[JTE]

Good catch Jake.

Your observation leads to more questions. Chrysler head replacement requires re-using the camshaft?

What other parts are recycled off the bad head and how much labor cost does it add to build up the head vs a straight R-R?

 

[PCRMike]

Interesting. I was told wrong.

 

[TJ Jake]

Good catch Jake.

Your observation leads to more questions. Chrysler head replacement requires re-using the camshaft?

What other parts are recycled off the bad head and how much labor cost does it add to build up the head vs a straight R-R?

Yes, you re-use the cams, phasers, lifters, rocker arms, head bolts and timing chain tensioner. The head comes assembled with valves, oil galley plugs and spark plugs (surprisingly). So far I haven't seen any problems or rechecks with reusing those parts. The only ones I've seen come back are cars that had their heads replaced with another defective head after 20,000 miles.

 

[ShadowRider]

I've seen this happen on a JK Pentastar before. 200 miles before it got towed to my dealership another dealer replaced the head. Pulled the valve cover off and the cam was snapped in half. It's not a problem with the Pentastar design, but the mechanic who worked on it. The cam bearing cap bolts require very little torque, 85 in lbs. if you don't go through the whole torque sequence a second time, some of them will be loose and that's exactly what happened. The last two caps were barely hanging on by the last few threads and the cam snapped right behind the 3rd cap. I have a photo of it somewhere, I'll have to dig for it.

Each cap is machined while installed on the head. It is then numbered and removed for cam installation so it can be placed back in the exact same place. A machine is used to tighten all the caps evenly. These machines are high maintenance and I do recall a time when the caps were not getting numbered properly which generated a lot of scrap. Guess maybe a few got through the system.

 

[JohnRogers]

200 miles before it got towed to my dealership another dealer replaced the head. Pulled the valve cover off and the cam was snapped in half. It's not a problem with the Pentastar design, but the mechanic who worked on it. The cam bearing cap bolts require very little torque, 85 in lbs. if you don't go through the whole torque sequence a second time, some of them will be loose and that's exactly what happened. The last two caps were barely hanging on by the last few threads and the cam snapped right behind the 3rd cap. I have a photo of it somewhere, I'll have to dig for it.

The head got replaced August 12th and the engine ran great for month or so. Slowly running a little rougher. Then towed in Saturday the 14th, the light came on Thursday.

Pics would be cool to see.

 

[68RT]

If the caps were left incorrectly torqued, That will cause the cam to break. It looks like yours is an unfortunate re-assembly problem and probably not a design issue.

 

[JohnRogers]

If the caps were left incorrectly torqued, That will cause the cam to break. It looks like yours is an unfortunate re-assembly problem and probably not a design issue.

That would be unfortunate I'm already sour on the Jackson's of Enid service department.

 

[Dave Z]

Or fortunate because now you know not to trust them.

 

[68RT]

I can almost put money on the fact that management did not want sloppy workmanship but that does not mean that they have put emphasis on the correct area. Piece work?

 

[JohnRogers]

If the caps were left incorrectly torqued, That will cause the cam to break. It looks like yours is an unfortunate re-assembly problem and probably not a design issue.

I got my Rubicon back yesterday after having it towed in on the 14th.

Installed: Camshaft Exhaust, camshaft intake, Bolt 6 Lobe Recessed HEA6509, Gaskets for Cylinder Head, Cylinder Head Cover, Intake Plenum, Intake Manifold.
"Vehicle came in for a misfire on cylinder 4 and 6. Cam sensor 2/1 code. When I got into the motor after pulling valve cover off found that the exhaust cam was broken in two. Not sure what was the cause of this but problem got fixed and oil was drained to check for fragment pieces that might of came off the cam. The 4th cam cap bolt had also broke. There were TSB about cam breaking in two. Thought those were all taking care of the year after the problems happened. Everything is fixed now"

I still love the Jeep but I'm sour on the customer service from Jackson's of Enid.

 

[abgwin]

Having a bad dealer in that part of the country is tough. It's quite a drive to any other.

I grew up in nearby Stillwater and was lucky to have Oltmann's, whom my dad traded with for decades. Now the CJDR dealer is Barry Sanders, and I have no idea if they're any more dependable than Jackson's.

 

[JohnRogers]

Yeah any other dealer option is over an hour away.