Is it a proven engine?

[ARARAR]

I am thinking of buying a new pick up. I only tow a light boat these days and wonder: Does this new Ecodiesel engine have a proven track record?

 

[SnoKing]

"Does this new Ecodiesel have a proven track record?"

Did you not answer your own question?

 

[RustyJC]

HERE is some history on the VM Motori 3.0L V6 diesel. It's a Ward's (an auto industry trade mag, if you're not familiar with it) 2014 10 Best Engine award winner.

Rusty

 

[ARARAR]

That's good to know but is it a high mileage engine?

 

[sag2]

So far they have been pretty good. I have seen a couple lose the bottom end but it seems pretty isolated. As the volume comes up we might have a better idea, but so far pretty robust engine.

 

[DonFitzwater]

This engine has been in use overseas for several years. Google it!

 

[damar]

I was down to the Ram dealer the other day and ran into a guy I know who has been there over 10 years. He said that a 1500 Ecodiesel with 9,000 miles on it is in the shop with a
cracked block. Said they are waiting for replacement engine, probably have to take one off the assembly line. Might be an isolated case but food for thought.

 

[ARARAR]

I was down to the Ram dealer the other day and ran into a guy I know who has been there over 10 years. He said that a 1500 Ecodiesel with 9,000 miles on it is in the shop with a
cracked block. Said they are waiting for replacement engine, probably have to take one off the assembly line. Might be an isolated case but food for thought.

Has this engine ever been used in other than a sports car? It maybe great going balls out in a light weight sports car but under a load will they hold up?

 

[sag2]

VM's main business was/is industrial and commercial engines. I'm pretty sure they will hold up just fine.

 

[ARARAR]

Fix'um =$$$$

VM's main business was/is industrial and commercial engines. I'm pretty sure they will hold up just fine.

I went online to school myself; I'm old enough to know that any thing with chain drive will require $$$maintenance. Com'on man two chain driven cam shafts, spells nothing but $$$ down the line. Not to mention chain failure and what that can do to the rest of the engine; remember that old bicycle you use to ride? Might be ok if you own a Masarati and you have more $$ than brains or just in it for the prestige. I think I'll not get caught up in the heat of the moment and take a back seat for now.

 

[DonFitzwater]

I went online to school myself; I'm old enough to know that any thing with chain drive will require $$$maintenance. Com'on man two chain driven cam shafts, spells nothing but $$$ down the line. Not to mention chain failure and what that can do to the rest of the engine; remember that old bicycle you use to ride? Might be ok if you own a Masarati and you have more $$ than brains or just in it for the prestige. I think I'll not get caught up in the heat of the moment and take a back seat for now.

Big diesels are almost always gear to gear but little ones are belt or chain driven cams most of the time. For that matter, most modern cars and trucks are equipped with three timing chains, tensioners and guides. I certainly wouldn't shy away from a rig because it has timing chains over a belt........as a matter of fact, I'd personally prefer a chain to a belt.

 

[RVTRKN]

Without any knowledge on the VM motor, being all aluminum, you can expect normal wear any standard gaser engine would have. I would expect 150k before problems show up.

 

[crispyboy]

My old 97 VW Jetta diesel had a 60k interval on the timing belt and the newer ones are 90k+. This is one area that shouldn't be neglected. It was never a problem for us.
It seems there are countless gas engines with chain driven cams. It should work fine with a light duty diesel. Isn't the compression ratio 16:1 on the VM engine? This seems to be on the lighter side of diesel compression ratio's.

 

[rscurtis]

I went online to school myself; I'm old enough to know that any thing with chain drive will require $$$maintenance. Com'on man two chain driven cam shafts, spells nothing but $$$ down the line. Not to mention chain failure and what that can do to the rest of the engine; remember that old bicycle you use to ride? Might be ok if you own a Masarati and you have more $$ than brains or just in it for the prestige. I think I'll not get caught up in the heat of the moment and take a back seat for now.

The timing chain in my 31 YO Mercedes is holding up just fine. With only 130K miles on it, I don't give it a second thought.

 

[Ozymandias]

Please don't buy the Ecodiesel, with the slightest Problem you'll beat it to death.
Buy something else you Trust in.

 

[SHobbs]

Without any knowledge on the VM motor, being all aluminum, you can expect normal wear any standard gaser engine would have. I would expect 150k before problems show up.

The block is iron, the heads are aluminum. I currently have close to 16k miles on my Eco and it has been flawless, no lights or codes. Mileage is sitting between 27-28 m.p.g's. The engine is good enough for Maserati to put in one of their cars, of course with a different tune and a second turbo charger.
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/V6/VM-RA-diesel.html

 

[RVTRKN]

Sure didn't see that with all that crap around it, hell, I wonder if Izusu copied that for their Duramax. :-laf:-laf:-laf

 

[Cyclo]

I was somewhere on the net where they were having severe sludge and blowby on the engine. They showed the blowby by first warming up the engine to operating temperature and then opening the oil fill cap. After this you saw the smoke and oil thrown out by the blowby
Anyone else heard of this?

 

[Cyclo]

Aren't the engines having oil blowby and sludge issues on some of the trucks?

 

[rscurtis]

It's almost impossible to build sludge is a diesel, especially one as new as this. The elevated operating temperature of the ED would make it even more difficult. I would say that this is an urban myth, sort of like "Ford owns Cummings".