[wrxlvr]

This is the conclusion I've come to after talking to MANY engine rebuilders that have seen a lot of this engine. It's almost always the #1 cylinder that goes.

I guess what is happening is that these engines are VERY sensitive to oil level issues (combine this with the fact that this engine burns oil and that makes for trouble). The oil pickup tube is short and near the front of the engine, and so when going up hills, the engine ends up not getting oil and blows.

Not happy about owning this vehicle since I bought if for off road fun. The rebuild I'm getting includes a longer, aftermarket oil pickup tube, but this isn't going to solve the problem entirely. Once I can afford to get something else, it'll happen. :x

 

[undertheradar]

Hmmm, seems like too general of a statement for my tatses.

Whats so hard about making sure the engine has plenty of oil?

 

[wrxlvr]

Whats so hard about making sure the engine has plenty of oil?

:roll:

Shouldn't have to be done every 600 miles. I checked mine before I left and 600 miles later it was 3.5 quarts low. Shouldn't happen like that on a vehicle as new as this one was.

You think even fans of Isuzu would see that there's a serious problem with this engine. The number of blown engines proves that.

 

[etp777]

48% of people in poll voted for :

Running Strong, uses some oil (<1qt in 1k miles)

That's not anything I would consider that bad. I'd say yours is more of an exception than the rule

Obviously there's a problem with oil loss in a lot, or even most, of these engines, but not like you have.

 

[wrxlvr]

48% is less than half. Not exactly what I'd consider a reliable engine. That's only the people on this board also.

All I'm suggesting is that those people who have this engine check their oil religiously and if you're going to be using it offroad, make certain that the oil level is full because if it's even a quart low, you may have problems on any sort of uphill incline.

 

[Tad]

We don't exactly have a representative population here with only 45 votes. There were over 4,000 Vehicross' alone built with that engine. 2000 to 2003 saw some ~45,000 Troopers produced with that engine. There were 1998-2000 Troopers, Axioms and some Rodeos with that engine as well.

-Tad

 

[undertheradar]

My 99 has been off-road in the desert for days at a time and used for carrying 5 snowboarders to the Sierra for several seasons. This is all after buying it used at 60k miles. I check the oil in all my cars every fill up (out of habit) and change the oil every 3000 miles. Do I wish it was like my Civic that NEVER loses oil? Sure. Does it bother me that I have to add half a quart every 2 or 3 tanks of gas? Not really, no. All the positives of the vehicle far outweigh the minimal negatives.

Just my opinion though.

 

[gerald]

I own the same truck and have never had issues with losing any oil. I check it regularly and change at 3k miles never really losing any except
the normal burn off

 

[tomster]

The potential problem of the 3.5 engine is a well covered topic.

However, this is the first I have ever heard of the oil tube pickup being a problem. This seems very unlikely to me. Maybe I am overly optimistic about Isuzu engineers but this seems a very easy thing to design (as opposed to pistons/rings to maximize mileage yet minimize oil combustion). Also, most of the blown 3.5 engine posters report absolutely no oil in their engines. I would think if the pickup tube is too short, the engine would blow with plenty of oil left in the pan. Moreover, none of the blown engine reporters ever saw the low oil pressure light come on except maybe a couple of seconds before the engine seized. If the pickup tube is too high then I would think the low pressure light would be coming on everytime any of us go uphill with even a slightly low overall oil level.

Lacking some hard evidence of the short pickup theory I don't think this is really something to worry about. Just my $.02.

 

[Amigo-2k]

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbullet ... p?t=407503

good trend. Read the last few posts.

 

[tomster]

I had also read the oversized bore posts. Interesting theory posted by one guy that does make some sense. It would explain why some engines use oil and others don't.

Still though this is just a theory in my mind. Hard to imagine how the factory randomly overbored some cylinders. Not saying they couldn't do it just hard to imagine that happening. Also the long reported oil burning cure is newly designed rings and pistons to scrape more oil out of the combustion chamber not just larger pistons/rings to fit the wrong size bores.

Other things in that post don't sound right either. For example, Isuzu will cover half the cost of a new engine. That too is a new one on me. AFAIK if you fail the oil consumption test they pay for all the new engine less a few incidental ripoff items. Not saying the poster is lying. More likely between him, the dealer, Isuzu, and his shop something is getting lost in the translation.

 

[mepr]

the statement your making is like people saying the early 4bangers will always blow headgaskets. Does ithappen, yes. But my 1980 G-180F is running a 9:1 comp ratio and has been heated up to 250*. Still runs great, there will be examples both ways (exceptionally bad and good). You just got an exceptionally bad one i guess.

 

[Isuzu Rick]

Read my post under the 1st Sticky on 3.5 L engines and tell me that [1] the engine is good and [2] that Isuzu has the interests of its customers at heart.

I ran my 98 Rodeo all over creation and had no problems, so I decided to buy a 00 Trooper with the 3.5 L and had nothing but problems until I recently left it in the custody of a KIA dealer who at last check was still trying to find a used engine to install so he could resell it.

Isuzu doesn't care, not because I say they don't, but because many other owners with the same problem have documented they don't. My Rodeo made me want to be loyal to Isuzu, their response to me and many other owners over their poorly designed and built 3.5 L engine forced me to leave the mark.

 

[wrxlvr]

It's being rebuilt with a different type of ring. I forget the brand (started with an H I think). The guy said that their shop and one of the Isuzu dealers here worked together to figure out that this type of ring was the only one that got rid of the oil consumption issues.

We'll see. I should have it back in a week or two.

 

[mepr]

hey Ford Chevy and Chrysler have had worse engine than this. The new Hemis had valve spring collapsing and the knocking holes in pistons. Chrysler threw new motors at people and told them to shut up. Chevy did this same thing whith the 6.2L diesel. And Ford had motors in the early T-birds that would consume 1qt. of oil every 500miles. Ford told people it was normal just like Isuzu. Only Isuzu whent back and redisgned the motor, the Big three have always just told people they dont know anything. Isuzu may have had a teribly early V-6 (even toyotas early V-6s were bombs) but Isuzu whent back and redisigned it so its a good motor. Thats something alot of motor companies never do.

 

[wrxlvr]

...Only Isuzu whent back and redisgned the motor, the Big three have always just told people they dont know anything. Isuzu may have had a terrible early V-6s (even toyota's early V-6s were bombs) but Isuzu went back and redesigned it, so it's a good motor. Thats something a lot of motor companies never do.

Would've been nice if they would have taken care of the customers with the bad motors.

Don't mind me, the car I had before the Trooper was a Subaru Impreza WRX. In case you hadn't heard, Subaru just passed up Honda and Toyota as the most reliable brand.

 

[mepr]

im not saying that Isuzu did the best thing, they could have handled it better. But give em a little credit for taking the motors apart and seeing what failed, then redesigning them.

 

[wrxlvr]

I get it back today. 4K to rebuild, but with the new rings, it shouldn't use have an oil consumption issue.

 

[Russell89]

i think i would have just spent the 3 bucks on a quart of oil every couple of fill ups :wink:

 

[Tad]

Keep us posted!

Is there a parts list on the invoice?

-Tad