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Posted: 3/14/2024 3:00:37 PM EDT
Which is a more reliable engine and why? I'm in the market for a different jeep. I know the 3.6 has more power. Thanks
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Posted: 3/14/2024 4:55:06 PM EDT
[#1]
prob similar with reliability. Each one has it's issues that will require a lot of money to fix. Burning oil on 3.8 and valve issues on 3.6
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USA
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Posted: 3/14/2024 5:57:28 PM EDT
[#2]
Some older 3.6l pentastar engines had issues with casting sand not being cleaned out properly, those issues should have been long corrected though.
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Posted: 3/14/2024 6:18:48 PM EDT
[#3]
3.6L is better but it's far from problem free, especially 2012-2014.
I just sold my 2012 off as it was just a matter of time before another valve issue happened and it's now outside of Jeep's extended 10-year warranty. The general belief is that the 3.6L was more reliable and a better engine due to that and more power. While the 3.6L has valve and rocker problems, the 3.8L had oil consumption and manifold cracking issues and they seemed to happen more often than the 3.6L's issues do. |
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Posted: 3/14/2024 7:10:31 PM EDT
[Last Edit: ColtRifle]
[#4]
Some Jeep people believe the 3.8 is more reliable but power sucks. The 3.6 has more power but is less reliable.
I haven't owned either so am not speaking from experience. Just repeating what I've been told. My Jeep has a 4.0 
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Posted: 3/14/2024 7:27:14 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ColtRifle: Some Jeep people believe the 3.8 is more reliable but power sucks. The 3.6 has more power but is less reliable. I haven't owned either so am not speaking from experience. Just repeating what I've been told. My Jeep has a 4.0 |
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Posted: 3/14/2024 9:23:29 PM EDT
[Last Edit: _DR]
[#6]
Depends on when the 3.6 was made. Later 3.6L engines have the bugs worked out and make almost 300 HP.
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Posted: 3/14/2024 10:37:22 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By _DR: Depends on when the 3.6 was made. Later 3.6L engines have the bugs worked out and make almost 300 HP. While I do believe the engine is better than is was, not sure the bugs are really worked out. Main one I’m aware of is the oil cooler/filter assembly. Luckily, it’s easy to find the all aluminum one to replace the factory garbage one. But, as far as I know FCA is still using the plastic oil cooler assemblies in the 3.6. Honestly, it’s a decent engine from what I understand but still with a few flaws. |
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SD, USA
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Posted: 3/15/2024 11:07:10 AM EDT
[#8]
Dunno about the 3.6, when I got my jeep, I specifically looked at only the 3.8's.
Less computer bullshit, and easier to rip out when I get around to repowering. |
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 3/15/2024 11:19:34 AM EDT
[#9]
Hemi
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TX, USA
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Posted: 3/16/2024 9:36:29 AM EDT
[#10]
I’ve owned both. The 3.6 was way more enjoyable to drive but the 3.8 doesn’t make enough power to hurt its self. I have seen 3.8s pushing 300k miles
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Posted: 3/17/2024 9:51:15 AM EDT
[#11]
3.6 pentastar engine
Oil Pump Oil Cooler/filter housing lifter/valves water outlet housing/thermostat Plastic cooling system fittings. |
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Posted: 3/18/2024 11:18:43 AM EDT
[#12]
I have not heard much about the oil pump itself being problematic in the 3.6 engines.
I have owned a 2015 JKU with the 3.6 for almost 7 years now and it has nearly 130,000 miles on it. I specifically wanted the 3.6 because the additional power and the 5 speed automatic transmission makes driving much more enjoyable. I kind of wanted to avoid the 2012 and 2013 model years as the first couple of years of the 3.6 in the JK had casting issues with at least one of the cylinder heads. Outside of that, in my experience, the 3 main Achilles heels of the 3.6 are:
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Posted: 3/18/2024 12:39:58 PM EDT
[#13]
Anyone that bought a 3.8 just as a toy I'm interested if you were disappointed.
Wife and I miss having a Jeep, considering looking for used first gen JK 4 doors. Not a daily driver. |
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ME, USA
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Posted: 3/18/2024 1:28:23 PM EDT
[#14]
I had an 08 unlimited with the 3.8 and the only issues I ever had was a water pump and driver side exhaust manifold cracked.
That being said I always told myself my next one will have the 3.6 just for more power, but truthfully if your just driving it the 3.8 worked. |
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Posted: 3/18/2024 10:46:57 PM EDT
[#15]
I’ve driven both back to back since I had to fix both for a customer. 3.8 is just a plain dog. Like it had no power what so ever. Get the 3.6 and it if ever comes down to it, just get it fixed.
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Posted: 3/18/2024 10:55:26 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Ivan1: I’ve driven both back to back since I had to fix both for a customer. 3.8 is just a plain dog. Like it had no power what so ever. Get the 3.6 and it if ever comes down to it, just get it fixed. My 4.0 is a dog too considering the displacement. But it still puts a smile on my face when I drive it. |
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USA
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Posted: 3/18/2024 10:56:02 PM EDT
[#17]
My exes dads 2018 Wrangler (even when new) smelled of coolant, think it was the 3.8
I loved the old 4.0 |
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NV, USA
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Posted: 3/18/2024 11:42:32 PM EDT
[#18]
I have a 2016 3.6.
Had a rocker arm bearing go at 105k miles. It started ticking as i left on a 4500 mile trip. It made it through the trip, but did kill the cam lobe. Replaced that cam and all the rockers. All the other rockers were fine. If I had fixed it as soon as i heard the click, im pretty sure i could have saved the $300 cam. Oem radiators suck and will leak just enough to smell. Went through 2 factory ones, but the $70 china one works great. Plastic oil filter housing leaked at 102k. Replaced with a metal one. Had the oem stat stick open, replaced with a orielly one and had higher temps under load issues. Shop diagnosed it as just the temp sensor, but it turned out the cheap replacement plastic housing had distorted and kept it from fully opening. These are more problems than any other modern car I have owned. No engineerings defects, just shitty parts QC. |
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Posted: 3/19/2024 11:24:02 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Ef4life: Hemi this is the way |
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Posted: 3/19/2024 2:36:45 PM EDT
[Last Edit: ColtRifle]
[#20]
I have no idea if this is a good mod or a pointless one but found this video looking for something else and thought of this thread. Makes sense it could benefit the engine.
 STOP Dry Starting your Pentastar 3.6!!  Cartridge Filter draining out VS oil retention after installing Baxter Performance Device. |
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Posted: 3/19/2024 5:18:03 PM EDT
[Last Edit: AJE]
[#21]
Damn, reading this thread makes me think I've been really lucky.
I've had the vans in order with the 4.0, 3.8, now the 3.6, and I've never had engine trouble from any of them. The 3.6 just passed over 200k miles on it. I do the oil changes myself and I know to be careful with the filter cap, though. Maybe it's because I drive them like minivans, though
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Posted: 3/19/2024 5:53:54 PM EDT
[#22]
Hmmm, none of you guys with the 3.8 had any fuel injector issues? I owned a 2008 from new and had four injectors fail over the 12 years I had it. Been driving a low mileage 3.6L I stumbled on and traded for couple years back.
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SD, USA
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Posted: 3/19/2024 7:26:02 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Ivan1: I’ve driven both back to back since I had to fix both for a customer. 3.8 is just a plain dog. Like it had no power what so ever. Get the 3.6 and it if ever comes down to it, just get it fixed. Get rid of the craptacular oem power cables, and the 3.8 is a whole different kettle of fish. Makes any of the gimmicky pedal modifiers redundant. It's still a low horsepower engine with the torque range way too high in the RPM band, but at least it runs right. |
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SD, USA
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Posted: 3/19/2024 7:27:43 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Orrin: Hmmm, none of you guys with the 3.8 had any fuel injector issues? I owned a 2008 from new and had four injectors fail over the 12 years I had it. Been driving a low mileage 3.6L I stumbled on and traded for couple years back. My early '07 is still going on the original injectors, 132k miles. |
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USA
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Posted: 3/19/2024 9:06:55 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DragonZord69: My exes dads 2018 Wrangler (even when new) smelled of coolant, think it was the 3.8 I loved the old 4.0 Pretty sure an '18 would be the 3.6L pentastar... it was used from '12. |
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Posted: 3/20/2024 8:43:33 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By elmidgeto: Get rid of the craptacular oem power cables, and the 3.8 is a whole different kettle of fish. Makes any of the gimmicky pedal modifiers redundant. It's still a low horsepower engine with the torque range way too high in the RPM band, but at least it runs right. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By elmidgeto: Originally Posted By Ivan1: I’ve driven both back to back since I had to fix both for a customer. 3.8 is just a plain dog. Like it had no power what so ever. Get the 3.6 and it if ever comes down to it, just get it fixed. Get rid of the craptacular oem power cables, and the 3.8 is a whole different kettle of fish. Makes any of the gimmicky pedal modifiers redundant. It's still a low horsepower engine with the torque range way too high in the RPM band, but at least it runs right. Not sure what you mean by "power cables" in this context? I drove a friend's 3.8 JK, since you mentioned the pedal modifier, the impression I got when driving it was the OEM throttle curve was very lethargic. Would drive me absolutely nuts if I owned it. |
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SD, USA
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Posted: 3/21/2024 4:38:51 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JackRebney: Not sure what you mean by "power cables" in this context? I drove a friend's 3.8 JK, since you mentioned the pedal modifier, the impression I got when driving it was the OEM throttle curve was very lethargic. Would drive me absolutely nuts if I owned it. The cables from the battery to the fuse block, battery to the starter, alternator to battery, replacement fusible link, engine to frame ground, battery negative to body ground. I also added an alternator ground o battery negative, and a couple short pieces to run dual batteries in parallel. The OEM wiring is 10ga, the new cables I put in were 1/0, probably overkill but it wasn't that much more than 2ga, and still cheaper than the OEM harness. If I knew how much better that the Jeep would run afterwards, I'd have done it a lot sooner, rather than waiting for the alternator to go out and start zorching all the ground switched electronics. |
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NH, USA
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Posted: 3/21/2024 6:19:00 AM EDT
[#28]
I've had 8 trouble free years with my 2016. I think that's the 3.6?
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Posted: 3/27/2024 12:36:21 AM EDT
[#29]
The 3.6 is a very good motor that had some early production issues. Once those were sorted out it's been a very reliable engine. It also makes good power, definitely preferable to the 3.8 which was a decent motor for it's time all things considered.
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Posted: 3/27/2024 1:24:58 AM EDT
[#30]
We put over 90k miles on our 2017 JKU. I don’t even know what engine it had, if that gives you an accurate indication of how reliable it was. We sold it last year and my wife wants to get another.
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TX, USA
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Posted: 3/29/2024 10:15:07 PM EDT
[#31]
If you are going to look at something old enough to have the 3.8, just go a bit older with a TJ and get the 4.0L straight 6.
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