I have a 2001 dodge Dakota with a 4.7L v8. Did a rebuild of the engine (upper half) and am going to share some pictures and some notable things. I am going to separate text and photos, so all relevant pictures will be at the bottom of this thread.
Right off the bat I will note some things you WILL ABSOLUTLELY need.

-breaker bar
-torque wrench (must go as low as 15 ft-lb and as high as 130 ft-lb)
-torque angle gauge (or a torque wrench with built in angle reader)
-rubber bands (random I know, but if you are re-installing timing chains you will need them)
-a special tool to reinstall the harmonic balancer. It is made by AirRam. I tried using the one that o'rielly's rents out and it DOES NOT WORK. Here is a link for the tool, you can rent it: www.airram.com/product.php?categoryid=580&productid=1476
****I am also open to selling mine to somebody****
-Fuel line disconnect tool (most auto parts store has it)
-Chrysler harmonic balancer puller (rent this)
-Fan clutch wrench (rent this)
-I used a spanner wrench and it helped a lot while removing fan but I'm sure you can jimmy rig something up to get away without having one.
-an air compressor (some people debate this, it just REALLY helps when cleaning off heads and engine blocks.
-Rocker arm removal tool, link is posted in further section.

You will also need what I would call "a full tool box", meaning you need the normal assortment of mechanics tools. If you don't know what that is, you probably shouldn't be doing this repair

LETS GET STARTED!

Assuming we are all fairly decent at handy work, the first bit of the repair is mainly just disassembly. First basic steps will include removing:
-Battery
-air intake
-coolant reservoir (first you will need to drain the radiator, there is a plug on the side of it)
-remove all radiator hoses (careful for the coolant spilling out.
-fan
-drive belt
-tensioner
-ignition coils
-fuel rail *****IMPORTANT*** before doing this, or really before starting repair, pull your fuel pump relay and run car till it dies. This will drain fuel lines and will make it so gas doesn't fly everywhere when you disconnect the fuel line. You will need the special tool to do this. Wrap it around the fuel rail and push toward the fuel line. It will click and disconnect.
-disconnect all the wire connections, but before doing so, more where they go or do some other method that will allow you to put them back in their proper homes.
-remove alternator
-remove power steering pump and A/C compressor from mounts and fasten to side of engine bay, out of the way. You can fully remove them if you want but I didn't find it necessary to make a mess everywhere.
-Remove air plenum.
-You will need to rotate engine later, and removing spark plugs will make this easier, so I would remove spark plugs also at this point.

You should now have most of the "accessories" out of the way. They next step will be to remove the valve covers.

NOW, we are about to get to the fun stuff.

Before starting the next step, it is optional to remove the rocker arms from the heads. This will make rotating the engine easier and eliminate any possibility of bending a valve throughout the whole process. If you choose to do so, you will need a special tool: https://www.amazon.com/Rocker-Remover-Installer-Valve-Spring/dp/B07125FTH1/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1511763129&sr=8-2&keywords=4.7L+rocker+arm+removal

Using a ratchet on the harmonic balancer, rotate the engine clockwise only. Minor rotation in the counter clockwise direction isn't terrible, but should be refrained from.
The goal here is to get the engine to top dead center. what this means is that the number one cylinder is in the top of its stroke. The number one cylinder is in the front of the drivers side of the engine. There is a couple indications that you are at top dead center. The first one is that both camshaft sprockets have a "v8" at the 12 o'clock position. Another indication is on the harmonic balancer. there is an arrow on the balancer that will line up with an arrow on the timing chain cover marked "TDC". The last indication will be the observation of where the engine is at. You will be able to hear when a cylinder is starting to push up air (meaning it is on its up stroke). If you are removing the heads, there is also a way to rotate the engine with the heads off which I will go into in a little bit. This way you can visually see the number one piston at the top of its stroke.

The next step is removing the camshaft sprocket bolts and crankshaft bolt. This can sometimes prove to be not easy. I used a 24" breaker bar and a deep impact socket. I put a socket and wrench on the crank bolt and wedged it up against a board I put underneath the engine. This stopped the cams and harmonic balancer from rotating. Break both cam sprocket bolts free and loosen them but DO NOT REMOVE THEM YET. When I removed the crank shaft bolt, I was able to hold the balancer still with a crowbar and break the bolt loose, but if that doesn't work, skip to the part in this thread where I torque the crank bolt back on and see if that method works.



You will need to use a harmonic balancer puller now. O'Rielly's rents one out that is specific to Chrysler vehicles. The balancer I got worked, but I had to get a little creative because the thread hole for that crank bolt is deep. I put a socket extension into the crank bolt hole and with time the balancer will come off. whatever you put into the crank shaft bolt hole, make sure you are not damaging the threads. After the harmonic balancer is removed, you can remove the timing belt cover. The bolts are not all the same and should be kept in order. The water pump can remain on the timing belt cover as it is removed. When you remove this, a good amount of coolant is going to spill out of your water pump and thermostat so be ready for that.


The next steps should be handles with care, as you will be removing the engines timing system.
The primary tensioner is the one on the bottom, while the two secondary tensioners are the ones on top. Use some large pliers to compress the primary tensioner (on the left side of it) and put a pin through the hole to keep it compressed. Sounds confusing on here but when you look at it you will see what I mean. Now it is common for that plastic to snap when doing this, so don't be alarmed if that happens. The primary tensioners can be compressed and pinned like the primary tensioner, but it is not full necessary as you can just remove those and pull them out of the engine. Remove all the guides (there is a few plugs you will have to remove from the front of the cylinder heads to get to some bolts). There is four guides to remove. The idler sprocket is the big sprocket in the middle, there is a bolt in the middle of it, remove it. For each cam sprocket: Remove the bolt, pull sprocket off cam shaft, remove chain and let fall into engine, re-install sprocket and bolt. The whole timing system can now be pulled out of the vehicle. Make sure to keep all these components organized and in line as they are not interchangeable.

Now it is time to remove heads. I will post a picture of the tightening sequence for these heads at the bottom of this thread. The heads should be SLOWLY loosed (half turn revolutions) in the OPPOSITE order of the tightening sequence.This will keep the head from warping.Before removing heads, make sure the ground straps leading from the back of the heads are disconnected from the engine. When carrying heads, carry them upright or your hydraulic lifters will fall out (unless you have already removed them). Heads may be fit on pretty will and may need some prying to get off. Handle the heads with care and do not set them on any rough surfaces. Unbolting cylinder head will be much easier with the camshafts removed.

Here I will touch on some details noteworthy if you are rebuilding the heads, otherwise you don't need to read this. Valve spring compressors are sometimes not effective on these heads. I used the standard one that most auto parts stores rent out, and I actually had to disassemble it, use a hammer to take one side of it into the groove (the spring is so close to the edge of the head), reassemble it, and then compress the spring. They make special valve spring compressors for these heads but I didn't want to spend the money on it. I took the valve springs off in order to put new valve stem seals on, otherwise I don't see it necessary. Another reason I removed the valve springs is because I lap grinded the valves, but again, this is not necessary.
If you are removing the exhaust manifold, the bolt will likely be completely rusted. I had to cut threw mine and use an extractor kid to get them off. Doing this will require you to but all new hardware for the exhaust manifold, which is $100. It sucks so don't do it if you don't need to.


The next part I would say is the most important of the whole repair, and that is cleaning and preparing the engine block and cylinder heads for re-assembly. There are a few ways to go about this. The first way is the most expensive but probably the best, and that is send block and heads to a machine shop and have them cleaned up. I had my heads sent to a machine shop and they came back looking GREAT. I did however clean my block by hand. Bottom line, ALL residue of the old heads gasket should come off. I used acetone and scotchbrite pads. Razor blades CAREFULLY so you do not gauge the head works good. I also used roloc disks and a drill (people talk down on this, bottom line, it worked for me). When using roloc discs you must be extremely careful on where the grit is going and how long you are holding the disk in one place. Stuff rags in all cylinder holes in the down position.
The next part is where an air compressor is needed (I'm sure some people of gotten by without it, but I would never attempt without it), Blow compressed air into all bolt holes and cylinders to remove dust and impurities. Also make a couple passes over the engine block surface and cylinder head to remove any dust.

If you believe your engine is still at top dead center, rock n' roll. If not, the harmonic balancer can be put on (it will only go on a little) and used to rotate engine. I say this now because this is the last time you will visually see the cylinders before they are covered by the heads. The firing order of the 4.7 is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

When heads are cleaned up and dandy, they can be put back on with new head gasket. Place them on with care so they are not damaged. There is two dowels on each side of the block that the head will lock into when it is home.

*****FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT RE-USE YOUR HEAD BOLTS**** These head bolts are torque to yield head bolts and a new set must be purchased whenever the head is re-torqued on. Do it right or don't do it at all. Before placing each head bolt into its home, give the thread a light coat of oil to help it torque properly.
*NOTE: on the drivers side head, one of the bolts must be installed and taped in place BEFORE the head is installed. This is because there is not enough clearance to get the head into its hole. I will post a picture at the bottom. At the bottom of this post will also be a tightening sequence, here is the steps on how to do that.

1) Bolts 1-10, 15 ft-lbs
2) Bolts 1-10, 35 ft-lbs
3) Bolts 11-14, 18 ft-lbs
4) Bolts 1-10, Turn additional 90 degrees
5 Bolts 11-14, 22 ft-lbs.

For step 4, I have a torque wrench with a built in angle reader, otherwise you will need a GOOD torque angle gauge. Aluminum heads must be torqued on very precisely for a proper seal.

Next will be installing timing chain. Keep in mind that the 4.7L is an interference order and absolutely must be at top dead center before putting timing chain back on. This video right here describes how to use the rubber bands and how everything should be lined up. I will also post a few pictures relevant to re-installation of the timing chain. I know this job can get costly, but the best thing to do in these situations is go new. New tensioners, guides, sprockets, chains. You are already in there, so you may as well install a new one. Another big thing to note is that as chains age, the plated links will fade away. these links are needed in order to re-install chains on sprockets. For this reason, I got new timing chains. That is just my opinion however. The installation of the timing system is primarily the opposite of removal. A picture is posted at the bottom of torque specs for everything you need. After the timing system is on, re-install rocker arms and rotate engine. You should not feel any unusual resistance. If you do, something is wrong. This means your timing it off and one of your valves could be pushing up against a piston. You need to fix this before going any further.

After this is done you are in the home clear. everything is the reversal of removal with a couple important things. After re-installing the timing cover, you will need to reinstall harmonic balancer. I posted in the first section a link to the special tool I used, and will post a picture of it below. Make sure the parts where the balancer goes on is oiled up before putting on. Once the balancer tool bottoms out, which it most likely will, the crankshaft bolt will pull it in the rest of the way. I will post a picture of how I torqued down the cam sprocket bolts and crankshaft bolts. I put breaker bar in the harmonic balancer and jammed it into the frame of the car to keep it from rotating.

After everything is re-installed, coolant must be added. Coolant should be added directly into the radiator via the pressurized metal cap on the drivers side of engine. I coolant flush is strongly recommended after this repair. The 4.7L engine take about 16-17 quarts of coolant.

Couple other notes. Upon first firing up engine, it is normal for some smoke to come out of exhaust and engine bay. This is all the cleaners and finger grease and old coolant burning off, so don't be too alarmed. The important thing to monitor is your trucks operating temperature.

I hope this helped out, ask me any questions if you have them and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Cam


This is how I stopped the engine from rotating while breaking free cam sprocket bolts





Anddddd this is why I am doing this job, good example of what it shouldn't look like





Lap grinding valves, lap grinder and grinding compound can be bout at any auto parts store for cheap.




Heads look real nice after getting cleaned up and a jet wash, highly recommend.




timing chain and heads all put back on.
NOTE: I did not use an after market cam sprocket on my passenger side because that is where the cam-shaft position sensor on. If you want to replace that sprocket it should be bought from the dealer. The smallest variation from a factory made sprocket on that side can cause problems.






this is the harmonic balancer puller I used (in my hand). The one in the back ground is from the auto parts store, and did not work.




this is how I stopped engine from rotating while torqueing down crank shaft bolt and cam bolts. You could also maybe use this method for loosening them too but I did not try.





Tightening sequence for cylinder heads.





Here is a diagram of the timing system. It shows where the plated links should line up, and which tensioner goes where. Refer to the YouTube video I posted. Remember to use rubber bands to hold chain to idler sprocket when installing.





It is important to know which chain goes where on the idler sprocket.





This shows the location of the access plugs to remove the timing chain guides



I put this in here to note that you DO NOT have to remove water pump to remove timing cover, and can remove only the bolts indicated by arrows.



Here is torque specs for things you will need. Additionally, spark plugs on this engine should be torqued to 20 lb-fts

 

Awesome write up. Very detailed, great pics. Any chance you have experience replacing the PCM on these 4.7L's? I'm trying to find a reputable company that sells refurbished PCM's or can repair the one I have. Any help is appreciated.

 

I have not. Why are you replacing PCM, if I may ask? Have you checked AirRam?

 

Thanks for replying. 2 weeks ago my dakota went into limp mode and CEL came on for p0700. Got it scanned with and found p0750 bad shift solenoid. After some research found that its a common problem, mostly being the shift solenoid needing replaced and sometimes its actually the TCM that goes bad causing the p0750. I replaced the shift solenoid as that seemed to resolve the problem for most people. After doing so the truck is still in limp mode and still getting the p0750 which leads me to believe i have a faulty TCM therefore needing to replace the PCM. I have checked the harness and it looks good so Im trying to find where to purchase a re-manufactured PCM to void the dealership. I havent checked AirRam. I'm new to Dodge trucks so Im still learning on where to go for info and such.

 

This site specialized in engine computers.

https://carcomputerexchange.com/dodg...ta/cat_12.html
I think some more research should be done though before completely replacing a PCM. They are pretty rare to go bad. I will think more and get back to you,

 

I would also do a fully transmission flush and fluid change. get that checked off before spending any big bucks.

 

Makes sense. Thanks.

 

Hey, thanks for the shout out! If the computer needs to be replaced, anyone could visit the site, or give us a call at 1-888-875-2958. Though, a cheap fix is always a good thing, especially if you don't have to swap parts. I agree though, best to make absolutely sure with lots of research before pulling the trigger.