MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE / SONATA ENGINE V6 3.0 SOHC - 6G72 for the Voyager Minivan?

Oh for corn sakes! This is a train wreck - you just have to watch!

DITCH THE MITS!

If you are going to re-engine, then get yourself a good old fashioned overhead valve solid as a rock 3.3 or 3.8 engine! NO timing "belt", no bullcrap ongoing maintenance issues.

I have a 3.3, and I love it. Minor amounts of PM, and it just keeps running and running. And the 3.3 / 3.8 will just bolt right in. If you are going to go to the trouble to re-engine, then why not invest in something that will reduce long-term headaches???

IMHO, the Mitsubishi 3.0 Engine is just NOT worth the crap they keep dishing out on a regular basis.

Good luck dude.

I already asked a really good engine rebuilder about putting in a 3.3 or 3.8 and he said don't do it. Although the engine might be able to be bolted in, as you suggest, there are lots of parts that are not and would not be compatible. He suggested the computers for a start would have to be upgraded. He definitely said it is not as easy as it is often suggested. Since he used to throw in engines, I gather he has long time experience.

That said, have you really bolted in 3.3 where a 3.0 was originally?

I have not done it.

Before I purchased my 94 GC, I came here! and did my homeowrk. When I was looking at vans, the SECOND that I was told it had a 3.0 engine in it, my line was "Thanks, but no thanks!"

My experience with a 3.0 from a 94 Accliam that PUKED oil from almost every seal and/or orifice, ran rough, kept clogging the throttle body................................................, was confirmed by what I read here before purchasing my van! :)

That said, if I did have a van such as yours that I was attached to, and I wanted to keep on the road, then I would ditch the 3.0 in a heartbeat if something major went wrong with the engine. If you go to a wrecking yard, you should be able to buy the engine with ALL the necessary bits and pieces you need - including the computer.

You may indeed find a 3.0 in decent shape, and this would certainly be the path of least resistance, as well as likely less costly and troublesome. And, having the motor out of the van would be a great time to do some owrk on it to make sure it is worthy of the install as well.

Whatever you decide, I with you good luck with it. The chrysler m>NewMan wrote:

Somewhere in 1994, they fixed the oil problem which were the valve guides not keeping their position. This helped the oil smoking problem. My nice engine has 207,000 miles and does not smoke so I feed bad about all of this.

I am reading through the info and possibly tightening down the head bolts and maybe some sealant, well forget the sealant for now, but torqueing the bolts might squeeze the head gasket shut.

What is confusing is that I am not overheating so the head gasket is just starting to leak or it's possible to intervene just a tad.

The oxygen sensor went which could be a sign of coolant contamination.

The clues are trickling in.

Your suggestion about the wrecking yard is viable but I don't know. All the places the have used engines, so far, and a little bit of a warranty do not include all the peripherals, like computers. They will track the mileage of the engines and do some testing before selling it.

I don't have the means or the tools or anything to go to a wrecking yard and pull an engine. It is possible they may have pulled engines but the wrecking yards I have been to do not look all that careful about good versus bad engines. It is possible the mechanic I finally settle on may have the means to do this. And the interest.