The first time I did an oil cooler on one of these, we had to holesaw the upper intake manifold because the bolts were nubs.
Promasters don't have engine covers, so the water rusts those fasteners. All other 3.6s have engine covers.
The Dodge dealer had intake manifolds in stock. Curious.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:The first time I did an oil cooler on one of these, we had to holesaw the upper intake manifold because the bolts were nubs.
Promasters don't have engine covers, so the water rusts those fasteners. All other 3.6s have engine covers.
The Dodge dealer had intake manifolds in stock. Curious.
And here I thought I had it bad. That's tough! Is the upper intake Promaster specific? Also, feel free to chime in with any hot tips or inside info. I am a Promaster neewb.
Pretty sure it's the same intake, FWD and RWD, in everything. The EGR models are different, but that's a recent development.
Today it was sunny, 40F and a great day to work in the driveway. Prior to dog walking I set up the ozone machine to hopefully ozone-ate the ductwork. 
I let this professional setup run while I did some home and garage maintenance etc.
After returning the ozone generator I started back to the task of taking out parts keeping the engine in the van. The rear cat was a bit of a fight but it came out eventually, I did have to chop the wires on the secondary o2 sensor since the plug was melt welded solid. 
Another thing to sort out for the new engine. Also had a problem with #1 injector "Red Mopar, non-release clip" It broke instead of moving out of my way and that took more time and effort than was ideal. 
I did end up getting all the connectors unplugged and flopped the harness out of the way. Then I went for the TQ bolts. I was not sure if the engine was able to turn. It does, and that made things much nicer and less messy than dealing with it siezed. Took out all but one bell housing bolts and loosened the last one. The engine and trans immediately made a gap. 27mm for the crank bolt. 
Hooked up my crane and held up the engine. The motor mount uses E something bolts in a size I don't have but my 12pt 14mm worked. With the motor mount out it was time to remove the final bell housing bolt. Came out without too much fuss!
Sometimes you find something nice buried under a thick, nasty layer of grime. Clearly the Pentastar oil cooler leak has been in full effect. Mopar reman trans. Cool. Wonder when? Makes me more interested in a vehicle report.
Found two pair of bolts and two nuts from my box-o-bolts and mounted the dead engine on the stand. Now it is sitting right next to the dead VQ40de. 
I'm done for the day and will call the junkyard tomorrow to see what they have for me. Fingers crossed for low(ish) miles and budget friendly. There are a couple donor vehicles that might be options as well.
GoLucky said:Today it was sunny, 40F and a great day to work in the driveway. Prior to dog walking I set up the ozone machine to hopefully ozone-ate the ductwork.
I let this professional setup run while I did some home and garage maintenance etc.
After returning the ozone generator I started back to the task of taking out parts keeping the engine in the van. The rear cat was a bit of a fight but it came out eventually, I did have to chop the wires on the secondary o2 sensor since the plug was melt welded solid.
Another thing to sort out for the new engine. Also had a problem with #1 injector "Red Mopar, non-release clip" It broke instead of moving out of my way and that took more time and effort than was ideal.
I did end up getting all the connectors unplugged and flopped the harness out of the way. Then I went for the TQ bolts. I was not sure if the engine was able to turn. It does, and that made things much nicer and less messy than dealing with it siezed. Took out all but one bell housing bolts and loosened the last one. The engine and trans immediately made a gap. 27mm for the crank bolt.
Hooked up my crane and held up the engine. The motor mount uses E something bolts in a size I don't have but my 12pt 14mm worked. With the motor mount out it was time to remove the final bell housing bolt. Came out without too much fuss!
Sometimes you find something nice buried under a thick, nasty layer of grime. Clearly the Pentastar oil cooler leak has been in full effect. Mopar reman trans. Cool. Wonder when? Makes me more interested in a vehicle report.
Found two pair of bolts and two nuts from my box-o-bolts and mounted the dead engine on the stand. Now it is sitting right next to the dead VQ40de.
I'm done for the day and will call the junkyard tomorrow to see what they have for me. Fingers crossed for low(ish) miles and budget friendly. There are a couple donor vehicles that might be options as well.
Dude. You need paid to be a technician. You are soing the lords work in cold weather! You are way faster then me in my 65 deg garage. Nice work. Love to see the progress!
^Agree totally! Based on his pace of work, I expect this thing to be running and driving again by next weekend, haha.
Love reading about the vans.
You must be one heckuva bicycle mechanic.
GoLucky said:Sometimes you find something nice buried under a thick, nasty layer of grime. Clearly the Pentastar oil cooler leak has been in full effect. Mopar reman trans. Cool. Wonder when? Makes me more interested in a vehicle report.
The Grand Caravan/Town and Country owners in my circle of friends (myself included) have gotten around 80k to 110k miles out of the transmissions our vehicles came with. Not quite Intrepid level "transmission made of cardboard" but not exactly great either.
So one of these transmissions racking up almost 400k miles would be surprising.
OHSCrifle said:Love reading about the vans.
You must be one heckuva bicycle mechanic.
It's possible that his old man is a television repairman and has an ultimate set of tools. 
Thanks all for the encouragement and kind words. I enjoy fixing things and feel slow when I work on cars. Generally it takes me more time to do everything than it would in a proper shop.
Bikes are SO MUCH faster, and my setup is near ideal and purpose built. I can earn a living working on bikes by doing as many repairs as quickly as I can do them well. It isn't exactly like a book rate program but it does incentivize me to get things done.
My Dad has repaired televisions and near everything else I can think of. Certainly a handy guy. He was for 40+ years the property manager at the retirement community where I grew up. He has, out of necessity, replaced van engines. (VW air and water boxer guy) But his main thing is woodworking building and home renovations/rebuilds. We compliment each other in this regard.
Photo of my B3500 extended van in the driveway next to the Promaster. 
Ok, the Promaster is on jackstands, but it is still huge compared to the Dodge. The lengths are similar but width and height are obviously different.
Just heard from the junkyard and they are going to have a <130k engine out for me on Monday for $1,000 Of the options I have in my area this seems the best. I was looking at one in Missoula for $800 but that is 4hrs drive round trip and it has 175k on it.
In reply to RandolphCarter :
I've got a '13 Grand Caravan with a transmission that makes noise and has for years. Not my favorite, sure wish there was an easy manual swap option.
Many, that puts things into perspective. I know the Promaster is pretty ratty and beat, but dang if it doesn't work better for your 'all in one' van needs, more than the Dodge does even.
Have you considered keeping it and flipping the Dodge, or is this one just too far destroyed to be enjoyed by you?
In reply to golfduke :
Keeping it is definitely an option. I like standing up in the back, and that a bed to fit me can fit width wise back there. I am not dead set in a particular direction and think that the fixes will be appropriate whether I keep or sell it.
Mostly as a thought exercise, what alternative drivetrain ideas would you like to see in a Promaster. Frame rails are about 39.5" wide... Ls4/4t80e? Other manufacturers minivan powertrains? Hmmmmm....
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