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I love this engine.

Red Willy

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Yup. Came from the diesel in a JLU and it was a terrific engine as far as torque, but the impending maintenance costs and eventual issues with govt. mandated emissions equipment gave me cold feet. Went back to the 3.6. It'll probably be running when I'm gone.
 

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The Last Cowboy

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I'm prepared for flames. The 3.6 Pentastar is more reliable than the 4.0. However, the low end grunt and inline 6 sound isn't there. I've had a 4.2 and two 4.0s and I like the 3.6 better than those, with one exception. The 4.0 was better with a manual than the 3.6 in my JK. Easily solved with lower gears in the axles on 6 speed models, but Jeep won't do it.

Think about it, the power and reliability are great, and that's still with outdated multi port injection. Think about what direct injection would do for this engine, easily over 310 HP in a Wrangler with likely even better fuel mileage. I have no complaints, constantly averaging 20-21 in mine.

This engine is in everything, Challengers, Chargers, 300s, Rams, Durangos, Grand Cherokees, police cars, taxis, etc. It will go down as one of the great V6s out there. Right up with the GM3800, which stated life as the Buick odd fire 225 and had a 5 year run in CJ5s and the Commando when Kaiser owned the tooling for it.

The 3.6 Pentastar is somewhat in it's second generation, with a few significant cam/valvetrain changes in 2016. There are also 3.0 and 3.2 versions of this engine. It was designed and engineered during the time that Chysler was owned by Mercedes. Although not a Mercedes engine, it benfits from the use of design patents and engineering input that would not have been possible under Fiat.
 
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Red Willy

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I'm prepared for flames. The 3.6 Pentastar is more reliable than the 4.0. However, the low end grunt and inline 6 sound isn't there. I've had a 4.3 and two 4.0s and I like the 3.6 better than those, with one exception. The 4.0 was better with a manual than the 3.6 in my JK. Easily solved with lower gears in the axles on 6 speed models, but Jeep won't do it.
I loved my 4.0. Sounded like a diesel most the time, got crappy mileage, but a great engine.
 

The Last Cowboy

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Yep, grunt form just off throttle. 14 MPG and always close to overheating here in South Texas. But great engines in their time. I believe it could have been improved, but Chrysler didn't want to mess with it when they just could pull the wheezing 3.8 off the shelf. It would have been interesting if Chysler built a new generation of the 225 slant 6 though. That was a great inline engine.
 

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AcesandEights

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I'm prepared for flames. The 3.6 Pentastar is more reliable than the 4.0. However, the low end grunt and inline 6 sound isn't there. I've had a 4.3 and two 4.0s and I like the 3.6 better than those, with one exception. The 4.0 was better with a manual than the 3.6 in my JK. Easily solved with lower gears in the axles on 6 speed models, but Jeep won't do it.
...
The 3.6 Pentastar is somewhat in it's second generation, with a few significant cam/valvetrain changes in 2016. There are also 3.0 and 3.2 versions of this engine. It was designed and engineered during the time that Chysler was owner by Mercedes. Although not a Mercedes engine, it benfits from the use of design patents and engineering input that would not have been possible under Fiat.
The 3.6L is available with a manual and 4.10 or 4.88 gearing. I've had a TJ with 4.0L and 3.07 and 3.73 gearing, an XJ with 4.0L and 3.73 gearing, and a JL with 3.6L and 4.10 gearing. I've just ordered another JL with 3.6L and 4.88 gearing. The 3.6L is a better engine than the 4.0L, and I thought I'd never say that.
 

Strommen95

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I'm prepared for flames.

Think about it, the power and reliability are great, and that's still with outdated multi port injection. Think about what direct injection would do for this engine, easily over 310 HP in a Wrangler with likely even better fuel mileage. I have no complaints, constantly averaging 20-21 in mine.
I don't think you'll be flamed. You were respectful and brought up valid points. Where I do disagree with you is that a lot of appeal for this engine choice, comes from the fact it's a standard V6 and not like every other engine today with DI. To me, people that want a little more oomph or better fuel mileage, should just buy the 2.0. I won't pretend to know how the 3.6 would be with DI. Not it's driving or it's long term reliability. I do know that I'm perfectly content with how it is with PI and for me, that's reason enough to not want it ever changed. While I get we as a society typically try to make things better and better with each generation, there's great appeal in keeping something relatively simple that works good. Especially for a platform like a Jeep Wrangler.

I would agree with you if the 2.0 wasn't a thing. Since it is though, I think Jeep can capture the "old school" market with the 3.6 and people that want more modernity with the 2.0. I thought I read somewhere the 3.6 did poorly with DI. I might be mistaking it for doing poorly turbocharged though. It was engineered with both in mind, IRC.
 

m3reno

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. Although not a Mercedes engine, it benfits from the use of design patents and engineering input that would not have been possible under Fiat.
That explains the oil leaks! I had Porsches, Bmw's and Audi's. Every single one leaked oil around the engine. The German's love O-ring type seals that fail quite frequently.
 

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As long as it passes emissions, I doubt they will spend the money to direct inject it.

My sister has a 2.0 turbo in her unlimited. It drives great and that engine has been remarkably trouble free across the line. It moves a wrangler just as well as a V6.

The new 3.0 inline 6 turbo is now entering production. Let's see if it's added to the Wrangler line as an option or used to replace the Pentastar V6. I would think that the front end and firewall of the current JL would need a design change to accommodate it, so it may not show up in a Wrangler until whenever the JM, or whatever it will be reffered to, is built. But, without steel cyliner liners, the dimensions may work with the current model.
 
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jeepingib

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I loved my 4.0, but the Pentastar is a better engine in most regards. The 4.0 may have more off idle torque, ease to maintain and reliability of major components, but the 3.6 has more torque, at a fairly low rpm and carries it up pretty flatly to red line. The 3.6 is a very reliable engine and my personal anecdote it is more reliable than my previous 4.0s (crank position sensor, fueling issues). Plus the hp that the little Pentastar has for its size is very nice. I treated my JK with a 6 spd like the victim of an abusive relationship, and it always asked for more. Bang shifts at red line and the tires would chirp on the 2-3 shift. I really wish I could have seen a production version with a half point less compression, direct injection, and a turbo. I really think it would be competitive with the V8s set up like that.
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