Hey all.
I have a 1998 durango. I was wondering about how many miles can you put on the engine before it starts to go bad? If anyone could let me know what yours has done, id appreciate it.
Thanks y'all.

 

Maintenance is the key. I put 300000+ on a 1975 Chevy Suburban 454 with one rebuild on the t400 transmission running Valvoline racing 20/50 til durablend came out. That pulling a 10000 lb trailer now and then. I seen here 250000. My buddy just granaded a balancer on a 360 at 130000.

 

Depends on how well the car was taken care of I suppose. My 1999 Durango had 181,246 miles on it when the Radiator, Water Pump, Bottom Hose, and Transmission Cooler went out, roughly all at the same time. I've also replaced the Shocks, Upper/Lower Ball Joints, Control Arms, and the Left/Right Tie Rods. My Durango has roughly 210,000 miles on it now and still going strong.

Now I've put alot of work into it personally, more than some people would likely do, but to me it was worth it. The question really should be something
more like "How many times should I fix my Durango before giving up on it?"

 

there are plenty of people with over 300,000 miles with just routine maintenance. Of course things like waterpumps and hoses are going to go over time, but as long as you keep with the maintenance the engine and transmission should be fine.

These engines started out in the 50s and 60s as the LA series and then were converted into the Magnum series, and have always been known for being very robust. I have a 1969 Plymouth Satellite with over 300,000 miles on the original engine and transmission with no rebuilds on either and it still drives just fine.

Basically if you take care of the truck, it'll take care of you

 

I have a 2000 Durango with a 5.9L in it and I recently went over 200K. I am looking forward to many more and in a couple years I plan on handing my D down to my daughter when she gets her license.

I did put a new trans in it at 120K, but other than that, I have also went thru a water pump, radiator ( which I think was self inflicted... ) and I put new shocks on it. Just regular maint other than that.

 

Edit: I responded to the wrong thread here. This was an old related thread.

Over 311,000 miles on the Dak. Nothing rebuilt and feels like it can easily do another 300K.

 

As long as you keep up with maintenance, you can get 200K easy. The timing chain will need replaced at some time along with other peripherals like the water pump and such, but the basic engine should keep on going for quite a while. Keeping the oil changed,every 3000 to 5000 (I got for 3000 myself) is critical. Not far behind is the coolant. Change it every 4 years or so. The antifreeze part never goes away. However, the anti-corrosion part fades. The old cast iron engines weren't as touchy but with dissimilar metals like steel and aluminum, the coolant stops electrolytic corrosion. The last LA engine I replaced where I knew the history had 333,000 miles on it.