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2005-06 Jeep OPDA_CPS_Distributor Failure

971K views 6K replies 527 participants last post by  ha1o2surfer 
#1 ·
This post is meant to consolidate the information originally found in these threads.

MAJOR UPDATE: 4/17/12: Video of porous upper bushing in Differences Section.
UPDATE: 4/13/12: Included brief explanation video of one of the alternate designs. It's added in the Alternate Designs section under the Oil Bath.
UPDATE: 4/11/12: Included Clocking video that shows how to align the OPDA for TDC removal in the Removal Section. Big thanks to Bigbob!

UPDATE: 4/5/12: Added link to 2002 Jeep OPDA with abnormal wear. The link is in this intro post below.
UPDATE: 2/25/12: Included Oil Flow Through Design in Alternate Designs Section.
UPDATE 2/21/12: Included OPDA replacement in Q&A Section.
UPDATE 12/22/11: Included links to Shell Rotella Oil to the Oils and Grease Section.
UPDATE 12/14/11: Included new Laughing Monkey video to the Problems Section. Video provided by DME.
UPDATE 12/10/11: Included additional link to Oil Cup Alternate in the Alternate Designed section below. I recommend this over the grease fitting.
Update 9/16/11: Cleaned up the links below. Added link to newest Poll.
Update 7/12/11: Cleaned up the Q&A section and added links to help navigate the 100+ page thread.
Update 4/27/11: Included additional section. Section 11: Alternate Designs. See below for more info.
Update 2/21/11: Included link to Crown correspondence for a replacement aftermarket OPDA.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/new-opda-design-05-06-tjs-crown-1171313/#post11017999

Update 1/30/11: The sections below will be updated as we find more details and facts. At the top of each section I will include a BOLD Update notifier and a brief description. If you have a question regarding an update please let me know. I'm trying to make the first page easy to navigate. Also be aware that the Q&A section near the bottom will be updated with questions as I receive them. I may make small edits to conserve space, but I will like the original post in the Q&A for further review.

Section 1: What Is It?
Section 2: Problems
(Laughing Monkey Video)
Section 3: Differences
Section 4: Dissection
Section 5: Acquisition
Section 6: Removal
(Removal Video)
Section 7: Modification
Section 8: Oils and Grease
Section 9: Questions and Answers
Section 10: Results

Section 11: Alternate Designs

For those of you new to this problem, please understand that while the 2005-06 OPDA is flawed, the cam and lifter issues are wide spread over other model years. This is covered with the ZDDP and engine oil changes over the years.

First Discussion Thread!

First Discussion Thread Spreadsheet (Thanks RubiOR)

Laughing Monkey!

Registry!

Poll Thread!

Catastrophic Failure!

And for those of you who think you're not affected, below is a link to a 1999 distributor with the laughing monkey. (though as you'll read the 2005-06 is more susceptible due to the upper bushing problem)

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/name-noise-video-971819/

Here is a link to a 2002 with the same unusual wear of the 2005-06!
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/opda-failure-2002-a-1350053/

I will split the information up in sections.

Full Disclosure
The fixes and modifications on this subject were a group effort from members of this forum and supporting contacts. There is only a small amount of information regarding the results of these changes. I'll update as more information is provided.
Also, I'm not a tech guy so if there are some details that are omitted please let me know. The hope is to limit this thread to only a few pages of actual information regarding how to handle this problem.


 
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#3,184 ·
Put the sharpie in your pocket and go to page one of this OPDA Bible and look for the video I posted on aligning the unit. Easy to do and fool proof.
 
#3,189 ·
I'm a little confused. Is there a break down of the exact steps that need to be taken in diagnosing this problem.

I don't mean the actual R&R procedure to replace the ODPA, but a step-by-step list of what to look for and what to replace in the case of a bad OPDA.

For example, I have a 2005 Unlimited built in January, 2005. It has just over 13K miles on it (I purchased it new and only use it during the nice weather months). I'm getting ready to get it out of storage in the next week or so. As of the last time I drove it (Dec., 2011), I have never experienced the laughing monkey noise.

After reading these posts, part of me is worried I should do something to prevent future engine failure. The other part thinks that since I haven't experienced any symptoms I should do nothing.

If I remove the OPDA and see wear (on the shaft and gear), then I replace it with a modded unit, right? If I see wear on the cam gear, do I need to replace the cam as well? Dang I hope not.

This vehicle is still covered under the 7/70 plan (it ends in July). Should I waste my time returning it to the dealer?

For oil I've been running Mobil 10W30 HM, but it seems like that's not a good choice anymore due to a reduction in ZDDP. I have always preferred synthetic oil due to the long periods it sits between uses. Even during the summer, I usually only put 1K-2K miles on it a year. Valvoline VR1 seems like a recommended choice, but is there a synthetic alternative available?

I guess after reading all of these posts I'm more confused on this subject than ever. I've seen where people have removed their ODPA to check the gear and shaft for wear, but not much on removing the cam or lifters for inspection. How many people with ODPA problems also have to replace their cam and lifters? While many people talk of replacing the ODPA, not many talk about the other parts.

I hope this doesn't come off as I'm rambling, but besides possibly pulling the ODPA to check for wear I have no idea what else to look for.

Thanks,
Tom
 
#3,190 ·
Tom,

In your case with 13K I wouldn't worry about the camshaft gear. We'll get that out of the way first. The OPDA gear is the wear gear so it is designed to wear faster since it's easier to repair.

The step by step goes like this:
Pull it and inspect. You're looking for binding of the shaft, unlikely at 13K and gear wear. Gear wear is an indicator of binding. If you have excessive gear wear, chances are at some point your OPDA will fail. Whether that means laughing monkey or catastrophic gear failure is unknown.

I would suspect you will show symptoms of binding and gear wear. You can try to have Chrysler fix it. This is highly unlikely though there are some who have successfully made Chrysler fix it. It is worth a shot. In my case the dealer played dumb so I will assume you will get no where.

The course of action after finding premature gear wear is to mod the existing OPDA or by new and start from scratch. In your case, again with only 13K, I think you will be fine with modifying your existing OPDA. The most effective option at this point is either the oil cup or oil bath. Both are essentially the same. Both are covered in the alternate design section of the first page.

Regarding oil, I use Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5w40. It is a mixed fleet oil for both diesel AND gasoline engines. I've used it for over a year. It is the only synthetic that I am aware of with the adequate ZDDP. This is described on the first page too.
 
#3,195 ·
In your case with 13K I wouldn't worry about the camshaft gear. We'll get that out of the way first. The OPDA gear is the wear gear so it is designed to wear faster since it's easier to repair.
I would caution against making such a blanket statement. My cam gear had significant and noticeable wear with only 9,300 miles on it. Both gears are only surface hardened a few microns and once that protective "layer" is gone, it's game on. The camshaft is stronger by the nature of what it is made from, but it is not impervious.
 
#3,192 ·
I pulled my oil cup modded OPDA today after 1000 miles. There is a slight amount of wear on the back side of the gear. The pics below show the most noticeable spots. The wear is on the opposite side of where I would expect it to be on the gear. I'll pull it again in another 1500 miles.


 
#3,884 ·
I pulled my oil cup modded OPDA today after 1000 miles. There is a slight amount of wear on the back side of the gear. The pics below show the most noticeable spots. The wear is on the opposite side of where I would expect it to be on the gear. I'll pull it again in another 1500 miles.


Here are some pics of the same OPDA after 7200 miles with the oil cup mod.


 
#3,193 ·
We are not alone!

Talking to another worker at the place I check my cam/crank timing I told him what I was doing and why. He said that the Ford Taurus 3.0 engine had a similar issue. A quick internet search showed a number of threads with people talking about squealing from the cam position sensor. Below is a link to a video and a forum discussion. Here is what some posters said about it.

Replace it before it fails and drops the gear into the engine or seizes and stops turning the oil pump
From what I can tell, the part that goes bad is an internal bearing, like a sleeve bearing. The shaft is poorly lubricated because of it's design. Oil is supposed to climb up and lubricate the bearing. I don't think they are rebuildable by the DIY'er. The gear is held in place with a pin. The bearing is pressed in.
The squeaking is caused when the shaft binds up in the housing bearing. Looking at the design, Ford apparently did not provide any way for oil to reach the bearing. Yes, it has a hole in the housing in the area between the two block supports for oil to get into the bearing. However, the lower support blocks nearly all splash lubrication from the crankcase; this region of the housing was almost completely dry on the part I took out.

No wonder these parts fail after about 100K miles or so. I'm surprised they work that long without oil. Before I put the replacement in, I filled the hole into the bearing with as much oil as it would take and lubricated the gear.

A coworker suggested that the Vulcan block probably originally had a oil passage that directed oil into this region between the supports, and some bean counter took it out to save the $0.05 cost to drill it.

WHAT A SCREW UP. One would think that Ford, after 100 years in the business, would understand the importance of lubricating the distributor shaft, even when they take the distributor cap and rotor off of it and call it a camshaft syncronizer.
Forum Discussion



 
#3,201 ·
Did you replace it with a roller cam?
No, I went with a stock cam. I also replaced it without removing the head or removing or replacing the lifters. There's a separate thread I created showing how I did it with some banter back and forth about whether replacing the lifters is all that crucial with low miles. I feel comfortable saying that I have enough miles and hours on the engine since the repair that if the lifters were going to fail from being mis-matched to the new cam, they would have done so by now.
 
#3,204 ·
Gentlemen,

I have placed my orders for the long lead items and required hardware. Longest lead piece is the replacement lower bushing, looks like it will be 3 and a half weeks out. In the mean time, I will manufacture the various shaft sleeves and spacers myself. I was an apprentice served toolmaker, or maybe I still am, kind of like that whole "once a marine always..." thing. But I digress. For the moment, I'm only making enough parts for 10 units. After some beta testing, and assuming the beta sites perform as expected, I'll see what kind of serious quantities we're talking about. That's all I've got for now.
 
#3,205 ·
I got a letter from my dealer this week asking me to come in for a recall . Lo and behold when I went in it is for the OPDA . I replaced mine last fall , but the dealer thought that Chrysler would reimburse me for the OPDA and any associated labor charges I had receipts for . I will update this once I hear back from Chrysler .
 
#3,206 ·
G Beasley said:
I got a letter from my dealer this week asking me to come in for a recall . Lo and behold when I went in it is for the OPDA . I replaced mine last fall , but the dealer thought that Chrysler would reimburse me for the OPDA and any associated labor charges I had receipts for . I will update this once I hear back from Chrysler .
What is the campaign number for the recall? Does the letter say anything else?
 
#3,207 ·
The gentleman with the comments about manufacturing issues in the OPDA seem to be on the money for me. I have a friend at Chrysler who tells me they had an issue in 05 when the parts supplier couldn't keep up with the demand leading to a load of gears under-hardened. After looking into this manufacturer on the web, the only interesting thing I found is one of the lead engineers had left there and had his resume online. I noticed it was full of LEAN manufacturing concept training and experience. My guess, as a member of the manufacturing community, I've seen LEAN and I can only imagine the attempts to save time and money led to a pile of under-hardened gears going out the door. Sounds to me like 2 issues working together to wreck our engines. I am also told that the new parts have the gear hardness corrected. I would imagine that it true, so with the addition of the oiler modifications, hopefully we'll be just fine.
I will say this one last thing. Prior to replacing my OPDA, I had noticed a very intermittent idle fluctuation and what seemed to be a dead spot on acceleration right after I shifted gears. I just thought it was the nature of the beast and blew it off. Well, after replacing the OPDA, those issues are gone. I have significantly better power and smoother run. Going by that, I am assuming that the timing was off some from gear wear. This leads me to believe that the proper setting of cam/crank relation with the DRB tool is more important than you think. I would suggest that once all is done, you still pay someone to set it correctly.It also leads me to believe that this condition can be diagnosed a bit sooner than the monkey noise without tearing it down. Now I know what to look for, I hope to see this coming before it gets too bad. I had these driveability conditions for at least 10k miles prior to laughing monkey party under the hood.
 
#3,208 ·
I can't speak for every gear and I'm definitely not defending the gear, but hardness tests were performed early on with earlier model year gears (from a different manufacturer) with the same hardness result.

I want to also mention for clarity, the FogMod is NOT done to fix gear wear. It is to protect from binding, which IMO is the cause of catastrophic gear failure. A gear wearing away at an accelerated pace can cause problems, but to date, there is no sole reason/culprit so there is no current method to fix it. Shaft or gear tolerances, hardening, who knows?

For me, the peace of mind comes with not worrying about seizing. If I pull the OPDA in another 10K and there is more and more gear wear, so be it. For me at least, I know the area that caused my original problem will not happen again.
 
#3,211 ·


In the 8th post of this thread (image above) you show how you drilled & tapped a hole for the zerk, to the right of where the factory grease port is. I don't understand why it's not better to drill & tap the original factory hole & drill through the bushing? Did I miss something?

EDIT: And install the grease zerk there, instead of in the new location.

~John/Puyallup, WA
 
#3,213 ·
In the 8th post of this thread (image above) you show how you drilled & tapped a hole for the zerk, to the right of where the factory grease port is. I don't understand why it's not better to drill & tap the original factory hole & drill through the bushing? Did I miss something?

EDIT: And install the grease zerk there, instead of in the new location.

~John/Puyallup, WA
Zerk where the factory plug is would be difficult at best to access with OPDA in standard orientation, I believe.
 
#3,220 ·
If you don't mind grease, how about adding a flush needle zerk like pictured in the first page? This will keep everything out the way. You could also turn/re-clock the housing a bit to make the grub a little more accessible if you don't want to drill another hole. Most of this is just piece of mind. The oil cup isn't that fragile. The one's I'm doing now use a half bushing to keep the relatively length reduced.


Here is the oil cup for size reference.
 
#3,221 ·


This is the the solution I'm currently planning to try. Simple & effective, just have to remember to grease it. Not a big deal for me, but perhaps for a future owner of my rig.

So, regarding the oil bath method, there's little or no concern about the CPS being in constant contact with the oil?
 
#3,222 ·
...

This is the the solution I'm currently planning to try. Simple & effective, just have to remember to grease it. Not a big deal for me, but perhaps for a future owner of my rig.

So, regarding the oil bath method, there's little or no concern about the CPS being in constant contact with the oil?
I haven't used the oil bath. I suspect there may be venting issues, but otherwise it should work. Bigbob modded his that way. I think efm-7 may have done something similar, I think he was the originator. I can't see why it would be a problem, but without doing the mod and experiencing the problems, I'm not the best evaluator. You have to seal some holes and add some others.

I think the reason behind it was lack of oil cup parts availability. I think it's easier to buy the oil cup parts and follow the FogMod instructions. All said though the lubrication method internally is the same and I would consider both an improvement over grease.

If you do decide to do grease, get a grease similar to the Aeroshell. Do not use traditional all-purpose grease. Also do not over fill it since you can hydraulically bind the shaft. I over filled mine during the first run and couldn't turn the shaft at all! You only need a little. How much and how often are the difficult questions that make oil easier to deal with.
 
#3,223 ·
did the oil bath on my new OPDA for now. I did install a vent in the cap just cause I think it needs to vent. I just drilled and threaded a 1/8" NPT hole in the cap and put a short nipple with a cap on it. I drilled a small hole in the cap and shoved some sponge material in the nipple with a dab of glue.

I only filled my housing with enough motor oil so it could run into the holes I drilled into the resevoir. At this "depth" the oil just touches the edge of the wheel. I see no issues with the wheel taking on a load from the oil.

Only issue I did see was I used allen head set screws to seal the 2 holes in the bottom of the housing sealed with blue locktite. They leak! I'll have to remove them and put some JB Weld on them to seal that off.

This mod is just as easy to perform as the Fog Mod. But I'd warn folks to only do this on a unit that you are sure the seal below the top bushing is good. If the seal is bad the oil will just run into the crankcase. But for folks buying a new unit it is what I'd consider the way to go.


There is a video of my bath mod on the first page of this thread.
 
#3,224 ·
ROM, as far as I know the first oil bath was by dproctor. His setup is in the alternate design section on page 1. His CMP is completely submerged & he recently reported having no issues in all the time since his mod & has many miles on it as I recall. So I don't think the CMP cares a bit that it is in oil.

A couple of us with oil cups have added a brace to better secure the cup & maybe the best solution of all (my opinion) is the way lope did his. See below.
 

Attachments

#3,225 ·
I bought a 1/4 x 28 - 30° Zerk, that I'm going to install. It "should" clear as it threads in, as long as the tapped hole is as low on that shoulder as possible. The 30° will give ample room for the grease gun. Yes, I tried for a flush fit Zerk I could access with a needle attachment, but after going to Fastenall, Tacoma Screw, Williams Oil Filter and 2 NAPA stores, and not finding one, I gave up and went with the 30° 1/4 x 28 Zerk. I'm going to install it on the old one as a model first, then into the new one if it all checks out.

That said, I'm not discounting the oil bath just yet. And, I would like to send a new shaft to one of you skilled & talented guys to machine in an oil groove for me. PM me with how much you want for it, or post up the charge/cost of machining if you want to. In the mean time, I'll live with the 30° Zerk. I'll keep checking this thread for continued updates. Thanks again, guys...

~John/Puyallup, WA
 
#3,226 ·
Are you putting the 30 degree zerk in the stock plug area? If so you may want to re-clock the housing.

No need for an oil groove.
 
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