oil for caravan

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hey guys i have a 96 caravan 3.0 with 140k on the clock. lately ive noticed increased lifter ticking and also have a colant leak last uoa showed the oils viscosity was down to a 20wt.any idea of an oil to run until i can get this fixed? i was thinking of gc or a 40 wt.hopefully that would keep the viscosity up but owners manual only shows 5/10w30 as oils to use. thanks guys
 
Is the coolant leak internal ..or the under the intake setup they have? The 3.0 can run 20 weight without issues, though it was never spec'd on it. The HLA noise is not uncommon with this engine. I used Auto-Rx and it did a world of good. I've run from 0w-10 to 20w-50 in this engine in 92 trim. It didn't complain through the whole span.
 
These engines will run a very long time but are prone to oil burning, lifter ticking and head gasket problems.

Thicker oil will only make the ticking worse, stick with the 30wt, the shearing to a 20wt won't hurt this engine at all.

My dad has a '94 with over 300K KM (180K Miles) and still running...
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
These engines will run a very long time but are prone to oil burning, lifter ticking and head gasket problems.

Thicker oil will only make the ticking worse, stick with the 30wt, the shearing to a 20wt won't hurt this engine at all.

My dad has a '94 with over 300K KM (180K Miles) and still running...


What Stevie said....
 
thanks for the reply the leak is from the intake piping sometimes it leaks on the ground but the lst oil change was a tad mikly. i completed the auto rx early this year engine was running much better after that.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: StevieC
These engines will run a very long time but are prone to oil burning, lifter ticking and head gasket problems.

Thicker oil will only make the ticking worse, stick with the 30wt, the shearing to a 20wt won't hurt this engine at all.

My dad has a '94 with over 300K KM (180K Miles) and still running...


Yup totally agree. It's the only Dodge product I'd buy! But I am not the van type of guy so that is out of the question.
 
Originally Posted By: macdole99
thanks for the reply the leak is from the intake piping sometimes it leaks on the ground but the lst oil change was a tad mikly. i completed the auto rx early this year engine was running much better after that.


That leak is annoying, but not critical. Mine was at 15+ years when cooling system corrosion caused the HG's to leak or seep externally. I imagine they could internally too.

It just cost too much to have the intake pulled to fix.

I don't think the 3.0 ever had a legit PCV system. Mine had a one of these ..which although they call it a PCV valve, is essentially a metered orifice. It's got about as much potential for handling a good draft from the crankcase as a straw would as a air horn on the throttle body. That's why they had a foam sponge on the outside of the air filter in the 92. I don't know how the EPA let them get away with it. It even had a overflow tube to the exhaust system if it got too saturated.

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Your coolant consumption is probably regulated by the length of your driving events. More long trips ..less coolant needed.

If this is strictly short trip, then it may explain your milky deposits. For mine, it was warped heads/leaking head gaskets.
 
It wasn't the PCV valve that was the problem it was the location of it and the long hose they ran to the back engine area that was the problem.

I have the exact same PCV on my 2.7L V6 Santa Fe. They are identical and have the same specifications...

Anyways... The hose on earlier 3.0L engines that carried the gases from the valve cover (where the PCV is) to the back engine area clogs up with moisture and engine oil residue and can freeze in the winter causing big problems. It's a bad design that was fixed in later years.

The PCV is used on most Mitsubishi V6 and Hyundai V6 engines with great success because they don't rely on the PCV solely for breathing the crankcase, they also have a breather hose from the bottom of the engine to the air-box/throttle body (depending on the engine) that looks after most of the gases.

Sorry for the long post, but I have way too much experience with these engines and this setup to let you blame the PCV.
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Steve
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Mine was right off the front cover to the #3 (front bank) intake runner. 4" max on my Canadian built 92. Very short hose. The back cover had the vent hose to the air box ..which was right over head (on the 92). The thing couldn't be centrally located, obviously (due to the brief case size intake plenumn), but was tagged to one cylinder to receive all the stuff the thing did suck in. One intake valve taking the beating.

It's an excellent engine ..after a few bugs were worked out and you got used to the departure from traditional engines that we were used to.
 
That was changed in 96 for the Jelly-Bean style vans... You had the better system Gary.

They are excellent engines, the problem is most people don't look after them, over extend the OCI's, don't change the PCV and overheat them and this causes problems.

My dad runs great with over 300K KM (180K Miles) and just uses a tad bit of oil due to the bad-valve seals/seats they used in these engines. Otherwise it's a "rock-solid can't kill 'em engine"!
 
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