Dodge 2000 DURANGO Service Manual page 515

9 - 6 4.7L ENGINE
DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION (Continued)
VALVE SPRING
DESCRIPTION
The valve springs are made from high strength
chrome silicon steel. The springs are common for
intake and exhaust applications. The valve spring
seat is integral with the valve stem seal, which is a
positive type seal to control lubrication.
HYDRAULIC LASH ADJUSTER
DESCRIPTION
Valve lash is controlled by hydraulic lash adjusters
that are stationary mounted in the cylinder heads.
The lash adjusters have a hole in the ball plunger
that feeds oil through the rocker arm squirt holes for
rocker arm roller and camshaft lobe lubrication.
TIMING DRIVE SYSTEM
DESCRIPTION
The timing drive system has been designed to pro-
vide quiet performance and reliability to support a
non-free wheeling engine. Specifically the intake
valves are non-free wheeling and can be easily dam-
aged with forceful engine rotation if camshaft-to-
crankshaft timing is incorrect. The timing drive
system consists of a primary chain and two second-
ary timing chain drives.
OPERATION
The primary timing chain is a single inverted tooth
type. The primary chain drives the large fifty tooth
idler sprocket directly from a 25 tooth crankshaft
sprocket. Primary chain motion is controlled by a
pivoting leaf spring tensioner arm and a fixed guide.
The arm and the guide both use nylon plastic wear
faces for low friction and long wear. The primary
chain receives oil splash lubrication from the second-
ary chain drive and oil pump leakage. The idler
sprocket assembly connects the primary and second-
ary chain drives. The idler sprocket assembly con-
sists of two integral thirty tooth sprockets and a fifty
tooth sprocket that is splined to the assembly. The
spline joint is a non – serviceable press fit anti rattle
type. A spiral ring is installed on the outboard side of
the fifty tooth sprocket to prevent spline disengage-
ment. The idler sprocket assembly spins on a station-
ary idler shaft. The idler shaft is press-fit into the
cylinder block. A large washer on the idler shaft bolt
and the rear flange of the idler shaft are used to con-
trol sprocket thrust movement. Pressurized oil is
routed through the center of the idler shaft to pro-
vide lubrication for the two bushings used in the
idler sprocket assembly.
There are two secondary drive chains, both are
inverted tooth type, one to drive the camshaft in each
SOHC cylinder head. There are no shaft speed
changes in the secondary chain drive system. Each
secondary chain drives a thirty tooth cam sprocket
directly from the thirty tooth sprocket on the idler
sprocket assembly. A fixed chain guide and a hydrau-
lic oil damped tensioner are used to maintain tension
in each secondary chain system. The hydraulic ten-
sioners for the secondary chain systems are fed pres-
surized oil from oil reservoir pockets in the block.
Each tensioner also has a mechanical ratchet system
that limits chain slack if the tensioner piston bleeds
down after engine shut down. The tensioner arms
and guides also utilize nylon wear faces for low fric-
tion and long wear. The secondary timing chains
receive lubrication from a small orifice in the ten-
sioners. This orifice is protected from clogging by a
fine mesh screen which is located on the back of the
hydraulic tensioners.
CAMSHAFT
DESCRIPTION
The camshafts consist of powdered metal steel
lobes which are sinter-bonded to a steel tube. A steel
post or nose piece is friction-welded to the steel cam-
shaft tube. Five bearing journals are machined into
the camshaft, four on the steel tube and one on the
steel nose piece. Camshaft end play is controlled by
two thrust walls that border the nose piece journal.
Engine oil enters the hollow camshafts at the third
journal and lubricates every intake lobe rocker
through a drilled passage in the intake lobe.
ROCKER ARM
DESCRIPTION
The rocker arms are steel stampings with an inte-
gral roller bearing. The rocker arms incorporate a 2.8
mm (0.11 inch) oil hole in the lash adjuster socket for
roller and camshaft lubrication.
CYLINDER HEAD COVER
DESCRIPTION
The cylinder head covers are made of die cast mag-
nesium, and are not interchangeable from side-to-
side. It is imperative that nothing rest on the
cylinder head covers. Prolonged contact with other
items may wear a hole in the cylinder head cover.
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