bad oil leak

[naford302]

my 2005 pt keeps blowing the seals out behind the timeing cover is the oil pump valve stuck putting out too much pressure

[garner49]

Are you replacing them or a shop? Sounds like that's something for an experienced mechanic to take a look at, or have someone take a code reading (Advanced Auto will). I wouldn't think too much pressure (would take more than the pump could do) would cause a gasket leak, unless it's a cheap one. It would push it out the gauge tube. An oil leak should be fixed, not only messy and ugly, dangerous too.

I have an airplane; years ago the oil-pressure regulator failed in flight - the gauge pegged full right. I landed at the next airport and repaired it, with only a little oil loss out the overflow valve. No seals were affected.

[slartyblarfast]

No.... The problem is the crankshaft thrust bearing is wiped out. It allows the crankshaft to walk forward and push the seal out. I've seen several 2.4's do this. Easiest way to diagnose is check crankshaft endplay. Should be less than .005 inch.

[Evanb]

The crankshaft thrust bearing on our 2005 PT is wiped out. It allows the crankshaft to walk forward and push the seal out. Does anyone have a solution to this problem? Chrysler basically says "get a new engine" the car has less than 55,000 km on it, it is like new and we are now replacing the engine? Is there another more cost effective solution than replacing the engine every 50,000 km?

[slartyblarfast]

You can put a crankshaft kit in. It replaces the crankshaft and all the bearings. It's a lot of work but cheaper than a new engine. I have seen several of these failures but it's not Chrysler's fault. They get their parts from outside suppliers. Here's some math to think about.... Chrysler manufactures approximately 200,000 2.4 motors a year. At a 1 percent failure rate that's 2000 pieces that are defective. I'm not sure if it's even that high but you get the idea.
I don't know what the warranty coverage is in Canada. Your Km's work out to about 34-35000 miles. I don't what the powertrain warranty is either. In the states we have 3yr/36,000 miles base coverage and extended 7/70 on powertrain. If you are the original owner and have proof that you have done all your maintenance you stand a pretty good chanced of getting the repair under goodwill. Keep us informed!

[Evanb]

Thanks for the reply. In out case it is just as cheap to replace the engine with a newer one from a wrecker. We got a 2007 enging with less than 4,000 km on it. We are a second owner, so Chrysler will do nothing for us and the car is basically a flower pot without the repair, so we are stuck on this one. Getting a newer engine from a wrecker is substantially less than a new one, and since we are not going to have any warranty benefits, we decided to go this route. How many of these problems have you actually encountered? Do PT Cruisers go the distance or could this be a chronic issue in the future? Can we expect to get more than 50,000 km out of an engine? This has been quite a disappointment, Consumer Reports is silent on this issue and there is not much on any forum about it. Your comments would be appreciated, and thanks again for offering your suggestions.

[pt4cec]

I have read many posts that there PTs have over 150,000 miles I don't think you will have the same problem again. It sound kind of rare to me. Real pain in the pocket, but rare. Andy

[CREWZIN]

Originally Posted by Evanb

Do PT Cruisers go the distance or could this be a chronic issue in the future? Can we expect to get more than 50,000 km out of an engine? This has been quite a disappointment, Consumer Reports is silent on this issue and there is not much on any forum about it. Your comments would be appreciated, and thanks again for offering your suggestions.

Evanb,

slartyblarfast has answered your questions on his last reply. There's not much on any forum and CR has been quiet because it's NOT a problem for 99+ % of cruiser owners. Loads of us have 100,000 miles and keep going strong. It's not a chronic problem.

[leakypt]

Despite what several folks say, the problem of the thrust bearing chewing up the crank and allowing the crank to walk into the oils seal is becoming more common. There are posts all over the web with folks reporting this on 2.4ltr Chrysler Engines in PTs, Neons, and Caravans. It seems to be a pretty iffy design. I just had mine go at 82,000 miles. Many folks were "lucky" enough to have them go under warranty. There is no good reason why in the 21st century ANY thrust bearing design should fail! Chrysler just gives you the blank stare when you call about it. Very disappointed!

[UptownSport]

IIRC, Chrysler redesigned the thrust bearing with the NGC redesign.
The old 2.4 ('95-'02) Would NEVER fail, even with extra ordinary abuse
(i.e., Jeff Ball holding his 2.4 at 7,000 RPM with an SRT Clutch waiting for the
'green' light at the dragstrip) There's a video ..

I'd check what Slarty said.
IF you do replace entire engine, salvage the old head, it's worth a minimum of
$210, a late model like yours LOTS more.
Rocker arms are worth EZ $34, hydraulic adjusters ~$45. Water neck is $25,
etc. etc.
And people'd be very glad to get these parts, so don't throw 'em out!!!!