HELP!! 94 3.3 lifter wants out!!

[Zeker]

Is a loud clacky lifter a common problem with the 3.3? I'm gonna try a few mechanic-in-a-can solutions first, but I will probably have to replace the engine. My experience is with V8s only, so does anybody know how tough it is to get to the lifters on this engine?? :huh:

Thanks,
Brent.

[shelbydodgeimp]

How loud are we talking? Its pretty common for the 3.3 to make a ticking noise, but really loud ticking noise isnt a good sign.

Generally, as said in the allpar board- you only worry when the ticking stop :P

The noise got progressively quieter each year the 3.3 was in production, some of the 1st generation ones I've been able to hear inside the car or outside in front of the engine with the hood closed...

[Zeker]

Oh, this is a stuck lifter for sure... quite noisy: you can hear it no problem in the vehicle and with the hood closed. If I can't un-stick it with some kind of magic potion, I WILL go in and dig it out. Just not familiar with the 3.3 engine.

Have you had one apart??

Thanks,
Brent.

[shelbydodgeimp]

I havent had to do much with the 3.3's internals yet- that was gonna be my fun for next summer (this year was exhaust, brake and suspension work... safety first!).

Its a pretty basic push-rod engine, nothing really special about the mechanics of the heads, top end, bottom end, etc. Only thing abnormal about it is the use of DIS (distributorless ignition system) but now we're basically talking two sensors that you wont find on a older pushrod engine.

Since you're talking about top end work- you may want to consider this: The 3.3's cam was changed at least 3 times by 1997. The first was a shrouded style cam used from 1990 to 1993 (early 1993) then in 1993 they switched to a unshrouded style (same specs on the cam otherwise, no performance change, etc) then in 1994 they switched to a better cam grind that increased the acceleration of the 3.3 by about 2-4%.

You could go grab a set of heads, cam etc off of a 1999 or 2000 model year 3.3 or 3.8 (they're interchangiable even when the part numbers are different...) and throw them on your older 3.3 and get a nice lil power boost. In 2001 they changed how things bolt together so 2001 and newer parts can pretty much only go on 2001 and newer 3.3/3.8 engines.

Anyway you may want to look into grabing the 1999-2000 top end if you can find them cheaply in good shape locally and see about throwing them on, would be a nice lil mod. Planing on going this route next spring/summer. The 3.8 never had the shrouded cam style, so it only had the 2 later cams (1993 late and 1994-1997), I lack info on what has been done since 1997 in terms of cam specs. In rebuilding the 3.3, most machine shops will use the nonshrouded style on early engines that originally had the shrouded style- Chrysler advises rebuilders use the unshrouded cams and matching heads on all 3.3s (guess they're supposed to be more reliable).

I have some rebuild specs on these engines here:
http://dodgedynasty.50megs.com/3.3/rebuild.html

And some performance rebuiding ideas here:
http://dodgedynasty.50megs.com/3.3/build3.html

Now some machine shops can get that forged 3.5 crank machined to work in the 3.3- with the forged 3.5 crank and the newer top end- you'd have one of the strongest 3.3's on the road (the crank is seen as the only potentially weak part of the 3.3/3.8).

At any rate, I am assuming you care about peformance and are willing to do a total rebuild. I am almost completely certain that getting a lifter unstuck on the 3.3 would be as simple as possible on a pushrod engine of any time and shouldnt require much in the way of taking stuff apart.

[Zeker]

Excellent, thanks very much for all the info. The owner of the van just wants the noise gone, so that is what I'm going to do for now. I'll give him the cam and head info in case he wants to do that, but I doubt it. If it happens to be a wiped cam lobe, then I'll go with the better cam.

Thanks,
Brent.