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mopar 2.5 and 2.2L's

T

toph99

Diamond Member
are they reliable? my friend is looking for a car to get her through university. My parents used to have a sundance/shadow(i think it was a 94) and i don't remember there having been any problems with it. How easy is it to work on these cars? are there any known problems to look for? i know they used to have a problem with cold start lifter noise, but that is said that a good oil filter will stop the oil from draining back and causing the problem. Anyone have any experience with them? how are the auto trannies in them? any info is appreciated 🙂
 
Originally posted by: N8Magic
Head gaskets are NOTORIOUS on those cars.

Beware. 🙂
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You sure about that? Thought head gaskets were a problem in the engines they put in neons?

I've owned three 2.2's. All lasted more than 150K with no problems. Parts for them are cheap, too.

Edit: My last one had an automatic. Unlike the ones in the minivans, it worked great, never any trouble. Traded the car in last spring with 180k on it, saw it just yesterday, still on the road.
 
Head gaskets and valve cover gaskets on 2.2 and 2.5 Chrysler engines and yes the 2.0 Neon motors leak oil at the rear corner on the drivers side. When the 2.2 and 2.5 overheat (due to lack of getting all of the air out of the cooling system or a leak elsewhere) crushed the center of the gasket and that is where the gasket blows out. I am a mechanic and engine builder and see those problems all the time. Don't get me started on not wanting the Mistu 3.0. :disgust:
 
how hard are the headgaskets to change on these cars? last time i looked under the hood of one it looked like there was plenty of room to dismantle the head, am i right? are the 2.2's and 2.5's identicle(except for displacement) or are they different blocks/heads? if the head gasket isn't too hard i may see about finding one with a blown one and save some $ for her(assuming the head isn't warped)

i'd never let her get a neon :disgust: parts cost too much and i've never had good experiences with them.
 
Originally posted by: toph99
how hard are the headgaskets to change on these cars? last time i looked under the hood of one it looked like there was plenty of room to dismantle the head, am i right? are the 2.2's and 2.5's identicle(except for displacement) or are they different blocks/heads? if the head gasket isn't too hard i may see about finding one with a blown one and save some $ for her(assuming the head isn't warped)

i'd never let her get a neon :disgust: parts cost too much and i've never had good experiences with them.
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I've seen them done in 2.5 hours.

My personal best was 3 hours. 🙂


I think it took me 4.5 hours the first time I did one. Keep in mind that was with air tools.



DD
 
Head Gaskets are notorious in alot of 4 banger cars. my old LeBaron went about 220,000 kms before the head gasket went.. that's normal for a car with that kind of miles (driven hard) to have to replace it.. the car was completely rock solid reliable, the car never once stranded me until the very last week I had it (260,000 kms) (that was my 2.5) I also had a 2.2 which had alot less mileage, which I never had a single problem with (owned a shorter time)
 
The cars are pretty good and yes the headgaskets are a problem but that doesn't mean its automatically going to blow. Just don't ever over heat it. My dad put 300k+ miles on a 2.2l rampage and the only problems I ever remember it having was something in the 5 speed broke and jammed it up( it was a fairly cheap fix), the a/c compressor died, and the powersteering rack leaked. I am sure there were other problems in the many years we had it but those were the only big ones. I've had a couple in the past myself and currently have an 89 2.5l turbo caravan and none have ever blown a head gasket. The way I am souping up the van though I expect it will blow at some point 🙂. The cars are about as easy as it gets to work on for newer cars. I have changed a headgasket on one, not mine 🙂, and it wasn't hard aslong as you can figure out where the vacuum hoses go. The hall effect pickups, thingy under the distibutor cap, will die from time to time and if its the spark timming side that goes your dead in the water. Its not a bad idea to have an extra one in the glove box and a screw driver to pop off the distributor cap off to change it just in case.

The 2.2l and 2.5 are the same blocks and heads atleast 89 and after models. They were available with a bunch of different 5 speeds and the a413 3 speed auto and they all hold up pretty well. There are a few older turbo cars that could kill a 5 speed with a few mods fairly easily but I doubt you need to worry about that. The engines are just noisy. Its just they way they are. In 88 they got roller cams and that helps alot with the valve train noise but its still there.

btw if you did buy one with a blown headgasket and later found out the head was bad a complete remanufactured head is around $350 and complete means cam, lifters, springs, everything.

and don't pay much for one whatever it is. They aren't worth crap which is why I love them 🙂.
 
Here is some experience for ya:

- My Dad had a 1984 Plymouth Reliant with a 2.2 carbeurated. The carb was horrible. The engine was excellent.
- My Dad bought a 1988 Plymouth Reliant with a 2.5 fuel injected in 1989. He gave it away last week with 155,000 miles. It went through two head gaskets, however, that was due to a stuck thermostat that overheated the engine. 🙁
- I owned a 1986 Plymouth Reliant with a 2.2, also fuel injected. I drove it from 101,000 to 117,000, and it was a good car.
- My sister owns a 1993 Plymouth Sundance with a 2.2. It had 40,000 miles when she bought it, and it now has 90,000. It has been excellent too.
- My Dad owns a 1995 Dodge Spirit with a 2.5, auto. It has been excellent.


I love these cars/engines because parts are cheap and the cars are cheap. They are also reliable as long as they are maintained well. They are very easy to work on!!!!
 
I've never timed myself on how fast it took me to do a gasket on a 2.2/2.5 as I sent the head(s) to the machine shop to have them pressure tested and reworked. I prefer not to have a job come back on me when a few more bucks would get the job done right.
 
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