How long left is this 3.0 Mitsubishi?

I wonder how long my engine will last now. As I posted before, the
dealer made it seem like a few weeks and refused to do a coolant
change. That was embarrasing but at least the dealer did not soak me
for the annual state inspection. As one poster suggested, probably to
avoid being sued since anything that went wrong with the engine could
be his fault then.

So the vehicle has been going for two months now, another few thousand
miles. It's using a gallon or two of coolant per month. Have been told
the water pump is leaking and there are some seals probably blown but
not sure what is what unless the engine were torn down.

3.0 V6 Mitsubishi in 1994 Voyager. The vehicle obtained 25 mpg at the
last check which is quite surprising given its age, 205,000 miles.

I suspect the engine is quite tight, no oil burning. I feed bad that if
the seals blow completely, then the engine will be trashed. And the
engine is in quite good shape given its age and its reputation as an
oil burner in general.

One mechanic suggested that the main bearings are not being
contaminated because if they were, the engine would be toast. He
thought that this engine did not have any anti-corrosion protection on
the main bearings so could not take any coolant contaminant. He looked
at the PCV valve and valve cover and suspects that the main head
gasket? might not be blown since the white of coolant contamination was
not as bad as it could be.

Any thoughts? Aside from selling the vehicle quickly and getting out of
"Dodge" - pun intended. But that seemed a bit unethical although the
car is lasting longer than the dealer suggested or warned so maybe it
has another 10,000 miles left?

I went back to using green coolant, somewhat difficult to find. I will
also be using ordinary oil for the next oil change instead of the
semi-synthetic. My best guess is that the lack of a coolant change
damaged the seals inside the engine, even considering its age. Is that
possible? The coolant had the right pH but its anti-corrosion
properties were gone.

 

There is simply no telling without pulling the engine and tearing it
down. If you are not a DIYer I would put an ad in the paper and sell it
as a project car or give it away.

Given present shop labor rates and used car prices paying someone else
doesn't make sense.

 

3.0 you say? Hmmm...what teardown?....about 2.5 flat rate hours to
replace the crank seal, some extra for both cam seals, do the water
pump while there, a timing belt and, if (big "if") there're no head
gasket leaks, you'd be in business....

 

cavedweller wrote:

With that kind of mileage? No. It needs to be demated.

I would probably try to find a second core engine and rebuild that and
swap them out, keeping the vehicle rolling as much as possible. I have
no idea if these are expensive or cheap as cores.

I also don't know if these Mits engines are available as a JDM pull on
the ricer market. That would be a better alternative, likely as not.

 

Would a pressure check just confirm a leaking head gasket leak or not
be able to tell between a leaking water pump, head gasket, or another
seal?

I did check JDM, via TradeKey.com, is that how to do it? Did not see
any Mits engines for sale.

If buying a junk Mits engine, look for oil leakage on the outside? Or
one with some of its usage attached somehow? I can't rebuild the spare
engine but it's a good suggestion of yours.

Don't understand the poster who said 2.5 hours. The two quotes I got
were all day jobs at least. Where do you find a mechanic who can do
this in 2.5 hours? Would this be someone moonlighting with super skills?

 

Found the dealer report. It states:

Pressure tested the cooling system, due to antifreeze in the oil.
Water pump is leaking, right side of engine. Antifreeze is in oil.
Possible head gasket cracked head, cracked block. We cannot be certqain
until we tear it down.

Sounds terrible.

 

Well, you don't know any better than I what "kind" of mileage the unit
has. It has a bunch, admittedly, but so what? The bottom end of these
engines is pretty good. It may be dumping a lot of oil down the valve
guides by now of course, but we haven't heard that commented upon.

The owner would seem to prefer to be more concerned with coolant pH
than mechanical repairs, and he may choose to follow your advice. By
the way, the usual repairs for the kind of leaks these engines develop
doesn't require "demating".

I'll play....should we accept the third-hand opinion expressed
originally that the head gaskets might be OK?

What do you mean keep it rolling? A decent shop can staunch the front
end oil and glycol leaks in less than a day. I just had it done on a
3.0 with as many miles on it and also had a jobber oil pan
installed....all for about $650

There are plenty of them around, but why don't you know that?

Of course, if the owner finds one, he'll have no idea of the condition
of the crank and cam seals, nor the water pump, nor the timing belt.
And you're only suggesting looking for a core? Cripes, he already has
that!!

Oh great, I definite maybe....and your estimate of cost is?

 

Well, it ain't good. That's the "big IF" in my previous post.

By the way, I indicated that the shop flat rate for replacing the front
crankshaft seal is about 2.5 hours...that's what they get paid for.
The cam seals are easily replaced at the same time with a little extra
work (and that you would pay for). Likewise the water pump is exposed
at the same time. Seems, however, that you have bigger problems.

 

I've got a 91 model 3.0L with about 280,000 and it stills runs great. These
engines have very thin rings and will not tolerate sludge in the oil so one
of the keys to making one of these things last is proper oil changes (3000
mile severe service type). Without additional info I would guess the oil is
getting into the oil because of a blown head gasket. This engine is also
prone to do that if at all overheated. Have a mechanic pressurize each
cylinder with the radiator cap off. If a head gasket is gone, you'll know
it, anifreeze will roll out of the radiator. Good luck.

 

That is really helpful, thanks. If not a blown head gasket, must be
then a cracked block? Would not something seep out of the block in that
case? In any case, your suggestion makes sense.

I agree with the oil changes. I missed one oil change, 5,000 miles and
about 7 months.
Don't know if that did it but certainly did not help matters at 200,000
miles. And the problems started shortly after that. Coincidence?

The owner, me, was concerned about the pH before any of this occurred.
Now it's a non-issue. I was going to change the coolant at that point
but forgot when concerned about bigger issues, like a failing A604
tranny. By the time I sorted out the tranny, I completely forgot about
the coolant until it started disappearing.

By "leaks," you mean things other than a head gasket, like the seals?

 

Correct. On the "front" of the engine (the right side of the vehicle),
there is a seal on the crankshaft and one on each of the camshafts.
There is also a seal on the central coolant pipe behind the water
pump....all of these things just mentioned, and the timing belt, are
accessible once access is gained by removal of accessories and covers.
The water pump itself can develop a leak from within itself, around its
own shaft seal.

The cylinder heads are on "top", left and right (front and rear with
reference to vehicle).

 

Since it's doubtful there ever was a vehicle with an inverted engine
configuration, the cylinder heads would be on top.

 

Because I don't have a vehicle that would use one and have little
interest in doing so.

Yes, but it runs. Sometiomes you have to baby a wounded vehicle for
awhile.

Majoring another one allows you to get it right without time pressures
and then swap them out.

The bottom line is until and unless the engine is apart you have no
idea what is what.

See above.

If i point out that your tire is flat, would you demand I buy you a
new one, install it, and warrant you against future punctures or leaks?

My point was that a JDM pull if available is most always the best way
of keping a Japanese or Japanese powered vehicle going. You can't get
the parts to major an engine as cheap as these low mileage engines go
for if you shop properly. The Japanese government has anti-car laws
that subsidize foreign buyers of Japanese used cars, whole or pieces
thereof. In America it's pieces, because of stupid legislation and also
because Japan is a RHD market. I don't seek to tell the Japanese how to
run Japan, their loss is our gain.

Japanese transmissions-particularly Toyotas- are adaptible in a lot of
places besides Japanese cars. The Brits have been updating Brit sports
cars with them for a long time and now they are showing up in US cars.
A sixties or seventies American car-particularly Slant Six Mopars- are
far better highway cruisers when the three on the tree is junked for a
Toyota Supra five speed.

 

I know it, you know it, but I'm not so sure about the OP.

 

My bad....last post goes here.

 

Just got back from the dealer where I had a free decaf! Now for a
remanufactured Mitsu engine, the cost would be, $2660, tada, with a
3/36 warranty. For labor, add another $1029 and $100 for hoses and what
not. This does not include tax, so add another 6%. That's only $4000. I
don't have $4000, so now for plan B.

Where do I go for JDM pulls? Would they be less than almost $3000 the
dealer would want for a reman? The dealer cannot obtain new engines.
Fine, that would be even more. The dealer might put in a junkyard
engine, but no warranty then and the last time they did that, the
junkyard engine lasted 6 months. Hmmm, not too bad but not wonderful.
At least the dealer would entertain putting in a junkyard engine. That
really surprised me but this is a nice dealership although I am not,
ahem, a preferred customer.

It is possible I might find a local mechanic who said he would put in a
junk engine for $300 labor. That seemed a little low but who am I to
quibble?

Now to sound like a big baby, where do I find a Mitsubishi 3.0 liter,
V-6 engine, as a JDM pull? I hunt on the internet. Just do the usual
search by internet and then by phone and keep on plugging for a few
hours until I find something out?

It's a good idea and thanks for all your posts and the other fellows
too. I feel less lonely while I wait for my car to die. Should I carry
a DNR sign, as the service writer suggested? Very funny. Ha-ha.

One fellow in this thread suggested pressurizing each cylinder to see
if coolant flows out of the radiator to check for a blown head gasket.
The DaimlerChrysler mechanic did not think that was a viable solution
since he never saw a blown head gasket on the exhaust side [probably
got this all mixed up in repeating what he said]. I am just
paraphrasing roughly what he told me in the parking lot as he drove my
car in for an oil change. The dealer uses semi-synthetic Conoco 5W-30
and it's all relatively cheap, $18! I wonder if the oil did in the head
gasket? Unlikely. Anyway, I am not sure what the mechanic meant except
he thought the idea was not good. The mechanic was rather young. The
mature guy I wanted to ask was already busy.

I wonder how much Chrysler would charge a Chrysler mechanic for a reman
engine if the retail cost was 2660? Maybe $2000?

BTW, would like the mechanic to be at least as old as the car but I
cannot be fussy with my minivan in its terminal stages. So far, two
months, and 2,000 miles, not too bad on borrowed time.

 

Well, good grief:

http://www.car-part.com

 

Now look Good Grief Charlie Brown , I gather you disagree about the
JDM. Is that due to which of two e's, ethnocentricity or engineeering
or exports [makes three]? The idea is intriguing assuming there is such
a thing as a low mileage Mitsubishi 3.0 from Japan. I do not know but I
saw it mentioned in this thread.

27. Chrysler / Mitsubishi 6 Cylinder Engines
Remanufactured Engine Inquiry/Order Form Page
http://remanufactured-engines.com/page27.htm#Chrysler Mitsubishi 6 cyl Engines
Chrysler 6G72 227E 90-94 Voyager $1690, long block. $300 core. $175
shipping.

So this engine model, 6G72, is the same for the Chrysler as for the JDM
part, probably plus emissions' controls which would be only for the
American engines.

So far I have remanufactured engines, JDM, and junkyard engines.

There is no way to test a junkyard engine outside of tracing the VIN to
see its mileage? Although the VIN is for the entire car, they do place
the VIN also on the engine someplace?

It's not my fault that this Mitsubishi engine only has 207,000 miles
before giving me good grief. That lasted twice as long as the
transmission, which is who, Japanese or American, the A604, as it used
to be called in its delinquent stages.

 

Now look Charlie Brown?, I gather you disagree about the JDM. Is that
due to which of two e's, ethnocentricity or engineeering? The idea is
intriguing assuming there is such a thing as a low mileage Mitsubishi
3.0 from Japan. I do not know but I saw it mentioned in this thread.

27. Chrysler / Mitsubishi 6 Cylinder Engines
Remanufactured Engine Inquiry/Order Form Page
http://remanufactured-engines.com/page27.htm#Chrysler Mitsubishi 6 cyl Engines
Chrysler 6G72 227E 90-94 Voyager $1690, long block. $300 core. $175
shipping.

So this engine model, 6G72 is the same for the Chrysler as for the JDM
part, probably plus emissions' controls which would be only for the
American engines.

So far I have remanufactured engines, JDM, and junkyard engines.

There is no way to test a junkyard engine outside of tracing the VIN to
see its mileage? Although the VIN is for the entire car, they do place
the VIN also on the engine someplace?

 

Certainly not the former, but neither you nor others have been able to
indicate the cost and timing of such an acquisition. Is this it?:

...or more likely something your were able to find on your own? Well,
you have been looking around. Good for you.

Whatever you say.

There are some salvage operators who object to the term "junkyard".
Have you ever discussed your problem with a reputable salvage operator?

Actually, there has always been another option but you seem disinclined
to follow it.

Quite true, but some of the salvage operators are quite ethical and
will display the actual mileage of the vehicle....fancy that.

Although the VIN is for the entire car, they do place

Engine serial number, at least

Let me try one more time. Lucy. You are leaking glycol and oil. Both
of those can come from the front of the engine...oil from the seals,
glycol from the water pump. Glycol can also leak from a head gasket.
All of these are well known symptoms on the 3.0.

To fix the front end leaks, you're half-way "torn down" to pulling the
intake plenum, the exhaust manifolds, and pulling the heads to fit new
gaskets. That could take a couple of days in a shop.
You could rent a car for that period.

Do you really intend to continue to pour glycol in at a great rate
until you can do a leisurely "major" on another engine?

You would need a competent mechanic to listen to your tale, (the
transcription of which to this forum has sometimes been, to me at
least, disjointed and rambling), assess the engine's operation, and
advise you.

Re your..."I do not know but I saw it mentioned in this thread..."
above. This thread isn't that long...are you paying attention or are
you just venting?