fuel rail leak 1991 dodge 3.3L?

Question

Hey, I have seen a similar question, but here goes the saga. My 91 dodge caravan w/3.3L has in the infamous fuel rail leak. I got a hold of Dodge.com, but my year is not included in the recall, grrrrrrr. the local dodge dealer, they quoted me $340.00 for a new fuel rail, an online parts place quoted $255.00 Sorry folks, but for the life of me, i can not see why in the wide wide world of sports this part should cost so much. How can dodge be losing money if they charge this much for parts....Anyway, Instead of bending over and getting the Dodge Ram up my butt, i am gonna try to fix this thing myself. So far, i have taken off the fuel rail (fun) and gave it a good wire brushing, hmmm the thing is aluminum. it also appears, the 'ends' that hold the crossover tube have been soldered in place. Now, do I de-solder and look for replacement O-rings/seals? Do I solder them in place solid and lose the fuel rail flex which may hurt the re-install. Or are their external seals available?

well folks, interesting answers so far. ALL the fuel rails on the 3.3L 91 to till whenever are DEFECTIVE, so the junk yard is out... Dodge evidently has an external seal to fix the 96 and above..question is...will it work on a 91? ok, someone said it is not solder...guess that means a heli-arc or another inert gas process. someone else said the part is so expensive cause it it is dodge specific... In 96, the recall for this fuel rail cover 1.3 MILLION 3.3L engines, which means they made well over 2 MILLION of these aluminum rails... No way this part should cost that much. Rakel said never weld on these parts, thanks for the advice, but Dodge the 'experts' made these defective parts. I used to be a welder and silver smith, Think I will know when the metal goes over the edge. And, the injectors run at 43.5 psi. Yes, some preessure, but not out of the ballpark. But, I look forward to more answers from You fine folks, and the Dodge people. My thoughts are with everyone at VT.

Answer 1

I wish you had asked this question before you took apart the fuel rail because this recall involved placing an external seal around the ends of the fuel rail which would most likely have solved the problem. you could have purchased this recall kit and installed it in approx 15 minutes.now you are stuck buying a new rail. also dodge is losing money because parts are so expensive people go to the aftermarket and don't buy factory original parts (not just a dodge problem).

Answer 2

NEVER NEVER NEVER, mess with ANY fuel injection equipped fuel system components!!! Fuel injection equipped vehicles typically run under pressures anywhere between 30 to 50 PSI. Anything that is made of aluminum, particularly on a vehicle of that age WILL corrode. You are better off going to a salvage yard to find another fuel rail from another 3.3L engine. Those engines are a dime, a dozen so you should have no difficulty looking for a donor part. DO NOT attempt to fabricate, solder or weld this part yourself. You put yourself, and those around you at risk.

Answer 3

In the first place, the fuel rail costs that much because of the materials used, and they are made "engine specific"...While it may fit a couple engines, it is normally made for the Dodge application...

Second, you don't really want to "desolder" or repair the rail itself, since it is doubtful you can identify exactly the correct braze material to use. Also, aluminum alloys crack easily if not heated properly, and distort quickly anyway. You'll likely trash it...

Was the leakage at the seals? Replacing the seals may work, but make sure you lubricate them well...whatever you do, be very careful, as it is easy to mess up on that particular area...

Answer 4

91 Dodge

Answer 5

That's not solder. It's a special inert gas type process. You can fix those things. I'd take Rake's junk yard route.

Answer 6

Internal O rings need special tool for removal.