Chrysler Repair: 99 caravan excessively loud engine noise, haynes manual, postal mail

Question
QUESTION: I have a 99 Caravan 3.3. I started making an excessively loud engine noise. This is the same noise it made a year and a half ago and I had the engine replaced by a mechanic with a used one.  I do not have the funds available to do so again.  I located the sound by using a stethoscope. I could hear it through the valve cover.  I removed the valve cover and found there were 2 sets of rocker arms rubbing against each other. I could move the rocker arms side to side. I checked the bolts and they were torqued at the specification in the manual. I loosed the rocker arm shaft and moved the rocker arms back in place and tightened the bolts. I started the engine and the noise had decreaded but only for a few seconds and the rocker arms moved again.   How do I tell if it is the lifters, valves, or something else?

ANSWER: Hi Terri,
I believe the best thing to do is to remove the shaft and inspect the push rods for being bent and the rocker arms for damage. If you have the manual it shows how to do that procedure. Once you have them removed you should be able to determine why this is happening. Do note and maintain the position of each part so it can be put back in to the same location if not damaged. I have a Haynes and the Chysler manual, but would have to xerox copy and postal mail you the pages as I don't have a scanner. Let me know which manual you have and I will see if the other one has some info you don't already have.
Roland

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QUESTION: There are no bent rods and the rocker arms look fine.  They have a few scrapes on the sides where they were rubbing together but other than that they seem to be OK.  Following the procedures in the Haynes manual I removed everything necessary to reach the lifters.  Now that I have accomplished that I don't know how to find out if the lifters are defective.  There are no apparent gouges, scrapes or broken parts on them. Any suggestions where I go from here?

Answer
PS This was just posted from another owner:
"The problem with the 3.3 was the rocker tubes where they bolt to the heads. They sometime come loose but most of the time they break off."

Hi Terri,
The manual says that you have to remove the cylinder head to service the tappets (lifters). If you need those specifics I can xerox copy from the manual and postal mail those pages to you.  You might check at an engine rebuilding shop. I haven't been 'into' that engine. Good luck.
Roland