Chrysler neon 1997 Service Manual page 415

9 - 2 ENGINE
GENERAL INFORMATION (Continued)
assure gasket rails are flat. Flatten rails with a ham-
mer on a heavy steel plate if required. Gasket sur-
faces must be free of oil and dirt. Make sure old
gasket material is removed from blind attaching
holes.
FORM-IN-PLACE GASKET APPLICATION
Assembling parts using a form-in-place gasket
requires care but it's easier then using precut gas-
kets.
Mopar Gasket Maker material should be applied
sparingly 1 mm(0.040 inch.) diameter or less of seal-
ant to one gasket surface. Be certain the material
surrounds each mounting hole. Excess material can
easily be wiped off. Components should be torqued in
place within 15 minutes. The use of a locating dowel
is recommended during assembly to prevent smear-
ing material off the location.
The Mopar Silicone Rubber Adhesive Sealant gas-
ket material or equivalent should be applied in a con-
tinuous bead approximately 3 mm (0.120 inch) in
diameter. All mounting holes must be circled. For
corner sealing, a 3.17 or 6.35 mm (1/8 or 1/4 inch.)
drop is placed in the center of the gasket contact
area. Uncured sealant may be removed with a shop
towel. Components should be torqued in place while
the sealant is still wet to the touch (within 10 min-
utes). The usage of a locating dowel is recommended
during assembly to prevent smearing material off the
location.
CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET BOLT ACCESS PLUG
An Access plug is located in the right inner fender
shield. Remove the plug and insert the proper size
socket, extension and ratchet, when crankshaft rota-
tion is necessary.
ENGINE CORE PLUGS
REMOVAL
Using a blunt tool such as a drift or a screwdriver
and a hammer, strike the bottom edge of the cup
plug (Fig. 1). With the cup plug rotated, grasp firmly
with pliers or other suitable tool and remove plug
(Fig. 1).
CAUTION: Do not drive cup plug into the casting
as restricted cooling can result and cause serious
engine problems.
INSTALLATION
Thoroughly remove all rust and clean inside of cup
plug hole in cylinder block or head. Be sure to
remove old sealer. Lightly coat inside of cup plug hole
with sealer. Make certain the new plug is cleaned of
all oil or grease. Using proper drive plug, drive plug
into hole so that the sharp edge of the plug is at
CYLINDER CUP PLUG BLOCK DRIFT
Fig. 1 Core Hole Plug Removal
least 0.5 mm (0.020 inch.) inside the lead in chamfer
(Fig. 1).
It is in not necessary to wait for curing of the seal-
ant. The cooling system can be refilled and the vehi-
cle placed in service immediately.
ENGINE PERFORMANCE
If a loss of performance is noticed, ignition timing
should be checked. timing belt or chain may have
skipped one or two teeth. Camshaft and crankshaft
timing should also be checked. Refer to Group 9,
Engine Timing belt or chain installation.
To provide best vehicle performance and lowest
vehicle emissions, it is most important that the
tune-up be done accurately. Use the specifications
listed on the Vehicle Emission Control Information
label found in the engine compartment.
(1) Test cranking amperage draw. See Starting
Motor Cranking Amperage Draw Electrical Section of
this manual.
(2) Check intake manifold for vacuum leaks.
PERFORM CYLINDER COMPRESSION TEST
(1) Check engine oil level and add oil if necessary.
(2) Drive the vehicle until engine reaches normal
operating temperature. Select a route free from traf-
fic and other forms of congestion, observe all traffic
laws, and accelerate through the gears several times
briskly.
(3) Remove all spark plugs from engine. As spark
plugs are being removed, check electrodes for abnor-
mal firing indicators fouled, hot, oily, etc. Record cyl-
inder number of spark plug for future reference.
(4) Disconnect coil wire from distributor and
secure to good ground to prevent a spark from start-
ing a fire (Conventional Ignition System). For Direct
Ignition System DIS disconnect the coil connector.
(5) Be sure throttle blade is fully open during the
compression check.
SECOND REMOVE PLUG FIRST STRIKE HERE WITH HAMMER WITH PLIERS
PL