I went and done it now....
#1954622
11/20/15 12:11 AM
11/20/15 12:11 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,838 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
OP
I Live Here
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OP
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,838
Freeport IL USA
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So, I hear all these bad things about the infamous 4.7. I guide my daughter away from buying a 4.7 Jeep. I avoid them at all costs, because of what I hear about all their issues after about 140,000 miles.
Background. So I have this snow plow & brackets off my 50 Dodge 4x4 (that was mounted on an 80 Dodge chassis) that got wrecked. Its been sitting around here for 4 years now, the replacement 93 V6 Dakota 4x4 is too light for that big plow, so I never mounted it up. I've been using a snow blower to clear my drive.
A few months ago (end of Aug), a young man stopped by and asked if I would sell my plow. After some thought, we agreed on a price. Without payment, I have only heard from him one time since. So, today I found his number and gave him a call. Sure enough, he comes right over. We re-discus the price, I didn't change. He wants the plow, but is a little short of the full price. He wants to know if I will trade some of the price for plowing my driveway. Nope! Then he wants to know if he pay some up front ($150 of the $750 total) then make payments every week, and will have it paid in full before the end of the year. I suppose (at least its not here anymore!)
So while we are loading it on his truck, he asks me if I need any Dakota 4x4 parts. (I have a 47 Dodge truck sheet metal looking for a chassis) What do you have? A 2001 Dakota 4x4, V8 auto. What is wrong with it? Nothing, I just don't use it anymore. How much do you need for it? $900! (he was driving it when he looked at my plow the first time, I sort of remember it...) Got a title? Yes, but my wife will have to dig it out when she gets home. I ended up trading my plow for his 2001 Dakota 4x4. It has 144,000 miles on the 4.7, he bought the truck new. It has new tires on it. He says the frame is good, very little rust on the whole truck. He says he never even drove it in the rain. He used it for weekends and to haul his boat to the lake. He wants to move it along because he doesn't drive it much, and his wife is after him to get rid of the stuff he is not using.
So I'm expecting it arrival tomorrow, or Sat.
So now that I own a 4.7, everything I read says that a good place to start is to pull the pan and replace the oil pump & pick up tube and clean up the bottom end if it needs it. Then replace the timing belt(s) and give it a tune up. Then maybe I won't have any problems for a while, if it was taken care of. Does that sound like a viable process? At this point, if I get a year driving out of it, I'm ahead of the game, its worth more in scrap then the plow was. Gene
license it & drive till it opukes
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45%, 5 Votes
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pull the pan, change the oil pump & screen, clean out the gunk
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27%, 3 Votes
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Part it out before it blows up.
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27%, 3 Votes
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Re: I went and done it now....
[Re: poorboy]
#1954738
11/20/15 04:26 AM
11/20/15 04:26 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,543 chicagoland,usa
buildanother
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,543
chicagoland,usa
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The timing is handled via chains, and I believe the oil pump is the over the crank snout style. Not positive, as my three 4.7's never missed a beat and were taken care of well with oil changes etc. I really like how they move the dakota-durangos around, and would not be afraid to tear one apart if internals failed. two cents...But at this point, you will probably be fixing exhaust manifold(s) and or studs bolts etc. Rusty stuff.
Last edited by buildanother; 11/20/15 04:35 AM.
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Re: I went and done it now....
[Re: poorboy]
#1955414
11/21/15 04:31 PM
11/21/15 04:31 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 41 Maryland
regularjay
member
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member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 41
Maryland
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I had one in a 99 WJ with about 190K on it when I sold it never a bit of trouble out of the engine. I think the issue with the 4.7 (as well as many things) is the few that have trouble post it all over the internet the many that have no trouble just go about their business. Gives a skewed view of reality when all you can find is complaints on-line.
79 Lil Red Express - I'll finish it someday 94 2wd Ram 1500 5.9 Donor for...??? 78 CJ7 4.2 with Clifford Cam, Holley 390, 4" on 33's 1992 W250 Cummins 2013 Ram 4X4 Hemi Crew Express 2005 Ex Cab Dakota 4x4 4.7 Daily Driver 1993 2wd Ramcharger 5.2/auto
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Re: I went and done it now....
[Re: poorboy]
#1956868
11/24/15 01:00 AM
11/24/15 01:00 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,838 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
OP
I Live Here
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OP
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,838
Freeport IL USA
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Well, its Monday, still no truck. The guy stopped in today. He had just mounted a plow on it the week before he came and got mine. I'm letting him keep his new plow, I've done my time plowing snow. We got dumped on with 16" of snow Fri/Sat, so he was busy plowing. Tomorrow he is pulling off his plow and bringing the truck over to me after that. Maybe it will be here by Thanksgiving, maybe not. I'm not really in a hurry, parking around her is pretty limited in the winter. I just re upped the license plates my 93 Dakota, and have another set of plates to renew in Dec, I will probably sit on it until spring, unless its really nice.......
At any rate, he told me today that he had just replaced the timing chains within the last year. He also said he had the head bolts replaced around 80K. Sounds like its going to be a nice driver, if it ever gets here. I have decided to run it till it pukes, or until I get my 47 shop truck project finished, then I'll figure out what I'm going to do with it. Gene
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Re: I went and done it now....
[Re: regularjay]
#1956878
11/24/15 01:11 AM
11/24/15 01:11 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,838 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
OP
I Live Here
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OP
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,838
Freeport IL USA
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I had one in a 99 WJ with about 190K on it when I sold it never a bit of trouble out of the engine. I think the issue with the 4.7 (as well as many things) is the few that have trouble post it all over the internet the many that have no trouble just go about their business. Gives a skewed view of reality when all you can find is complaints on-line. That might be more true then most people will want to believe, but my brother in law bought a new 2000 Dakota with a 4.7. It had faithful maintenance, set up by our local Chrysler dealer, carried out as they suggested. At around 70,000 miles that 4.7 dropped a valve (or valve seat) and took out the head and the block. It got ugly. He now drives a Ford Ranger. No more Mopars for him. My B.I.L's 4.7 failure is not the only 4.7 failure I personally know about. Its a pretty high % based on the # of people I knew had them with less then good results. Gene
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Re: I went and done it now....
[Re: poorboy]
#1957449
11/25/15 01:04 AM
11/25/15 01:04 AM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 13 NB, Canada
Mirada 80
member
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member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 13
NB, Canada
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I have had several 4.7s in Grand Cherokee, Dakotas(3) and Durango, never any real issue with any other than the exhaust manifold studs and oil pan rusting out. I have 332,000km (206,000 miles)currently on my 2003 Durango, My 2000 Grand Cherokee 4.7 with 3.73 gears worked awesome. I would buy another in a heartbeat.
Keep your Mopar all Mopar
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