90's Durango - Mechanic told friend to scrap

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Geez guys, crank it over. You can hear if it has timing chains out. If (if) it turns over it will sound like the spark plugs are out.
 
Timing belt, HAHAHAHAHA..... depending on mileage and condition of the vehicle sometimes its not worth the repair. However I have a soft spot for those AN body Durango's and would definitely get it back running. Sounds like his "mechanic" buddy didn't want to take the time to look at it. I'm guessing he's a weekend wrench turner with a basic hand tool set !
 
Or if you want to spend more money on a possible dead horse, have it towed to another shop and get a second opinion. At $75-$110+/hour
you'll have a few hundred dollars in it and still not know what's wrong. Scrap is down right now. It isn't worth much. Find a used engine and put together a estimate.
 
toolmanmike said:
Geez guys, crank it over. You can hear if it has timing chains out. If (if) it turns over it will sound like the spark plugs are out.
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I'm gonna go over there, not sure when, and check it out. I have a compression tester and can test fuel pressure. I figured, it would sound off if the chain did break, while I cranked it, if it did crank.
 
plumkrazee70 said:
I'm gonna go over there, not sure when, and check it out. I have a compression tester and can test fuel pressure. I figured, it would sound off if the chain did break, while I cranked it, if it did crank.
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It will. I've never seen a chain break on a 4.7, but we did work on one that the tensioner broke and let the chain jump time. Bent 3 or 4 valves, and it wouldn't hit at all while cranking and sounded like it had 3 or 4 dead holes.
 
its a 4.7 , it will cost $$$ to repair if chains went, not worth fixing that engine, I put a 4.7 in my kids 05 Dakota used engine had 80k on it and still paid 1600 for it. sold the truck a few months later and got 2200.
I wouldn't buy anything with a 3.7 4.7 in it bad design on engine oiling.
 
Cam position sensor can cause this. On a 4.7 IIRC it's on the right side head near the front. Sometimes they get covered with schmutz and cause problems. IF you have fuel pressure, check this next.
 
I helped a buddy replace the front/top end of a 4.7L. Neat engine, total garbage. Had two heads drop valve seats shortly after startup with brand-new FROM DODGE replacement heads (and both times the cooling systems was carefully refilled and the amount added measured, and everything burped with a vacuum pump). But I digress...

We had a very similar situation after getting it assembled. It would sometimes start, sometimes not. It would run for some amount of time and then just die. No noise, no clunk, nothing - sounded like keying it off. No codes, no lights, nothing. Turned out to be the cam position sensor in the passenger cylinder head. PITA to reach, but not impossible. Took 20 mins to swap and then it ran like a top all the way to the Toyota Dealer where it got traded in on a new Tundra (his buy, not mine).

I'd check the cam sensor in addition to the other simple things others have suggested (fuel pump, etc).
 
C130 Chief said:
Cam position sensor can cause this. On a 4.7 IIRC it's on the right side head near the front. Sometimes they get covered with schmutz and cause problems. IF you have fuel pressure, check this next.
Click to expand...

I looked to see if anyone else mentioned this first, and I somehow missed your reply. 100% agree.
 
I had 300,000 on my 2001 Dakota 4.7. The only time it would not run was due to the fuel pump.
 
I think the OP is in Oregon? im not a 4.7 fan in the least..... but isn't Oregon the "Land of the rust free"? One reason (of many) I'm gettin so tired of living in Chicago-ish....
 
When my 4.7 would not start. Only time ever. It was the fuel pump.
 
The real timing chain killer in these engines is poor maintainence. Lack of oil changes. Beats the crap out of the chains and guides. Ford is the same,with the cam phasers, clean oil helps them last longer.
 
chains rubbing against plastic never was a good idea in my book.
 
Well he has spark, and fuel (although I didn't have a pressure tester, just used the schrader) no codes.

I tested compression
#1 - 90psi
#3 - 110
#5 - 85
#7 - 0

Yep, #7 was zero, I tried it a few times and same result. We didn't even go farther than that.
 
They're known for that. Should be a relatively easy fix. As long as it didn't hang a valve or something stupid.
 
The 4.7 was a good engine if the oil was changed religiously and it was never overheated. Those that were maintained ran forever and those that were neglected failed in a long list of ways. Just about any time a gasket fails or steel parts come loose in an aluminum head it's because of overheating. They also didn't tolerate sludge well. This engine was initially an AMC design, but development wasn't finished until several years after Chrysler bought AMC.
 
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