3.3 timing chain replacement

[R/T]

Anyone done it??? :confused2:

My Niece is having issues in a 97 Intrepid, looks pretty simple....

Also - do they bend valves when it goes???

[turbovanman²]

They are pretty simple, just remove the front of the motor. You'll have to buy/borrow a puller for the crank pulley, it doesn't use a regular 3 bolt unit.

I can't remember if they bend valves but I would assume they do, most chain driven motors do.

[Big_P]

I haven't heard of a 3.3 jumping time.

[Force Fed Mopar]

I don't think they are interference, but not positive. Most pushrod engines aren't. It is a pretty standard timing chain install, I've done one in a van.

[turbovanman²]

I don't think they are interference, but not positive. Most pushrod engines aren't. It is a pretty standard timing chain install, I've done one in a van.

Actually most pushrod engines are interference. Small block Dodge, Chev and Ford are, to name a few.

[Vigo]

Id be leery of misdiagnosis in this case.. what is the car doing??

[R/T]

Id be leery of misdiagnosis in this case.. what is the car doing??

Loud clackclackclack from the front of the motor, then silence.....

Because it won't turn over, either direction, more than a few degrees.

I suspect because the chain is wadded up around the crank sprocket. :confused:

I'm scheduled to tear into it Monday, details to come.

[shadow88]

The nice part is I think you have to remove the oil pan to get the timing cover off. I could be wrong there, but I think there's a couple studs used that won't budge without the pan off. I also bet the problem is in the pan. ie connecting rod failure.

There's also a good chance the harmonic balancer rubber ring has pooped the bed and it's the belt drive ring that's the cause of the noise and limited rotation.

[black86glhs]

The 3.3 is easy to do. I did one in a caravan with like 220k+ miles on it. The timing chain jumped, but didn't go far enough to bend anything. The worst part is getting the balancer off. Rent one from a parts store and all is good.

[Force Fed Mopar]

Actually most pushrod engines are interference. Small block Dodge, Chev and Ford are, to name a few.

Yeah you may be right, I wasn't really thinking the other night :).

[turbovanman²]

I don't remember taking the oil pan off but you might have to, to clean out bits of timing gear.

[Big_P]

I'd pull a valve cover and check to see if the rockers move if you can spin it over a little.

[R/T]

Update;

Tore into it, did'nt have the puller I needed to get the crank pully off...

BUT: I took out the cam sensor, and can see that there is some slop between crank movement and cam movement as I turn the crank by hand.
And I could pry the cam chain up off the sprocket with a small screwdriver....

The reveal tomorrow....

[R/T]

Carnage update:

Got the timing cover off - after taking the oil pan loose, but then you can't get the pan OUT because the swaybar and K frame is in the way...:confused:

The timing chain is on but really loose.

I then reach around in the oil pan and find 3 chunks of mangled aluminium... :yuck:

Then find plug #5 looks as if someone beat the electrode end with a hammer.

Pull the plenum and RH valve cover: Intake valve on #5 has punched a hole THROUGH the stamped steel rocker... :wow1:

Keepers, retainer are laying there off the valve, stem is stuck in the head:

There was a *violent* piston/valve crunch, this motor is scrap.... :amen:

[shadow88]

Could you snap off a couple pics? To remove the pan completely, you'll need to remove the inner sway bar cushion brackets from the subframe. It's less common to see a 3.3l come apart. Was the car well maintained?

[turbovanman²]

Dude, your fired. :mad:

:needpics1:

[Big_P]

Time for a new engine!

[black86glhs]

Time for a new engine!It'll buff out with a little elbow grease.

[R/T]

Could you snap off a couple pics? To remove the pan completely, you'll need to remove the inner sway bar cushion brackets from the subframe. It's less common to see a 3.3l come apart. Was the car well maintained?

The car was bought at a Goodwill auto aution, has 194,000 on it, so the history is unknown.

They paid $400 for it, it ran for 4 days before it had "issues".... :confused:

'DOH!!!

[R/T]

Dude, your fired. :mad:

:needpics1:

LOL!, if I get a chance maybe I'll pull the head off and take pics inside the cylinder - if the car is around - I told them the car is done. :(

[Vigo]

They paid $400 for it, it ran for 4 days before it had "issues"....

well if you add that to the ~4380 days before, it actually ran ~4384 days before it had issues, but not changing the oil enough will catch up with you sometime.. unless you sell it 4 days before and let it fall on someone else. :(

Sucks, 3.3s almost never break. I just took a running 22X k one apart and traded another 22X k one in on cash for clunker, drove it there and no telling how much farther it could have gone..

[turboshadow]

Now carnage pics:thumb:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/turboshadow05/carnage001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/turboshadow05/carnage002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/turboshadow05/carnage003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/turboshadow05/carnage004.jpg

[Vigo]

WOW.


also...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/turboshadow05/carnage003.jpg
nice yard.

[Big_P]

I find this weird because I took apart another 3.3 that had a very similar failure. The guy whose van it was swears he changes his oil on time every month, granted he bought the van used a few years ago. it was so sludged up that I could literally put most of my finger into the muck under his valve cover.

There was a tick at idle but I told him not to worry about it figuring it was just a lifter. Then this happened:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/petepete86/JasonRockerArm.jpg

another one was ready to go too
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/petepete86/JasonRockerArm2.jpg

[R/T]

There was a tick at idle but I told him not to worry about it figuring it was just a lifter. Then this happened:


Man, that's pretty crazy, for sure!!!!

Those rockers are pretty heavy guage steel, it must have been a solid hit in both cases.

All I can figure is it jumped time from the saggy timing chain... :banghead:

[Big_P]

this one didn't jump time, just popped a hole in the rocker.

[thefitisgay]

ever find the piece of valve?

[R/T]

Yea, it was sitting on top of the piston.

[thefitisgay]

ooooo i was curious because i bought my first turbo daytona with a blown motor when i pulled the head off there was a piece of the piston missing that was about 2 inches long and i never found it... i guess it melted?