Well there's your problem

[HandySmurf]

When I bought my truck back in the beginning of 2010, I really didn't ask too many questions about it because I really didn't care about it's condition, I just wanted a V6 Max that I could work on and drive. The truck had 123K miles on it when I got it, and the previous owner made it a point to point out that the truck had just had a tune up and the timing belt had been changed, everything else on the truck had pretty much been ignored, but it did run well. Now, I assumed when the timing belt was changed, the tensioner and the water pump had been changed as well as long as they were in the motor, so when my truck started puking anitfreeze out of the front of the motor last week I was a little worried. I checked all the hoses, and I ran a compression check to try eliminating other possibilities, but everything checked out fine, so I came to the conclusion that the water pump had let go. Not a fun job, but I'd get it done, and I'd change the timing belt and tensioner again while I was in there just for safety. This past weekend I parked the truck in the garage and started blowing it apart. Everything came apart rather easily and cleanly, so I knew someone had indeed been in the motor. I have been chasing a misfire code with this truck since I bought it. When I took the front covers off, I finally found where the code had originated. I took these picture after I pulled the grossly worn ORIGINAL tensioner off, and was also looking at the ORIGINAL water pump. I had been told the previous owner's "mechanic" friend had put the timing belt on, I guess putting it on correctly would have been too difficult or costly. The engine was undisturbed from when I got the belt off, so I had put about 10K miles on the truck with the engine timing just a bit off ...

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a392/mikemcmlxix/P1010003_42.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a392/mikemcmlxix/P1010004_35.jpg

They were so off I am shocked the truck ran at all. I put the new water pump in, put the new tensioner, and the new belt in, and put the truck back together (I spent New Years Eve in the garage... I'm such a wild man) and when I hit the key today the truck fired IMMEDIATLEY and sounded much better. I set the timing to stock, and took a ride with the truck with no hood on just for the test drive. I may go to NYC and try pulling down the Chrysler building or something, the truck has a stupid amout of power now. It idles smoother, runs cooler, and sounds healthy now. I enjoy fixing professional mechanics screw ups, the dude wasn't even close with the belt last time, much less leaving everything else unchanged (shakes head)

[PowerRam348]

i didn't realize that the v6 max's had a cam on each head instead of a single internal cam.

[camoit]

Thats an ASE certification for ya on there trucks.

[Fordubishi]

eye waz nevr abull 2 speel mercanik now I ar 1

[HandySmurf]

i didn't realize that the v6 max's had a cam on each head instead of a single internal cam.
Yeah, the Maxs use the low power version of the 6G72 V6 with 2 cams, 12 valves, and low compression ratio. It's basically the same motor Dodge used in the Caravans. Some Monteros used a 24 valve, 4 cam version, and the 3000GT/Stealth cars used a 24 Valve, 4 cam, forged crank/rods version that they put two turbos on. They're tough little motors, the Maxs were just given the runts in the litter.