Which engine is easiest to work on?

[mwilk012]

The best undisputable option is to not need the service in the 1st place.

The only way to "not need" that would be to select the ESS option then delete the battery entirely. Etorque is a vastly more complicated system.

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[mwilk012]

this is true. the egr is definitely an issue on the diesel, but there is a lot more additional emissions equipment on the diesel, like the particulate filter and the def injection, there's also the exhaust valve which is prone to failure. Same kinda crap that's on my wife's vw tdi that has run out of it's dieselgate warranty that i might delete soon and pick up 5mpg and some power. that's if we dont trade it in on the jeep.

The pentastar has a fairly shitty EGR valve and multiple catalytic converters, and there is no deleting any of it. As of yet theres not a delete for the 3rd gen 3.0 either.

The ESS battery setup really isn't a big deal.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

The only way to "not need" that would be to select the ESS option then delete the battery entirely. Etorque is a vastly more complicated system.

More complicated but less gremlins than the aux battery versions.

 

[mwilk012]

More complicated but less gremlins than the aux battery versions.

There are no "gremlins", there are people who can't change a battery.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

There are no "gremlins", there are people who can't change a battery.

I went through 3 in two years on my 2018. Just one of the many issues of my 2018.

 

[mwilk012]

I went through 3 in two years on my 2018. Just one of the many issues of my 2018.

I have replaced it once in 60k miles. Which do you think is more common?

In my experience, the radiator is equally as problematic as the aux battery.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

I have replaced it once in 60k miles. Which do you think is more common?

In my experience, the radiator is equally as problematic as the aux battery.

I wasn't so lucky. Not saying it happens to everyone but long story short, I am VERY happy to not deal with it anymore and would never risk buying a 2018 again.

 

[azjl#3]

They are batterys, in Az we replace batteries every 24-26 months like clockwork.

Radiators, it's the only thing I replaced on my tacoma. Twice.

They are machines, machines do machine things.

 

[OrneryBear]

The pentastar has a fairly shitty EGR valve and multiple catalytic converters, and there is no deleting any of it. As of yet theres not a delete for the 3rd gen 3.0 either.

The ESS battery setup really isn't a big deal.

Ya I agree, replacing an aux battery is NBD for the ESS.

I'm not saying the egr and cats on the pentastar doesn't suck, it's just a smaller quantity of suck. I'm not worried about deleting the gas stuff, keep that all working even if it breaks.

 

[mwilk012]

Ya I agree, replacing an aux battery is NBD for the ESS.

I'm not saying the egr and cats on the pentastar doesn't suck, it's just a smaller quantity of suck. I'm not worried about deleting the gas stuff, keep that all working even if it breaks.

If the 2.0 sticks around long enough to prove itself reliable, perhaps the aftermarket will catch up with parts supply.

The 3.6 gets my vote every time.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

I have owned 2 3.6L and not a single engine problem with either. Granted only less than 10k miles on second one.

 

[oldcjguy]

I'm definitely confused why DI would wash the cylinders any worse than an old honda engine, which was great. Those, while not considered direct injection, had the injectors entering the combustion chamber almost directly, so I don't see much of a difference.

"Almost directly" and directly is a huge difference in this case. The injector rail pressures need to be MUCH higher to work inside the cylinder. Over 1000 psi. That being said, I don't buy all the hype about washing the cylinders. If that were the case the rings on DI motors would wear out REALLY fast. DI has been around for a long time and ring wear is not one of the complaints. DI motors run more efficiently. That's why they make more power than normally injected motors. The injector can spray right before the ignition event rather than spraying into the intake port and being drawn in with the air charge. Fuel ends up in the oil on port and DI injected motors. Just check the balckstone reports after oil changes. Some unburned fuel during the power stroke and the exhaust stroke that get by the rings with the rest of the exhaust may end up in the oil. Combustion isn't 100% efficient and rings don't make a perfect seal. That's why we have catalytic converters and PCV systems, and valve cover venting.
The downside of DI is oil and carbon build up on the back of the intake valve. Port injection is sprays fuel in the intake port, behind the valve. The fuel acts as a cleaner to wash the back of the valve. DI motors spray the fuel directly into the combustion chamber. No fuel ever condenses in the intake port, nor does it wash over the back of the valve. Great for performance, bad for cleaning. All engines end up with oil in the intake from the PCV system. There is oil vapor in the air being breathed in from the PCV. That oil condenses in the intake and coats the intake manifold and the intake valve. It eventually gets pulled into the cylinder and burned away, but.... The intake valve gets hot from combustion and the oil on the back of the valve becomes carbon and builds up over time (talking 100k miles). They've come up with special cleaning systems using walnut shells and compressed air to clean them without removing the head. Also, better PCV baffling and filtering systems have been designed. Personally, I use a good quality catch can and it appears to be working well. Knowing this in advance you can use cleaners like Seafoam or some other intake cleaner regularly keep the intake clean. I'm not worried about it. Again, it's been around for a long time and it's not going away. GM LS motors and Ford Coyote motors all use DI. They do still have port injectors, but that's not to keep things clean. DI runs off a mechanical pump (needs lots of psi) and they need the port injectors for additional fueling for the power they are making. Therre are a couple aftermarket companied that make modified cams and pumps to boost DI flow and pressure, but it's not a cheap job. Not like an old school mechanical pump LOL

$.02

 

[oldcjguy]

If you do your own wrenching and you're a halfway decent home mechanic, you'll do fine with either of the gas motors. I have no experience with diesel engines, just not my game, so I can't talk to the 3.0. I would be hesitant though since they are discontinuing it in the wrangler. I believe 23 is the last year for the 3.0 diesel.

 

[jessedacri]

Ya the rubi is only an option as of right now for these reasons if we go with the manual. I'm not a big fan of the rubicon interior or the electronic swaybar disconnect. Otherwise a diesel or 2.0 XR will do the trick, and I'll add a locker or two down the line.

The Rubicon interior stuff can likely be fixed to your liking down the road - the dash panels are swappable at least and the seat skins are cheaper than you'd think. I also find the e-disconnect great after 3 years now, it works very well even after years of wheeling the hell out of it and submerging it - now with 2.5" MC lift and 37s. I'm running the rock krawler "No Limits" swaybar links that allow a ton of misalignment for lifted and flexy setups. The rest of the Metalcloak lift is top notch but friends have broken multiple sets of MC sway links as there's just too much bushing resistance / not enough misalignment to allow free flexing of the axle to its limits like the RK ones.

I will also throw my hat in the ring for the 8 speed auto. As much as I wanted a manual, knowing what the specs of that transmission are and the issues Jeep has had (and their fix being an engine detune) I just don't consider it a durable option for something that's going to be in charge of four 120-pound wheels and tires under a loaded rig across extreme terrain in remote locations. The 8 speed really, really wakes up the 3.6 and the pairing is awesome. I was going for a manual in 2019 when I was shopping until I drove the 3.6/8AT combo. 392 aside, it's certainly the engine with the sportiest "feel" and sound albeit not the absolute fastest way to 60mph vs the 2.0/4xe/3.0.

 

[PhoenixM3]

Hey all!

I'm trying to narrow down an engine choice for our JLU Willys. Avoiding 3.6 etorque and 4xe drivetrains due to the hybrid/electrical systems. That leaves me with 3 choices, 3.0ED, 2.0t, 3.6 manual. Obviously there's pros and cons to all 3. I ask this mainly because I will be working on the jeep myself when it makes sense and then of course do everything after warranty runs out. I have a lot of experience working on vehicles. This jeep will be offroad and modified in the long run. My thoughts from research are below and I'm hoping people can share their thoughts/experience as well.

3.0ED: Looking at pics/videos, the diesel looks crammed in that engine bay with the all the emissions equipment. We currently have a vw 3dr golf 6spd tdi and that's been a breeze to work on, not to mention our DT466 in our bus which is also a great diesel to deal with. This engine does not look easy/fun to work on. Aside from all the emissions stuff, it sounds like it's pretty reliable and comes with a great transmission. Also comes with 3.73 gears and D44 front and rear which is nice since we're going willys. I do love the idea of a diesel jeep.

2.0t: Drove it, loved it. Good power, great transmission. Small engine, so it should be easy to work around and access components. Light weight. Only downside I see with this engine is the added complexity of the turbo. I've had small turbo engines in the past, so that's fine with me, but it is a consideration. This is also a positive because it leaves room to upgrade the turbo after the warranty for more power. So far it sounds like the main reliability issue on these is the coolant system leaking due to improperly torqued fasteners? If we went with this engine, I'd likely get the XR package for the axles/knuckles and gearing.

3.6man: In theory this should be the reliable/cheap/simple choice. It's a jeep, so this is simple, and no etorque or turbos. The elephant in the room is the clutch. This leaves me with the added expense of putting a clutch in this thing, and there is still no evidence the CF2 clutch fixes the risk, though signs point to yes. I figure I could get a few thousand miles out of it without incident and at some point drop the transmission and install the clutch. My wife votes for manual, but she's not the one working on it haha.

Thanks for any insight you can provide, we plan on keeping this thing as long as possible, so I'd like to make that as easy on myself as I can, I have enough projects.

Well, since I’m the only peasant here that is buying a single Wrangler, I’m going with the diesel…?

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