3.5 mystery misfire - Page 6 - DodgeIntrepid.Net Forums - Dodge Intrepid, Concorde, 300m and Eagle Vision chat

**cdmccul** · 12-01-2012, 03:27 AM

Look for a car that was creamed in the rear end - just demolished - so you know the car was put in the salvage yard for an accedent, not for another reason.

Many times you can still hear them run if the car hasn't been picked over too bad.

Another thing you can do is perform a compression test while it is still in the car.

**peva** · 12-01-2012, 05:38 AM

Is there an on-line accessible copy of the complete recall #790?

Ruggels · 12-01-2012, 12:21 PM

i dont think the local yards around here allow you to bring in a power supply but ill check on that, as well how do i crank it for compression? hand crank it? or even start it?

**cdmccul** · 12-01-2012, 03:39 PM

Depends on the yard, but most cars are brought to them in running condition... They may still start with the key... Same with compression, even if they have removed the fuel tanks for EPA reasons, you should still be able to drop a battery in it and crank it.

Ruggels · 12-05-2012, 11:45 PM

well finally got a day off and went to all the yards around me best we found was a 97 trep with 99k miles on it and has a sticker on it saying it was running when it came in so it looks like thats the mission on friday... so what is the very little work that needs to be done to allow a 97 to fit?

btw i was STOKED! to find out that engines around here sell for $179.99 i was like

thats with "accessorys" but what they consider accessory's id consider pretty necessary, Intake manifold, exhaust heads, fuel rail, injectors, while i then could buy any of the pumps and things like that 50% off, id say a good deal.

**cdmccul** · 12-06-2012, 01:04 AM

The biggest difference is in the wiring - you will need to strip the new engine bare of all wire harnesses, and then transfer the harnesses from your old engine one at a time - BUT - that's not all!

You will also have to change the knock sensors out - the two knock sensor wire harness connectors are different, and you can't use interchangeably. This requires that you remove the lower intake manifold, which honestly isn't a bad idea to service now anyway. Under the lower intake you will find the two knock sensors and you can swap things around then. When you put the intake back on, watch for full alignment of the lower intake gaskets.

Once the knock sensors are done, you can install the engine wiring harness, then put everything together the rest of the way. After the engine is in the car and you install the upper intake manifold, you will FINALLY have to lastly swap the throttle position sensor over from your old engine - the connector is different.. BUT - you might consider swapping over the entire upper intake manifold from yours - apparently the throttle may have a slightly different profile on the old intake than the new one.

That's it for MAJOR differences that you will have to correct to use the engine.

Some sources (Allpar being one of them IIRC) may tell you that the compression changed from 10.1 to 9.1 or something like that in 1996... I have yet to find evidence that it was in the first generation engines, but rather all that I have found points to the difference being in going from the 1st gen to 2nd gen in 1998.

Sounds like fun! Ever pulled an engine in our cars before?

Ruggels · 12-06-2012, 01:23 AM

it does sound like fun!

hehe before this car i never even pulled a spark plug in anything!, since ive had it ive switched two transmissions one was 6 months after i got my license (another 1 month ago

but you know all about that), and owned it for 4 years.... im looking forward to the engine now.

and yea i planed before putting in the new one to replace all the main gaskets oil pan, manifold, valve covers and anything else i can get to, ill also prob take your advice and use my current manifold and that brings up a question i have.

i noticed many of the intake manifolds in the yard are smoother then mine does this mean the engine was overheated and the metal warped? or is just they made the 95-97 a smoother manifold?

**cdmccul** · 12-06-2012, 09:15 AM

Interesting... The only manifold I've personally touched and dealt with is the 96 and 97 one - so not sure what to tell you.

Since you have pulled the trans before, you know how to deal with the coolant pipe that goes behind the engine. Also, since you have pulled the trans before, I would suggest pulling the engine and trans as a complete assembly, and the splitting them on the floor, then putting them back in together. An engine balance is helpful with this if you are swapping alone, but not required if you are doing it with two people.

Ruggels · 12-06-2012, 02:52 PM

Was the 96, 97 slightly smooth or more like a med grit sandpaper?

**cdmccul** · 12-06-2012, 03:17 PM

Dunno how I'd describe it - I can go check later.

GTXKen · 12-06-2012, 05:02 PM

Do you mean the outer surface of the intake plenum? I have seen them with a smoother finish, although all my current 3.5s have the rough finish. There is no way over heating could cause it to become smooth.

Ruggels · 12-06-2012, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTXKen

Do you mean the outer surface of the intake plenum? I have seen them with a smoother finish, although all my current 3.5s have the rough finish. There is no way over heating could cause it to become smooth.

yea i prob didn't word that all right, i do mean the intake plenum, and i notice at least one of your treps is a 97, 3.5 as well with the rough finish, the current one i am looking at has a 97 with a smooth finish, the reason i ask is i wouldnt think they would switch rough/smooth/rough, so i would think something would cause it? the only thing that popped in my head was overheating.

anyway going to the yard tomorrow will start a new thread with pictures shortly after

Ruggels · 12-07-2012, 01:18 PM

well getting ready to go to the yard my dad has the idea to try 1 last thing and check the TQ bolts so he pulls off the cover and low and behold their is a bolt thats been ripped out and all smashed up to hell, so at least we found the probable cause and the engine for the most part is OK.

we are now in the process of checking the threads on the TQ, it seems that the entire bolt was ripped out and the only damage may be stripped threads in one of the hole's, we cannot start it now to check it out if that bolt was the noise or what, since the rad is out atm but will keep updated....

so good news engine is fine, bad news.... i know ill still have this misfire after this lol

**cdmccul** · 12-07-2012, 01:30 PM

Need a bag of proper TC bolts?

Congrats on finding it!!!

Look at: http://www.dodgeintrepid.net/showpos...0&postcount=35
and: http://www.dodgeintrepid.net/showpos...4&postcount=36

I see my photo links are broken currently - let me know if you can't make the threads work and if you need to see my pictures.

Ruggels · 12-07-2012, 02:52 PM

well seems i spoke to soon we ran it for a moment with the trans tubes in a catch pan and the noise is still their, as well when turning it over by hand with a breaker bar a defiant grind can be heard... now all options are out cant think of anything besides tearing the engine apart so its off to the junkyard for me.