Can't expect a lot for $100........

[PTT]

My recent acquisition is a $100 1990 Lebaron Convertible and has 152K. It is a 3.0L w/A604. Supposedly $1700 worth of transmission repair done last year. I have an intermittant start problem. Long crank time until it catches and idles at 700-900 rpm. It will pop-pop out the exhaust if held at 2000-2500 rpm. Timing? Its the first 3.0 I've ever had so HOW DO I TIME THIS 3.0L V6? I'm a turbo/tbi 4cyl guy. I noticed there was gas in the MAP vac-hose. Is this a fuel regulator problem? Plugs are fairly new Autolite 64's and were wet with gas and a little black w/carbon. Cleaned them up and reinstalled them. I swapped out the optic/distributor but is the timing process the same as with the 4cyl engines? Inductive timing light and disconnect the CTS? How many degrees BTDC? I've never timed any V6 before so I need a tutorial please. Also I noticed the fan kept running after I turned the engine off! Previous owner had spliced into the fan harness. Thanks.

[22dodge]

before you chase after a timing issue, I just encountered the exact same problem and it was due to a bad exhaust valve.

as for timgin, you do the exact same thing as with a 2.2. put the timing light on the crank pulley, disconnect ECT. adjust as needed.

[PTT]

Checked cam sprocket marks and they were a tooth to the right of the marks. Went ahead and installed a Goodyear Gatorback timingbelt and lined cam and crank sprockets up and it starts with just a tap of the key! Sort of hazy-gray out of the tailpipe though. Have no idea if its just carbon from the previous rich condition or the valve seals. Not real blue smoke but grayish at idle and at WOT. This engine will plant me back in the seat when floored! Tranny is supposed to have had $1500 in repairs recently. Shifts great for a A604.

[Lone Eagle]

Sounds like your valve stem seals are in the early stages of failure. At least you have the newer 6, as the older ones are notorious for dropping the valve guides completely out of the head in as little as 90K. I had a '92 Caravan with the 3.0L/A670 combo, and I could light the tires at will from dead stop. The 3.0 ws a good motor, plus they are plentiful in the yards for spare parts. I'd recommend finding a good set of heads from a '94-96 Caravan, have them reworked, and shelve them for later. Replacing the head is about as much trouble as the valve stem seals on some cars, so the spare heads make it faster.

Be wary of the A604 "Crap-O-Matic", aka the A60EXPLODE. Make sure ATF+4 is in it, and DO NOT USE DEXTRON!!!! Check the TCM for a reflash sticker, indicating that the firmware has been updated to the latest codec. If you really want to "unleash the beast" that is the 3.0L, drop a A543 5-spd in the car.

[PTT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lone Eagle Sounds like your valve stem seals are in the early stages of failure. At least you have the newer 6, as the older ones are notorious for dropping the valve guides completely out of the head in as little as 90K. I had a '92 Caravan with the 3.0L/A670 combo, and I could light the tires at will from dead stop. The 3.0 ws a good motor, plus they are plentiful in the yards for spare parts. I'd recommend finding a good set of heads from a '94-96 Caravan, have them reworked, and shelve them for later. Replacing the head is about as much trouble as the valve stem seals on some cars, so the spare heads make it faster. Be wary of the A604 "Crap-O-Matic", aka the A60EXPLODE. Make sure ATF+4 is in it, and DO NOT USE DEXTRON!!!! Check the TCM for a reflash sticker, indicating that the firmware has been updated to the latest codec. If you really want to "unleash the beast" that is the 3.0L, drop a A543 5-spd in the car.

This is the first 3.0 V6 I have had so where is the TCM so I can check for the upgraded flash sticker? Getting ready to do an ATF-4 fluid/filter change but only have 5 quarts of the good stuff. Local WallyWorld only has a couple of jugs whenever I check for it! All I have for reference is a Chrysler 1981-1995 Mid-size fwd Haynes. There's a 98K mile '95 Lebaron ragtop in the local yard that has a burnt up smelly A604 and a very clean 3.0L V6. Maybe I should snag those heads? On the exhaust...is the resonator or muffler at the very back a single piece/pipe from just in front of the driverside rear wheel on over the rear axel and to the resonator/muffler at the back of the car? Mine has rusted holes bad at two places on the resonator/muffler. Makes the car sound like a V8 at idle!

[Lone Eagle]

The TCM will either be on the passengers fender area or the firewall on the same side. It's about a 6" square box. You might have to unbolt it to find the sticker.

If they don't want too much, I'd snag the entire LB out of the junker Baron. Guy over at Allpar has Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, and Jeep car, minivan, and truck information just redid his 3.0 with 10:1 pistons and beefy internals, ala the Mistu 3000GT The V6 can be a fun motor, just remember to change the waterpump when you do the timing belt(forgot that last post).

Last time I checked, Parts America ( Online Auto Parts and Auto Accessories Store at PartsAmerica.com for your local store) carried the ATF+4 pretty regularly. I HATE wallyworld for the simple fact they are usually out of the regular Mobile1 I use in my motor, but are more than happy to hype their store brand as "just as good". Supertech is recycled fluid, and I ruined a perfectly good Chevy 2.8L with their motor water.

Go ahead and register on allpar, as many members on the EEK board own V6/A604 combos, and some have the FSM for these cars.

[PTT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lone Eagle The TCM will either be on the passengers fender area or the firewall on the same side. It's about a 6" square box. You might have to unbolt it to find the sticker. If they don't want too much, I'd snag the entire LB out of the junker Baron. Guy over at Allpar has Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, and Jeep car, minivan, and truck information just redid his 3.0 with 10:1 pistons and beefy internals, ala the Mistu 3000GT The V6 can be a fun motor, just remember to change the waterpump when you do the timing belt(forgot that last post). Last time I checked, Parts America ( Online Auto Parts and Auto Accessories Store at PartsAmerica.com for your local store) carried the ATF+4 pretty regularly. I HATE wallyworld for the simple fact they are usually out of the regular Mobile1 I use in my motor, but are more than happy to hype their store brand as "just as good". Supertech is recycled fluid, and I ruined a perfectly good Chevy 2.8L with their motor water. Go ahead and register on allpar, as many members on the EEK board own V6/A604 combos, and some have the FSM for these cars.

What is "LB" short for? Long Block? Is the TCM the box with the heat sink fins on it where you described? I have my stash of ATF-4 up to 8qts now. The A6O4 transmission has under 700 miles on it since the $1700 rebuild. But even with the reciept I can't tell if they used ATF-4 or Dextron in it. So It's new fluid/filter just for my piece of mind. I've been a member over on Allpar for quite awhile. Thanks!

[Lone Eagle]

IIRC, the TCM is the box with the heat sink.

LB=Long Block, which consists of the heads and the block, possibly the intake/exhaust manifolds, depending on how generous the yard is. Most do not include the valve covers/oil pan in a longblock, but some do.

[EvilcowRoland]

The 3.0s had the valve guide problems up through the first quarter of '91.

Usually on the LeBaron the TCM is on the passenger side right beside the AC compressor, either on the fender wall or the lower sub-frame. It'll also usually have a pair of black box relays attached to it.

+1, replace the water pump when you do the timing belt. Kind of like replace the evaporator core when you replace the heater core.

The 3.0 is a decent engine. It doesn't have the immediate mod potential of the turbo 4, but it's got plenty of pick up even with the 604. Unfortunately I've killed my LeBaron's third 604 trans, so in goes number 4.

[PTT]

Did Mitsubishi supply Chrysler with their 3.0's always or did Chrysler make their own later on? I'm eying a '95 Lebaron 3.0L in ta local yard with under 100K showing and a bunt smelling A604. Mitsu V6 looks really clean. The lower end on the rescued '90 Lebaron sounds good so I may just snatch the '95 heads for a mini transplant instead of a major engine swap. I fixed the power windows today and the wiper switch on the cluster hood. There is a tiny red light on the right knee panel and I'm wondering what other surprises it will reveal? After market alarm system maybe? Next up is the headlight motor. The passenger side headlight cover is catching the corner of the opening because of a missing bolt and the motor looks like it has grenaded apart partially. I think the headlight cover's resistance killed the motor. Is there a BCM controlling the light covers in 1990?

[EvilcowRoland]

Yes, the 3.0 was always a Mitsu engine. Chrysler only reworked it for use in their cars. I know they had just been sourcing them from Mitsubishi in the 80's. Maybe they built some here later on, maybe not. I'm sure the info is on the net somewhere. The engine didn't change much from 87 to almost 2000. It got an intake revision in 89 (better internal flow but smaller throttle body) and then in 92 it went to SMPI electronics. Early 91 back to 87 had problems with the valve guides dropping and allowing excess oil into the cylinder. They corrected this part way through 91 and there are retrofit kits to repair the older ones, though I hear it's a pain. The transmission computers were reprogrammed numerous times. 93 was apparently a bad year. 94-95 seem to be decent years for everything though (engine and trans parts, although the a604 was always crap).

The LeBaron did have an optional factory alarm, but I don't think it had a light by the driver's knee panel. Probably aftermarket.

And I believe the BCM does control the headlight motors on 90+ models, although there is a power relay under the dash that tends to go bad also (more on the Daytonas than the LeBarons for some reason). The motor itself will also get weak over time and not close all the way.

[PTT]

Replaced the wiper switch with one from a yard. What a Mickey Mouse setup! No wonder they break! The wipers have been rigged with a toggle switch that does work but....no inline fuse....? It's spliced into the radiator fan for power! I'm thinking I should undo this splice at the fan when I put a new 20A fuse back in the fuse box and try the replacement wiper switch from the yard? This ghetto rig-job was obviously done because the 20A fuse pops immeadiately when wiper switch is slid into the "ON" position. Sound like a short somewhere maybe? The headlight door motor has physically come apart where the round plastic drive gear housing is. One headlight door was hanging up on its opening because a mounting bolt was missing. I have a working motor from an 89 donor car I had in Florida. I hope there wasn't a design change with the motors from 1989 to 1990. It's been 10 years since I removed this drive motor and I recall everthing to the point of removing the square rod with the wire clips on the ends. Does the square rod slid one way or the other or does one of the plastic cone end pieces have to be removed? Getting cold here in the midwest and it seems everything involved with this car now at this point involves crawling around on the ground!!! BRRRRRRR..... Thanks.

[EvilcowRoland]

Yeah, the 90+ switches are annoying. If it's popping the fuse then it definately has a short. I wish I could say "Oh yeah, it's common for it to break here", but wiring can be bad anywhere. Although I will say you should thoroughly check the small printed circuit board the switch is on. They can overload and the solder will soften. Usually it just breaks connection like mine have done a few times, but it could be making a circuit somewhere. The headlight switches are the same way.

I honestly haven't messed with a LeBaron headlamp motor in a while. I had to replace the one on my 87 coupe, but that was over 7 years ago. I think the rod just slides out either side and you have to take one of the end pieces off. I don't have access to one though. The motors for 89 and 90 "should" be the same. But you'll know soon enough if they aren't just in comparing them.

[PTT]

I looked at the printed board over and it a;;eared OK. I swapped another complete washer/wiper module and somehow got the washer push-switch on w/o breaking anything! The slide button for the washers will need some glue to stay on. As is the case I ran out of daylight and had unknowingly left the headlights on and ran the battery out of juice so I called it a day. Forecast is for freezing rain/snow so tomorrow will be a short day too. I still have to drop the pan and do a filter/fluid change on the A604. How accurate is the fuel gauges on these digital dashes? It's below 1/8th tank and I think I'll put 5 gallons in just in case to keep from burning up the pump. I haven't even tested the heater yet on this car! It has antifreeze good to -10F according to my cheapie squeeze-bulb tester. I have the complete headlight mechanisim from an donor 89 Lebaron and maybe I'll be able o figure out just how I took it off from it. Thanks for your info!

[EvilcowRoland]

Every G/J I've owned or driven has had a reserve in the tank, meaning when it says E on the gauge then you still have about 2 gallons left. I can't promise they're all that way, but so far all of mine have been. It's a 14 gallon tank, so fill it up when you get the chance and just note where the gauge is before hand. They're pretty consistent so you should get a good idea of how the gauge is reading. I've owned 2 digital dash cars and driven 2 others. They seemed to read the same as the analog system.

Some advice on your trans, when you change the fluid put an extra fluid cooler on it. The 604 likes to run warm and regular fluid changes along with the extra cooler will help it survive longer. And you might want to take it into a dealership and have the TCM checked as was stated earlier. They're supposed to reflash it for free since it was a TSB, but I don't know if there's a time limit on that from when the TSB was released or not. I just put a used TCM in mine right before it died, so I didn't get the chance to get it checked.