The rod damaging the starter reminds me of a Ferrari press release many years ago. Ferrari, being ever anxious to downplay engine issues, stated that their car had retired because of alternator failure. That was strictly true but more than a tad misleading - the alternator "failed" when a rod came through the block and smashed the alternator.
After 50+ years as a mechanic I have only seen 2 or 3 of the 3.3/3.8 blown up. Those engines all burned a bit of oil because of low tension rings. I have seen one with over 900.000 on it as a cab. I could barely hear it run. I drive a Caravan every day with over 300.000 on it and it still runs well. I take care of it and that helps a lot. The engine will outlast the body.
I am pretty happy to hear this. I have been a long time toyota person and recently took a dive on a 2010 JKU with the 3.8. It seems to run very quietly however some mornings I hear a quick rattle on initial startup. How normal is that? I have heard its normal on these and heard maybe swapping to a wix filter might help but not quite sure.
@@syrindark A rattle on a cold start is somewhat normal. Next oil change install a wix XP filter. Amazon has them. Not cheap but one of the best filters made.
I agree. I am also calling BS on only 70k miles on this engine. This engine came with platinum plugs from the factory and those last 100k plus. The plugs in this engine are not original and are absolutely worn out.....
@@syrindark stick with the mopar factory filter and change it every 3,500 that the best result ive had. my jku is 2009 with 120000 miles. I tried a wix xp one time and it made it much muich worse.
Owner states: "I didn't hear anything unusual, it just lost power." Mechanic turns key on and is immediately deafened by the 150db of noise coming from the quartet of 15 in subwoofers in the back seat.
As someone recovering from a saw related hand injury, please be safe man. I know you're being goofy for the sake of us viewers, but it's not worth the risk. Stay safe.
Hand injuries never quite no away. There is always some part that was broken that doesn't point the same way. I had my right forefinger torn in half. The surgeon got it put back together but the joint is locked. Having a stiff finger takes time to adapt to. Cue the jokes of the wife liking that.
This is a really nicely designed engine, shaft mounted rocker arms nice intake and exhaust port location and design. Cross bolted center mains. Nice crank shaft design. These engines in minivans lasted forever, even when neglected. 300k plus all day long
I am totally surprised that you did not do battle with your nemesis, the oil dip stick tube. How could you ignore it. OK I know it was out of the way but that battle is one of your mainstays of the videos!
I have a 3.8 jku with 207,800 on it! Still running like a champ, the key with every engine is maintenance and for the love of jesus oil change every 3,500 not at 7k when the dip stick only have oil on the tip cough my cousin cough 😅
After covid time blended a bit then my jk overheated a tad bit in traffic. Then i realized i dont remember when last i had it serviced and oil is low. dumped in a 1l bottle of 5w30, check the dip stick and see no oil, dumped in another L still nothing after 3 L i started seeing some on the tip. Today it still runs fine and i have 220k km on the clock. So yea check the freaking oil , always! Besides changing oil frequently when these 3.8s get old they start burning oil.
Uncle Rodney said "I get no respect. I went to my doctor, Doctor Vinnie Boombatz. I told him I'm working in a Chrysler plant. He says from now on, you pay in advance."
The smaller 3.3l was also a great engine, probably the closest Dodge got to a Buick 3800 in reliability. If you see a rusted out bubble Caravan still going, I almost guarantee it has a 3.3.
Here in Europe only surpassed by the 2.0 and 2.4 5-speed versions you did not get in the US. Saw a 2.0 the other day with incredible 580 000 kms, first engine and tranny (but 2 clutches and 1 new head gasket owner stated 🙂)
My parents own an '04 Town & Country which is rusted to s**t, but the 3.8 is still chugging along without a care in the world. I wish I could have that much confidence in modern powertrains.
I was on a pit crew for a small circle track racer and we put a piece of sheet metal over a hole that big and went racing! Obviously, fixed the internals but the block was good. Lasted the rest of the season that way.
There's a legendary Formula Ford engine that raced for many seasons - nicknamed "patch" for obvious reasons. It was actually very successful and had many famous drives e.g. Aryton Senna, Roberto Moreno, Mark Blundell etc.
An engine built so well that my 30 years being a mechanic, the only repairs I've done are as follows. Spark plugs, wires and coils, oil pan rotted out, low coolant pipe rotted, starter, alternator, belt, tensioner and last but not least, valve cover gaskets. Now they're all gone as the vehicles they came in are miled out or rotted away where i live
You forgot the 30,000 mile lower intake gasket! (Belly pan gasket) LOL . I have 3 of these vans and run them hard, I consider the water pumps and belly pan gaskets as the only real engine wear items.
I had a 2005 caravan 3.8L pushrod and it was great engine. BUT I kept the oil replaced in very timely fashion. I wish I had that old dodge caravan w 4spd auto.. It was bulletproof compared too all the GDI, turbo, 4 banger, low tension rings, high blowby pieces of crap !
Say what you will about these engines, if you take care of them, they are some of the most reliable engines Chrysler designed. I had a 3.3L engine (same engine, smaller displacement) in my 92 Chrysler Town and Country, and that thing had well over 650k on it when the 5th transmission finally went out in it and we finally retired it. It ran just fine though. One of the biggest issues with these later model engines is the aluminum heads. They will blow a head gasket really quick because there aren't enough head bolts. The engine was designed for a cast iron head and very little was done to replace them with the aluminum heads. The old 4.0L had similar issues, just not nearly as bad since it had way more head bolts.
The JK is just universally a step from the simple tough as nails go anywhere jeep to the mall crawling duck dashing visage of modern jeeps. This engine isnt really that bad, it just happens to be attached to a damn 4 door wrangler.
The 3.9 Dakota is what your talking about, a 318 with two cylinders cut off and has a 90 degree V. The 3.8 is a 60 degree V which first appeared in the intrepid as a 3.3.
As someone who drives Jeeps a lot, the road noise those things make would drown out a small explosion, especially JK and older. JL has enough insulation to allow for a conversation at highway speeds.
I had a Jeep Comanche of the 89 vintage with the 4.0L...! It was two-wheel drive and was used as my run around truck for my lawn service, but my main trucks were small block Chevy 80-90s Silverado's, but they were gas hogs...! I feel in love with that straight six and then I remembered an old 88 F250 work truck an old boss had... Nowadays I have a fleet of 94-96 f-series with the 300cid/ 5-speed drive trains...! I can't say which one is better, the 4.0L or the 4.9L(300cid)... they're both bulletproof...!!! And that is the exact reason that they are not produced anymore...!!! Planned obsolescence can't work if the engines won't blow up...!!! Thanks for sharing... Keep up your awesomeness...!
oh this is easy, the Ford 300 is the better engine. I've seen people TRY to blow them up and the engine flips them off and says "please sir, can I have some more?". Jeep 4.0L is a great engine in its own right, but that head will warp in a quick minute if it gets too hot which is really its only bad spot overall. Then again, I think ANY of the old school Inline 6 engines are great, the 225 Slant 6, 200 and 250 from Chevy, the 300 Ford, 232/258 AMC (which is what the 4.0L is born from). The biggest weakness of any later I6 engine is when they change out that cast iron head for aluminum, it introduces a weak point moreso than the iron heads.
Your sage advice about engines not healing themselves took me way back to when I was a college kid driving a wascally 1980 wabbit . Pretty sure I ran the oil level on one of my old man’s cars, not sure if it was that one, a different wabbit, or even a different car entirely but I’m pretty sure he had at least one engine overhauled at some point. Fast forward 35-plus years to now and I live in constant fear of my rice rocket blowing up if I go 3005 miles between oil changes. Getting old sucks.
As a guy who used to change oil for a living on everything from econoshitboxes to semi trucks....... Modern oil and filter tech is leaps and bounds better than it was in the 80s and 90s even. I wouldn't stray far from the 3k mark on conventional oils, but most stuff now requires at least a synthetic blend. On that, with a good filter, easy 5k. Personally I run a full synthetic high mileage oil, and a long life filter and run 10k change intervals. Have done this for many years now, had engines apart for maintenance and found spotless crankcase and oil systems.
@@t-yoonitI am not sure how many vehicles and engines there are but suffice to say that there are many. There are additionally hundreds of different oils. Oil change interval is NOT one-size-fits-all based on the odometer.
I have the 3.3l version of this in my town and country, it’s a VERY solid engine. Mines got 200k on it so far. Honestly I’m very impressed he was able to blow it up this catastrophically.
Always enjoy these videos. Eric's great to watch as he's obviously someone who knows his business and seems to genuinely enjoy what he's doing. The commentary is always lighthearted with a good deal of humour. Keep'em comin', buddy. You deserve your success 😉👍🏼👏🏼
I changed my timing gear set last year at 153,000kms. My oil pump was ok. It’s discontinued by the way. Anyway, I did some research and you can get aftermarket gears that are oversized. I believe they come with clearances and instructions to the machine shop that you take the cover to get machined for the new set.
Had a couple 3.8's over the years. One with over 260k that was never touched and ran like a top. Another that I sold with 135k that sipped on oil a little heavy, but overall extremely reliable engines.
Always love hearing how some of the best motors ever built in American history are all older engines that got "discontinued" due to emissions regulations.
I have an 07 JK 3.8 ltr , it has 240,000 on it. Changed out the rear main seal last month. Still drive it everyday. No engine issues so far. Doesn’t burn oil either.
My 2009 Wrangler self-destructed at 3 years/29,000 miles. I bought it new with a lifetime powertrain warranty and they still tried to make me pay for it. Burned oil from day one. The 3.8 was underpowered for the jk unlimited, but my rebuilt engine was solid. The 3.6 is much better.
I've seen a lot of valve seat problems in these engines. Always front pass or rear driver sides. Usually the block and pistons survive fine with just a few scratches. Just do head replacement and send them back out for the next 120k miles. Used to know one that survived both at separate times and still drivin by the same owner to this day . Seems to happen around 120 and 240k miles on most of them. Overall good engine if you put a good set of heads on them and maintain them without going crazy.
I once had the new yorker with the 3.3 and an oldsmobile alero with the 3.4 and to me the two v6 families were so similar I often accused chevy of copying chrysler when it came to compact 60° v6 engines and come to find out its actually just engineers moving between the two companies during the 80's causing the most basic design from both leading to the similarities in sizes and power
I have the same engine in my wife’s Chrysler Town and Country I love it it’s very reliable other than oil consumption it’s approaching 227,000 miles and still going the main thing is that you got to stay on top of the oil level on these engines they are prone to consume a quart of oil every 700 to 1,100 miles these engines were built in Mexico 🇲🇽. They will consume 2 quarts of oil every 3,000 miles before oil change interval and filter. The only engine oil that I found that usually keeps it from consuming that much is Castrol high mileage synthetic blend 10w30 or 10w40 and always use a WIX Filter always WIX. Thank you Eric for sharing this.
I've had so many of the 3.3/3.8 engines around my life, all of them were solid. My '96 has 255k, 05 and 07 are around 155k. A friend has a 07 3.8 with 260k (Town and Country), and another friend's had like 220k before he got something newer. Fam had a 97 Caravan that we took to 158k before selling, and a 91 3.3 that went to 163k before donating. The 91 was the 1st iteration of the 41te and the only one I ever saw that needed rebuilt.
We had one of these in our 06 Chrysler Town and Country. It blew the water pump then a head gasket extended warranty company redid the head gaskets. Then it blew the radiator out. That was replaced also. Then we hit a 300 pound buck with it destroying the radiator front engine mount and totaling the van. The freaking engine was still good.
I hit a buck a month ago and the damage was surprising given that I slowed down some and he walked away from off the top of my hood. The only thing "broken" was the Chinesium side mirror which are disposable one-year mirrors on my car.
I have a jk 3.8 174000 ml . This video was awesome,to see a full breakdown makes me more confident I can rebuild mine .if only I could get a cam with a lower rpm torque peak
I got to work on a blown Mitsubishi V6 in school. It blew the #6 rod out above the filter. The coolent and oil stayed where they should be and it actually ran decent.
I saw the debris laid out on the table and immediately thought "that's how a skeleton is laid out". Demolished "head", various bits & pieces for the "spine" & a shattered pelvis.
My first ro with an inspection port was a 1995 4Runner with the same V6 that was recalled for head gaskets. That owner said the same thing. "It lost power and stalled" I remember because of his description compared to what was wrong. I put a breaker bar on it and it didn't turn over. It had a hole from the thrown rod. This was maybe 1999.
I recently sold my 11 JKU. 3.8 was never a issue and regeared got around quite well on 40" tires. I never regretted buying the 2011 JK 3.8 vs the "new" 2012 3.6 JK at the time. The manual trans was a different issue and their awful designed throwout bearing setup.
I put about 145k miles on a 3.8 in a 2dr JK. It had a 6-speed and factory 4.10’s. It ran good. Only thing I had to do were intake valley seals and patch a crack in one manifold. Amazingly that JB weld-like metal paste stuff worked great.
I recently had an oil change shop leave the drain plug loose, finger tight loose, after an oil change. Had I not noticed the drips on the garage floor I might have lost that drain plug on the highway, which could cause a catastrophic failure in an reasonably clean engine. Sure glad I caught it!
I had a 3.8 JKU with a cracked head, the dealership had tried to ignore it by resetting the CEL. But they ended up having to replace the head under the Chrysler Extended Warranty. It was still really gutless. Wow, this one looks filthy.
I have the 3.8L in my 2007 T&C with 150k miles on it. It consumes about a quart every 1500 miles. The excess oil in the exhaust clogs up the catalytic converter. Now I’ve got an OBD-II reader with live data that I regularly use to monitor the sensors. Whenever the O2 sensor data starts looking bad I put a couple quarts of acetone in the fuel and that solves the problem. I’m guessing the excess oxygen in the exhaust from combusting the acetone is burning off the oil residue that’s clogging the cat. But that’s just a wild guess. I also changed the timing chain because it always rattled. I changed to a Cloyes chain and it solved the noise. The OEM chain links can only pivot in one direction. That causes the chain to “slap” whenever the chain wants to bend inwards between the sprockets. The Cloyes chain has “standard” links that pivot either way and that eliminates the noise. I actually contacted Cloyes customer service to ask why their chain was different than the OEM chain and they were the ones that explained how a “standard” chain eliminates the “slapping”.
I had a 09 T&C with the 3.8v6 that also used a lot of oil. I replaced the valve seals, years ago, a 3 day job over a thanksgiving holiday, and that fixed it. It could do 5000mi with only about 1/2qt added. But by last year, every single other thing was falling apart on it. headliner, plastic parts, shocks, etc. so we traded it in.
Thanks for the info! I might do it just for the knowledge and experience. I’m just DIY and I haven’t done valve seals before. I’d also like to look at the camshaft and lifters after watching this video, but I don’t know how much time I want to spend on it anymore. The minivan’s paint is faded and the body is starting to rust. I’m pretty sure the engine is already going to outlast the car. I just bought a new set of expensive tires so I’ll probably use it until it needs new tires then I’ll buy a cheap set and give the minivan to someone who needs anything with 4 wheels.
I got an 07 JK stick shift with 179K that uses a quart every 2300 miles and has been for years. Only thing I've done to it is valve cover gaskets once and spark plugs. Even has the original clutch still in it.
I think that’s awesome about the Jeep. I think these engines will easily run without problems for a long time if you take care of them. On the other hand, my neighbor had a low miles ‘08 T&C with a 3.8 that blew up. They never checked the oil. I’m not sure if they even knew how to check the oil. I bet when the oil light came on they didn’t even notice.
Long time listener, first time caller. I've noticed a theme with these blown motors is that they have oil filters from a quik lube shop. I haven't seen any top tier filters meaning a owner maintained vehicle.
Not to say top-tier filters may not extend the life of your engine, there are some good ones and bad ones out there for sure, but I think even the lesser ones do the job if the engine (oil and air filters) are maintained properly. Perhaps the better filters do a better job once a driver passes the recommended oil change interval....but I'm going beyond 645,000 miles on a V6 Toyota Solara using Fram filters. Some say they are just a can with cardboard in it and some of the bypass valves may open prematurely.....but my engine is evidence you can go the distance with them.
i worked 44 years at champion lab making oil filters and so far everyone i seen is made in Albion ill all made on the same assembly line just different specs for each filter
Hey Eric I wanted to tell you thank you for the content and making it funny I enjoy every video your content has been helping me get through the death of my uncle he passed April 27th from cancer
I had this engine in that fore mentioned van. Decent running thing, almost 200k on it before I had sold it for a much newer whip. It moved my family 3 times as the moving truck and took me karting a bunch. I miss it.
I use large branch cutters to cut oil filters without grinding. Obviously as long as it’s a little car filter the branch cutters I have fit all the way around an oil filter, just put in a vice and just one big squeeze. But sometimes it just crushes the filter so good to buy really good ones.
I had the 3.8L in my 2004 town and cont van and it woud consume a quart of oil every 1000 miles. It had 180,000 miles when i sold it for $100. It was leaking tranny fluid and the main seal was also a little drippy--the bonus was never having to change the oil.
When these came out we laughed at them. Then the jk got the pentastar jeepers everywhere though “this is the one” well….in hindsight the 3.8 was probably what you wanted when the warranty was up.
I think all that silver stuff in the pan is actually Silver Seal Stop-Leak that was used to stop the oil seepage between the starter and the block. They obviously didn't use enough.
I have a 2007 wrangler and wheel the hell out of it. Sitting on dana 60s with 37s, atlas transfer case and a good bit of other mods. Engine is sitting at 131k miles. Hope to get a good bit of life out of it. Now dont beat the crap out of the engine and in fast any high revving RPMs come from highway/freeway driving. Been looking at a stroker 3.8 for it down the road. Overall the 3.8s tend to be really good motors if taken care of.
I love this channel. You are witty and your knowledge of a large variety of engines is unmatched. But, I have to say, every time you use a channellock backwards, a little piece of me dies inside...
I'm a fan of the 3.8. I am pushing 200,000 miles on my 2011 Grand Caravan. No leaks, no lights. It lugs hundreds of pounds of passengers and cargo around with ease. I change the oil every 4500 to 5000 miles. Now. it's not without issues. The TIPM is a worry. The Alternator and Starter removal require dropping the sub-frame. I just pro-actively changed the original starter 6 months ago. It was a huge PIA to get those bolts off.
When the 3.8 works it's alright. I don't know WHY Chrysler had the bright idea of a TIPM, though. I think it was the stupidest thing they've done since scrapping all but like three of the turbine cars.
These last a long time given you are aware that they burn oil. We had a few that burned oil. Let it get a few quarts low and they are quick to apin rod bearings. Alot of jeep owners with this motor complained of oil consumption, and rod bearing failure.
Out of “malice in the combustion chamber” and “ forbidden glitter” I reckon it’s always the best when the motors attempt to “self gap” the spark plug on their own.. The thing is when you leave the motor to self adjust the gap it always gets it incredibly wrong!
It took Ford a bit to iron out their problems with the head gaskets on the Essex V6, but having said that, they thankfully got it fixed once they installed the MLS head gaskets.
Had one of these in my 2011 jeep. Was told that Chrysler did an odd arrangement with the locator tangs on the rod bearings. That they were against each other rather than against the edge of the rod, this was done to make it cheaper to make the rods.
I have a 2008 jeep jku and my 3.8 would get 24mpg up to 102,000 miles with no problem. At 102k miles I did swap in GM 5.3l and at currently now up to 250,000 miles on it The crazy thing about the 3.8 is that on the upper intake 3.8 sticker is a hole under it with just glue holding the sticker on it. One good back fire and it might fly off
I have a 09 JK manual with the 3.8 and it’s got nearly 200k miles. Still runs good. Also have a 91 XJ with the 4.0 and it’s only got 163k miles. It’s hit or miss with the 3.8. The 3.6 is the POS engine. Currently looking for a Jeep YJ to buy. I will only buy a Jeep with a manual transmission. Love my Jeeps.
I think it would help if anyone who doesn't really understand how an engine works would watch a few of Eric's videos. Even then, I just don't think many folks have a clue how fast the pieces in there are moving and really why there is oil in an engine.....it's just a black box that makes the car go.
I had a 3.8 v6 mustang that had overheated and I didn’t know. It developed a noise but ran fine come to find out the noise was part of a wrist pin bouncing around in the engine it eventually became a V4+1 because it windowed the block with the #1 cylinder. I still have the half melted chunk missing wrists pin
..Same thing with the inspection hatch happened to me with the middle cylinder on an Audi inline 5. I crammed some cardboard over the hole and managed another 40 miles back to town, where it finally seized..
I've been asking Wyatt and Steve to purchase a mangled rod/piston combo (trying to support your good work, Eric!), but the combo from cylinder 6 was a little TOO mangled.... BTW, if you ever want to REALLY blow up an engine, *I* may be able to help! I've made a hobby out of practical chemistry, and I would be happy to whip you up a quarter kilo of RDX (that's the active ingredient in C-4) in just a kitchen setting - no lab needed! We can grab an unspent airbag to synthesize the detonator, and voila! A blown-up engine in the truest sense!
those 3.8 engines use cracked rod that is the main problem. I just did a LS swap on 2008 jku Saraha I bought cheap. every rod bearing was spun bad. I beleve the van engine are better because they use machine rods. I was surpised how well the LS fit. My only mistake was to change from a automatic to a AX15 manual. I tell my boys do as I say not as I do or live will get vastly more complicated.
Good video. I like the advice to get the engine from a minivan. It looks like a well designed engine for a Jeep or minivan. Cast Iron block, deep rails, cross-bolted mains (at least in the middle), aluminum head and for the most part not getting too fancy about things. Simple is good on these applications. I am hoping that the cam issue is just a anomaly. I would love it to be a worthy replacement for the old AMC straight 6, but that is not going to happen in this age of lifecycle engineering. I think your hypothesis on the damage being done while rock crawling makes sense. I think serious rock crawlers should get a dry sump, but that cost as much as an engine. And you still have to find room for a tank. I don't have a Jeep, but if I did, I wouldn't rock crawl up these crazy obstacles that are called "trails".
I have worked on and owned a 3.8 L in a 98 Minivan and I sold that vehicle with $254,000 Mi on it, and it was running quite well. I was getting 31 1/2 Mi to the gallon on the freeway with that minivan, I was getting 20 1/2 in town. I did need to mix the fuel till it was running at about 90 octane but it ran wonderfully. These are easily 300,000 mile Motors
31 mpg highway 😆🤣😂😂😅 _in a V6 minivan_ The Mazda 5 is a mini minivan with a 2.3 4 cylinder, that manages 28-29 highway mpg, how did you manage *better* with a bigger, V6 caravan ?
The rod damaging the starter reminds me of a Ferrari press release many years ago. Ferrari, being ever anxious to downplay engine issues, stated that their car had retired because of alternator failure. That was strictly true but more than a tad misleading - the alternator "failed" when a rod came through the block and smashed the alternator.
Let's not jump to conclusions! The alternator could have bumped through the block and broken the rod!
I have seen pictures of two cat V8 motors in a Boat. One thew a rod and kicked the starter into the other engine. It cracked the block.
😁
After 50+ years as a mechanic I have only seen 2 or 3 of the 3.3/3.8 blown up. Those engines all burned a bit of oil because of low tension rings. I have seen one with over 900.000 on it as a cab. I could barely hear it run. I drive a Caravan every day with over 300.000 on it and it still runs well. I take care of it and that helps a lot. The engine will outlast the body.
I am pretty happy to hear this. I have been a long time toyota person and recently took a dive on a 2010 JKU with the 3.8. It seems to run very quietly however some mornings I hear a quick rattle on initial startup. How normal is that? I have heard its normal on these and heard maybe swapping to a wix filter might help but not quite sure.
@@syrindark A rattle on a cold start is somewhat normal. Next oil change install a wix XP filter. Amazon has them. Not cheap but one of the best filters made.
I agree.
I am also calling BS on only 70k miles on this engine. This engine came with platinum plugs from the factory and those last 100k plus. The plugs in this engine are not original and are absolutely worn out.....
@@syrindark stick with the mopar factory filter and change it every 3,500 that the best result ive had. my jku is 2009 with 120000 miles. I tried a wix xp one time and it made it much muich worse.
Owner states: "I didn't hear anything unusual, it just lost power."
Mechanic turns key on and is immediately deafened by the 150db of noise coming from the quartet of 15 in subwoofers in the back seat.
YEP 👍!
I hate chrysler / jeep
I mean, it's obvious that the speaker in the restaurant drive-through lane the car was idling in was *far* too loud for him to hear what happened. 🙄
I don't know what you're talking about. These NEVER get turned into pavement princesses. haha
18:03 milwaukee in nutshell
As someone recovering from a saw related hand injury, please be safe man. I know you're being goofy for the sake of us viewers, but it's not worth the risk. Stay safe.
Shake hands with Danger!
Oh wait. Sorry. Shake hand with Danger.
Have you heard ‘the tales of the safety tote’?
If not, I highly recommend watching some older videos with belt tensioners in the dismantling process
@@aaronlarsen4674oh I'm very familiar. RIP that forklift driver.
Ouch
Hand injuries never quite no away. There is always some part that was broken that doesn't point the same way. I had my right forefinger torn in half. The surgeon got it put back together but the joint is locked. Having a stiff finger takes time to adapt to. Cue the jokes of the wife liking that.
This is a really nicely designed engine, shaft mounted rocker arms nice intake and exhaust port location and design. Cross bolted center mains. Nice crank shaft design. These engines in minivans lasted forever, even when neglected. 300k plus all day long
I am totally surprised that you did not do battle with your nemesis, the oil dip stick tube. How could you ignore it. OK I know it was out of the way but that battle is one of your mainstays of the videos!
I thought the same thing, went a whole video without a dipstick tube battle.
I too missed the battle of the dipstick.
I honestly got to the point to where I was expecting him to smack it out after he removed the oil pan
It's nice to see a "regular" looking engine. Reminds me of the GM 4.3. Old school U.S. engine.
The word you are looking for is "the bearing sea" 🙂
I actually love these motors, they're slow, noisey, they leak from every possible orifice but, they just keep going. Also so goddamn simple
I have a 3.8 jku with 207,800 on it! Still running like a champ, the key with every engine is maintenance and for the love of jesus oil change every 3,500 not at 7k when the dip stick only have oil on the tip cough my cousin cough 😅
After covid time blended a bit then my jk overheated a tad bit in traffic. Then i realized i dont remember when last i had it serviced and oil is low. dumped in a 1l bottle of 5w30, check the dip stick and see no oil, dumped in another L still nothing after 3 L i started seeing some on the tip. Today it still runs fine and i have 220k km on the clock. So yea check the freaking oil , always! Besides changing oil frequently when these 3.8s get old they start burning oil.
Uncle Rodney said " screw this, im going home ! " ( in cartman's voice )
Uncle Rodney said "I get no respect. I went to my doctor, Doctor Vinnie Boombatz. I told him I'm working in a Chrysler plant. He says from now on, you pay in advance."
Screw u guys, i'mmm goin home (in Cartman's voice)
The smaller 3.3l was also a great engine, probably the closest Dodge got to a Buick 3800 in reliability. If you see a rusted out bubble Caravan still going, I almost guarantee it has a 3.3.
Here in Europe only surpassed by the 2.0 and 2.4 5-speed versions you did not get in the US. Saw a 2.0 the other day with incredible 580 000 kms, first engine and tranny (but 2 clutches and 1 new head gasket owner stated 🙂)
My parents own an '04 Town & Country which is rusted to s**t, but the 3.8 is still chugging along without a care in the world. I wish I could have that much confidence in modern powertrains.
I was on a pit crew for a small circle track racer and we put a piece of sheet metal over a hole that big and went racing! Obviously, fixed the internals but the block was good. Lasted the rest of the season that way.
There's a legendary Formula Ford engine that raced for many seasons - nicknamed "patch" for obvious reasons. It was actually very successful and had many famous drives e.g. Aryton Senna, Roberto Moreno, Mark Blundell etc.
#5 piston needs to be placed in the witness protection program.
An engine built so well that my 30 years being a mechanic, the only repairs I've done are as follows.
Spark plugs, wires and coils, oil pan rotted out, low coolant pipe rotted, starter, alternator, belt, tensioner and last but not least, valve cover gaskets.
Now they're all gone as the vehicles they came in are miled out or rotted away where i live
You forgot the 30,000 mile lower intake gasket! (Belly pan gasket) LOL . I have 3 of these vans and run them hard, I consider the water pumps and belly pan gaskets as the only real engine wear items.
I like the utter contempt in Eric's voice when he says "...now they have THIS..."
I really like your introductions, presenting the year models of where the engine was used in, etc 🙂
Do we need to send blue on vacation anytime soon? He’s working awful hard here lately.
Blue is union man. Member of the International Machinist Union Local ERIC. Blue gets Healthcare and a pension, lucky tool.
I’d like a copy.
@@dennisyoung4631harbor freight. I have 2 sets
I had a 2005 caravan 3.8L pushrod and it was great engine. BUT I kept the oil replaced in very timely fashion. I wish I had that old dodge caravan w 4spd auto..
It was bulletproof compared too all the GDI, turbo, 4 banger, low tension rings, high blowby pieces of crap !
My sister had a dodge dart that had a slant 6 engine. That engine will run and run forever.
Say what you will about these engines, if you take care of them, they are some of the most reliable engines Chrysler designed. I had a 3.3L engine (same engine, smaller displacement) in my 92 Chrysler Town and Country, and that thing had well over 650k on it when the 5th transmission finally went out in it and we finally retired it. It ran just fine though. One of the biggest issues with these later model engines is the aluminum heads. They will blow a head gasket really quick because there aren't enough head bolts. The engine was designed for a cast iron head and very little was done to replace them with the aluminum heads. The old 4.0L had similar issues, just not nearly as bad since it had way more head bolts.
I thought it looked somewhat familiar to a 318.
The JK is just universally a step from the simple tough as nails go anywhere jeep to the mall crawling duck dashing visage of modern jeeps. This engine isnt really that bad, it just happens to be attached to a damn 4 door wrangler.
The 3.9 Dakota is what your talking about, a 318 with two cylinders cut off and has a 90 degree V. The 3.8 is a 60 degree V which first appeared in the intrepid as a 3.3.
If it’s not an engine thing or a transmission thing…..it’s the same ole thing…..dodge/Jeep….
Thx for the info,
Recently bought an
01 mini van, wow,
I was very impressed 😊
As someone who drives Jeeps a lot, the road noise those things make would drown out a small explosion, especially JK and older. JL has enough insulation to allow for a conversation at highway speeds.
Looks like the crank weight beat that wrist pin like it owed it money.
The oil is bass boat paint... gotta love it
I had a Jeep Comanche of the 89 vintage with the 4.0L...! It was two-wheel drive and was used as my run around truck for my lawn service, but my main trucks were small block Chevy 80-90s Silverado's, but they were gas hogs...! I feel in love with that straight six and then I remembered an old 88 F250 work truck an old boss had... Nowadays I have a fleet of 94-96 f-series with the 300cid/ 5-speed drive trains...! I can't say which one is better, the 4.0L or the 4.9L(300cid)... they're both bulletproof...!!! And that is the exact reason that they are not produced anymore...!!! Planned obsolescence can't work if the engines won't blow up...!!! Thanks for sharing... Keep up your awesomeness...!
oh this is easy, the Ford 300 is the better engine. I've seen people TRY to blow them up and the engine flips them off and says "please sir, can I have some more?". Jeep 4.0L is a great engine in its own right, but that head will warp in a quick minute if it gets too hot which is really its only bad spot overall. Then again, I think ANY of the old school Inline 6 engines are great, the 225 Slant 6, 200 and 250 from Chevy, the 300 Ford, 232/258 AMC (which is what the 4.0L is born from). The biggest weakness of any later I6 engine is when they change out that cast iron head for aluminum, it introduces a weak point moreso than the iron heads.
@@MichaelAStanhope yep...
seeing that saw compliation, you're insanely lucky to still have 10 fingers. jesus. Please be careful so you can keep sending us videos!
technically speaking its eight fingers and two thumbs
@@SHADOW.GGG- No it isn't.
Remember, impact wrenches are finger operated! Just put that saw under safety tote for the sake of us all.
I wouldn't be so quick to call out the driver in this case, I've heard that the JK's have really really good radios.
alpine audio system is one of the best, it also helps the jeep doesnt have a lot of insulation
Your sage advice about engines not healing themselves took me way back to when I was a college kid driving a wascally 1980 wabbit . Pretty sure I ran the oil level on one of my old man’s cars, not sure if it was that one, a different wabbit, or even a different car entirely but I’m pretty sure he had at least one engine overhauled at some point.
Fast forward 35-plus years to now and I live in constant fear of my rice rocket blowing up if I go 3005 miles between oil changes. Getting old sucks.
Concur - paranoia (about life in general) is a matter of life experience. You get experience with Age.
As a guy who used to change oil for a living on everything from econoshitboxes to semi trucks....... Modern oil and filter tech is leaps and bounds better than it was in the 80s and 90s even. I wouldn't stray far from the 3k mark on conventional oils, but most stuff now requires at least a synthetic blend. On that, with a good filter, easy 5k. Personally I run a full synthetic high mileage oil, and a long life filter and run 10k change intervals. Have done this for many years now, had engines apart for maintenance and found spotless crankcase and oil systems.
@@t-yoonitI am not sure how many vehicles and engines there are but suffice to say that there are many. There are additionally hundreds of different oils. Oil change interval is NOT one-size-fits-all based on the odometer.
What happened to the mandatory battle with the dipstick tube?
Yeah, Eric, what about the dipstick tube? I kept waiting for the wrestling match.
I thought same thing, Eric danced around it the whole shoot and I was thinking yeah this is going to be epic new gag.... Waited and waited.
The meme of the dog saying 'It's fine' while fire surrounds him comes to mind.
Got a 2010 Town and Country with this engine in it. Still going strong at 349000ish miles.
I have the 3.3l version of this in my town and country, it’s a VERY solid engine. Mines got 200k on it so far. Honestly I’m very impressed he was able to blow it up this catastrophically.
Always enjoy these videos. Eric's great to watch as he's obviously someone who knows his business and seems to genuinely enjoy what he's doing. The commentary is always lighthearted with a good deal of humour.
Keep'em comin', buddy. You deserve your success 😉👍🏼👏🏼
These do run forever. The 3.3 and 3.8 just keep on going.
I changed my timing gear set last year at 153,000kms. My oil pump was ok. It’s discontinued by the way. Anyway, I did some research and you can get aftermarket gears that are oversized. I believe they come with clearances and instructions to the machine shop that you take the cover to get machined for the new set.
Had a couple 3.8's over the years. One with over 260k that was never touched and ran like a top. Another that I sold with 135k that sipped on oil a little heavy, but overall extremely reliable engines.
I had the 3.3 liter version of this i a Chrysler Minivan ran trouble free when traded in at 140k miles.
Always love hearing how some of the best motors ever built in American history are all older engines that got "discontinued" due to emissions regulations.
I have an 07 JK 3.8 ltr , it has 240,000 on it. Changed out the rear main seal last month. Still drive it everyday. No engine issues so far. Doesn’t burn oil either.
Woohoo, I asked for the 3.8l jeep engine back when you started doing tear downs! Thank you! Very cool to see the inside of my engine.
My 2009 Wrangler self-destructed at 3 years/29,000 miles. I bought it new with a lifetime powertrain warranty and they still tried to make me pay for it. Burned oil from day one. The 3.8 was underpowered for the jk unlimited, but my rebuilt engine was solid. The 3.6 is much better.
i had an 07. it needed a few things replaced but i sold it with everything it needed, plus new tires, wheels & lug nuts. the tires it did need.
Those are really good motors 3.3 l 3.8 l pretty indestructible
I've seen a lot of valve seat problems in these engines. Always front pass or rear driver sides. Usually the block and pistons survive fine with just a few scratches. Just do head replacement and send them back out for the next 120k miles. Used to know one that survived both at separate times and still drivin by the same owner to this day . Seems to happen around 120 and 240k miles on most of them. Overall good engine if you put a good set of heads on them and maintain them without going crazy.
I once had the new yorker with the 3.3 and an oldsmobile alero with the 3.4 and to me the two v6 families were so similar I often accused chevy of copying chrysler when it came to compact 60° v6 engines and come to find out its actually just engineers moving between the two companies during the 80's causing the most basic design from both leading to the similarities in sizes and power
I have the same engine in my wife’s Chrysler Town and Country I love it it’s very reliable other than oil consumption it’s approaching 227,000 miles and still going the main thing is that you got to stay on top of the oil level on these engines they are prone to consume a quart of oil every 700 to 1,100 miles these engines were built in Mexico 🇲🇽. They will consume 2 quarts of oil every 3,000 miles before oil change interval and filter. The only engine oil that I found that usually keeps it from consuming that much is Castrol high mileage synthetic blend 10w30 or 10w40 and always use a WIX Filter always WIX. Thank you Eric for sharing this.
I've had so many of the 3.3/3.8 engines around my life, all of them were solid. My '96 has 255k, 05 and 07 are around 155k. A friend has a 07 3.8 with 260k (Town and Country), and another friend's had like 220k before he got something newer. Fam had a 97 Caravan that we took to 158k before selling, and a 91 3.3 that went to 163k before donating. The 91 was the 1st iteration of the 41te and the only one I ever saw that needed rebuilt.
They always seemed like such quiet engines for being a relatively low-tech V6
PCV....
Positively
Crankcase
Ventilated!!
We had one of these in our 06 Chrysler Town and Country. It blew the water pump then a head gasket extended warranty company redid the head gaskets. Then it blew the radiator out. That was replaced also. Then we hit a 300 pound buck with it destroying the radiator front engine mount and totaling the van. The freaking engine was still good.
I hit a buck a month ago and the damage was surprising given that I slowed down some and he walked away from off the top of my hood. The only thing "broken" was the Chinesium side mirror which are disposable one-year mirrors on my car.
Ah i have an 09 JK with this engine. I actually really like it. I run either 5w40 euro spec oil or 10w30 full synthetic with no issues.
07 JK and usually run the 10W-40 synthetic but have ran the 5W-40 Euro when finding it on sale.
@@greggc8088 how many miles do you have on yours? Just crossed 112k on mine.
179K.
Mobil 1 0w40 European oil in an 08 with 185k so far
I have a jk 3.8 174000 ml . This video was awesome,to see a full breakdown makes me more confident I can rebuild mine .if only I could get a cam with a lower rpm torque peak
I got to work on a blown Mitsubishi V6 in school. It blew the #6 rod out above the filter. The coolent and oil stayed where they should be and it actually ran decent.
Eric, you should have done a chalk outline on Sir Rodney in the piston lineup, because that looked like a crime scene.
I saw the debris laid out on the table and immediately thought "that's how a skeleton is laid out". Demolished "head", various bits & pieces for the "spine" & a shattered pelvis.
My first ro with an inspection port was a 1995 4Runner with the same V6 that was recalled for head gaskets. That owner said the same thing. "It lost power and stalled" I remember because of his description compared to what was wrong. I put a breaker bar on it and it didn't turn over. It had a hole from the thrown rod. This was maybe 1999.
I recently sold my 11 JKU. 3.8 was never a issue and regeared got around quite well on 40" tires. I never regretted buying the 2011 JK 3.8 vs the "new" 2012 3.6 JK at the time.
The manual trans was a different issue and their awful designed throwout bearing setup.
My Grand Caravan had the 3.8L V6 in it. It was still running great when I traded it in at 220K. If you take care of those engines they will last!
I put about 145k miles on a 3.8 in a 2dr JK. It had a 6-speed and factory 4.10’s. It ran good. Only thing I had to do were intake valley seals and patch a crack in one manifold. Amazingly that JB weld-like metal paste stuff worked great.
I recently had an oil change shop leave the drain plug loose, finger tight loose, after an oil change. Had I not noticed the drips on the garage floor I might have lost that drain plug on the highway, which could cause a catastrophic failure in an reasonably clean engine. Sure glad I caught it!
I had a 3.8 JKU with a cracked head, the dealership had tried to ignore it by resetting the CEL. But they ended up having to replace the head under the Chrysler Extended Warranty. It was still really gutless. Wow, this one looks filthy.
I have the 3.8L in my 2007 T&C with 150k miles on it. It consumes about a quart every 1500 miles. The excess oil in the exhaust clogs up the catalytic converter. Now I’ve got an OBD-II reader with live data that I regularly use to monitor the sensors. Whenever the O2 sensor data starts looking bad I put a couple quarts of acetone in the fuel and that solves the problem. I’m guessing the excess oxygen in the exhaust from combusting the acetone is burning off the oil residue that’s clogging the cat. But that’s just a wild guess.
I also changed the timing chain because it always rattled. I changed to a Cloyes chain and it solved the noise. The OEM chain links can only pivot in one direction. That causes the chain to “slap” whenever the chain wants to bend inwards between the sprockets. The Cloyes chain has “standard” links that pivot either way and that eliminates the noise. I actually contacted Cloyes customer service to ask why their chain was different than the OEM chain and they were the ones that explained how a “standard” chain eliminates the “slapping”.
I had a 09 T&C with the 3.8v6 that also used a lot of oil. I replaced the valve seals, years ago, a 3 day job over a thanksgiving holiday, and that fixed it. It could do 5000mi with only about 1/2qt added. But by last year, every single other thing was falling apart on it. headliner, plastic parts, shocks, etc. so we traded it in.
Thanks for the info! I might do it just for the knowledge and experience. I’m just DIY and I haven’t done valve seals before. I’d also like to look at the camshaft and lifters after watching this video, but I don’t know how much time I want to spend on it anymore. The minivan’s paint is faded and the body is starting to rust. I’m pretty sure the engine is already going to outlast the car. I just bought a new set of expensive tires so I’ll probably use it until it needs new tires then I’ll buy a cheap set and give the minivan to someone who needs anything with 4 wheels.
I got an 07 JK stick shift with 179K that uses a quart every 2300 miles and has been for years. Only thing I've done to it is valve cover gaskets once and spark plugs. Even has the original clutch still in it.
I think that’s awesome about the Jeep. I think these engines will easily run without problems for a long time if you take care of them. On the other hand, my neighbor had a low miles ‘08 T&C with a 3.8 that blew up. They never checked the oil. I’m not sure if they even knew how to check the oil. I bet when the oil light came on they didn’t even notice.
Long time listener, first time caller. I've noticed a theme with these blown motors is that they have oil filters from a quik lube shop. I haven't seen any top tier filters meaning a owner maintained vehicle.
interesting
Not to say top-tier filters may not extend the life of your engine, there are some good ones and bad ones out there for sure, but I think even the lesser ones do the job if the engine (oil and air filters) are maintained properly. Perhaps the better filters do a better job once a driver passes the recommended oil change interval....but I'm going beyond 645,000 miles on a V6 Toyota Solara using Fram filters. Some say they are just a can with cardboard in it and some of the bypass valves may open prematurely.....but my engine is evidence you can go the distance with them.
i worked 44 years at champion lab making oil filters and so far everyone i seen is made in Albion ill all made on the same assembly line just different specs for each filter
I loved this one. I have always wondered what the inside of the Dodge V-6 looked like. Thanks!
Hey Eric I wanted to tell you thank you for the content and making it funny I enjoy every video your content has been helping me get through the death of my uncle he passed April 27th from cancer
I’m really sorry to hear this man. Keep your head up and try to focus on the good times. ❤️
@I_Do_Cars thank you I am trying
I had this engine in that fore mentioned van. Decent running thing, almost 200k on it before I had sold it for a much newer whip. It moved my family 3 times as the moving truck and took me karting a bunch. I miss it.
I use large branch cutters to cut oil filters without grinding. Obviously as long as it’s a little car filter the branch cutters I have fit all the way around an oil filter, just put in a vice and just one big squeeze. But sometimes it just crushes the filter so good to buy really good ones.
I had the 3.8L in my 2004 town and cont van and it woud consume a quart of oil every 1000 miles. It had 180,000 miles when i sold it for $100. It was leaking tranny fluid and the main seal was also a little drippy--the bonus was never having to change the oil.
Lol zach🎉😂
My van 3.8 was great. 1qt oil/10k miles. Solid. Great job Eric!
Now I want to rewatch the GM 3800 tear down. And hope to see a ford 3.8 in the future. Preferably the Thunderbird supercharged version.
When these came out we laughed at them. Then the jk got the pentastar jeepers everywhere though “this is the one” well….in hindsight the 3.8 was probably what you wanted when the warranty was up.
ehh the 3.6l is one of the most popular engines on the road, a lot of them have a lot of mileage
The early ones came with gasket issues @@mails5054
RIP, Uncle Rodney. Egad, what carnage. Good one, Eric!
have the same engine in my wrangler with 180K, added a supercharger at 140k miles and she is happy as can be.
I think all that silver stuff in the pan is actually Silver Seal Stop-Leak that was used to stop the oil seepage between the starter and the block. They obviously didn't use enough.
I have a 2007 wrangler and wheel the hell out of it. Sitting on dana 60s with 37s, atlas transfer case and a good bit of other mods. Engine is sitting at 131k miles. Hope to get a good bit of life out of it. Now dont beat the crap out of the engine and in fast any high revving RPMs come from highway/freeway driving. Been looking at a stroker 3.8 for it down the road. Overall the 3.8s tend to be really good motors if taken care of.
I love this channel. You are witty and your knowledge of a large variety of engines is unmatched. But, I have to say, every time you use a channellock backwards, a little piece of me dies inside...
I'm a fan of the 3.8. I am pushing 200,000 miles on my 2011 Grand Caravan. No leaks, no lights. It lugs hundreds of pounds of passengers and cargo around with ease. I change the oil every 4500 to 5000 miles. Now. it's not without issues. The TIPM is a worry. The Alternator and Starter removal require dropping the sub-frame. I just pro-actively changed the original starter 6 months ago. It was a huge PIA to get those bolts off.
Absolute garbage engine in an absolutely GARBAGE vehicle.
What pile of garbage do you drive, eh?😂
@@DB.KOOPER That runs and runs and runs.
@@Bill-sp8kb i'm curious to know that too,
When the 3.8 works it's alright. I don't know WHY Chrysler had the bright idea of a TIPM, though. I think it was the stupidest thing they've done since scrapping all but like three of the turbine cars.
These last a long time given you are aware that they burn oil. We had a few that burned oil. Let it get a few quarts low and they are quick to apin rod bearings.
Alot of jeep owners with this motor complained of oil consumption, and rod bearing failure.
I had a 09 Wrangler Rubican with a 3.8. It held up great never had a problem.
Out of “malice in the combustion chamber” and “ forbidden glitter”
I reckon it’s always the best when the motors attempt to “self gap” the spark plug on their own..
The thing is when you leave the motor to self adjust the gap it always gets it incredibly wrong!
Seems like 3.8 litres was a magic number for reliability and ubiquity of application for all of the Big 3.
It took Ford a bit to iron out their problems with the head gaskets on the Essex V6, but having said that, they thankfully got it fixed once they installed the MLS head gaskets.
Love those Mopar rocker shaft setups. Just like a LA V8. So easy to service.
The rockers reminded me of a sl/6.
Had one of these in my 2011 jeep. Was told that Chrysler did an odd arrangement with the locator tangs on the rod bearings. That they were against each other rather than against the edge of the rod, this was done to make it cheaper to make the rods.
I have a 2008 jeep jku and my 3.8 would get 24mpg up to 102,000 miles with no problem. At 102k miles I did swap in GM 5.3l and at currently now up to 250,000 miles on it
The crazy thing about the 3.8 is that on the upper intake 3.8 sticker is a hole under it with just glue holding the sticker on it. One good back fire and it might fly off
I have a 09 JK manual with the 3.8 and it’s got nearly 200k miles. Still runs good. Also have a 91 XJ with the 4.0 and it’s only got 163k miles. It’s hit or miss with the 3.8. The 3.6 is the POS engine. Currently looking for a Jeep YJ to buy. I will only buy a Jeep with a manual transmission. Love my Jeeps.
3.6 isn't so bad if you accept the fact that roller rockers are maintenance items. Yet I've seen those rockers last to 200K and beyond a few times.
Erics laugh when finding carnage is priceless!
Love your fascination with wristpins! Bet your great at puzzles!
When will people listen to you about oil changes?????
I think it would help if anyone who doesn't really understand how an engine works would watch a few of Eric's videos. Even then, I just don't think many folks have a clue how fast the pieces in there are moving and really why there is oil in an engine.....it's just a black box that makes the car go.
"lifter holder downer". Awesome! Thank You.
That right there is a great example of Mopar quality.
Another excellent video, I couldn’t stop watching. Great Job !
Awesome tear down today.
Thank you Premier in Illinois,
I had a 3.8 v6 mustang that had overheated and I didn’t know. It developed a noise but ran fine come to find out the noise was part of a wrist pin bouncing around in the engine it eventually became a V4+1 because it windowed the block with the #1 cylinder. I still have the half melted chunk missing wrists pin
The water pump treatment variety never gets old!
..Same thing with the inspection hatch happened to me with the middle cylinder on an Audi inline 5. I crammed some cardboard over the hole and managed another 40 miles back to town, where it finally seized..
awesome video on the JK 3.8.. thx for sharing
I like when you recommend other channels you like 🙂
I've been asking Wyatt and Steve to purchase a mangled rod/piston combo (trying to support your good work, Eric!), but the combo from cylinder 6 was a little TOO mangled.... BTW, if you ever want to REALLY blow up an engine, *I* may be able to help! I've made a hobby out of practical chemistry, and I would be happy to whip you up a quarter kilo of RDX (that's the active ingredient in C-4) in just a kitchen setting - no lab needed! We can grab an unspent airbag to synthesize the detonator, and voila! A blown-up engine in the truest sense!
those 3.8 engines use cracked rod that is the main problem. I just did a LS swap on 2008 jku Saraha I bought cheap.
every rod bearing was spun bad. I beleve the van engine are better because they use machine rods. I was surpised how well
the LS fit. My only mistake was to change from a automatic to a AX15 manual. I tell my boys do as I say not as I do or live will get vastly more complicated.
Small block V8 SO FUN !😊
I have the earlier cousin to that 38 I’ve got a 33 in my 99 minivan with 212,000 miles on it doesn’t burn any oil doesn’t leak. Any oil runs great.
3.3 was great. Buddy had one in a Caravan. Never gave him trouble.
Good video. I like the advice to get the engine from a minivan. It looks like a well designed engine for a Jeep or minivan. Cast Iron block, deep rails, cross-bolted mains (at least in the middle), aluminum head and for the most part not getting too fancy about things. Simple is good on these applications. I am hoping that the cam issue is just a anomaly. I would love it to be a worthy replacement for the old AMC straight 6, but that is not going to happen in this age of lifecycle engineering.
I think your hypothesis on the damage being done while rock crawling makes sense. I think serious rock crawlers should get a dry sump, but that cost as much as an engine. And you still have to find room for a tank. I don't have a Jeep, but if I did, I wouldn't rock crawl up these crazy obstacles that are called "trails".
I have worked on and owned a 3.8 L in a 98 Minivan and I sold that vehicle with $254,000 Mi on it, and it was running quite well. I was getting 31 1/2 Mi to the gallon on the freeway with that minivan, I was getting 20 1/2 in town. I did need to mix the fuel till it was running at about 90 octane but it ran wonderfully. These are easily 300,000 mile Motors
31 mpg highway 😆🤣😂😂😅
_in a V6 minivan_
The Mazda 5 is a mini minivan with a 2.3 4 cylinder, that manages 28-29 highway mpg, how did you manage *better* with a bigger, V6 caravan ?
@@jamesgeorge4874 Some of the 90's cars got ridiculously good fuel economy on the highway. Like the 3.8 sedans like the Bonneville.
@@jamesgeorge4874 cars in the 90's were a LOT lighter, thus better gas mileage
@@leightonreese1832 a '98 Grand Caravan weighs about 3800 lbs.
Weight...
My 2015 Sienna is a pig weighs I think 4,600 lb.