1999 Dodge Truck rebuilding a 360

ARCTICGEORGE

MEMBER
1999 DODGE TRUCK
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
100,000 MILES

Hi Guys, I have a Jasper engine in my used 1999 dodge ram 2500 truck that has a rod knock. (Runs but clanks ) I want to do a engine swap or would you recomend I have the crank serviced and keep the Jasper engine?( I guess they are quality engines. Expensive) Before the rod knock the oil gauge would drop to zero and stay there until you hit the gas. It works fine the first 5 minutes cold and then it will drop and the ding ding sound, alerting me of the low pressure. I had the local shop mess with it, new oil pump, sending unit nothing worked. Even a cluster swap. Refunded the cluster swap and labor because it did not fix the problem. My friend said it was because the bearings were going and letting oil through at idle, true? I am trying to keep the cost as low as possible. Thanks again.

1 Reply

PEAR69

MECHANIC
1,482 POSTS

It doesn't matter what type of (or who built) the engine. Jasper, Hendrick, or Dodge -- it has a rod knock. From what you say, the knock was caused by low oil pressure. Chances are that the machine work that was done on the engine prior to building was poor. Oil pumps are usually not to blame for spun bearings (or worn bearings) -- which in turn cause rod knocks. Shotty machine work is. Oil pressure in engines IS NOT created by the oil pump. Oil pumps are positive displacement pumps (or they just move oil from one place to another). Oil pressure is created by the resistance within the oiling system. Bearing clearances (measured in the thousands of an inch) are just some of the areas inside of an engine where oil pressure is created. When the machine work that is done to set the bearings in place is off (or done wrong) the bearing will wear out prematurely - thus creating a larger gap between bearing and the crank shaft - thus reducing the oil pressure (because of the less resistance) - thus causing the rod to knock.
All that being said -- if you rebuild the Jasper motor, the crankshaft mains must be align honed, and the crankshaft itself, should be magnifluxed and possiblely rechromed. By the time you get done with all the "proper" machine work, it may be cost effective to just get a new short block and put it in.