Busted engine - what should I do?

[pjb]

Folks, I got a low-vol certed Pajero SWB with 3.5 V6.



Sounds like a big end has gone. Got a workshop having a look, but let's assume a new bearing shell isn't gonna help.

I can't decide what to do about it. Advice?

Option 1: Motor replacement.
Second-hand 6G74 180k with guarantee is about $3000 What a rip off. Plus fitting, maybe $5000+ all up. There's one on tardme for $2k, but who know what condition this is - probably smokes like a chimney.

Option 2: Motor rebuild.
Assume this would be massively expensive. Anyone have any ideas how much this would cost?

Option 3: Get a donor vehicle.
Could pick up a Paj with the same engine for about $3500. Maybe sell the donor to a wrecker with no engine for say $1000, but would have to pull two engines instead of one. Perhaps end up around the $5000 mark again?

Option 4: Lay the old girl to rest.
Could buy a replacement Paj. Possible even change to a LWB. Swap all the goodies (locking diffs front and rear, compressor, arb bar, winch, dual battery, new cam belt, idlers and water pump, rock sliders, snorkel, suspension mods, springs, body lift, wheels, radios). Sell the old one to a wrecker. This is all work I could do in the garage, but holy crap it would take ages.

[kbushnz]

First I would find out if the old engine is fixable. "Cheaply"
If not then get another engine and drop it in.
But then I would do it myself...

Then just drive it like I stole it again.

There might be guys on here who do "home jobs" and help with a straight engine transplant.

Calvin

[Overkill]

Another option is to put a Holden 3.8 into it, cheaper to pick them up than the 3.5. Home mechanic to help for a cheap fee and you will be rockin

Ask NJV6 how hard it was to put in his Rover V8, he may have some info for ya to digest.......

[LOLYF]

same thing happened to my 3.5 paj luckily mine was a cheapy so i took the good bits off and sold the rest.
One of my club mates had the same problem, he paid big bucks to reco the motor then it did it again so they rebuillt it again with a new crank. Then it did it again! at that point he called it quits, got a hilux and sold the rolling paj.

If i were you i would try and find another one and swap all your goodies into it, then you'll have parts to sell or keep as spares.

[pjb]

Another option is to put a Holden 3.8 into it, cheaper to pick them up than the 3.5.

Yeah, read a writeup on that - the supercharged version would be nice Looks like there's a marks adapter for the transfer case; gotta use the holden box (?). A lot of custom work by the looks.

same thing happened to my 3.5 paj luckily mine was a cheapy so i took the good bits off and sold the rest.
One of my club mates had the same problem, he paid big bucks to reco the motor then it did it again so they rebuillt it again with a new crank. Then it did it again!

Well that's good to know. I'd be well farked off if that happened!

[lexulance]

Firstly find out why it did it, sounds like its a common thing for the 3.5s to do?
Sounds like oil starvation to me, maybe the sump is too shallow or the pickup is too short.
Find that out then fix the engine, and modify the oil starvation problem, and use it, because it sounds like you have got some good bits on the vehicle and it would be a pain in the arse swapping it into another vehicle which is probly gona do the same thing
If you hate the vehicle then sell it as is and buy a hilux

[churchill]

Hey man, with athe amount of 3.5l gen 3 Pajero's around I though the price of a secondhand engine would be cheaper than that. This way should give you the highest chance of success from experience.

A gasket, ring and bearing kit on ebay is US$97 + US$70 shipping but chances are you would need a new crank and there's still the rebuild cost unless you can do it yourself. There's more chances of things going wrong doing a rebuild...

[Nivapulledout]

If you do it yourself you should be able to get it done under a grand. that is with the crank grind.

you have nothing to lose by pulling the motor out and stripping it. keeping a good photo record of stuff before you pull it off. dot mark casings and the like so you know which way around things go.

It could just be a bearing, you never know.

Lots of people here will guide you through and it will be a good learning experience.

[pjb]

If you do it yourself you should be able to get it done under a grand. that is with the crank grind.

you have nothing to lose by pulling the motor out and stripping it. keeping a good photo record of stuff before you pull it off. dot mark casings and the like so you know which way around things go.

It could just be a bearing, you never know.

Lots of people here will guide you through and it will be a good learning experience.

Yeah pretty tempted - driveway isn't that flat though, might need to find somewhere else to do the actual lift. In the meantime, I might start stripping all the bits of the engine - might take a few evenings...

[NJV6]

I was quoted about 6k to do one up, mine didn't need it though. Phew.

I am very interested to know why it did the bearing though... There are shit loads of those motors around, but they are expensive 2nd hand.

Generally the bottom ends are pretty sounds, its the valve stems that give troubles.... (mine incl)

I'd stick to the 3.5 over the 3.8 com unless it was supercharged, the 3.5 has more power and torque and doesn't cost anything to adapt to your gearbox.

[pjb]

Ouch, 6k. Yeah, will definitely be getting a secondhand engine at that price...

Pretty sure I first heard something in the engine when trying to get up and around a tree on some sloping clay. The old girl was up around 7000. Barely noticed anything, dismissed it in fact. About 30 minutes of driving later a slight ticking could be heard under load, which developed into knocking at idle.

High rpm abuse perhaps?

[NJV6]

That 6k was a full rebuild though, incl heads.

I know a guy here who rolled his and run a bearing, he just pulled the crank out, did the bearings on that and it is fine again. I think he even did it in the vehicle. On second thoughts it would have been easier for him to do it in the vehicle than us as it has a coil conversion.

[churchill]

Ouch, 6k. Yeah, will definitely be getting a secondhand engine at that price...

Pretty sure I first heard something in the engine when trying to get up and around a tree on some sloping clay. The old girl was up around 7000. Barely noticed anything, dismissed it in fact. About 30 minutes of driving later a slight ticking could be heard under load, which developed into knocking at idle.

High rpm abuse perhaps?

Did this happen at Woodhill at that "t" intersection where someones monsoon shield got remodeled?

[pjb]

Did this happen at Woodhill at that "t" intersection where someones monsoon shield got remodeled?

Yeah, spot on. I reckon I heard the vaguest hint of something in the engine then... But then it sounded all good - gave it a few blips and sounded fine. Wasn't until we were heading down the beach for a car-wash in the creek that I heard it again.

[NJV6]

I notice some of them have 6000rpm redline and some 7000. Mine is 6000, maybe they don't like that extra 1000?

I have never found the cutout and I have seen it at 7000, do they have one?

[pjb]

Surely there must be - fuel injected, electronic ignition, why wouldn't you just add that line of code?

That said - never heard mine bounce off the limiter either - seems to run out of puff before that happens.

Unfortunately mine's an auto with original diff ratios, so second gear is out of the question for clearing tread and climbing, so that necessitates some high rpm to get results.

[churchill]

Did this happen at Woodhill at that "t" intersection where someones monsoon shield got remodeled?

Yeah, spot on. I reckon I heard the vaguest hint of something in the engine then... But then it sounded all good - gave it a few blips and sounded fine. Wasn't until we were heading down the beach for a car-wash in the creek that I heard it again.

Ah crap, well hopefully you caught it early enough that you don't need a crank grind. Let me know if you need a link to a rebuild kit on ebay. I've just got one for my truck and it seems good value for money. They're not as good as oem stuff but I'll find out soon just how good they are.

[pjb]

You doing a rebuild churchill?

[churchill]

Yeah, once I find some conrods... had some lined up but the guys not communicating any more. Why's that?

[pjb]

Dropped the engine off to the reconditioner. Turns out they have two other 6G74 engines in there with the same problem (crank bearings) - one of them was in for the second time with only 120k's.

Sounds like these motors might be a bit prone to this kind of failure.

[churchill]

I've had a brief search online trying to find what causes that bearing failure, the most I could find was that the sump can cause oil pump starvation during high speed cornering. Maybe the same as going up and down steep hills? There has to be a reason why all these motors fail in the same mannor.

[pjb]

Maybe I should do a dry sump conversion... That would be nice

[churchill]

Dry $ump, drool...

[mudslut]

Dry $ump, drool...

X2

[churchill]

How did you go with the rebuild? Are you up and running yet?

[pjb]

Spent ages chasing up a lead on a low k's motor, but fell through eventually. So now the reco place has just started doing a full rebuild. Should be done in a week or so, and then gotta get the beastie back in the hole, which should be entertaining...!

[churchill]

Ah, bummer about the engine. Yeah taking it out is easier than putting it in. An engine hoist makes the task easier. Let me know if you need a hand.

[Roughy]

How is it all going pjb? Nice truck!

[Trundle]

couple of the guys down here just bolt the quad cam diamante motors in and they are easy to get and perform well ,

[klompy]

Replying to another old post.