Need engine advice gang, bad doins here!

Heavy Date · #1 02-09-2005, 10:36 AM

Alright, heres the deal. My Wifes's 2000 4.7 Durango is in the shop. She called me and said it was running really bad and she could not get 65 MPH out of it.
The shop looked at it and this is what they told me.
First, the cam gear bolt let go and shattered the cam gear. All the parts fell into the engine and she needs a new engine. I asked why and they said the the parts that fell in could find their way into the cylinders and lock up the engine.

None of this sounds right. I can beleive the gear jumped a tooth and that is why it was running so bad, but if the gear fell apart she would not have been able to drive to the shop. Second, just where can these broken parts get into the engine? Only place I can see would be into the oil pan, not into the block itself.
My fix would be to pull the oil pan and clean it out well and replace the whole timing gear set.

Anyone hear of anything like this before? I am going to look at it after work and talk some more with the shop as I want to see just what they are talking about. It all sounds pretty dumb to me.

Thanks for the help,
Hans and Joanne

jsack · #2 03-08-2005, 04:44 AM

i had the same problom before if you shatter the cam gear the durango will not run if anything happened i would have to bet that it just stripped the teeth all i did was cleen the oil pan out really good replaced the timeing set and changed the oil a couple of times to make sure i got all small metal shavings out of the motor

Kensai · #3 03-08-2005, 01:16 PM

makes sense. If you shattered the cam gears, the engine won't even start. Same situation if the timing belt broke. Engine will stop cold!

I would take it to another mechanic to get a 2nd opinion. More or less, you are on par, it may have skipped a tooth throwing the timing out of whack.

Rick980 · #4 03-15-2005, 05:58 AM

Sounds to me like someone is trying to play the dumb woman card. Go somewhere else why pay the dealer, their rates are too high and there has to be somewhere else you can go, unless it's warranty. That is the only thing I go to the dealer for, if its free and under warranty.