No matter what has gone wrong, to fix it, the engine *has* to be removed from the car. A used replacement engine is going to cost $1000. If that doesn't stop you, read on.
The flywheels of these engines have a fairly high rate of failure. They'll crack right near where they bolt to the crankshaft and create a helluva racket that is very similar to a rod bearing gone bad. One example I know of is a 2002 Concorde with a 3.2L that has been knocking for over four years and tens of thousands of miles and is now on the streets of Chicago. The fact that it has gone this long with the noise tells me the problem is not with the engine itself. The only way to replace the flywheel is to remove the engine, or the transmission whichever you determine is easiest. Determining whether or not the engine is bad or not isn't too tough. One way to do it is by draining the oil into a CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN oil drain pan, and when you dispose of the oil from the drain pan, you check for residual glitter in the drain pan. It is tough for the untrained eye to see, and it will not be obvious by simply draining it. If you want more conclusive proof, remove the engine's oil pan and see if the bottom of it is filled with metal shavings. This will be obvious if there is something wrong with the engine's bearings. There should be zero glitter / metal shavings in the bottom of the pan. You can also remove the oil filter and cut it open and you should be able to see metal shavings in the pleats of it as well. The only way to fix the existing engine is to remove the crankshaft and have it rebuilt, which mandates entire engine removal and the associated connecting rod needs to be replaced. Last I checked, each piston/rod combo from the dealer was $160 or so, a crankshaft rebuild with new bearings will run about $220. There's no way around it. If you want to know why, try it and I'll look forward to hearing back from you. ------------------------------------ Web: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid> Subscribe: <mailto://[email protected]> Unsubscribe: <mailto://[email protected]> Moderator: <mailto://[email protected]>Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
