Distributor,rotorbutton,plugwires,coil,and plugs,

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Distributor,rotor button,plug wires,coil,and plugs, 100 bucks, and had fuel rail cleaned, 8 injectors removed and cleaned and orings on each replaced and reinstalled. All of this done by a mechanic, we are friends, so i paid him what he ask for, 150 bucks for labor and know how which included setting the distributor correctly to match the timing mark on the no. 1 cylinder on this old ram van of mine.So all of that I got 250 bucks installed. quite a lot of savings here.Plus a road test of his own, mercy, included 90 mph cruising for misses, low speed acceleration for misses and even acceleration, cruise control check, and the old 0 to 60 check for no miss firing and even shifting between gears and no hesitation between shifts, all were good. I had a lot of problems, going on I did not know about that he found, so u all need to check ur plugs and plug wires often and distributor cap for burn marks and a burned rotor button tip. It can sneak up on u and u wont know u have problems.
 
Originally Posted By: Brons2
A rotor "button"? Must be a Tennessee thing. I've never heard it called anything other that just a plain rotor.


Yeah, I've heard of that too. The smallest piece under the distributor cap that can be replaced without replacing the entire rotor or distributor?
 
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Being a member for a couple years on Dodge Van forums I can tell you a couple things. The SP wires fail much earlier on Vans due to the increased heat under the cramped engine cover. The engine cover is usually in contact with the Plug wires too, which accelerates their wear in contact points. The engine cover will also push the wires into the valve covers or other grounded objects if they are not routed carefully and held in place.

There was a FSB about re routing the wires stating how important it is they they do not touch each other, especially 2 adjacent cylinders, but I forget which two.

The Distributor cannot be turned to adjust ignition timing on a 2002. Perhaps for injector timing,IDK, but ignition timing is controlled by the engine computer.

Distributor Caps with aluminum contacts will cause misfire codes within 10 k miles. Pay the extra for the brass contacts.

I did not know the little button on top of the cap that contacts the rotor was replaceable. Did not know they wore out.

In nine years of ownership of my Van, I've gone through 5 sets of SP wires. I currently have a set of 35$ Taylors and they are approaching 4 years old without issue.

Sounds like your mechanic hooked you up though. It's good to have friends.
 
Originally Posted By: Brons2
A rotor "button"? Must be a Tennessee thing. I've never heard it called anything other that just a plain rotor.


Not sure if it is a "Tennessee thing" but a lot of people in my neck of the woods refer to it as such.
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Being a member for a couple years on Dodge Van forums I can tell you a couple things. The SP wires fail much earlier on Vans due to the increased heat under the cramped engine cover. The engine cover is usually in contact with the Plug wires too, which accelerates their wear in contact points. The engine cover will also push the wires into the valve covers or other grounded objects if they are not routed carefully and held in place.

There was a FSB about re routing the wires stating how important it is they they do not touch each other, especially 2 adjacent cylinders, but I forget which two.

The Distributor cannot be turned to adjust ignition timing on a 2002. Perhaps for injector timing,IDK, but ignition timing is controlled by the engine computer.

Distributor Caps with aluminum contacts will cause misfire codes within 10 k miles. Pay the extra for the brass contacts.

I did not know the little button on top of the cap that contacts the rotor was replaceable. Did not know they wore out.

In nine years of ownership of my Van, I've gone through 5 sets of SP wires. I currently have a set of 35$ Taylors and they are approaching 4 years old without issue.

Sounds like your mechanic hooked you up though. It's good to have friends.


Ur above statements are right. It gets super hot underneath the doghouse and yes he tywrapped those plug wires to stay off the valve covers. We used BorgWarner parts and autolite plugs. The coil to the distributor was split and opening and causing a yellow spark instead of a blue spark which inhibits performance, it was made in Jpan and was on there for at least 6 years, no telling how long it had beed bad. It is hard to tell as these things degenerate overtime and u cant tell . symtpoms were poor idle, engine stall, lowspeed lugging, overall low mileage on interstate was 15mpg at 63mph , this should go up. I guess a stealership would have charged 800 dollars maybe more and not have done this well in finding all that was wrong. those vacuum lines were the most obvious just by sight and no one in years including me ever checked them and if they are leaking, ur performance will suffer.
 
Originally Posted By: Brons2
A rotor "button"? Must be a Tennessee thing. I've never heard it called anything other that just a plain rotor.
Never knew to call it anything else, heard it all my life in Chattanooga, lol. tis Nascar country here.
 
I picked up a coupon book and one of the local Chrysler/Dodge dealers has a $78 "tune up" special right now, plugs, wires, distributor, rotor, etc.

Granted, it's probably for the "low end" parts - and if it were me, I'd go for the upgraded "performance" line (NGK or at least Platinum, etc).

And dont think that service included fuel system cleaning or anything like that :p


Not to mention, I wouldn't doubt it if they say my vehicle doesn't apply, since it's "too old" lol...(88 Dodge Aries).
 
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
Originally Posted By: Brons2
A rotor "button"? Must be a Tennessee thing. I've never heard it called anything other that just a plain rotor.
Never knew to call it anything else, heard it all my life in Chattanooga, lol. tis Nascar country here.

I heard in Tennessee you can get a fried Catfish sub and a side order of black-eye peas at a Subway restaurant.
 
Originally Posted By: ahoier
I picked up a coupon book and one of the local Chrysler/Dodge dealers has a $78 "tune up" special right now, plugs, wires, distributor, rotor, etc.

Granted, it's probably for the "low end" parts - and if it were me, I'd go for the upgraded "performance" line (NGK or at least Platinum, etc).

And dont think that service included fuel system cleaning or anything like that :p


Not to mention, I wouldn't doubt it if they say my vehicle doesn't apply, since it's "too old" lol...(88 Dodge Aries).


they wont do a one ton van that cheap, the doghouse is an extra 35 to 50 bucks just to fool with that. to remove the plug would take 30 min at least if they all come out fast and usually they dont.
 
CourierDriver.

Do yourself a preventative favor.

Make sure the battery to engine ground is clean and tight.

Search for an engine to frame ground, and if one does not exist, add one. There is the battery to firewall ground too to check.

Dodge Vans are notorious for bad grounds causing seemingly unrelated problems.

Also make sure the multiple wires leading to the transmission are not chafing in the slipstream.
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
CourierDriver.

Do yourself a preventative favor.

Make sure the battery to engine ground is clean and tight.

Search for an engine to frame ground, and if one does not exist, add one. There is the battery to firewall ground too to check.

Dodge Vans are notorious for bad grounds causing seemingly unrelated problems.

Also make sure the multiple wires leading to the transmission are not chafing in the slipstream.


thanks for the info.
 
IMG_0607.jpg

and NGK iridium XI on the way.
120 bucks ..cant wait to put it in
 
grounds are important and those vacuum hoses that are well hidden must be checked and that large grommet that the pcv connects into will leak and cause the small ball in the pcv to chatter too.I hve neglected these little things while being abosrbed in oil this and oil that and MMO and on and on and on.
 
Good tips. Another poster elsewhere recommended spraying something like TB cleaner along where the vacuum hoses are while the vehicle is at operating temp, and if a change in idle occurs then there is a small leak along the vacuum lines, PCV included in these cheap 'test'.

That is, of course, if throttle body cleaner is 'gentle' enough on rubber to spray and evaporate soon once in contact with rubber. This isn't to encourage spraying your hoses like crazy with it. Just a shot here and there, with the little tube attached at the nozzle, to find leaky grommets and hoses.
 
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