I enjoy spirited driving from time to time and it so happens both times I've done this my OPDA will go out of sync/timing. I made a thread a few weeks ago asking for help installing my OPDA I got it installed and working for those few weeks and everything ran fine, today this morning while on my way to work I had the same thing happen again during a bout of some wide open throttle driving. Is this something that happens with these types of engines? Can I reuse my same OPDA after removing it making sure its TDC and reinstalling? The engine is a Jasper reman and has maybe 10k miles on it if not much much less could it be something else causing me to lose the OPDA? I've had this happen a handful of times now I think, I even had to order an opda with the sensor from the junkyard.
OPDA woes
- Thread starter lulzpwndyah
- Start date
When I replaced the OPDA a few weeks ago there was signs of the gears being worn, there was like a half inch blemish in the center of the gear tooth, so this means the camshaft is potentially worn, great, do you happen to know what the reason behind it wearing down so quickly would be? Maybe not quickly but i've driven it maybe 10k miles in 3 years.
My guess is that the original OPDA caused the wear, but someone more knowledgeable than me should be along shortly...
If you're running a Jasper engine with only 10k miles, was the original OPDA installed when the engine was installed? If not, do you know if it was a Crown, Dorman, or Mopar OPDA?
1. Why were you installing an OPDA on a 10K mi engine??? Did you put your old OPDA in the new rebuild? An old worn OPDA gear on a new cam gear is bad news.
2. What did the cam gear look like when you replaced the OPDA?
3. If you didn't get it aligned well enough, the normal gear mesh will allow the alignment to change slightly at high RPM. You may only need to slightly adjust the OPDA to correct it. And be sure the hold down bolt is tight. I have had mine loosen, the OPDA shifts slightly, and boom MIL light is on.
2. What did the cam gear look like when you replaced the OPDA?
3. If you didn't get it aligned well enough, the normal gear mesh will allow the alignment to change slightly at high RPM. You may only need to slightly adjust the OPDA to correct it. And be sure the hold down bolt is tight. I have had mine loosen, the OPDA shifts slightly, and boom MIL light is on.
It was replaced by the shop that did it, I have it listed in the shops receipt/slip. It was a crown unit and unfortunately they tossed the oem sensor.
1. Because as I was driving home it went into limp mode and it gave me a code for p0016.
2. I admit I did not check the cam gear when I swapped it out the first time, but I checked the gears on the opda that was installed with the reman, there was some wear I can take a picture of.
3. This might be it, It was my first time swapping it out and had a tough time getting it to TDC I was doing it alone and my arms are kind of weak due to disability.
Should I be able to take out the OPDA, put it to TDC again and pop the same one back in or should I get this OPDA exchanged and get a new one?
The whole thing with the Crown OPDA is that it was redesigned to fix the oil starvation issue that the OE units suffered from. Did the Jasper engine come with a new camshaft? If so, I can't see a way that the OPDA seized the same way that the original Mopar units seized unless it had a manufacturing flaw. Not even the original OPDA assemblies dropped off after just 10k miles.
Best case, the aftermarket sensor is causing your issue. If so, I recall recently reading about a relearning procedure that can be done without the old Chrysler programming device.
Worst case, Jasper either installed a used camshaft with a worn gear or your OPDA actually has failed. I sure hope that it might just be the sensor or the OPDA and you can just go through the procedures to get it all done.
Best case, the aftermarket sensor is causing your issue. If so, I recall recently reading about a relearning procedure that can be done without the old Chrysler programming device.
Worst case, Jasper either installed a used camshaft with a worn gear or your OPDA actually has failed. I sure hope that it might just be the sensor or the OPDA and you can just go through the procedures to get it all done.
Your issue is most likely that the OPDA is slightly off. Set the engine to TDC and see if the holes in the OPDA line up. If they do, you are probably only slightly off. Loosen the hold down bolt and rotate it slightly one way or the other. Be sure that when you set the engine to TDC to only rotate the engine clockwise as it will be when it's running.
Disconnect the battery to reset the PCM.
If you want to shortcut it, just loosen the hold down bolt and slightly rotate the OPDA one way or the other and then try it out. Mine had rotated clockwise a little when the bolt was loose, so i just nudged it counterclockwise a little and no more codes.
Post a pic of the OPDA gear on the one you pulled out.
Disconnect the battery to reset the PCM.
If you want to shortcut it, just loosen the hold down bolt and slightly rotate the OPDA one way or the other and then try it out. Mine had rotated clockwise a little when the bolt was loose, so i just nudged it counterclockwise a little and no more codes.
Post a pic of the OPDA gear on the one you pulled out.
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