3L vs 3.5L

[WESTY33]

looking at pajeros after petrol and was wandering what the pros and cons of both motors are and what is preferd for off roading

[nztimr33]

looking at pajeros after petrol and was wandering what the pros and cons of both motors are and what is preferd for off roading

The 3.5 has a bit more grunt/quad cam , however their a bastard of a motor to work on and unlike the 3l which has a distributor the 3.5l has a cam and crank sensor which live under the cambelt covers so the cambelt has to come off to replace it and they do crap out quite often also if your going through mud it can get in there and stuff them , personally i'd go for the 3l but its up to you , oh and there are some nasty water pipes on the 3.5l which run under the inlet manifold which also leak and their a prick to get to , so if u do buy a 3.5l make sure the water in the cooling system has antifreeze in it or you'll end up with a nightmare on your hands

[Cameron]

3.5 alternators are low mount vs top mount on the 3.0.
apparently 3.5s sometimes drop valves.
you can't do the valve stem seals on a 3.5 without heads off (3.0 you can do in place). stem seals are always shitting the bed on mitsis

fair bit more grunt, though. I wouldn't buy an auto 3.0, but I would a 3.5. i reckon the 3.5 autos go at least as well as manual 3.0s. 3.0 autos seem to be sluggish as buggery.(when we're talking SWB at least... I probably wouldn't buy a petrol LWB)

[Camshaft]

I have got both ( Both manuals). The 3.5 is fantastic at higher speeds where the quad cam comes into its own. It really takes off at 4000 rpm. I consider the 3.0 produces better torque for offroad and can idle over rough stuff better. The 3.5 spins the wheels easily when taking off in mud or sand - something I prefer not to do as it is easy to just sink.
The 3.5 needs a different driving style, a little momentum and you will get wherever you want to go.
Agree with previous comments re working on the motors, the 3.0 is basic compared to the 3.5
I'm keeping the 3.0 and will move the 3.5 on.

[Ant]

3.0 for me.
have both 3.0 and 3.5 in the family. the 3.0 did not have the pick up of the 3.5 but still plenty of grunt and god help you if anything goes wrong on the 3.5

[NJV6]

The 3.5 as factory is a little higher geared than the 3.0, I have had my alternator repaired numerous times on the 3.5 but never any other electrical trouble and the engine has spent its fair share of time in muddy water.

I have had it for coming up 10 years and have had to have a valve grind on one valve, so I did the valve stem seals at the same time, it was not seating properly so a clean up was all that was req'd. I'd buy another one in a flash, I do maintain it every 5000km or once a year which ever comes 1st, often its once a year is first. From my experience with the 3.5 and 3.0, the 3.5 on 33's with chains on cannot be killed in 2nd gear but the 3.0 was often in low to achieve the same. They all seem to burn a bit of oil, mine is using about a litre every 5000km so not to much to worry about.

Glen

[Jamie]

Ive had the 3.0 and now have the 3.5. Prefer the 3.5 for outright power. More to the engines and more $$ when shit goes wrong. I found the 3.5 high range is as grunty as the 3.0 low range so fair bit of extra torque. Ild go with the 3.5 but i guess in the back of my mind im worried if anything goes wrong....

[dvkmunta1kzsurf]

mate get a 3L. they are strong as the hills. I give mine death all the time and it loves it. has never let me down. nice and simple motors

[rogerramjet]

I had the same issue when I was looking, and did a lot of research on the topic. Two different Mitsubishi mechanics told me to steer clear of the 3.5 GDI engine due to reliability and cost of repair issues.

[mercutio]

so from what i have read here the 3.5 non gdi motor is the one to get then

[evilknieval69]

Definitely don't get the gdi motor, and be prepared to use lots of fuel! Awesome motors though, heaps of grunt, lack a bit of torque at low revs on the road though.