Man, I kick so much ass!

[Jackrabbit]

I was having some timing issues with the turbo minivan, died on the way to work a week or so ago.
So I finally get around to fucking with the T-belt, and I notice some play in the cam gear.
WTF?
So I pull off the valve cover and this is what I see.


Take a good look to the left of the 2nd cam lobe.
Nifty huh? I'm so badass.

[David]

did you break the cam shaft? or what is that?

[oMekone]

that a snaped cam i see?

[wild.irish]

wow, Wade, you're a kamikadze ;) i suppose it was like that ever since you've bought the Minimonster, right?

[myshtern]

You only need one valve anyway

[Jackrabbit]

Fucking crazy eh?

Barnizzle and I were just looking at it and it looks like it may have developed a small crack, and then just sheared off. Solid camshaft too.

But it gets better... I was torquing down the cam cap bolts on my replacement cam about 10 minutes ago, and SNAP! I fuckin' broke one off right in the head.

GO WADE! :ring:

[myshtern]

Fucking crazy eh?

Barnizzle and I were just looking at it and it looks like it may have developed a small crack, and then just sheared off. Solid camshaft too.

But it gets better... I was torquing down the cam cap bolts on my replacement cam about 10 minutes ago, and SNAP! I fuckin' broke one off right in the head.

GO WADE! :ring:
Wanna here something crazier?

On one dodge minivan that I worked on for a bit, the head completely broke.
This minivan has like 150k miles on it.
It broke completely through the golden part in your picture.

Dodge sucks

[Jackrabbit]

You mean the cam journal broke?

Crazy.

Dodge sucks? Nah. Cast iron sucks. :D

[myshtern]

You mean the cam journal broke?

Yeah, it just snapped in half.

No, Im pretty sure Dodge just sucks.
How could a minivan casually driven with 150k miles just have cast iron snap in half. Either defective parts or terrible engineering.

[Skaterkid]

Too much tension in the t-belt or cam journals. Resonance. Casting flaw.

[chrisbarnett01]

Too much tension in the t-belt or cam journals. Resonance. Casting flaw.



:werd:

I guarantee that EVERY manufacturer that exists has had a few major parts fail because of casting flaws, resonance, tension, even assembly errors.

One head on a 150k minivan broke and you deem an entire brand as shitty? Go fuck yourself.

I saw a civic that broke in half once, so Honda must theoretically suck.

[Skaterkid]

Shit lasted 150k and probably the better part of a decade. Not like a cam is hard to fix anyways.

[HONDA GHANDI]

:werd:

I guarantee that EVERY manufacturer that exists has had a few major parts fail because of casting flaws, resonance, tension, even assembly errors.

One head on a 150k minivan broke and you deem an entire brand as shitty? Go fuck yourself.

I saw a civic that broke in half once, so Honda must theoretically suck.



:rofl: Several of those 2.2 and 2.5L minivans went well over 200k and still ran. I would hvae to guess that the t-belt had too much tension in it. But its possible that the cam just gave up. It happens. Did it bend any valves Wade? Im sure the pick-n-pull has about 3 dozen of those motors lying around.

[Jackrabbit]

Everything looks good except the cam.
Yeah, pull n save has a shitload of turbo dodge stuff. I got off work at 5:00 yesterday and was on my way home with a cam by 6:00. :D $15
Then I went ahead and busted a bolt, so it's back again this weekend.

Might just get a whole head.

[myshtern]

I just dont understand how a cam journal just snap in half on an engine that was probably never revved past 4k.

[HONDA GHANDI]

WHat do revs have to do with anything? There are plenty of motors out there that can break all by themsleves without ever having been revved past 3500. If you think about the stresses involved on a cam it really isnt that hard to understand. The tension on one end of the timing belt. All 16 valves pushing up on the cam (all at different times), rotational stress. Plus look how tall the cam journal is. THe cam has way more leverage on that journal than say in a Honda engine where there is no tower for the cam to sit in.

[myshtern]

WHat do revs have to do with anything? There are plenty of motors out there that can break all by themsleves without ever having been revved past 3500. If you think about the stresses involved on a cam it really isnt that hard to understand. The tension on one end of the timing belt. All 16 valves pushing up on the cam (all at different times), rotational stress. Plus look how tall the cam journal is. THe cam has way more leverage on that journal than say in a Honda engine where there is no tower for the cam to sit in.
I pointed to the revvs to indicate that the engine was never abused or raced.

But you are right.
But isnt it Dodge's fault for designing the cam journal so high then?

I just dont like Dodge.
I would take a GMC, Chevy, or Ford over a Dodge anyday.

[HONDA GHANDI]

Technically its dodges fault. But if you are getting butt hurt over a 20 year old design that may have a few flaws then you need therapy. ASFAIC, that motor was one of the first 4cyl engines used in USA built vehicles that was worth a shit and layed some good groundwork for future engines. They were powerful and reliable. Not to mention easy to work on and maintain, but they got good mileage too.

[myshtern]

???
The engine I am talking about was a V6 - are we talking about the same thing?

[s92dx]

Is this a van with a stock turbo? Or did you strap one on yourself? If it's stock turbo what van is it?

[Jackrabbit]

Mine is a 1990 Plymouth Voyager.

Chrysler made factory 2.5l turbo minivans in 89 and 90 only. Voyagers and Caravans. A few even have 5 speed manual trannys. They even have factory BOVs. Turbos are really small. Mitsubishi TEO4s or TO4Es or whatever they call 'em.... anyways, it's small.
I almost scored a 5 speed awhile back (my van is an ATX) but bidding went too high for my taste.

[myshtern]

Mine is a 1990 Plymouth Voyager.

Chrysler made factory 2.5l turbo minivans in 89 and 90 only. Voyagers and Caravans. A few even have 5 speed manual trannys. They even have factory BOVs. Turbos are really small. Mitsubishi TEO4s or TO4Es or whatever they call 'em.... anyways, it's small.
I almost scored a 5 speed awhile back (my van is an ATX) but bidding went too high for my taste.
Isnt there a group of guys that make these vans drag strip monsters?

[Skaterkid]

Yeah, that 2.5L motor is pretty famous for putting out big (for the 80's) reliable power.

[Jackrabbit]

Yeah, there's a few dudes running mid-low 12s in the 1/4.

The newest craze, for the 2.2 & 2.5 Dodge turbo motors in general, is swapping to Neon DOHC heads. The stock heads are SOHC and only 8v. I'd like to do it myself, but it's a shitload of work.