Whos got experience with the late 80's chrysler V6 3.0 engine?
 

The one in my stepfathers van, a 1988 Dodge Caravan, started puking oil today and he want me to help him fix it. personally I wish he would have let it die years ago but thats another story.

By the amount of oil its losing (he went though 2 1/2 GALLONS of oil to make the 110 mile trip home today) and location of the spray, it seems the front main seal is the culprit. Being a transvestite engine, it looks like its going to be a real PITA to get at- anyone have any advice or tips or should we just take it to the junkyard and get our $300 for it?

Johnhef

I have heard alot of bad things about these engines. I have not seen too many that were not oil burners. Does it burn oil? If so, it may not be worth repairing if you think it may be worth sending to the salvage yard, but I have no idea what kind of shape the rest of the van is in. If its a nice van, its probably worth repairing.

My grandparents traded in a nearly new 1987 Mazda SE5 truck on a BRAND NEW 1988 Chrysler New Yorker with that same 3.0L V6 engine you mentioned in that van. By 60K, it was burning oil. By 80K, the transmission was shot, then it was the power steering pump, then this and that, this and that, etc AND this was a babied car - never over 45 mph, oil changes every 2000-2500 miles, etc. Spent over $12,000 on repairs. In 1996, grandpa wised up and traded it in on a 1996 Buick LeSabre. Never had one problem with it and still has it. Rides and drives like a dream.

Take it to the junkyard. If the headgasket doesn't blow, the transmission does.

It is rare that I see one of those vans with more than 150k, and not have major work done on it.

If the BIC disposable pen people built a van, it would last longer.

Yeah, the Mitsu 3.0 is known for spewing oil. The 3.3 is a much better motor. What I found out on the trans, is the electronic module on the side goes, and sticks you in limp mode. Total POS.

I have nothing to offer, but the engine is actually from Mitsubishi. Have been watching these things puff smoke for the last decade or more. So much for Japanese quality...

- JimY

Junk yard it.

Shoot the poor thing, put it out of its misery. I had a Dodge Dynasty with the 3.3L in it and it ran STRONG for 190xxx miles until it got killed in a wreck. I wouldn't have the 3.0, not Mitsubishi's best effort.

That's what I had and sold. The odo quit somewhere around 220k, but the car kept going. It failed the last inspection, and the guy's wife wants him to get rid of it, but the trans works fine.. I want to rip the drivetrain out and find another car to put it in, but I don't think his SO will wait that long.

the mitsu 4g63/4g64 are AMAZING motors.


a little work, and you can get 900hp from one. Upwards of 500hp on a stock 6-bolt block!

We're talking 4cylinders here...

I know its a valve guide eater but other then this oil leak it actually runs fine. 170 or 180k on it now but ugly as ****. Its very useful to him- he loves it, hauls anything and everything in the back with no seats.

I mean its not a pretty car by any means, it's beat but runs great. I'd have a hard time junking a car over a $4 seal.

Ah, but you wouldn't be junking it over a $4 seal, that's just the last straw. You'd be junking it over that $4 seal plus everything else that's wrong with it and everything that's about to go wrong. Four words: Cash for Junk Cars.

A $4 seal, and about $400 worth of labor to change it. Your time ain't free...

My sister's van has the 3.0 Mitsubishi motor in it, its almost to 94k and seems to do ok.....burns a little oil, but not to the point that you can see it in the exhaust. Maybe a quart per 1000ish miles....it has never had any real issues....the biggest pain on the thing is the low quality A/C system, and the electronics....the cooling fan control system fried about 7 times before I altered it....now it works great....we'll see how far it goes. I suspect the trans will go before the engine, then it gets junked.

All of them have made lemons with exception of Honda......the OM 603 is a fine glaring example of German tech at its very best.

yeah we could get $300 for it right now. There may be other stuff wrong with it, but nothing that would have ever been fixed anyways ;) this is the only thing keeping it off the road.