1996 Caravan - 3.0L Timing belt replacement

If you hadn't told me the whole timing belt ordeal and possibly that
growling sound, I'd say you've got a blown head gasket. My 92 with the 3.0
blew its head gasket a few years ago. When it did, I was starting, it
half-tried to start then like the engine jammed (can't recall if there was a
noise or not). Hit the starter again and it started up running rough. Gave
it a little gas and it finally smoothed out, but was ticking/missing and
blowing white smoke.

While they were in doing all this work, they went ahead and put on a new
timing belt, as well as a timing belt tensioner. It had been
squealing/whining like a noisy belt on and off for quite some time, after
that it was quiet as a mouse. Maybe your timing belt tensioner got messed
up when the belt went out?

Wesley


"mikelb5" > wrote in message
news:703832_c5b1a320c030ff4530cec879e2724be4@autof orumz.com...

> So after I replaced the timing belt and got everything back together,
> I started the van only to hear a repetitive "tick-tick" sound from
> the engine, lifters, valve train, or something of that nature,
> accompanied by white smoke at the exhaust. But wait, thats not all.
> There is also, what sounds like a growling sound, almost like
> something is loose somewhere (it's really undescribable). And once
> the engine warms up, I can hear and feel a "tick-tick" at the duty
> cycle purge control valve of the EVAP system. The duty cycle purge
> control valve is turned on by the PCM only when the vehicle has warmed
> up. It has something to do with controlling/recycling the fuel vapors
> through the system.