(I think the 2.7 was the base engine for the 300C in North America too. It was the 300M that did not come with the 2.7 here but did in Europe/Scandinavia.)

How many km's on it? What type of oil did the dealer use for the oil changes? (And do you know that they actually did change the oil? It's not unheard of even for dealers to not change the oil and say they did and charge for it - one did it to my mother's brand new Concorde several years ago.) Check part numbers on cams from other engines you think you might want to use. If the same as shown for your C, then obviously no problem, otherwise, they still may interchange. What do the rollers on the rockers look like?

I'm not a technical engine guy, so anybody else reading this who is, feel free to jump right in.

 

171 000 km's that's around 105 000 miles. Dealer uses 5W-20 full synt.oil. I use Castrol Magnatec 5w-30.

Rollers look like some debris has been rolling there propably from the cam. Only thing I can think causing this is heat, wear seems to be worse on the passenger side which lies under intake manifold and insulator pad. I started the car with one valve cover off and there was more than enough oil coming out.

 

I checked all the LH parts catalogs from 1998-2004 and the camshaft part numbers are all the same as the 2005 LX 2.7L. So they all interchange.

I also checked 2006 and 2007 which are also the same part numbers. I don't have anything later than 2007.

 

Thank you very much. That is good to hear. There are many wrecked 2.7 Sebrings in my local Salvage yard. Time to go scavenging.

-

 

Now you have me scared. I just bought a third-hand 2002 Intrepid SE with the 2.7L and I know the guy I got it from didn't take good care of it, following the "A" Schedule in the Driver's Manual, and driving like the "B" Schedule (commercial and police style stuff). Love the car, but Now I wonder what sort of demons are lurking inside the engine.

 

Looks clean under there. Seen plenty of 2.7L posted on here where everything under the valve covers is a mess. Yours looks very clean for a 2.7L.

Possibly you have a fluke? Camshafts haven't changed from 1998-2007 as far as a part number.

Really haven't seen any reported incidences of this on the LH 2.7L from 1998-2004.

Don't know what to tell you.

 

Ok, I try to search LH cams then. Luckily we have 300M's too with 2.7 engines. Intrepid is a rarity up here.

I also suspect this kind of slack on the timing chain is not good? I ordered new Mopar water pump and Cloyes timing chain and tensioner with stop block from rockauto.
Maybe I can save this one. If not. I got some nasty 408 stroker sbm waiting a new body

 

You definitely want to buy a Mopar tensioner. Aftermarket ones are known to either be no good right from the start or fail in short time.

 

^..x2 on a Mopar tensioner.

 

Moro, sun nokat on kromattu huonosti alunperin. Niissä on kovakromi pinta. Mä olen ollut kovakromarina 8 vuotta ja tuossa on joko sähköongelmia ollut kromaksen aikana tai sitten tuplakromattu huonosti, jolloin ulkopinta hilseilee pois. Jokatapauksessa, uusiksi menevät.
In English: The hardchrome on lobes is screwed up on factory.

 

Moro. Thanks for the comment. I started to suspect some manufacturing failure myself too because this car has been taken very good care and no visible sludge in oil channels.

I asked about new camshaft form our local Mopar dealer. 1800$ (1600euros)for a set.

 

Tafi - Can you elaborate on the problem on the cams?

I know GM used to have big problems on cam wear because they nitrided them. It was a hard surface treatment, but it would wear thru, and once it was gone, the cams wore like butter.

Is the problem you're talking about on Wreck-O-Matic's a design problem, or a manufacturing quality problem?

 

So, I've been hard chroming business as a chromer for 8 yrs. Manufacturing process on those cams have been malfunctioning, either by sudden power drop during hard chroming manufacturing sequence or the chromer has put another layer, thin, with faulty parameters. And that started peeling off. That was what I was saying.
We did piston rods for hydraulic cylinders, almost all sizes, our longest chroming pool was 11m, 34ft.
Damn, my sig says 3.3, it should be 3.6. Will fix it soon.

 

Two errors on my side:
1) I replied based on my 3.2 L (in the US)
2) I should have said 10W-30

5W-20 still seems thin to me even for Europe.

It wouldn't take very long to damage the cams if the car was run low on oil. Do you have a complete service history?

 

Hard to say. Afterall it's the factory recommendation and temperature up here rarely goes higher than 60F. But I will use 5w-30 in future.

The repairs shop took the engine apart and said it can be repaired. No damage in bearings, just the cams. They found good used camshafts.

 

I don't know about Chrysler, but I know in the past (maybe now too) it was common practice for manufacturers to specify thinner oil for cars sold into the European market than for the equivalent vehicle sold into the North American market for the same ambient temperature range. I'm thinking this has to be a known compromise of engine life just so they can claim better fuel mileage. I can't think of any other reason they would do that. It has to reduce if not eliminate margin against wear issues.