2.7 In 2001 Sebring Sedan

On Feb 8, 1:59 pm, "Jalapeno" <jalape....DeleteThis@mac.com> wrote:
> ... I believe the design issue that led to sludging
> was corrected in the 2.7 before this model year.

Oops, my bad. It was 2003 model year, not 2001, when it appears it was
corrected. My 2001 still hasn't had the sludging problem, however.
 >> Stay informed about: 2.7 In 2001 Sebring Sedan 

kmatheson.TakeThisOut@sisna.com wrote:

> I am considering a 2001 Sebring Sedan with a 2.7L engine. It has
> 112,000 miles on it. The dealer says that it runs good, but does not
> know how well maintained it was.
>
> If I was to purchase it and perform regular oil changes, would that
> gradually clean out any existing sludge that may have accumulated,
> hopefully avoiding any problems, or could I still be in for problems
> down the road?

Without something done to actively remove any sludge (using Sea Foam or
MMO or any number of other products or synthetic oil) at a controlled
rate, simply doing regular oil changes at this point would not clean it
out. However, if you do a remedial cleanout wrong (i.e., too rapidly),
your successful operation could absolutely kill the patient. So there
is a risk either way. With the sludge factor unknown, absolutely do
*not* do a sudden flush.

> Is a well maintained 2.7 reliable, or should it be avoided altogether?
>
> I know that there are some posters on this NG that have been satisfied
> with their 2.7's, but have been careful to change the oil on a regular
> basis, and even use synthetic oil.
>
> Thanks,
>
> -KM

I have written my opinions and experiences on this subject several
times, so I won't repeat them in detail again.

Bottom line, it is a gamble regardless of what you do or don't do for
remedial purposes (very much dependent on the unknown history of that
particular engine - i.e., how much sludge is stored in there).

The above opinion from the owner of a 2.7L with 176k miles on it and
(other than needing new exahust valve seals now) running wonderfully on
my 80 mile daily commute - and *without* use of synthetic oil.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')
 >> Stay informed about: 2.7 In 2001 Sebring Sedan 

I'll second what Bill wrote. And I have 178K on mine.

Even with a well maintained 2.7, be aware that the water pump is
internal to the engine - if the shaft seal begins to leak, it leaks into
the crankcase and that can destroy the engine in pretty short order. If
you see coolant start to drip out from under the engine on the driver's
side (there's a weep hole there for early warning of pump seal leakage),
get it fixed asap.

For safe, gradual removal of engine deposits, AutoRx is the only product
that I am aware of.

Phil
Bill Putney wrote:
> kmatheson DeleteThis @sisna.com wrote:
>
>> If I was to purchase it and perform regular oil changes, would that
>> gradually clean out any existing sludge that may have accumulated,
>> hopefully avoiding any problems, or could I still be in for problems
>> down the road?
>
> Without something done to actively remove any sludge (using Sea Foam or
> MMO or any number of other products or synthetic oil) at a controlled
> rate, simply doing regular oil changes at this point would not clean it
> out. However, if you do a remedial cleanout wrong (i.e., too rapidly),
> your successful operation could absolutely kill the patient. So there
> is a risk either way. With the sludge factor unknown, absolutely do
> *not* do a sudden flush.
>
>> Is a well maintained 2.7 reliable, or should it be avoided altogether?
>>
>> I know that there are some posters on this NG that have been satisfied
>> with their 2.7's, but have been careful to change the oil on a regular
>> basis, and even use synthetic oil.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> -KM
>
> I have written my opinions and experiences on this subject several
> times, so I won't repeat them in detail again.
>
> Bottom line, it is a gamble regardless of what you do or don't do for
> remedial purposes (very much dependent on the unknown history of that
> particular engine - i.e., how much sludge is stored in there).
>
> The above opinion from the owner of a 2.7L with 176k miles on it and
> (other than needing new exahust valve seals now) running wonderfully on
> my 80 mile daily commute - and *without* use of synthetic oil.
>
> Bill Putney
> (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
> address with the letter 'x')
 >> Stay informed about: 2.7 In 2001 Sebring Sedan 

Phil T wrote:
> ...For safe, gradual removal of engine deposits, AutoRx is the only product
> that I am aware of.

Sea Foam and Marvel Mystery Oil work too - you proportion it for the
cleanout. 4 to 8 ozs. in the crankcase is definitely safe but gets the
job done.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')
 >> Stay informed about: 2.7 In 2001 Sebring Sedan 

Bill Putney wrote:
> Phil T wrote:
>> ...For safe, gradual removal of engine deposits, AutoRx is the only
>> product
>> that I am aware of.
>
> Sea Foam and Marvel Mystery Oil work too - you proportion it for the
> cleanout. 4 to 8 ozs. in the crankcase is definitely safe but gets the
> job done.
>
> Bill Putney
> (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
> address with the letter 'x')

Yea I know that those cleaners have been successful but I always worry
about something like harsh like Seafoam in a 2.7 because the 2.7 is so
sensitive. But I know people have done it and not had any problems.

Phil
 >> Stay informed about: 2.7 In 2001 Sebring Sedan