2000 - 2007 Dodge Caravan 3.8L Engine Torque Specs

2003 Dodge Caravan 3.8L Complete Torque Specs List

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Dodge Caravan 3.8L OHV Repair Information

Dodge Caravan 3.8L OHV Engine Repair Information

Here you can find information regarding the assembly of the Dodge 3.8L OHV engine. In this guide we will start from the inside of the engine including the crankshaft, connecting rods, and piston ring installation and then move outwards all the way to the pulley belt system. Along the way correct procedures and torque specs will be given to aid in the assembly of the engine. Feel free to start from the beggining and work your way outwards or skip ahead to your current position in the engine for what you may need.

Crankshaft Main Caps Installation

Dodge 3.8L engine block
The 3.8L engine block main bearing caps should be inspected for any defects or flaws before installation. Be sure to lubricate the bearing surfaces prior to installation. Once prepared you can place the caps onto the crankshaft and begin tightening the bolts down in a multi stage process. The first being 10 ft-lbs starting from the middle and going outwards. The second time around you can go to 30 ft-lbs and then an additional 90 degree turn. The main bearing cap cross bolts can be torqued down to 45 ft-lbs. Be sure to go through each bolt during each step and work your way from the inside or middle caps to the outside or outwards bearing caps. Once finished you should be good to continue with the rest of the engine.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L OHV Main Cap Torque Specs : 30 ft-lbs + 90°

Dodge Caravan 3.8L OHV Main Cap Cross Bolts Torque Specs : 45 ft-lbs

 

Piston and Connecting Rod Installation

Dodge 3.8L OHV piston ring installation
To install the pistons and connecting rods you must first install the piston rings into each piston. Be careful not to stretch the rings or break them during installation. Make sure to put the correct rings in the correct positions, this can be determined by looking at the instructions given with the new rings. Each ring manufacturer is different so be sure to check for your specific rings. Once the rings have been installed you can now fit the connecting rod bearings into the end caps and lube them up with oil or lithium grease. The piston can now be lowered into the cylinder, make sure the dot or mark is facing the front of the engine and that you don't scratch the cylinder. Once installed you can match the connecting rod caps with the correct rods and start to torque the connecting rod bolts to 10 ft-lbs and then to 40 ft-lbs followed by an additional 90 degree turn for each bolt. After all are done rotate the crank to ensure all pistons move smoothly in and out of their cylinders and nothing binds.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L OHV Connecting Rod Torque Specs : 40 ft-lbs + 90°

 

Oil Pump Installation

Dodge 3.8L OHV oil pump installation
When installing the oil pump be sure to use the proper sealant around the pump base if neccessary to ensure that oil pressure doesn't drop due to leakage. Both surfaces should be cleaned and preped prior to installing. After preparing the contact surfaces carefully install the oil pump onto the engine. From here we can install the oil pump cover and torque down its bolts to 8 ft-lbs.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Oil Pump Cover Bolts Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Oil Pump Pickup Tube Torque Specs : 10 ft-lbs

 

Cylinder Head Installation

Dodge 3.8L OHV cylinder head installation
The first thing you must do when installing cylinder heads is to ensure both the block and head surfaces are completely clean from dust, oil, and any debris. The next thing you must to is to set the camshafts to their correct positions to prevent any valves from hitting pistons during installation and torquing of the head bolts. Much the same you have to set the pistons to their correct locations, typically this means putting the #1 piston to TDC or Top Dead Center. Once everything is ready you can install the head gasket onto the engine block by aligning the alignment dowels. Something I usually do is spray down the head gasket with some engine copper spray from permatex which you can find here, this ensures that any gaps that could be present between the 2 surfaces gets filled with the spray. It also helps to transfer heat between the 2 metals. With the gasket in place you can set the cylinder head onto the gasket and block, if needed have someone assist with this process as the head can be heavy and you don't want to scratch anything or drop it! Once the head has been placed you will want to start installing the head bolts to make sure it doesn't move. Be sure to buy new head bolts as many manufacturers use TTY or Torque to Yield head bolts meaning they stretch during torqueing and cannot be used twice. Also make sure to lubricate the bolts in clean engine oil before installing them into the head. On Dodge OHV engines there is occasionally bolt holes on the engine block that cross into water passages. Any hole that does this should be installed with some silicon sealant. A little goes a long way in this step and you can check holes by shining a flashlight down them and looking in the water jackets. Once all the head bolts have been installed and finger tightened you can start the torqueing process, almost all head bolts have a multi-step process for torqueing. The 3.8L OHV engine uses a single size of cylinder head bolts with a total of 10 bolts being installed into the cylinder head. These head bolts should be tightened down to 45 ft-lbs and then 65 ft-lbs then finally an additional 90 degree turn going through each bolt during each step. Make sure to now overturn or underturn any bolt as this can cause an unbalance of surface pressure between the gasket and head.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L OHV Cylinder Head Torque Specs : 45 ft-lbs + 65 ft-lbs + 90°

 

Timing Chain and Camshaft Installation

Dodge 3.8L Timing chain installation
On the Dodge 3.8 OHV engine the timing system is ran by the use of a chain. This chain system consists of a sprocket on the single center located camshaft and one sprocket on the engines crankshaft. Since the camshaft is located in the center of the engine it needs to be installed from the front side of the engine. The camshaft bearings get installed using a special cam bearing installation tool. The tool simply presses the bearings in and out of the bearing holes using different sized plates to press on them. Be sure that all of your camshaft bearings are in good condition prior to installing the camshaft and building the engine as this is a critical part of the engine. If all bearings are good and in place the camshaft can be lubed and placed into the engine. It should slide into the bearings with ease, if it gets caught do not force it as you risk damaging the bearings. Simply move the camshaft end around until it slides in. Once all the way into the engine you will need to install the camshaft retaining plate and its bolts. Depending on your specific Dodge engine the camshaft retaining plate gets installed impediately after the camshaft is slide into place or after the timing gear has been installed. Depening on how you took apart your engine and the new parts you are installing you will need to adapt accordingly. The retaining plate bolts need to be tightened down to 8 ft-lbs. The camshaft timing sprockets simply slide onto both the crankshaft and the camshaft end. Be sure that you install the system all together with the timing chain marks lined up with the dots on both sprockets. Since there are no tensioners for this system it will only go together like this. On the camshaft side it aligns using a dowel pin that sticks out of the camshaft. There is a single bolt which holds the camshaft sprocket onto the camshaft. This bolt needs to be tightened down to 40 ft-lbs. The crankshaft pulley will hold the crankshaft sprocket in place so no need to tighten any bolts down there.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Camshaft Sprocket Torque Spec: 40 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Crankshaft Position Sensor Torque Spec: 8 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Camshaft Retaining Plate Bolts Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Rocker Arm Shaft Torque Spec : 16 ft-lbs

 

Timing Cover Installation

Dodge 3.8L Timing cover installation
The timing cover on the 3.8L is used to cover up the internals of the engine and hold in massive amounts of oil. For this reason I recommend using some silicon sealant along with a new gasket during installation. Be sure to clean all of the metal surfaces prior to installation and placing the silicon onto the metal. With everything ready to install be sure to double check your timing and engine internals before placing the cover in place. Another tip is to lube up the crankshaft seal with some oil so it seats better. If everything is good to go then place the cover onto the engine block and begin to tighten down the bolts hand tight. Once all of the bolts have been set in place be sure to follow your sealants instructions by waiting the recommended time. Once ready you can torque down the larger timing cover bolts to 40 ft-lbs and the smaller bolts to 20 ft-lbs. Be sure to tighten them down in a cross pattern to ensure no leaks occur.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Timing Cover Bolts Torque Specs (M10): 40 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Timing Cover Bolts Torque Specs (M8): 20 ft-lbs

 

Oil Pan Installation

Dodge 3.8L Oil Pan installation
Much like the timing cover on the 3.8L the oil pan plays an important role in keeping the engine oil inside the engine. For this reason I recommend using a new gasket as well as some silicone sealant during installation. Using the same technique as before with the cover you clean the surfaces of both the oil pan and the engine block and then install the new gasket onto the block and then follow it up with some silicone sealant. Be sure to follow your sealants instructions to ensure you get the best seal from your application. The oil pan bolts can be torqued down to 8 ft-lbs following a cross pattern. Along with the pan is the oil pan drain plug, this gets removed and reinstalled quite frequently and can be torqued down to 20 ft-lbs.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Oil Pan Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Oil Drain Plug Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

 

Valve Covers Installation

Dodge 3.8L Valve Cover installation
The valve cover installation is rather simple, there are rubber seals for each bolt hole and a silicone gasket that prevents oil from leaking out of the engine. It is recommended to replace both the seals and the gaskets although if they are in good condition you can reuse them. If you do choose to reuse them I would use some silicone sealant along with the silicon gasket to ensure it does not leak. The valve cover bolts torque down to 106 in-lbs or about 8 ft-lbs in a criss cross order. Be sure not to miss any bolts to avoid having oil leak out onto the exhaust pipes and cause a lot of smoking.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Valve Cover Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

 

Intake Manifold and Fuel Rail Installation

Dodge 3.8L Intake Manifold installation
When installing the intake manifold you want to make sure you have all the surfaces as well as intake holes cleaned out before placing the manifold into position. Once cleaned you can then place the intake manifold gaskets onto the alignment pins. If you want you can also use a little bit of sealant on the gaskets to help ensure there are no leaks. With the gaskets in place you can now put the manifold down onto the gaskets and begin to install the bolts. The lower intake manifold bolts torque to 16 ft-lbs and can be tightened in a cross pattern. The upper intake manifold bolts torqued down to 8 ft-lbs and can also be tightened in a cross pattern. The ignition coil assembly can be torque down to 8 ft-lbs and the spark plugs themselves can be torqued down to 13 ft-lbs, be careful not to overtorque these as they can snap and cause big problems. When installing the throttle body make sure that all of the gaskets are in good condition and will hold a seal as you do not want to be leaking gas fumes around the engine. If everything looks good you can tighten the throttle body bolts down to 8 ft-lbs.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Lower Intake Manifold Torque Specs : 16 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Upper Intake Manifold Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Ignition Coil Assembly Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Spark Plug Torque Specs : 13 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Throttle Body Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

 

Exhaust Manifold Installation

Dodge 3.8L Exhaust Manifold installation
The exhaust manifold can be installed by cleaning the surface areas on both the head an the manifold itself and then by using the exhaust manifold gasket and putting it in place. Once the gasket is in its location you can put the manifold onto the heads and begin to torque them down to 16 ft-lbs. I always use some copper spray from permatex on the exhaust manifold gaskets to ensure I do not end up with any exhaust leaks once done. When you go to install the engine into the vehicle or if it is already in the vehicle the torque specs for the exhaust manifold to the exhaust pipes or catalytic converter is 25 ft-lbs.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Exhaust Manifold Torque Spec : 16 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Exhaust Pipe Torque Specs : 25 ft-lbs

 

Water Pump and Thermostat Installation

Dodge 3.8L Water Pump installation
The water pump on the Dodge 3.8L engine gets tightened down to the engine block on the serpentine belt side and is ran off of the drive belt. When removing the old water pump be sure that you drain out the coolant prior to removal otherwise the coolant will spill all over. Once drained you can remove the water pump mounting bolts and remove the old pump from the vehicle. From here we can clean up the engine blocks mating surface and prepare the new water pump for installation. Be sure to use a new gasket and some silicon sealant to ensure that no coolant ends up leaking and causes further engine damage down the road. Once prepared you can install the pump onto the engine and hand tighten the bolts down. Once all of the bolts have been installed you can then torque down the bolts to 8 ft-lbs. Make sure to follow your sealants instructions as they often require you to wait an extended amount of time before torqueing down the bolts. From here you can install the water pump pulley and fan and torque them down to 20 ft-lbs.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Water Pump to Case Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Water Pump Pulley Torque Specs : 20 ft-lbs

 

Front Dress and Pulley belt Installation

Dodge 3.8L Pulley and Belt installation
Most of what is left on the engine is just place and tighten objects such as the belt pulleys, belt tensioner, throttle body, oil filter neck, crankshaft pulley, and motor mounts. If the items have a gasket and hold either oil or coolant inside the engine then feel free to add some sealant along with the gasket. Always be sure to inspect your gaskets and replace them if there is any deteriation or flaws with them. For the belt system the crankshaft pulley gets tightened down to the crankshaft at 40 ft-lbs. The drive belt tensioner can be tightened to 33 ft-lbs and the idler pulley can be torqued down to 16 ft-lbs. When installing be sure they both turn smoothly and if they do not then replace them with new ones as the bearings can go bad. The engine motor mount can be installed onto the engine block if it hasn't been already, the torques for the mount to the block is 59 ft-lbs and then when installing the mount to the vehicle or frame it can be torqued to 35 ft-lbs. Finally the throttle body can be installed on top of the intake manifold with a good gasket and some added sealant using 7 ft-lbs in a criss cross pattern. For installing the belt you can use a tool to move the tensioner into its springed state and install the belt as shown in the picture. The generator or alternator can be tightened down to the engine block using 30 ft-lbs of force. The power steering pump can be installed and torqued down to 18 ft-lbs and finally the A/C compressor can be torqued down to 15 ft-lbs of force.

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Crankshaft Pulley Torque Specs : 40 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Idler Pulley Bolt Torque Spec : 16 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Drive Belt Tensioner Torque Specs : 33 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Motor Mount to Engine Torque Specs : 59 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Motor Mount to Frame Torque Specs : 35 ft-lbs

Dodge Caravan 3.8L Alternator to Block Torque Specs : 30 ft-lbs
Dodge Caravan 3.8L Power Steering Pulley Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs
Dodge Caravan 3.8L A/C Compressor to Block Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

 


Timing Torque Specs
Timing Cover Bolts Torque spec (M10) 40 ft-lbs
Timing Cover Bolts Torque spec (M8) 20 ft-lbs
Camshaft Timing Sprocket Bolt Torque Specs 40 ft-lbs
Camshaft Retaining Plate Bolts Torque spec 8 ft-lbs
Rocker Arm Bolts Torque specs 16 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Position Sensor Torque spec 8 ft-lbs
Timing Chain Tensioner Torque spec 14 ft-lbs
Cylinder Head Torque Specs
Cylinder Head Bolts Torque Specs 40 ft-lbs + 65 ft-lbs + 90°
Valve Cover Torque specs 8 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold Bolts Torque specs 16 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Pipe Torque 25 ft-lbs
Bottom End Torque's
Main Bearing Cap Bolts Torque Spec 30 ft-lbs + 90°
Main Bearing Cross Bolts Torque Spec 45 ft-lbs
Connecting Rod Bolts Torque Spec 40 ft-lbs + 90°
Oil Pump Cover Bolts Torque Spec 8 ft-lbs
Oil Pump Pickup Tube Torque Spec 20 ft-lbs
Oil Pan Bolts Torque Spec 8 ft-lbs
Oil Pan Drain Plug Torque Spec 20 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold and Fuel Rail Torque Spec
Lower Intake Manifold Torque Specs 16 ft-lbs
Upper Intake Manifold Torque Specs 8 ft-lbs
Fuel Rail Torque Specs 5 ft-lbs
Spark Plugs Torque Specs 13 ft-lbs
Throttle Body Torque Specs 8 ft-lbs
Ignition Coil Assembly Torque Spec 8 ft-lbs
Water Pump & Pulley Torque Specs
Water Pump to Block Torque Specs 8 ft-lbs
Water Pump Pulley Bolts Torque Specs 20 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley Bolt Torque Spec 40 ft-lbs
Drive Belt Tensioner Bolt Torque Spec 33 ft-lbs
Belt Idler Pulley Bolt Torque Spec 16 ft-lbs
Motor Mount (Engine Side) Torque 59 ft-lbs
Motor Mount (Frame Side) Torque 35 ft-lbs
Alternator to Block Bolts Torque Spec 30 ft-lbs
Power Steering Pump Bolts Torque Spec 18 ft-lbs
A/C Compressor to Block Torque Spec 15 ft-lbs