Roy's Garage: '90 2.4-4G64 5-spd D-50

[royster]

I'm understanding WHY they call it a "silent shaft"...it's 'cause NO ONE IS FREAKIN' TALKLING ABOUT IT. AT ALL.

Not one mention of it in the book (which is, by the way, a Haynes and NOT a Chilton: the Chilton is for my F-150. Sucks dyslexia you if got it).

So there was absolutely NO WARNING that the driver-side silent shaft was going to come out with the oil pump. It reminds me of that scene in "The Fly". Wasn't expecting that. But worse, the pump has to be further unbolted to liberate the silent shaft. WTF? And there is NO information about how to get that cap off, that covers the silent shaft's bolt...you know, the bolt you can't see, and the one no one tells you about?

Well, I'M talking about it, see? I'm not remaining silent about the silent shaft. What is that thing, the Illuminatti of the 4-cylinder engines? Gotta know the secret hand~shake and passwords? Jeeznee peeznee criminy CRIPES JeesoFLIP.

So how does one go about getting that flat, cog-looking cover off the silent shaft nut-house? It doesn't turn, it doesn't pop out, and I can't figure out how to get the darned thing to move, but if I don't have it, gawd knows what will happen. It obviously seals oil.

This is horrid, to be this far and suddenly be stumped by something even simpler than a valve seal. NOTHING in the book. Period.

Help. Help help help helphelphelp, please...

EDIT:
A search brought this up http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...mination-2-0-L

I asume this HAS to be the same for a 2.4? Use a punch and tap it counter-clockwise?

The worst part of this is the old pump looks to be in very good condition. Several select cuss words would be expressive here, but I have to acknowledge that the experience isn't gained any other way. And with the oil pan off, I was able to look up my engine's dress. Woo hoo! Good stuff in there, buddy! I aughta take pictures for lonely nights.

EDIT #2
Obsessed as I am at times, I went over to the garage and used a nail-set: sure enough, it came off. Thanks to camoit, whose post helped on this...and has great pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I got some more to post, but tomorrow: it's 1:00 AM, here, and I'm tired.

But I am now officially at THE turning point: it's all re-assembly, now...unless the silent shaft squeals like a stoolie. It would be just like it to sing like a bird and spill the beans. (And we wonder why Americans are so hard to understand...)

[royster]

Camoit provides great pictures for this operation at the link I posted above. The book is not clear on any such detail, and for the first-time mechanic, this information...like the valve seals...will likely be helpful to know. [Photo below by camoit, with much appreciation]
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One thing I noticed about the new oil pump is that (on the work bench) it doesn't rotate clockwise. The balance shaft has to be in for it to turn in the right direction. This is likely one reason we are cautioned to NOT rotate the engine counter-clockwise...I'll post later once I have finished this phase (or experts can add their 2-cents).

Another tip I might pass along to the newbee is: in any repair to your truck, spend a few dollars more and get the good gasket sets and/or kits: they will include detail items you aren't expecting to need (but will). A good example is the 'o' ring that seals the very cap I was complaining about: it's in the oil pump kit. The cheaper kit only has minimal gaskets, and you'll either end up with more delays because you have to order more stuff, or make your own. I have posted the example about the good head gasket set which includes the timing cover seals, whereas the cheaper ones don't, and you can't find that part seperately. Another example is the timing belt kits: for a few dollars more, get the one with the new tensioners, not just the belts. The old tensioner might seem okay, but they're like teenagers: once tha parents leave the house for a PTA meeting, those kids are going to party and get into mischeif. And tensioners are extremely important, so you don't want one seizing up a few miles down the road...if the bearings in them give up their service, you'll be ordering plenty more parts.

Camoit points out the importance of new seals, and there again, the kit I got has the seals already installed in the oil pump. When you order parts, click-to-enlarger the picture. Take a good look at what comes with the kit. An illustration of "buyer beware" is very clear in the Weber carborator thread, where lots of fake copies are offered with deceptive referrences, and guys are out hundreds of dollars because the carborators are junk. The same goes for the parts you order: take the time to make sure you're getting everything you need. I've been lucky in working with my D-50, but the temptation has been there to take the cheaper route. Twice, now, I've been glad I ordered the next-best up, rather than the bare-bones offering. From here on out, I know to get at least the better (as opposed to 'standard') part, kit or gaskets. Since I'm not rebuilding this engine yet, I have no need for the ultimate~best kits offered: I just want to keep my truck running and on the road. The experience I'm gaining now will be very valuable when that rebuild time comes around.

Installing this new oil pump was a willingness to go the full distance, and while the old pump likely was fine, I have the hands-on experience of getting the engine this far down, and this is valuable information for a truck I intend to service myself for as long as I have it. In the first weeks of owning my D-50, I relied on a mechanic to work on the truck. Hind-sight shows he knew very little about Mitsubishi engines or their quirks. In addressing the smoking problem, he recommended a total engine flush and "miracle product" remedy...which now I recognise as likely a Seafoam procedure. So he knew nothing about the valve seals going bad, and like myself, saw 217,000 miles on the odometer and figured it was rings. I don't hold this against him, knowing now what I do about the 2.4. And as this thread reveals, NOBODY would have known about the displaced valve guides without getting into the engine as I have done. It would have been impossible to see without the valve cover off, and even then, only in removing the valve springs did I see the true nature of this truck's smoking problem. I cite an earlier post which exposes my reluctance to really get serious about the engine:

Any chance I can get away with moving the whole f.i. intake manifold off to the side in one piece, or do I have to really get into breaking this down? (The maniforld is a two-piece component).

I answered my own question, in doing the work, and a few posts later. I also share about the clogged EGR passages, and only by the tear-down did I reveal that problem, and have the access to fix it properly. I years ago quit believing in "miracle products", with very few exceptions, Seafoam being one of them. Our society is very much the same way: we have horrible problems we're trying to pacify with "miracle product" approaches, when we really need to stop and deal with the core causes. And we need to do this just like we repair these engines: we can't use old knowledge or experience to address something we know very little about...and we will continue to know very little about it until we become willing to go the full distance for satisfying resolves.

Speaking of old knowledge: an old timer years ago said mechanics kept a pair of panty hose in the trunk of their car. If a fan belt broke, the panty hose could be wrapped around the pulleys, tightened and knotted, the excess cut off, and this would be enough to run the water pump until you got into the next town.

Frankly, I'm starting to wonder about these old timers.

They were running around these back-roads with raw bacon and panty hose in their trunks. What other filthy little secrets will be revealed about them?


Time will tell. Oh yes: it will spill the beans, squeal like a stooly and sing like a bird.

[royster]

This photo shows my little refrigerator where sodas and sandwich components are kept. ALWAYS use a sandwich gasket with mayonaise sealant and mustard lubrication.
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The upholstery attachment for my rug~sucker got the headliner cleaned up remarkably well (photo from October). Note I cut the rear view mirror and installed an after-market glass-attached mirror.
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The parts truck outside the garage. This little guy has been so valuable for what I learned from dismantling it. It also was helpful in referring to some placements..."When in doubt, look at the other one."
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Before and after...and continuing to evolve
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When I went to install my pre-amp, I found brackets already there to bolt into. I have since learned that this was for hanging the optional air conditioning unit. I can say, in all honesty, I have a well-hung pre-amp.
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[royster]

The book instructs you to remove the cap from the pressure releif valve and remove the plunger and spring. (This is that part where the oil filter goes. It is a seperate piece from the oil pump plate, but must be removed in order to get the plate off. I say "plate" for want of a better word. Suffice it to say it's the alluminum front of the engine with the oil pump attached to it). I was unable to get anything to loosen the cap (22 mm cresent, open end ONLY, and I couldn't find mine). I just left it on until the unit came off from the engine. I used a socket wrench to remove it. Apparently this is okay, because the book's instructions for reinstall are rather casual. I assume the primary point is to inspect the inside of the plunger area. Certainly my engine had no pressure to worry about.

The left side (as you're facing the engine) silent shaft gear must be removed. The book offers no clever means to do so. For the curious: there are two screws on that left side, neither of them helps you hold the shaft while you're loosening the nut. They actually peer into the silent shaft's bearings. With no other means of getting my nut off, I used channel locks with a rag to protect the gear. Even at that, I ended up using the Dremel tool to de-bur some marks on the gear.

In replacing the gear, since the oil pan is off, I can reach up through the engine and jam the shaft...(does all this talk make anyone else horny? There sure are a lot of male-arousing words going on...) in a similar way to the right side. The right side shaft has a bona-fide bolt you remove to access the shaft. That bolt is just aft of the starter motor, about the same height.

Speaking of that right-hand side shaft: know that you can remove that plate in front of the hidden bolt, remove the bolt, and the silent shaft will remain in the block. (See photo provided by camoit). The right-hand shaft has only one bearing: the left side has two.

I have opted to set gaskets with silicone gasket sealer on the oil pan, oil pump plate, the sump connection and the oil filter holder before installing them. Allowed to cure sufficient time means I won't be fussing with gaskets falling off as I try to install stuff. I made use of the drying time to clean surfaces and some detail cleaning in the engine bay.

Once the oil pump is re-installed, and the oil pan replaced, it's time to put the silent shaft belt on, and assure the timing of the engine.

You NEED to ground the timing adjustment wire near the firewall to set the timing correctly, this tells the ECU not to change the timing, allowing you to set the base timing.

~Komeuppance


It is then a big moment in my pathetic life: installing the cylinder head, cam and rockerarm assembly. I am going to agonize every millimeter of the way to make sure the timing is as perfect as I can get it.

[royster]

. oil pump installed
. sump installed, oil pan installed
. dampener pulley back on, so I could...
. replace transmission dust sheild
. silent shaft (B) belt installed, absolutely sure of correct timing
. oil pump and silent shaft synced, s. shaft bolted and capped
. belt tensioner in and at the ready

[royster]

I've been threatening to do that for many years. There was always some voice that assured me continuing to be stupid was beneficial.

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What a great day in my obscure and occassionally abstract life: the cylinder head goes on! I'm in no hurry to start the engine up, so I'm not pushing myself to have it running by tonight. I'm taking my time.

But the repair has a really good feel to it, and having taken the time to clean the engine compartment was not only satisfying, it made putting the oil pan back on less messy. I was able to reach through the cross brace without soaking my arm in grease. Though I have no running water in the garage, I DO have a yard sprayer that I fill with hot tap water from the house, and I keep a kettle on the kerosene stove...you never know when Julia Child's ghost might show up and want tea...
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...and boiling hot water is great for cleaning parts or spiking the temperature of the sprayer water.

Since I have that nice big plastic drip pan (they sell them with rollers...supposedly for storing things under your bed, which is BAD Feng Shui) I decided it was a good time to clean the A-frames and front wheel components: my next task is to rebuild the brakes, and working with clean parts helps tremendously. Getting the truck to move forward comes before concerns about getting it to stop.

A note about service prep: I removed the wheels and the front bumper for this repair. It was worth the few minutes to take them off, as it makes access so much easier. I was able to sit on a box in front of the engine, and read it bed-time stories and chat about current events. With a little sippy~cup, I was able to give the truck hot chocolate and Mai Tai's with little umberellas. We even played a few games of Scrabble, and I let Pony win, because spelling is not a strong point of Mitsubishi engines.

In the scheme of my D-50 story, I had stopped driving the truck because the passenger-side caliper was locking up. I didn't want to stress the drive train or engine, so I had it parked until I could locate brake parts. While waiting, I would start it up occassionally. Starting it up one very cold day the timing belt stripped. Though the truck hasn't moved but some 500 feet in the past month, it has taken me on one of the most meaningful journeys of my life.

And once it's purring happily, no doubt it will help me on my journey to get my head together.


fixit.jpg

[royster]

Not to be long~winded, but I wanted to take the time to acknowledge a Beginning in my life
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She showed up while I was rebuilding the garage, and died before it was finished. She left me the three most precious things her life could have produced. It's amazingly like 'Charlott's Web'.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbqQxhp3PB8

[cjb2679n]

Royster, relatively new here. 1990 Dodge Ram 50 2.4L 4G64. I was driving down the road yesterday and lost power. I eventually discovered the timing belt was stripped but oddly intact. Now I'm realizing that the "silent shaft" belt failed. I had no clue what a balance shaft was until yesterday! Any tips for replacing the balance shaft belt/ timing belt? Any info/links/advice is much appreciated!

[royster]

Hi cjb~
Thanks for asking.
My own experience is here in this thread. The important questions are: how many miles does your truck have? Does the engine still run, or did it suddenly shut off and won't re-start? How did you discover the B belt failed? (I assume you took the plastic timing cover off).

Part of why I ask is because you might want to consider also installing a new water pump, and possibly a new oil pump, since you'll have good access to those guys when you replace timing belts.

If you're going to take on those tasks, why not start yourself a thread in this sub-forum? I'll gladly stand by to help where I can. Other members will also add great insights and help. I posted lots of pictures in "Roy's Garage", I just wish they had been more "shop manual" closer together rather than personal stuff in between...but that was my experience. Point being, you can referrence the photos here to compare to your own situations, as you come up to them. There are a couple procedures a Haynes manual simply doesn't cover, or assumes you already know. Thanks to the forum, that information is readily available, simply ask.

Not sure how long you've had your truck, but if you haven't looked at this other thread, give it a glance and see if there's anything you aughta do: http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...and-do-it-ASAP

I did manage to make some degree of organisation to my thread, so see the "menu" I created for Roy's Garage http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...ll=1#post25752

The most important tip I can offer you is: don't be afraid to ask (what you percieve) a dumb question. I asked lots of them, and there were very good answers. Again: the beauty of this forum is a good-natured sharing of information for / love of these trucks.

[royster]

And this is my 900th post.

I think.

Therefore I Am.