Oh man... that's just relentless bad luck. So what now, sell it at a loss or try to shoehorn a non-mitsu drivetrain into it?

(or join the dark side ) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

I truly have no idea. We have dumped buckets of cash into it. The 3.5 is a short life, trouble prone engine and anything other then a brand new one(with guaranteed critical area fixes) I would not even consider after all this hell. I just cannot believe the way for instance my 5.8 Titan engine runs at 147K, at that point with a Mitsu engine you are simply waiting for the shoe to drop. Heck, a new 4x4 you can count on for awhile before exploding is looking attractive again....Yes the Xterra was a POS, but there are others out there.....Going to be awhile yet again, which is the truly hard part for the family. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> A swap? Cost and integration troubles are my biggest concerns.

You shouldn't give up, there's gotta be a known good motor somewhere you can get. Probably won't be cheap but this motor was cheap and obviously we weren't so lucky with that. Maybe your mechanic has a source for good engines? You can still make it to Sierra Challenge 2015 <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

No mechanic has a source for rare engines like these. Would be easier to find and engine for some crazy antique car. We know these engines are not to be trusted used, and rebuilds are hopeless. So really what I would need to find is a score on a new engine somewhere. Or swap to something newer and more reliable like one of the Japanese import newer engines. Cannot spend a few thousand over and over and over swapping motors to find the right one. I mean, labor was cheap as hell, but look at just what gaskets, seals, ect, ect......its damn expensive to throw new engines in and get them up to snuff. The sad thing is the engine we first put in ran like a champ until it swallowed bushings. But every used engine has a gremlin waiting......I am overall just disappointed by how 3 times in a row one way or another as soon as I was loaded, headed up a hill and getting on the gas the engines just flew apart.

As for rebuilds, they are junk BUT there are engine builders that can build these engines right but it's not cheap. The 300GT guys build Montero engines for use in their cars and they are usually pushing a lot of horsepower.

Lloyd, this really friggin sucks. I couldn't believe what I heard in the message. Unbeleivable. Those motors can be rebuilt. It's just expensive like Adam said. I just don't know that that would be the best route though honestly.

Yeh, I knew it would be a surprise. After all you guys did for me I did not want to be negative. Right off the bat..but when it feels like power is down 30% after engine work and a misfire code cannot be worked out....that is not good. I guess I was fantasizing it was something less serious.

So did a piston let go? Piston through the block or what?

I really don't know, I have not looked. The noise was so loud news helicopters came to see what was happening, the engine got hot and there was clouds of oily smoke. Before that the 30% less then normal power dropped to 80% less then normal. I doubt there is a hole in the block, but a cylinder or two or an entire head or something came completely apart. I suppose its possible since a 5 year old was working on the heads they messed something else up, but it really sounds like bottom end. I need to do a better visual inspection, but I don't think we would know anything with out tearing it down. Coolant looks full, no oil contamination. Oil is normal level, but I think I see very small metallic material.

You can tell a lot with a compression test and/or a leak-down test.

It comes down to this: It's just a machine. It's only as good as the weakest part. Skip over that and it's going to fail prematurely. These engines, like anything mechanical, can be built to last, but corners cannot be cut without repercussions.

Case-in-point, jinstv. Once he got his engine back together correctly, with the right parts and the proper techniques, it's lasting and holding up fine. Not to say you and the guys didn't do something right, but "something" wasn't right. Otherwise it wouldn't have failed. Find out what that "something" was.

By the way, I can assemble a lower plenum that will NOT come apart in use. Because I've studied it, identified what fails, came up with a better solution using superior parts and a more solid assembly technique. Could I rebuild an entire 3.5 DOHC and hope it works? Not a chance at my skill level/pay grade. But I could find out how.

Now's the crossroad for this one. It can be done, but will you take the time, effort and most importantly, the money, to make it happen? Not trying to be a d!ck, it just comes across that way sometimes.

John B.