I've got 150,000 miles on my 1999 conversion van.Ive got 1 cylinder running at 40 psi, should be around 150. The van seems to run ok, a little rough at idle but Im not sinking money into it, not worth it. My questions, is there anything I can do other than teard down the engine? Am I running on borrowed time before the engine seizes? Can I do anything to help prolong the engine life? Thx
Dodge 3.9 V6 cylinder problem
- Thread starter HARTZSKY
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JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
It's probably a valve problem with cyl 1. If the van and rest of the p-train is good, it might be worth a reman'd head on that side.
Joel
Joel
These engines have been known for burn't valves. I would agree with JTK. You can't have compression without the valves being closed and sealed against the head.
Do you know it's the piston rings?
The engine won't seize, just run rough... Nothing to really worry about.
Do you know it's the piston rings?
The engine won't seize, just run rough... Nothing to really worry about.
Bad valves, rings, head gasket or cracked head.
Rings or valves can be weak and you can still drive the car, but a bad gasket will not be as trustworthy.
At TDC of the compression stroke, you can squirt compressed air in the cyl and see if you hear any noise from the intake or the exhaust.
Rings or valves can be weak and you can still drive the car, but a bad gasket will not be as trustworthy.
At TDC of the compression stroke, you can squirt compressed air in the cyl and see if you hear any noise from the intake or the exhaust.
Thx guys. We did check the head gasket, no leaks were found. Tested the cooling system, its fine. It is cyclinder #6 thats bad, for what thats worth. Sucks really, you change the oil every 4k and still get a bad cylinder.
Sometimes that's the way it goes... You could pull the head, and bottom end, hone the cylinder and put in a new set of rings it is that.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
..and then find out if was valve seating issue with #1. That would be a be-ot-ch.
Joel
Joel
He would have the head off and would see it before he went any further...
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
You'd hope so, but I've seen it all too many times where you dive into something totally overlooking the simple/obvious stuff.
Joel
Joel
He has to remove the head to hone the cylinders and one with common sense would check on the head before going any further... Maybe I just have common sense?
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Sometimes that's the way it goes... You could pull the head, and bottom end, hone the cylinder and put in a new set of rings it is that.
Unfortunatly, I'm no mechanic, so its pretty much going to run as is. Some other good mechanics I spoke with said I did good to get 150k out of a Dodge engine. The van still runs and runs pretty good, the only ironic thing is I've got Auto RX in it as we speak, I put it in before I new about the bad cylinder. What that means in all this I don't know.
Sometimes that's the way it goes... You could pull the head, and bottom end, hone the cylinder and put in a new set of rings it is that.
Unfortunatly, I'm no mechanic, so its pretty much going to run as is. Some other good mechanics I spoke with said I did good to get 150k out of a Dodge engine. The van still runs and runs pretty good, the only ironic thing is I've got Auto RX in it as we speak, I put it in before I new about the bad cylinder. What that means in all this I don't know.
Originally Posted By: HARTZSKY
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Sometimes that's the way it goes... You could pull the head, and bottom end, hone the cylinder and put in a new set of rings it is that.
Unfortunatly, I'm no mechanic, so its pretty much going to run as is. Some other good mechanics I spoke with said I did good to get 150k out of a Dodge engine. The van still runs and runs pretty good, the only ironic thing is I've got Auto RX in it as we speak, I put it in before I new about the bad cylinder. What that means in all this I don't know.
Doing that work is cheap compared to a new car even if you have to pay a mechanic.
I would also run from the mechanic that told you 150K from a Dodge is good, because they generally are very good engines. I should know. Dad worked for them for over 20 years, and he's a mechanic.
Run fast!!!!!!!!!
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Sometimes that's the way it goes... You could pull the head, and bottom end, hone the cylinder and put in a new set of rings it is that.
Unfortunatly, I'm no mechanic, so its pretty much going to run as is. Some other good mechanics I spoke with said I did good to get 150k out of a Dodge engine. The van still runs and runs pretty good, the only ironic thing is I've got Auto RX in it as we speak, I put it in before I new about the bad cylinder. What that means in all this I don't know.
Doing that work is cheap compared to a new car even if you have to pay a mechanic.
I would also run from the mechanic that told you 150K from a Dodge is good, because they generally are very good engines. I should know. Dad worked for them for over 20 years, and he's a mechanic.
Run fast!!!!!!!!!
It is cheaper than a new car, yes, However, from a finacial perspective, when car repair exceeds the value of the car, time to move on. I have been very, very happy with this Dodge engine. Like I said, my van still runs and runs pretty well. Even with 1 cylinder not up to par, you would be hard pressed to tell it when you drive the van. The only issue I have with the 3.9 v6 is that it is under powered.
It's not when the cost of the repair exceeds the value of the car, it's when the repair cost isn't worth it because the body and/or the reliability is no where near that of a new car.
There's a big difference. If the body is in excellent shape then it would be worth a new engine IMO.
My dad buys $100 vehicles all the time and puts engines in them and drives them for a couple years or until they die. Think of the money he has saved!
He's a mechanic, but even if you had to pay a mechanic it's still cheaper than $30K of payments for say ownership of a car for only a 10 year period. He might, and I mean might spend $2,000 over that same time period.
Don't know about you but I would rather have the $28K in my bank account than in some greedy dealers hands.
There's a big difference. If the body is in excellent shape then it would be worth a new engine IMO.
My dad buys $100 vehicles all the time and puts engines in them and drives them for a couple years or until they die. Think of the money he has saved!
He's a mechanic, but even if you had to pay a mechanic it's still cheaper than $30K of payments for say ownership of a car for only a 10 year period. He might, and I mean might spend $2,000 over that same time period.
Don't know about you but I would rather have the $28K in my bank account than in some greedy dealers hands.
Sure you can put a decent boneyard engine in an $100 car, but how can you tell if the suspension and electrical stuff aren't going to leave you stranded?
Also, in some parts of the world, not having cold A/C is a royal pain, and getting them to blow cold can get very expensive.
Also, in some parts of the world, not having cold A/C is a royal pain, and getting them to blow cold can get very expensive.
If you can drive a car for $2,000 or less in repairs each year. Which is easily the case, even with S/B cars, then you are so far ahead it's not funny. $2,000 versus $6,000 in payments on a quickly depreciating car?
So in 5 years you have spent $10,000 for repairs versus $30,000 for a new car. Both get you from A to B, but my way does it with $20,000 in your bank account, and that's if an old car costs you $2,000 a year which none of the S/B my dad has driven ever have...
Some other pluses of driving an older car, is lower insurance, you don't really care if it gets stolen or scratched, and you don't have to wash it because who cares...
No offense to you, but I think it's simple math...
So in 5 years you have spent $10,000 for repairs versus $30,000 for a new car. Both get you from A to B, but my way does it with $20,000 in your bank account, and that's if an old car costs you $2,000 a year which none of the S/B my dad has driven ever have...
Some other pluses of driving an older car, is lower insurance, you don't really care if it gets stolen or scratched, and you don't have to wash it because who cares...
No offense to you, but I think it's simple math...
Sure it costs less.
But what happens when your car isn't going anywhere because you have to stop and replace some component. How much work would you miss to pay for it? What happens if you work for a medical business, where late simply isn't an option?
That is the thing that causes the math to change.
If the car belonged to some retiree, then the system of putting boneyard engines in dead cars makes 100% sense.
But what happens when your car isn't going anywhere because you have to stop and replace some component. How much work would you miss to pay for it? What happens if you work for a medical business, where late simply isn't an option?
That is the thing that causes the math to change.
If the car belonged to some retiree, then the system of putting boneyard engines in dead cars makes 100% sense.
New cars don't break down, and have to spend sometimes prolonged periods of time in the shop?
In all the cars I have owned and driven to 250,000+ miles I have never been without one more than a week in total time!
The SKY IS FALLING, the SKY IS FALLING! All how you look at it, even with a rental car in this math it's still cheaper...
You go and be a good American Consumerist and keep buying and spending more than you have to, and I will keep laughing to the bank.
It's all good buddy, society needs people like you or else I wouldn't have good used cars to buy!
I guess we will never see eye to eye... It's been fun!
In all the cars I have owned and driven to 250,000+ miles I have never been without one more than a week in total time!
The SKY IS FALLING, the SKY IS FALLING! All how you look at it, even with a rental car in this math it's still cheaper...
You go and be a good American Consumerist and keep buying and spending more than you have to, and I will keep laughing to the bank.
It's all good buddy, society needs people like you or else I wouldn't have good used cars to buy!
No, I do intend to run my car until the bitter end, but I do find such things interesting.
Originally Posted By: artificialist
No, I do intend to run my car until the bitter end, but I do find such things interesting.
Then I take back the "American Consumerist" back then...
I'm just trying to convert those that are of the mindset that they should keep buying new cars rather than repairing older ones, because it is more cost effective, better for the environment in terms of waste.
I have been driving for 10 years and in that time I have only had a new car payment once, and that is my current vehicle which I need for work. My work pays me mileage which covers all the costs of the car, repairs, fuel etc, so really I don't have a payment.
Before that all the cars I have owned were good condition used cars with 100K miles or less, that I drove for very cheap in repairs to 250K miles. I would say that in the 10 years of driving the cost of all my used vehicles and repairs might have added up to a maximum of $5,000, which is pretty cheap if you ask me! (Certainly beats the $30K I would of spent on a new car for those 10 years)
No, I do intend to run my car until the bitter end, but I do find such things interesting.
Then I take back the "American Consumerist" back then...
I'm just trying to convert those that are of the mindset that they should keep buying new cars rather than repairing older ones, because it is more cost effective, better for the environment in terms of waste.
I have been driving for 10 years and in that time I have only had a new car payment once, and that is my current vehicle which I need for work. My work pays me mileage which covers all the costs of the car, repairs, fuel etc, so really I don't have a payment.
Before that all the cars I have owned were good condition used cars with 100K miles or less, that I drove for very cheap in repairs to 250K miles. I would say that in the 10 years of driving the cost of all my used vehicles and repairs might have added up to a maximum of $5,000, which is pretty cheap if you ask me! (Certainly beats the $30K I would of spent on a new car for those 10 years)
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