Chrysler 2.4 Litre issues

I recently acquired a 2003 Dodge Caravan SE with the 2.4 Litre engine and I have some questions since I am not familiar with this engine.

Is the 2.4 Litre a good engine as in Slant 6 and 3.3 Litre good or is it closer in quality to rubbish engines such as the 2.7 Litre? Are there any quirks I should be aware of?

I am getting about 18-19 MPG in mixed driving with mostly a feather foot, clean air filter, and a recent fuel injector cleaning, but I am wondering what mileage other people are getting out of their 2.4 Litre?

On my drive home today I was attacked by a nasty and constant strong smell of rotten eggs (the tailgate was open due to hauling a 4X8 piece of sheet rock, but I also had the driver's window open) so does that mean something is wrong with the Catalytic Converter? I have detected a Rotten Egg smell while driving before, but never so strong or long lasting or so insulting to my nose.

The under hood diagram shows that the Power Steering, Air Conditioning, and Alternator are all run by the same belt, but does that mean the Water Pump runs off the Timing Belt like the 3.0 Litre which I am used to?

The Owner's Manual calls for the Timing Belt to be changed at 102K miles which seems quite steep for a first time, but I would rather do it at 90K miles. What are your experiences with this situation? On a related note is this a non-interference engine?

Even though this Caravan lacks some features my 95 Voyager had and that this vehicle should have I am liking it more than the Voyager, but damn you Mercedes Benz. Though I suspect a large factor in my decision is due to the fact that the Caravan is newer and has much lower mileage.

This is from the service manual for the 2.4l

2.4L ENGINE
DESCRIPTION
The 2.4 Liter (148 cu. in.) in-line four cylinder engine is a double over head camshaft with hydraulic lifters and four valve per cylinder design
2.4L Engine The engine is free-wheeling; meaning it has provisions for piston-to-valve clearance. However valve-to-valve interference can occur, if camshafts are rotated independently

All of my numerous used vans have had the 3.3l, I look for it specifically. I drove one with a 2.4l once and it struggled a little on hills with a full load. The 3.3l engine is very reliable and has a timing chain instread of a belt which is a big plus.

Yes the water pump in the 2.4l is driven by the timing belt.

I avg. 19-22 on my vans in a hilly area, and from what I understand, the 2.4l delivers about the same.

I can't help with your exhaust issue, sorry.

I have had a 1996 Voyager w/ 2.4L since new, now at 197,000 miles. I chose the 4 cyl because cheaper, simpler, and slightly better mileage, plus it had only slightly less power than the V-6. The power comes at high rpm (4 valves/cyl), so don't be afraid to floor it and let the tranny downshift, you will feel the power come on strong ~4000 rpm. Neons and other cars used that engine, some w/ turbo's, so you can find racing tips. The A-413 tranny is the same basic and dependable 3-spd Torqueflite used since ~1960 in everything from Darts to pickups. The only difference is the differential section. If you ever rebuild it, add "pin retainers" (cheap) in the differential so you don't throw a pin thru the case if you spin a tire on ice.

My timing belt never failed, but the both bearings in the timing drive failed, which is similar. The first time was ~39K miles (just past warranty). The bearing on the tensioner failed. I replaced just that bearing and the belt, and the replacement from the dealer was a different design (imagine why?). The bearing on the idler failed ~120K miles. It took 1 wk to get parts, so I carry a spare timing set in the van now in case it happens on a trip. There are 4 different timing belt designs, and you won't know which you have until you remove the cover. I had no damage to the valves, but it could happen if many teeth skipped as the timing drive failed.

The other major engine problem I had was that the head gasket leaked oil to the outside. It started ~39K miles, and I thought just a valve cover gasket, and so bad (dripped on exhaust) that I pulled the head ~95K miles to fix it by changing to the new MLS gasket, which yours might have. It was a design defect but Chrysler never made a recall. When I pulled the head, I removed the pistons, honed the cylinders, re-ringed, and installed new bearings. I figured it must be worn at ~100K miles, but found the ring gaps were still in spec (barely) and could still see the original honing marks on the cylinder walls. This is typical with engines since they changed to EFI, which avoids running rich and washing oil off the walls.

The only other engine issue I recall was a mis-fire under WOT. I changed the coil pack and plug wires to no avail. My wife suggested "spark plugs", which I laughed off because the platinum plugs looked fine. Finally changed the plugs and problem went away. But it returned a year or so later. Turns out the new plugs must have had slightly less gap, so when they wore, same problem. I found a TSB for 2.4L turbos saying to reduce the plug gap to 0.055" or so. Tried that and no more mis-fires. Why at WOT? Because harder to throw a spark at higher cylinder pressures.

Since you mention the 3.3/3.8L engines, the early V-6's had many failures of the new A-604 4-spd electronic transmission. The main problem was that shops would substitute Dexron for Chrysler ATF, which caused the lock-up torque converter to shudder, wearing the plates. Use ATF-4 and no problems. I have a 3.8L T&C and think the A-604 is a great transmission and a very elegant design for that time. BTW, I know Mopars, having a Valiant, Dart, and Newport.