DanW
Well-Known Member
That may be a factor, but a friend that was an engineer with FCA said the engine's structural design of the V6 was intended for heavier loads. The 2.0 is great for SUV's, but pickups have to be made with excess capacity for both loads and coolling. Obviously the turbo produces tremendous heat, but the diesel, on the other hand, also has higher cooling requirements than the 3.6, so I think they could overcome that if it were the main issue. For the 3.6, all they had to do was widen the grille mesh openings. Otherwise, its cooling system was already good to go. But the 3.6 was also built with the main bearings, journals, etc. to handle truck duty and the significant loads that may bring.Got a source for this? Specifically the structural part.
I always assumed there was no 2.0 Gladiator due to the cooling system not being able to keep up. From what I've read, the 2.0 gets the same radiator fan as the max-tow Gladiator, which leads me to believe the 2.0's cooling demands are higher than the other motors (well, probably not the 392). I'm guessing that if they put the 2.0 in a vehicle designed for towing, it would probably have to be de-tuned @ max power to not overheat... not because of an issue with the 2.0, but because the JT/JL frontal area is severely limited by the classic Wrangler shape.
I would expect that the 2.0 would actually handle a Gladiator owner's typical use. But they have to aim for maximum use for long-term durability, and according to my friend, those standards are actually very high. Higher than many around here would like to believe.
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