Chrysler Repair: Runs hot, timing belt needs change:do H2O pump?, cam shaft, timing chains

Question
I just bought the van a few months ago.  I don't have much history on it except the transmission was replaced 5 years ago and a month after it was replaced, the owner passed away.  The van sat in a garage for five years.  It is a 3.3L v6 engine.  It is in the shop now for emission failure repair and a master cylinder.  The mechanic said he heard noise coming from engine and it could be cam shaft or timing chain.  So I just need to be sure of the need to replace that and the water pump or just the chain or neither.  How can I check myself?

Thanks.
Tina
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Followup To

Question -
Hi,
I was told my timing chain needs to be replaced.  The van runs hot and nearly overheats when driving at highway speeds only.  It races and goes no where during the first few minutes of acceleration.  I let the foot off the gas and it clunks into gear and runs fine after that.  It also hisses.  My question is should I replace the water pump at the same time as the timing chain as precautionary measure?  Or just leave it alone if it is fine?  Thanks for you input.

Answer -
Hi Tina,
I believe you may have been told that the timing BELT needs to be changed, not the timing chain. Timing chains seldom wear out. This must mean that you have a 2.5L 4 cyl. engine or a 3.0L V-6 engine. (The 3.3L V-6 has a timing chain and an external water pump so it can be serviced separately if needed.) The 2.5L has an external pump also so it too needn't be related to the change of the belt. So you must have a 3.0L V-6, correct? Have you inspected the timing belt yourself to verify the recommendation? It is easy to do. How many miles are on the present belt?
If that belt is worn to the point of breaking, then it should be replaced and the pump should always be replaced at the same time because to do the pump is a minor task if you are already changing the belt (unless by chance the pump
was relaced within the past 50K miles). Whether the pump is the cause of the overheating is uncertain. Have you considered having the radiator reverse flushed? How about the possibility that the thermostat is opening at too high a temperature and needs to be changed?
The "racing and going no where" and the "clunks into gear" are related to the transmission, not the cooling system. If you have the electronic automatic transmission the way to find out what is wrong with that is to have the trans controller memory read out for any fault codes. You may have to go to a Chrysler dealer to read it out with a DRB II code reader, but an independent shop with the proper plug to attach to the body diagnostic plug under the dash and a cartridge for the '90 trans could also do it.  Ask for the code number(s), what it means, what is the proposed repair, and how costly? Then write back and tell me the answers to those questions and we will compare them to what the manual says for that transmission. Don't rush to judgement about the trans as it is very costly to repair and you want to know for sure that it has to be rebuilt before you do it. The van might not be worth the cost of the repair, for example.
I don't know where the hissing is coming from, so I can't be sure what it means. If you can locate the source of the hiss please let me know.
If I am shown as maxed out when you need to write back, use the "thank and rate" tab where you will find a section for comments. I get an alert of your response and then will contact you.
Roland


Answer
Hi Tina,
I would be surprised if the timing chain were such a problem as to require replacement. I would not authorize a fishing trip to find out because it is a fairly lengthy procedure. You may find that it will quiet down as you drive it further; 5 years of sitting can leave some crud in the valve train that may dissolve and pass out with each oil change. You might want to put a can of engine internal cleaner in the oil just before you are ready to drain and put in new oil (follow directions on the can). You may quiet down the valve noise by that cleaning technique.
So there is no easy inspection of the chain as there is on engines that have timing belts.
If the water pump is not leaking it shouldn't be replaced. One way to tell if it is pumping well enough is to try out the heater and see it is working well. If the pump were compromised then the heat production would be too.
So try the radiator flush and thermostat opening temp check. You could first take a look through the grill to see if the front surface of the radiator is covered with leaves, dust, spider webs, etc that are preventing full air flow thru the fins. Is so, gently wash that surface off. If you aren't loosing coolant thru boilover or leakage, it is not a concern if the gauge reads high in the summer, so long as it doesn't stay in the H range and/or begins to boil over. Shine a light from the back side of the radiator and look from the front to see if you have clean air passageways.
Then I would do the code readout on the trans controller which is probably of higher priority than the engine. You would want to find out why it is slipping and try to correct that as soon as practical.
Roland