2.2 0r 2.5 pros and cons

[89ARIES]

I always wondered what the K-car knock was. I was told it was normal. I have always had a knock. By the way, what are the chances of making my 2.5 liter motor hit 300,000 miles without a rebuild? Its at 127,000 right now. Wishful thinking perhaps?

[88 aries]

your chances of a 2.5 reaching 300,000 are very good since you live in california, and have no rust belt, well i dont have a rust belt either becuase they are stored for the winter.


but ya regular oil changes and other k things you should prolly hit the mile goal.

[capev86]

the balance shafts do make these engines smoother than they would be otherwise. you won't find them in a dakota 2.5 because of the engine placement the deeper oil pan wouldn't fit. removing them you need to tap and plug the hole otherwise you will have no oil pressure. it is said that you lose about 12 hp at max (6k) rpm from parasitic losses, but that equates to about 3hp at 3k rpm which is where sensible drivers stay. i prefer the finesse of the having the shafts intact. the deeper oil pan is more likely to hit rocks and stuff if you go off road. pulling the shafts - you either run more oil (i think 2 quarts) or you put a non balance shaft pan on from a 2.2, etc. only 2.2's to get the shafts were the TIII dual cam engines from the spirit, daytona and phantom rt's and possibly the variable nozzle turbo IV cars of 1989/90 but i'm not sure on the latter.

as for the 2.5 not liking passing gear......i don't know about that. in tbi form, the 2.5 will spank a 2.2. i'd rather have the torque to accelerate and cruise on the highway than have a rev happy engine that the auto trans fails to make use of. the 2.2 is a good engine, but if i want rev's i'll just buy a nice honda.

to answer a lot of questions check out thedodgegarage.com and search his archive of information. the 86-88 tall deck 2.5 had a block off plate for a (carb appications) fuel pump. when the common block 2.2 and 2.5 came out in 89 there was no hole because all applications were tbi or mpi. and the RT twin cam (common) blocks had no distributor hole because they used distributor-less ignition like modern cars.

[84Aries]

Well, I got a Carbuerated 2.2 in mine and I must say that it is suprisingly peppy for a 2.2. It isnt the fastest 4cylinder from the 80's but I can still cruise at 140km/h (75mph or something) comfortably and pass at 55mph with ease but most of the time I just cruise at 50mph. Mine has 91,000kms on it right now and is a few months off getting rebuilt. I have an 85 3 speed auto transmission in it as I blew the original transmission in last years 3 foot snowfall driving home from work when the plows were on strike. Mind you I made it back through 3feet with snow coming over the hood and the engine compartment filled with snow when I got home I had to dig it out and plug in the bock heater. This is the last winter I will put my little Aries through.

[88 aries]

I have tweaked my Reliants, 2.2 Gapped the plugs to 40 instead of 35 set the timing to 14 degrees, when passing gear kicks in there is more torque, oh and also my Reliant has no resonator on its exaust system so its a stright shot from the cat to the muffler. So its got a deeper tone when idling.

im guessing about 3 Hp more

[tindrumstoo]

so is there any physical way to tell which motor i have. is the block stamped maybe?

[TomChrysler]

Hi Lee!

The answer to your question is within your VIN#. Position #8 will reveal the stock engine from the factory.
A= 1.6L (not applicable to Reliant)
C= 2.2L
D= 2.2L EFI
E= 2.2L Turbo
K= 2.5L

Now, if your engine has been replaced, you can certainly take a peek under the hood.

Oil Filler Cap Location on Valve Cover.
2.2L = Center of Valve Cover over the #3 cylinder.
2.5: = LH Side (passenger) of Valve Cover over the #1 cylinder.

These are just general ways to look for your engine type according to Chrysler's Shop Manual set for 1986.

Giving you my best,
Tom

[tindrumstoo]

ahh theres the answers i needed! you've got to be one of the most valuable resources for information on the forums.

[TomChrysler]

Awwwww shucks! Thanks for the compliment. It was my pleasure to help.

[88 aries]

not all 2.2s had the oil fill cap over the # 3 Cylinder 1986 and up had it next to cylinder #1