So Hal, can you tell me for sure if this "piston/plunger" has an oil port to push it for sure or not? I was wondering long before I read your post if the oil supply port you spoke of just happened to be the one that pushes the plunger to keep the chain tight, then bleeds the excess oil onto the chain for lubrication? Does anybody know for sure??
I believe the tensioner is a self-contained unit (no oil pressure operation).
The oil port is to provide lubrication of the chain/sprockets to keep the sprockets and chain from wearing (and putting metal particles into the engine).
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2009 R/T 27J pkg (6 speed MT) ordered 7/17/08, built 10/23/08, home on 11/13/08
As a bit of information the oil solenoid now comes with instructions to remove the top and bottom screens before install. This is from my heavy mechanic friend at dodge.
I just installed a new solenoid and saw nothing about removing the oil screens............. This procedure would make absolutely no sense, the clearance of the spool valve in the solenoid are 50 millionth of an inch... .00050. one piece of debris could render it useless.
Folks, if you're new to this thread you need to research it for answers..... plenty of pics and specs have been posted for your information in the back pages.
Whoever is stating the tensioner uses oil to supply pressure for tension purposes is a hack, and should have his ASE certs taken from him, if they had them at all. I get really pissed off when no nothing techs try to BS customers to make it seem like they are some kind of wizard mechanic. There are some awesome techs around, they are a scarce lot...........
i'll post a video of how to inspect the VVT solenoid, if there is enough interest. It's not hard at all if you have just basic skills....
It seems like the autostick in city driving strategy to avoid mds shouldn't be as much of a pain as it sounds (remember, mds isn't just on fulltime just because you are in auto mode...it has to detect certain driving conditions before it comes on). Mds isn't going to come on until your speed goes steady, and you are mostly off the gas pedal. So you can run around town in auto mode for most of the time and not even hit mds. When you hit your cruising speed, slap it over to autostick, and that will keep mds off...that's the only time you have to worry about, really. If you have to slow down and change speed a lot again, go back to auto mode. You'll get the auto gearshifts and no mds, because mds will likely stay off as you are on the gas to run through the gears.
It's not that I really needed 370 hp...but having 150+ hp riding shotgun at a moment's bidding w/o a 6000 rpm moonshot is what makes me feel like I'm in the right car for me. The roar of a v8 seals the deal!
The Google keyword is "ethanol-free gas". The truth is coming to light. Check out http://pure-gas.org/
I haven't been on the site regularly in a while, so have missed the conversation around the timing chain failures. My Challenger is a 2010 5.7L R/T w/ auto. Last weekend I was traveling from central Indiana to Des Moines IA for a conference. 20 miles from Des Moines I experienced the same thing others have posted... cruising on the interstate at 70, MDS on, when suddenly loss of power, ETC and CEL warning lights, then engine dies. Towed to the dealership and after tearing it down, they show me the broken timing chain. Both that dealer, and my local dealer swear this is the first time they've heard of anything like that....hmmm. Got a call today, the dealer says Chrysler is approving replacement of short block and heads. They think potentially 2 weeks to fix, will update when I get the car back with comments on availability of parts and the service.
This car is my 4th vehicle with a 5.7 in it. I previously had a 2007 Durango, and 2009 Challenger, and now own the 2010 Challenger and a 2011 Ram. I traded the Durango at 56k miles, and the 2009 Challenger @ 26k miles, and only have 10k on the Ram, so not sure if I just was fortunate enough to get rid of the others before this cropped up, or if it's w/ newer engines that have been using cheaper parts.
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KGwinIN
2010 Tor Red R/T
Corsa Sport Cat Back Exhaust
It seems like the autostick in city driving strategy to avoid mds shouldn't be as much of a pain as it sounds (remember, mds isn't just on fulltime just because you are in auto mode...it has to detect certain driving conditions before it comes on). Mds isn't going to come on until your speed goes steady, and you are mostly off the gas pedal. So you can run around town in auto mode for most of the time and not even hit mds. When you hit your cruising speed, slap it over to autostick, and that will keep mds off...that's the only time you have to worry about, really. If you have to slow down and change speed a lot again, go back to auto mode. You'll get the auto gearshifts and no mds, because mds will likely stay off as you are on the gas to run through the gears.
Any insight as to why some say their MDS activates much more often? Like everyone else, I'd actually like to see this whole mess resolved preferably by a factory fix or by preventative maintenance. I'd really like to get an auto as a daily driver but I've been sitting on the fence for too long undecided as to whether using autostick would be a PIA or not.
So what happens if the solenoid is effectively stuck open (debris preventing closure) or stuck closed (from a clog)? Does it just cause the cam to advance or retard to either extreme (depending on stuck open or stuck closed condition)? Maybe it is a possibility that mds does not get along well with the cam sitting at one extreme (where mds would normally not be running at such driving conditions)?
Any insight as to why some say their MDS activates much more often? Like everyone else, I'd actually like to see this whole mess resolved preferably by a factory fix or by preventative maintenance. I'd really like to get an auto as a daily driver but I've been sitting on the fence for too long undecided as to whether using autostick would be a PIA or not.
I'm not sure what that means..."more often" than what? What are they comparing to? It really comes down to driving style and engine load. Given that, you can very well influence when it comes on and when not, if you wanted. I'm sure that doesn't really answer your question, of course. Hence, it regresses back to particular driving style of the driver. Some drivers will probably be prone for it to come on more often and others not. There is probably a very specific scenario in all of those variations of driving scenario where mds experiences excessive wear. If that scenario comes up a lot or for a long time per that driving style, it probably sets off doomsday for that engine. That's why it has been largely unpredictable so far, as far as mileage or just the simple fact the engine is equipped with it or not.
I'm not sure what that means..."more often" than what? What are they comparing to? It really comes down to driving style and engine load. Given that, you can very well influence when it comes on and when not, if you wanted. I'm sure that doesn't really answer your question, of course. Hence, it regresses back to particular driving style of the driver. Some drivers will probably be prone for it to come on more often and others not. There is probably a very specific scenario in all of those variations of driving scenario where mds experiences excessive wear. If that scenario comes up a lot or for a long time per that driving style, it probably sets off doomsday for that engine. That's why it has been largely unpredictable so far, as far as mileage or just the simple fact the engine is equipped with it or not.
Well, I could have been more clear on that. Throughout this tread there have been some who mentioned that when they got their car back from repairs they noticed MDS engaged more often than before. One stated that it was less often than before. If they did flash updates I would understand the less often as a possible factory attempt to mitigate the failures. But so many have totally varying experiences, I'm stumped and everytime I just about convince myself to go and get the auto, yep, another TC failure is reported.
I just installed a new solenoid and saw nothing about removing the oil screens............. This procedure would make absolutely no sense, the clearance of the spool valve in the solenoid are 50 millionth of an inch... .00050. one piece of debris could render it useless.
Folks, if you're new to this thread you need to research it for answers..... plenty of pics and specs have been posted for your information in the back pages.
Whoever is stating the tensioner uses oil to supply pressure for tension purposes is a hack, and should have his ASE certs taken from him, if they had them at all. I get really pissed off when no nothing techs try to BS customers to make it seem like they are some kind of wizard mechanic. There are some awesome techs around, they are a scarce lot...........
i'll post a video of how to inspect the VVT solenoid, if there is enough interest. It's not hard at all if you have just basic skills....
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