Looking at an 06 tomorrow, OPDA advice

[freedom_in_4low]

If it was built after Feb or March 06 the OPDA problem had already been fixed and all 05 early 06 had been recalled.
Check the Vin for build month not first road registered month! You just cant pile all 06 builds into the same bad OPDA category 05,s maybe? yes.

I seem to remember jeep addressing it somehow but I'm pretty sure it was just a new OPDA with the same problem. Still as late as 2012, the crown wasn't available yet and people were still trying home grown fixes like drilling to install grease fittings.

At any rate, I bought it, it makes no noises, it has a Jeep OPDA, and I haven't replaced it yet because I've been busy swapping other stuff onto it.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

I’m curious why? The part is a know failure....and if it does...no oil moves and you can fry an engine. The part to avoid that issue is on the shelf, why wouldn’t you put it on the Jeep and make the risk go to zero?

Good question. I don't know of any engine failures due to the OPDA. It seems to me this issue is over hyped and can show early signs of failure so corrective action can be taken then. Do we know for sure the crown unit is a complete fix? My engine has less than 27k on it.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Good question. I don't know of any engine failures due to the OPDA. It seems to me this issue is over hyped and can show early signs of failure so corrective action can be taken then. Do we know for sure the crown unit is a complete fix? My engine has less than 27k on it.

I don't think any of the general public knows the actual failure rate, we just know the worst-case results and a $100 part seems like cheap insurance, not to mention I'd rather spend the money once and not have to regularly pull my OPDA to check for wear.

My 05 looked pretty nasty on the OPDA gear when I swapped it out with a new Mopar. It only had ~60k and was not making any noises or CEL's at all.

I'm not aware of any failures of the Crown unit.

 

[cpwolf]

I get you, no

Good question. I don't know of any engine failures due to the OPDA. It seems to me this issue is over hyped and can show early signs of failure so corrective action can be taken then. Do we know for sure the crown unit is a complete fix? My engine has less than 27k on it.

I hear you, I actually don't know, and you may be correct. I did it based on what others were posting, and some of the videos, and the last think I want is to replace the cam or whatever because of this stupid part. Mopar has jacked up a few things...ha. All good, and with 27k miles, yeah you're probably not running anything raw. I was at 100k and figured I better get it done.

 

[Fishtaco]

I was originally looking for an 04 build but ended up with an 06, then after joining this forum I started to worry about the OPDA problem being mentioned all the time so I went searching and in various customer and expert reviews with recall history information sections it mentioned in more than one that with March 06 and on builds the OPDA issue had been resolved.

The reason I was looking for an 04 was because of TJ user review's I came across that stated the 04 was the best build and did not suffer exhaust manifold cracking issues and other issues, some of that info came from this forum via Mr Google before I was a member or even owned a jeep.

How many 06 OPDA,s have failed or worn excessively compared to other year makes and why do so many with other than 05/06 years change their OPDA,s to a Crown unit? 06 is now 14 years old why have they all not failed given this problem was specific and seemingly systemic and was experienced even when almost new? I dont know but you can only go on what you read and others ownership experience on a specific make and year.

I suppose you have to compare the 06 OPDA complaints/repairs to non complaints/repairs then compare those to the number of concerns of those who have never owned an 06.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I was originally looking for an 04 build but ended up with an 06, then after joining this forum I started to worry about the OPDA problem being mentioned all the time so I went searching and in various customer and expert reviews with recall history information sections it mentioned in more than one that with March 06 and on builds the OPDA issue had been resolved.

The reason I was looking for an 04 was because of TJ user review's I came across that stated the 04 was the best build and did not suffer exhaust manifold cracking issues and other issues, some of that info came from this forum via Mr Google before I was a member or even owned a jeep.

How many 06 OPDA,s have failed or worn excessively compared to other year makes and why do so many with other than 05/06 years change their OPDA,s to a Crown unit? 06 is now 14 years old why have they all not failed given this problem was specific and seemingly systemic and was experienced even when almost new? I dont know but you can only go on what you read and others ownership experience on a specific make and year.

I don't think anybody outside of 05-06 is changing their OPDA. It's a different system, different part, and not on record eating camshafts and engines in early mileage.

It's all gambling. I don't think anybody has said that every OPDA was going to kamikaze the engine it's installed in, but there are enough of them out there to cause concern and it's cheap insurance and peace of mind.

If '04 wouldn't have married me to a 42RLE, I would have looked for that year specifically. But dealing with a burping fuel filler hose and an OPDA was cheaper than regearing again.

 

[JKP]

There was never an OPDA recall, and Jeep kept putting the same LDI design in all the 05 and 06s. And any MOPAR replacement OPDA is the same design. The top bushing is "permanently" lubricated and will eventually run dry.

The only recall was on some of the 05 OPDA drive gears that were too soft.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/what-is-the-opda-and-do-i-need-to-change-mine.80/post-781

 

[freedom_in_4low]

There was never an OPDA recall, and Jeep kept putting the same LDI design in all the 05 and 06s. And any MOPAR replacement OPDA is the same design. The top bushing is "permanently" lubricated and will eventually run dry.

The only recall was on some of the 05 OPDA drive gears that were too soft.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/what-is-the-opda-and-do-i-need-to-change-mine.80/post-781

two major problems in one component, they fixed one and called it good.

My first LJ being an 05 may have explained the wear on the gear at 60k miles.

 

[Got4wd]

My 06 failed at 4900 miles.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

My 06 failed at 4900 miles.

What were symptoms?

 

[Got4wd]

What were symptoms?

The barrel of Monkeys sound. Jeep has 5300 miles on it now with the crown model.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

The barrel of Monkeys sound. Jeep has 5300 miles on it now with the crown model.

wonder if the failures can be attributed to lack of use or long stretches of not driving.

I talked to a guy locally a while back that had his take out the cam - he was in the military and his Jeep sat while he was on deployment.

 

[Got4wd]

I start mine every week at the least but it could be a possibility.

 

[Apparition]

wonder if the failures can be attributed to lack of use or long stretches of not driving.

I talked to a guy locally a while back that had his take out the cam - he was in the military and his Jeep sat while he was on deployment.

I have over 120k on mine. I’ve put on over 30k since purchase 3 years ago.

Mine sits for months at a time since I don’t drive it in the winter.

No issues so far.

 

[LONGJP2]

When I bought my '06 in 2012, it only had 70k miles and it already had a replacement engine in it. I don't know why it was replaced, nor what OPDA was used on the Jasper engine. It now has 135k miles with no issues, and I have a crown part sitting on the shelf.