What is the OPDA and do I need to change mine?

Nocotj said:
Is the Dorman a good replacement?
Click to expand...

Most people suggest the crown unit (but use the old factory sensor, not the new crown one). I don’t know about this part in particular but Dorman isn’t known for making the best parts (neither is crown, but their OPDA has a good track record)
 
Gilly11277 said:
I believe Crown is the brand you want. IIRC Dorman is just a clone of the OEM part which is part of the problem. Crown changed the part to address the design flaw of the OEM part which leads to the catastrophic failure.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Only reason I am considering DORMAN is because crown is 12 weeks back order, and it’s our daily driver i Have laughing monkeys and don’t want to risk driving for 12 weeks while waiting on part
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Zorba
This site contains affiliate links for which Jeep Wrangler TJ Forum may be compensated.
annihil8ted said:
Does a bad OPDA always make noise or can it just suddenly stop sending proper oil pressure silently?
Click to expand...

That's a loaded question. The camshaft gear drives the gear on the OPDA. This spins the OPDA and the cam sensor is on the OPDA so that determines where the cam position is....and that's why alignment is so important. So, the cam is driving the OPDA via the gear. The oil pump needs to spin as well to pump oil so below the gears, on the end of the OPDA shaft, it looks like a flat head screwdriver. That fits into the oil pump and as the OPDA shaft spins, it spins the oil pump and monitors cam position at the same time. So, if the OPDA isn't spinning, the engine isn't running. I suppose it's possible for the end of the OPDA shaft to break but frankly, it's unlikely.

Does your engine not have oil pressure showing on the gauge? Have you actually removed the oil pressure sending unit and installed an oil pressure tester and verified if you have oil pressure or not? It's certainly possible that the oil pressure sending unit went bad.
 
annihil8ted said:
Does a bad OPDA always make noise or can it just suddenly stop sending proper oil pressure silently?
Click to expand...

The problem is usually not with the oil pump.
The bushing at the top isn't lubricated very well which causes it to squeal and/or lock up.
The extra drag causes sensor misalignment and the cam gear to wear.
 
Top Bottom
Back