back in january i had to replace the water and oil pump along with timming chain and tensioner. Yesterday i lost a connecting rod bearing. The engine has 160K miles on it. Should I repair or buy a new crate motor??
What does a crate cost now days and from where??

 

your best bet is to buy a low mileage used 3.2/5 motor. avoid the 2.7 altogether, especially a rebuild. too many problems associated with that engine. if you search around your area at the local yards, you can prolly find one. if not, check out www.car-part.com and you can search by location. the transmission will line up no problems, i think you need to purchase a few other things tho. let me do some more checking and i will post back...

 

from the www.dodgeintrepid.net website:

3.5/2L Parts needed:
- Motor Mounts
- ECU/PCM (not required to run the car. SKIM ECUs will NOT work. Only 3.5L non-SKIM ECUs are R/T). 3.2 and 3.5L fuel/ignition curves are slightly different, but one ECU will run the other.(Must be 98-01 if you have a 98-01. Must be 02+ if you have a 02+)
- Exhaust Manifolds
- Intake Ducting/Airbox or Aftermarket Intake for 3.2/5
- Heater/Radiator Hoses
- Oil Cooler and Lines
- Engine Wiring Harness (Must be 98-01 if you have a 98-01. Must be 02+ if you have a 02+)
- Alternator
- Power Steering Pump
- Power Steering Lines (?)
- Power Steering Reservoir
- 2.7L Downpipes Must Be Cut ~2" (see threads)
- 3.2/5 Throttle Cable (?)

 

cb1 as mlkmgr said, go with either a 3.2 or 3.5 engines. From what I have heard a 2.7 can cost close to $6K and the design has many flaws and it is more expensive to maintain. On top of this, everyone I have talked to who had a 3.5L first has said that they found that the 2.7L were no better on gas mileage than their 3.5L was. The 3.2 and 3.5s from what I have seen and heard are very reliable engines. If you want fuel efficiency, the 3.2L will probably be better, if you want power go with the 3.5L.

 

I know you all will say I'm stupid, but I found and installed a 2.7 with only 35K miles on it. It runs like a new one. i will drive this till March then I'm going to use it for a trade in on a new car, How are the new avengers??

Thanks for your help.

 

don't ever second guess your own decisions and no you are not stupid. just be sure to keep up with oil changes and regualar maintenance. if it were my car, i would switch to mobil 1 synthetic asap. ~$24 for a 5 gallon jug at walmart.

as far as a "new" car, go with whatever you like but do a little research to double check reliability. i would not purchase a brand new car. altho the new dodge lifetime powertrain warranty is not a bad thing!!

otherwise, go with a certified used car from dodge (or whoever). they are just as good as new and generally come with an extended drive train warranty on top of the standard factory warranty. they are also thousands cheaper than a new car that depreciates in value the second you drive it off the lot. my wife and i have purchased our last 3 vehicles certified used and could not be happier. the added PT warranty has added peace of mind when purchasing.
good luck with your revived trep and future purchases...