Jeep 4.0 OPDA/Camshaft Synchronizer wore out again

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The 05 and 06 4.0 Jeep engines eat the cam gear... My 02 wore out the bushings in this part. This is the 3rd one. They last about 80k. It goes where a distributor would if it had one and is just a shaft that run on bushings just like a Distributor. One end drives the oil pump and the other end is the cam position sensor.

Jeep usually gets whatever 10w30 is cheapest since that's whats recommended by Jeep.

Anybody think a 15w40 would make this part last longer?
 
My 2005 GC with the 4.0 had over 160,000 miles when I sold it and never had this part replaced. Who are you getting these replacement parts from? ed
 
Originally Posted By: Eddie
My 2005 GC with the 4.0 had over 160,000 miles when I sold it and never had this part replaced. Who are you getting these replacement parts from? ed
The original one actually started making noise around 60k but I waited till 80K to replace it. I replaced it with a Dorman one. It lasted 87k. Jeep now has 167k. Today I got one from Napa. It looks better made than the Dorman one it replaced. The bushings wear out and the part that spins so the sensor can "see" it starts hitting the inside of the housing.

Makes an awful racket! New one is quiet,
 
236K thus far and never had to replace mine on a 99. It also gets whatever cheap oil's available in 5W30 or 10W30, now 10W40 for the first time for no real reason. Did pull it out once 6-7 years ago due to curiosity as to what it was. Stuck it back in and car wouldn't start. Had to google what it was and then had to TDC the engine. That was a self-inflicted educational experience that cost half a day to fix...

If the new one lasts another 90K, then I'd say the vehicle has had a great run and to just keep replacing the small important parts as they break. TBH, I have been expecting my Jeep to completely, sans engine, fall apart at any moment now.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: ruhroh
Did pull it out once 6-7 years ago due to curiosity as to what it was. Stuck it back in and car wouldn't start.
I took a pic of mine with my phone as a reference.
 
That's a case of the laughing monkeys. Seriously that's what its called. It is an issue with the last version of the 4.0's in the TJ line up. (03-06 with most of the issues being 05-06 models)

You have a problem that requires a certain fix. When I was on the jeep forums I read several detailed write ups on this but never really worried about it in my 02 cause I was busy replacing the cracked head that was common to 01-02 models.

You should be able to find info on it and there were a couple of successful fixes if I remember correctly. Search laughing monkeys.
 
As far as I'm concerned jeep and junk start with the same letter. I hated them when I was in the army and I always avoided them based on their bad reputation until my wife conned me into getting one on a lease in 96. I won't say they're terrible on the inside and they were good in the snow all through reliability sucked. Then when I want to get turned in we good with the same thing with the 2000 and I lived with that [censored] thing for like 12 years I can't think of too many things that I didn't replace and that stupid [censored] truck and the engine flip the ring at 113,000 never mind all the headaches with the transformation . I changed stuff in that car that I never changed in my life that just plain wore out prematurely fell apart and just went to pieces. Then there was the day the frame cracked in half right after I give it a good going over uneven had a mechanic friend of mine put it up in the list in a look at it just for that sort of thing .
On the other hand I seen guys drive those things right into the ground is nothing wrong with them. I don't know I kind of wonder some people tend to not Want to admit their cars issues. You'll never seen me going there another one.
crazy.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Driz
As far as I'm concerned jeep and junk start with the same letter. I hated them when I was in the army and I always avoided them based on their bad reputation until my wife conned me into getting one on a lease in 96. I won't say they're terrible on the inside and they were good in the snow all through reliability sucked. Then when I want to get turned in we good with the same thing with the 2000 and I lived with that [censored] thing for like 12 years I can't think of too many things that I didn't replace and that stupid [censored] truck and the engine flip the ring at 113,000 never mind all the headaches with the transformation . I changed stuff in that car that I never changed in my life that just plain wore out prematurely fell apart and just went to pieces. Then there was the day the frame cracked in half right after I give it a good going over uneven had a mechanic friend of mine put it up in the list in a look at it just for that sort of thing .
On the other hand I seen guys drive those things right into the ground is nothing wrong with them. I don't know I kind of wonder some people tend to not Want to admit their cars issues. You'll never seen me going there another one.
crazy.gif



I think quality is definitely hit or miss.

My 2000 Cherokee has 175k and has been pretty reliable the 8 years I've owned it. My friend's 2000 with about the same mileage has had a ton of issues. Both were bought used though, so who knows. He also beats on his a little more.
 
Haven't had major issues with any of mine...love them. Jeeps work well for me.

The haters are just leaving me more Jeeps to choose from anyway.
smile.gif
 
A xxw40 (5w, 10w, and 15w40) may be worth a try just to experiment. We are talking about plastic gears here so it'd be interesting. You already buy 15w40 for other stuff so there you go..

Chris, do you cut your filters open? If so, is there any plastic chunks caught in the element?

It's interesting the Wrangler 4.0 has them unlike the 4.0 in my WJ.
 
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Eddie said:
I replaced it with a Dorman one.

Uh.
There's your problem.


Yes, this.

Only buy OEM Mopar for this kind of stuff. I'm surprised you are having problems with the OPDA. It is a more common problem on the 05-06 4.0 engines since they use a different style than the late 1999-2004.
 
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