Mopar 3.5L ????'s

[NETim]

We've got a '96 Chrysler LHS with about 100K on it. We bought it used with about 80K on it. At about 97K, it started idle rough. Put in new plugs... no improvement. The old ones looked great so I didn't expect any improvement anyway.



Took it to the dealer and found out that the intake manifold gasket got either got "sucked in' or "blown out". Acording to the service manager, the 3. 5's have a tendency to do this. Other than water pumps though, there isn't much else that goes wrong with 'em according to him.



I'm nothing short of amazed that an intake manifold gasket could fail in such a way.



Anyone else with experience with the 3. 5? It seems to be a good runnin' engine otherwise.



Tim

 

[LSMITH]

Back in the mid 90's the company I worked for ran them in Concords and Intrepids, headgaskets were the only major failure that was common, seems like just about all of them lost a headgasket before 70K miles. The worst was trannies went out like you would not believe. The company I work for now runs them in Concords and have very little trouble aside from transmissions.

 

[78repowerwagon]

I have a 94 New Yorker with the 3. 5l. It has 171,000 trouble free miles (except the water pump). I do keep the maintenance up on it. It has been replaced by the Cummins as the family vehicle, but is still running great.

 

[Will24]

you think intake gaskets going at 97k's bad! be happy you don't own a 3. 1, 3. 4 or 3. 8 powered GM car, our dealership's seen cars with 970 miles in with blown intake gaskets, valleys fill with coolant, starts making a hell of a racket when the lifters begin to chatter!

 

[NETim]

OK

I am just trying to get a better feel for the 3. 5L. I have been told by many individuals that it's a great motor, but the service manager's comments about the intake manifold gasket worries me.



The current plan is to drive a the LHS a coupla' more years, then pickup one of them sexy 300M's.



I'll get a much better idea of what kind of engine the 3. 5 is after another 75K or so. Then maybe I'll know whether I want another 3. 5 in the garage.



Thanks!



Tim