Jeep 3.8 engine question

[72dart_swinger]

Trying to figure out what to do on this wrangler engine. I suspect it has a spun rod bearing. If it does i was thinking about having the crank turned for undersized rod bearings, and then replacing the damaged rod with a mopar oem replacement. Would this require a total replacement of the rotating assembly? I know the oem parts are all weighted to within a certain spec, and I figured it was to keep from having to balance every rotating assembly. I looked up rod replacement on all data and the service procedure didn't mention anything about rebalancing the rotating assembly so I suspect it would work OK in a stock set up.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I'd band aid it up and sell it. I had an 08. It started knocking at 18K miles. The dealer put a new short block in it and sent the heads out to be rebuilt. I was never happy with it before or after the failure. Their revamped minivan engine was a total flop, IMO. I hear the 3.6 is much better.

 

[George Jets]

Was probably 20 years ago a GM 2.8 v6 split the crank in half.

We pulled the engine, flipped it upside down on the engine stand. Installed a reman 10/10 crankshaft and rods and main bearings and put it all back together.

Ran for years after that. Happened on a Friday, Pulled the engine Saturday, Picked up the "Carquest" parts before they closed for the weekend.

All back together on Sunday, and my buddy John drove it to work on Monday morning never missing a beat.

Get 'er Done...


☆☆☆☆☆

 

[RustyRatRod]

Trying to figure out what to do on this wrangler engine. I suspect it has a spun rod bearing. If it does i was thinking about having the crank turned for undersized rod bearings, and then replacing the damaged rod with a mopar oem replacement. Would this require a total replacement of the rotating assembly? I know the oem parts are all weighted to within a certain spec, and I figured it was to keep from having to balance every rotating assembly. I looked up rod replacement on all data and the service procedure didn't mention anything about rebalancing the rotating assembly so I suspect it would work OK in a stock set up.

But truthfully, I don't know the answer. I do know that newer engines are held to different tolerances and measurements and such, since they have different materials such as powdered metal and newer metallurgy in bearings and rings and such, so you better check and see what the factory service manual says.

 

[nutz]

the last 3.8 i did i bought a cheep caravan engine and swapped everything over was 1/2 the price of a jeep engine
heard they are either great or spin bearings ...
3.6s rockers fail and head gaskest go ,and timing chains strech ....but run sooooo much better

 

[diymirage]

Just LS swap it, duh

 

[72dart_swinger]

Well I did some more digging and found a note that piston and connecting rods are serviced as an assembly and the weights of the assembly are manufactured to tight tolerance so that balancing is not required. But the price of a minivan motor is looking better and better

 

[72dart_swinger]

the last 3.8 i did i bought a cheep caravan engine and swapped everything over was 1/2 the price of a jeep engine
heard they are either great or spin bearings ...
3.6s rockers fail and head gaskest go ,and timing chains strech ....but run sooooo much better

Do you recall the year of the minivan you got the engine out of. From what I understand the 07 and up engines were all the same short block. But I have read a couple of reports of the minivan not having all the bosses machined or drilled. Did you run into any of these issues?

 

[nutz]

I forget
Think i had to change everything but block and heads .....

 

[nutz]

Its still going strong.....till after I post this