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2000 Dakota help understanding manual

I printed out parts of that manual you sent me. I was a little confused at the section on removing pushrods/rockerarms, etc I think it was.

It said something about rotating the crankshaft until a "v6" or v8" mark was lined up and that this was 147 degrees ATDC. I could not quite understand what that was saying. Also, while waiting to have a battery changed at autozone, I looked at the 2000 Dakota Hayes manual and could find no mention to this. (Unless I was looking in the wrong place.)

Do you know what I am refering to?

Here is a link to the online manual:

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I am going to be replacing the cylinder head gasket in the future and was tryign to understand the manual fbefore I attempt it.

Reply to
stryped
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It might be so when the timing chain is removed the gears are in the correct position when you reinstall everything. I'm not exactly sure.

Reply to
m6onz5a

manual:

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>>

Yep. The v6&v8 use the same sprockets so you simply use the correct marks on them to time the particular engines cams. Make sure that you pay attention to the tensioner positions and assemble them properly. Unless you want to replace half the valves the first time you turn it over!

Reply to
Steve W.

But if I am not taking off the cover (I am just replacing head gaskets), then this step is not needed is it?

Reply to
stryped

You will have to take off the cover and remove the timing chain in order to get the head off. When you put the timing chain back on, you need to make sure it's lined up the same way that it was before you took it off.

The timing chain goes from one shaft at the bottom of the engine to another shaft that is part of the head. You are separating the head from the bottom of the engine.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Are you sure? This is the 3.9 engine

Reply to
stryped

manual:

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>>>> I am going to be replacing the cylinder head gasket in the future and >>>> was tryign to understand the manual fbefore I attempt it. >>> It might be so when the timing chain is removed the gears are in the >>> correct position when you reinstall everything. I'm not exactly sure. >> Yep. The v6&v8 use the same sprockets so you simply use the correct >> marks on them to time the particular engines cams. Make sure that you >> pay attention to the tensioner positions and assemble them properly. >> Unless you want to replace half the valves the first time you turn it over! >>

This is a 3.9 (sawed-off 318) right? I think the manual may (and people here definitely ARE) getting things confused between what's necessary for the 3.8/5.2 cam-in-block engines and the 3.7/4.7 SOHC engines. The latter are a lot more complicated and have things like tensioners on the cam chains. The 3.9/5.2 do not, and you don't have to touch the cam sprockets to do a head gasket change on that engine.

Reply to
Steve

manual:

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>>>>>

See that is the problem when you don't include those little tidbits of info.

Since this is the 3.9 you probably don't have to remove the timing cover or mess with the chain. Unless it has a lot of miles. Then the extra step of pulling the cover to check the chain and tensioner wouldn't be a bad idea.

Reply to
Steve W.

Synopsis of the conversation between my Dad and me when we dropped the pan on his 5.2 at over 200k miles a few years ago.

me: We better check the timing chain now that we can see the bottom of it

Dad: (shines light up into cam cover). Well. Its a chain. What am I looking for?

me: Is the cam gear plastic?

Dad: (pokes it with magnet-tipped part retriever)- No, its metal.

me: is the chain loose?

Dad: Kinda. Come take a look.

Me: (poking chain)- Yeah, its a little loose.

Dad: Should we change it?

Me: (looking at the front accessory drive and all the parts in the way). Just don't look at it anymore. You're not planning on racing it at Daytona, are you?

That was about 50k miles ago....

BTW- no tensioner on the 5.2/5.9/3.9 family.

Reply to
Steve

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