2006 dodge 3.3 timing chain slop.

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Dana67Dart

Dana67Dart

The parts you don't add don't cause you no trouble
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I did some long overdue maintenance on our 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, 3.3 V6, 159,000 miles. Mostly a grocery getter with the occasional 100 mile trip to Denver and back.

We are the original owners, and it has been relatively well maintained.



Valve cover gaskets
Intake plenium gaskets
Auxiliary heater core tube/hose replacement
And the oil pan gasket

While looking at the very clean I sides of the crank case I noticed what to me looks like a slack timing chain.

The bottom of the oil pan was clean, no sludge or other deposits, or chunks of mystery materials.

I filtered the oil I removed through a paint filter and nothing remarkable in the filter.

No for the slack...

The pulling side was tight, but the following side had enough slack that a 10mm box wrench pressed in the middle of the chain deflected enough to make the opposite side of the box wrench to be flush with where the chain would be if it was tight.

My guess is about 3/8".

There was no visible signs of issues, from looking at YouTube videos it appears to be a steel cam gear.

And this engine does not have a tensioner

Before I cry and start pulling the front of the engine apart, I figured I'd ask if the slack is normal?

Thanks all
 
Drive it.
Those 3.3 pushrod engines are pretty reliable.
Yep, steel gear and no tensioner. Cam in block, relatively short chain.
Remember those are not OHC.
I've seen well over 300K on those with no issues on timing chains.
I bet if you put a new chain on it, you'd probably see close to the same slack.
 
Demonracer said:
Doesn't that have a timing chain tensioner on it?
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No. When I saw it loose I expected to find broken bits of tensioner in the pan. But nothing.

And all my YouTube searches show no tensioner
 
Honestly, if you feel the need to do preemptive maintenance at 160K, replace the in-tank fuel pump if you haven't already.
 
wmdj5 said:
Honestly, if you feel the need to do preemptive maintenance at 160K
Click to expand...
Thanks.

I typically take the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" stand but a timing chain can go from a 60.00 part to a 4000.00 rebuilt engine in a heart beat.

You sound like you have had that happen.
 
I don't believe the 3.3s are interference engines.
A broken timing chain would just be a broken timing chain, but timing chains on those engines are not a problem.
I wouldn't touch it, but it's your money!
Have fun!
 
Put the new timing chain in.

I know of the same loose timing chain issue on a caravan. Recommendation was only drive it back and forth to work 4 blocks away.

Their kids took it on a road trip to Duluth MN on I-35w, 70+ miles per hour.

Blew the timing chain half way there, had to leave the van up there and junked it out.

The price of new vehicles it's a no brainer, put the new chain in.

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George Jets said:
Put the new timing chain in.

I know of the same loose timing chain issue on a caravan. Recommendation was only drive it back and forth to work 4 blocks away.

Their kids took it on a road trip to Duluth MN on I-35w, 70+ miles per hour.

Blew the timing chain half way there, had to leave the van up there and junked it out.

The price of new vehicles it's a no brainer, put the new chain in.




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Click to expand...
What year Caravan?
Which engine?
2.2L Chrysler? (Belt)
2.6L Mitsu?
3.0L Mitsu? (Belt)
 
Outside the box thinking:

Wouldn't it be nice if someone (or a creative mechanic) could come up with a correct length timing chain with a splice link in it?

Cut the original loose chain, connect one end of the new chain to the end of the old loose chain.

Fish it up around the cam gear, then back around the crank gear and slip in the splice link.

Wishful thinking.... easier said than done. At least it's a pushrod engine, not an overhead cam engine.

Screenshot_20210721-163435_Gallery.jpg



Or just take the front of the engine off and do it right....


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