Engine failure poll?

[Voxicross]

My '99 just blew out at 66000 miles. In searching for an engine I found 2 Troopers for sale on ebay with the same engine which needed engine replacement. They want $3500 for a USED 3.5, which is about $2000 more than for similar engines. This leads me to believe a lot of them fail and there are not many good ones available to replace them with.

[Junster]

Obviously there must be some that didn't get posted here, but a 1% failure rate would be over 600 engines.

From you, Sry just a little anal about math.

I'm still sold on buying a VX btw. All cars have some failures, one thing I noticed if it's true, hard to tell from just pics. Does the PCV valve lay on it's side? They need to be straight up to really work right. Also are there really no rocker arms? I'm curious how the cams actuate the valves. And how you adjust the valves. Has anyone just put the 02 oil rings on the 99-01 pistons? This oil usage thing has me curious. Isuzu is know for good quality engines generally.

[VX KAT]

Does the PCV valve lay on it's side? They need to be straight up to really work right.

No, it's upright.

[deermagnet]

Also are there really no rocker arms?

That's correct. We don't need no stinkin' rocker arms!

I'm curious how the cams actuate the valves.

Our camshafts are driven by internal idler gears instead of a chain. We also have a spring loaded sub-gear assembly that takes up the back lash in the gears to provide high-precision valve timing and reduced noise. Valve action is controlled through an inverted bucket type tappet that rides against the camshaft lobe.

And how you adjust the valves.

Valve adjustment is made by increasing or decreasing the thickness of the shim until the correct amount of valve clearance is obtained.

This is a very rare Isuzu Tech video I have for adjusting the valves, if ya really wanna see how it's done.

7:11, 14.1 mb, 320x240, wmv file-
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/techvids/valvadj.wmv

I'm an original owner with 238,000 miles on my engine. The valves have never been adjusted. It purrs like a kitten and runs like a dream, so I never saw a reason to have that done.

Mark Griffin (a VX lifer)

[Rene M]

99 vx Rod knock
failed at 98k

[mrtew]

Condolences dude. Living in Canada at first I thought you meant 98km and I was like whaaaaaaaat???? What are you going to do? Sure am sorry to hear that you didn't even make 100k but maybe the silver lining for the rest of us is that it's been over 9 months since someone posted in this thread. *prays* Post back if you have any info about what might have happened to it or what you did about it. Bummer.

[etlsport]

no... there have been at least 2 other engines to kaboom in the past month sorry to hear about yours.. i think 98k is the highest ive heard of one going

[Rene M]

no... there have been at least 2 other engines to kaboom in the past month sorry to hear about yours.. i think 98k is the highest ive heard of one going

lol, the highest? oh hell. I guess i am used to the Honda's i track where a 130k motor uses a bit of oil but still runs strong. No knocking!
I will see what they are going to do with it.

[Mechanic08]

well i gota 99 wit over 140 on it and as far as i know its never had engine problems

[woody]

I absolutely love my '99. I have almost 90K on it with no issues except it seems to lose oil somewhere...no spots or drips have been detected. I drove to memphis a few weeks ago and while there checked my oil. 4 quarts low!!! I had an oil change 3000 miles prior...I didn't have any over heating issues or knocking...
I'm not burning it...no exhaust smoke...anyone else having that issue??

[mrtew]

Yeah everybody's VX burns oil! I set my cellphone alarm to remind me to check it every week. I usually add a half a quart every three or four weeks. I can't believe that you got away with running 4 quarts low!!!! Supposedly it only holds 4.3 quarts (4 litres) total!!! I'm sure glad you didn't end up posting here with THE bad news, although it seems that the blown engine problem is pretty rare and is caused by extremely sudden loss of oil, not the normal slow burn.

[Thmstec]

Woody, the next day after I got mine the check engine light came on, so I went out and checked the oil- I must've been running on NOTHING, added 4.5 quarts and its been fine ever since except for an O2 sensor (knock on wood).

[Anita]

Yeah everybody's VX burns oil!

Au contraire! I have 98K on my truck and it has never needed oil between changes. At least - not yet!

I've been pushing on the dealership where my mechanic is to have another VX meet there and have some kind of workshop on the care and feeding of the VX. I dont replace the PCV valve every oil change as many do, Im not a mechanic in any stretch of the imagination, the truck only gets her regularly scheduled oil changes and manufacturers suggested services. If my mechanic is waving a magic wand and making all better, I dont know about it.

When I hear of all the owners who have the oil problem, I wonder if something happened or didnt happen in the early years of those VX's that would set it to be an oil burner down the line - and can it be reversed.

Are there any other owners out there who dont have to add oil between oil changes? Has anyone had the problem but found a way to cure it?

[TheGanzman]

[QUOTE=mrtew;130349]Yeah everybody's VX burns oil! I set my cellphone alarm to remind me to check it every week. I usually add a half a quart every three or four weeks.[QUOTE]

Not so! I've driven mine 2 months/2,500 miles so far - hasn't used ONE DROP of oil! Bought from the original owner, who confirmed that it never used any oil for him either at 58K miles. I've also spoken to other VX owners whose VX's show no oil consumption - there ARE some "lucky souls" out there!

[SPAZZ]

I'll cut firewall if necessary and move dash back 4 inches;eekp; ...

but, I think I will wait on engine for now and throw a Dana 60 in the rear, go with a Dana 44 solid axle in front, OX lockers fron/rear, 5.1 ratio, Warn winch, extra auxillary Yellow Top, on board air, and just about anything I pull out of ...um..my____ and decide to go with.

Maybe in 6 months I might light my hair on fire and do the engine/tranny swap. But, for now I will use this engine.