it at 15 mph to the next exit, praying the whole time it wouldn't grenade the engine. Got to a gravel lot behind a gas station and popped the hood to find the tensioner had completely failed and the chain was slapping against the cover. Had to call a buddy with a trailer to come get me, cost me 120 bucks for the tow and another 300 in parts and a weekend of cursing in my driveway to fix it. Anyone else ever had to make that awful call between stopping dead on the highway or chancing a few more miles to safety?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_adams9d ago

Man that's the worst kind of gamble, feels like every big decision in life comes down to "do I bail now or push through and hope it holds.

amy9759d ago

@skyler_adams nailed it. That same split second decision shows up everywhere from relationships to jobs, not just busted trucks. We always weigh the known pain of stopping against the gamble of pushing a little further. Usually the smart call is to stop and deal with it before things get worse, but when you're in the moment it's hard to think straight.