3.0l Hurricane

[Saltymedic]

Although there has been no announcement of whether or not the Gladiator will be receiving the Hurricane engine I find the possibility of the engine making it's way into the lower Jeep lineup exiting. The engine appears to be very well engineered compared to it's competition, the Ford 3.5l and 2.7l and the Toyota 3.4l. However, the Hurricane engineer forgot to do their homework to learn that the other two manufacturers have learned the hard way that direct fuel injection w/o a port injector leads to a rapid buildup of valve deposits so therefore engine failures. Both Ford and Toyota have added port injectors due to this fact but Stellantis appears to have missed that memo.

On a side note I stumbled across this hidden little bugger on the lot while in for service on our Grand Cherokee.

What do you guys think? Do you think the engine is a possibility for the Gladiator? Do you think Stellantis will update the engine with port injectors? Personally, I've said it before, I couldn't own my Gladiator if it weren't for the diesel's power and so now that the diesel is gone I have high hopes for the future of the Gladiator with a more powerful engine option.

Sponsored

 

[Oilburner]

2.0L is the same basic architecture, do they have issues w/ carbon buildup on them?

 

[PuddleJumper]

Although there has been no announcement of whether or not the Gladiator will be receiving the Hurricane engine I find possibility of the engine making it's way into the lower Jeep lineup exiting. The engine appears to be very well engineered compared to it's competition, the Ford 3.5l and 2.7l and the Toyota 3.4l. However, the Hurricane engineer forgot to do their homework to learn that the other two manufacturers have learned the hard way that direct fuel injection w/o a port injector leads to a rapid buildup of valve deposits so therefore engine failures. Both Ford and Toyota have added port injectors due to this fact but Stalantis appears to have missed that memo.

On a side note I stumbled across this hidden little bugger on the lot while in for service on our Grand Cherokee.

What do you guys think? Do you think the engine is a possibility for the Gladiator? Do you think Stalantis will update the engine with port injectors? Personally, I've said it before, I couldn't own my Gladiator if it weren't for the diesel's power and so now that the diesel is gone I have high hopes for the future of the Gladiator with a more powerful engine option.

I think they will but if i had to guess, there waiting to see what the competition will look like. With the new taco and ranger out. only Nissan and Jeep are NA in the midsize pickup market now. Nissan buckled down and made it a 310 HP v6 which is quite nice from personal experience. And i think it'll hold them quite well compared to others and attract the buyers who aren't fans of FI applications but don't want a slouch either. The 3.6 is well tested and selling fine. The 4XE is flying on the wrangler so that'll probably be Jeeps next move for the Glady in 2025 or late 24'. I don't think we will see the 3.0TT till it's truly needed to keep up with the non hybrid competition. as the current non hybrid models of others only really make a bit more torque and that alone doesn't justify a powertrain change especially with the 3.0TT being quite troublesome rn on the Grand Wagoneer. There's some kinks to work out for sure and they don't wanna shoot thier foot again like they did with manual issues. Plus going 3.0TT would require a full push to make the 8HP75 trans standard as the 850RE wouldn't hold up. but considering it left with the eco diesel, it'll be awhile before we see it back again. and i don't think they'll have a manual option for the 3.0TT either soon. considering it barely holds up to the current V6, clutch wise anyway. But to answer your question, yes, the 3.0TT will probably come to the Gladiator. But expect late 26' or even 27'. But by then its around the time Stellantis will decide to keep producing the JT platform, drop it, or update to a new one. Considering the JK ran 10-11ish years. 8 years for JT (thats what its under contract for) may be all they want to put in for it. still to early to call tho. Now taking the 3.0TT itself, I believe it will be a good reliable motor once all the real world testing actually gets done, IE gets worked over in the RAM and Wagoneer platforms. TBH i'd be more hopeful that the platform after the JT would have multiple body configs and much better powerplant options. Also on a side note. Why put a 3.0TT now only to lose out on 4XE sales that cost more money therefore more profit. If thats your only way to have a more powerful gladiator factory, then you'll pay the extra 20k to have it. just my 2 cents.

 

[Almost]

If we see it, it will be heavily detuned similar to the 5.7 Hemi in the Grand Cherokee at 360 HP (All others in the mopar line up had 395 HP at launch for Non-SRT Hemis). Jeep has never done a high HP vehicle outside of the SRT Cherokee and limited run of 392 Wranglers until recently. That doesn't bode well for anyone that wants power outside of the SRT line up. Because of this I would venture to guess the chance is slim to none that any Jeep ever sees a 400 HP let alone a 500 HP version of the inline 6 unless it's an SRT trim considering the competition is going to hybrid 4 cylinders. You will get a 4 cylinder 4Xe in a few years and be happy because that will be your only option.

We lived through the golden age of cars unfortunately, it's all downhill from here unless you prefer electric/hybrid drivetrains. Anyone that jumped at a 392 or EcoDiesel got the last of a dying breed.

 

[Saltymedic]

2.0L is the same basic architecture, do they have issues w/ carbon buildup on them?

As far as I've seen, all direct injection engines are prone, particularly with forced induction. Some are worse than others depending upon the EGR design, cleanliness of the oil, type of oil and the same goes with the air filter.

The Toyota Tacoma suffered from reliability issues on the 3.5l prior to receiving the updated port injectors. The same type of update was given to the 3.5l turbo on the Fords. They aren't the only manufacturers have caught onto the direct injection valve fouling issues. But as far as longevity, this doesn't bode well for the Hurricane.

 

[Sweetums]

I don't think the Hurricane will fit in the current JT/JL platform. The stubby hood is made for a V6, you're talking about making the block twice as long. I just don't see it fitting without some serious retooling.

 

[Mr._Bill]

This has been covered in many threads. I don't see Jeep making any changes to the JT lineup. The only additional drivetrain option we will see is when the 4xe variant becomes available.

 

[PuddleJumper]

I don't think the Hurricane will fit in the current JT/JL platform. The stubby hood is made for a V6, you're talking about making the block twice as long. I just don't see it fitting without some serious retooling.

Its not as long as one would believe. Its slightly longer than a 392 and that fits with room to spare length wise. And considering bay has more depth than some older jeeps they crammed the 4.0 into. I don't think fitment will be an issue.

 

[Sweetums]

The 4.0 was a much simpler engine, and the TJ has a longer hood than the JT/JL. The modern Hurricane is going to have a lot more stuff packed in there than the old 4.0 and you still need room for cooling airflow up front.
I'd love to see it in the platform, but I just doubt they are going to give up on the Pentastar. I went with the diesel, but if the Hurricane had been an option, I probably would have picked it over the diesel.

 

[ZeeJay]

I’m onboard with the sentiment here about hybrids….its the way it’s going now. Old school power is dying, being replaced with a pit bull in a chihuahuas body. Whether that bothers this inliner any hell I don’t know..maybe. A 1500 Dodge(because I won’t call it a Ram…..that’s a model not a make) is different mammal than a JT. I did test drive a new Nissan other day and oh my does it make the 3.6 look bad. Wasn’t a bad truck overall either. Decided I needed to walk away because it’s super close to trade in….

 

[kubankevin]

I don’t see the 3.6 going away until the day it can no longer meet emissions without a full redesign. Jeep has been very careful with the mandatory engine choices. When they canned the 4.0 on the JK launch, they did not use the 3.7 powertech and instead opted to use the older 3.8 V6 pushrod engine. My guess is to try to appease the more conservatively minded folks that make up a decent amount of their clients on these vehicles. They worked pretty hard to get the Pentastar to where it is today compared to its first generation and I don’t think they’re ready to just toss it. Hell, the ‘25 RAM still offers it. They’ve been a bit more brave to allow the 2L Hurricane in the JL and the EcoDiesel in both.. 392 was just a limited edition fan service since the CJ-7 was the last one to get a V8 before that. But the 3.6 has withstood the test of time. Not the best low end torque, but it gets the job done pretty reliably when you take care of them.

I do see the JL’s replacement perhaps getting the Hurricane 3.0 (and definitely 2.0) as an option, but I sincerely doubt the 3.6 will get canned until emissions finally kill it off which should be a decent ways away seeing as the penta was designed with the ability of adding cylinder deactivation, forced induction, and direct injection.

I’m a firm believer in simplicity and the Pentastar in its current form accomplishes that when you compare it to anyone else’s design including the 3.0 and 2.0 hurricane engines. And I personally will probably not own a Jeep if it does not have three pedals which I believe is the next thing to go. My survey came in not too long ago and one of the questions was “how important was the manual transmission option in your purchase decision?” So I think the writing is on the wall for that.

 

[PuddleJumper]

The 4.0 was a much simpler engine, and the TJ has a longer hood than the JT/JL. The modern Hurricane is going to have a lot more stuff packed in there than the old 4.0 and you still need room for cooling airflow up front.
I'd love to see it in the platform, but I just doubt they are going to give up on the Pentastar. I went with the diesel, but if the Hurricane had been an option, I probably would have picked it over the diesel.

I agree with you. I don't think we'll see the 3.0 in the JT even if it packages fine. 4XE will be close enough and then we will be due for platform retirement or revamp.

 

[PuddleJumper]

I’m onboard with the sentiment here about hybrids….its the way it’s going now. Old school power is dying, being replaced with a pit bull in a chihuahuas body. Whether that bothers this inliner any hell I don’t know..maybe. A 1500 Dodge(because I won’t call it a Ram…..that’s a model not a make) is different mammal than a JT. I did test drive a new Nissan other day and oh my does it make the 3.6 look bad. Wasn’t a bad truck overall either. Decided I needed to walk away because it’s super close to trade in….

If I needed just a midsize work truck. the Nissan Frontier is the best option hands down in my opinion. Bed is large for its size. Motor is very punchy for the application. 9 speed trans makes easy work of anything truck use related while keeping it surprisingly efficient. I've seen people build em out for overlanding and desert racing. But its a lot more work than a taco or Glady due to lack of aftermarket support. A stock rental frontier got me all over great basin with HT tires and never gave me a single issue. very impressed with that little truck. It was a close second when i was deciding what to pull the trigger on.

 

[PuddleJumper]

I don’t see the 3.6 going away until the day it can no longer meet emissions without a full redesign. Jeep has been very careful with the mandatory engine choices. When they canned the 4.0 on the JK launch, they did not use the 3.7 powertech and instead opted to use the older 3.8 V6 pushrod engine. My guess is to try to appease the more conservatively minded folks that make up a decent amount of their clients on these vehicles. They worked pretty hard to get the Pentastar to where it is today compared to its first generation and I don’t think they’re ready to just toss it. Hell, the ‘25 RAM still offers it. They’ve been a bit more brave to allow the 2L Hurricane in the JL and the EcoDiesel in both.. 392 was just a limited edition fan service since the CJ-7 was the last one to get a V8 before that. But the 3.6 has withstood the test of time. Not the best low end torque, but it gets the job done pretty reliably when you take care of them.

I do see the JL’s replacement perhaps getting the Hurricane 3.0 (and definitely 2.0) as an option, but I sincerely doubt the 3.6 will get canned until emissions finally kill it off which should be a decent ways away seeing as the penta was designed with the ability of adding cylinder deactivation, forced induction, and direct injection.

I’m a firm believer in simplicity and the Pentastar in its current form accomplishes that when you compare it to anyone else’s design including the 3.0 and 2.0 hurricane engines. And I personally will probably not own a Jeep if it does not have three pedals which I believe is the next thing to go. My survey came in not too long ago and one of the questions was “how important was the manual transmission option in your purchase decision?” So I think the writing is on the wall for that.

I think your right on this. Plus its easier for them to can the manuals rather than fix em. My next Jeep will be a Willys Wrangler Manual 24' or newer. I don't think i'll bother with getting a newer gladiator cus I honestly don't think they'll get better to a point worth trading on. I'll just 392 swap mine eventually and leaver her as a garage princess/family trail/tow rig built the way Jeep should have. Then DD and wheel the piss out of the new wrangler. I find myself wanting something simpler for the 90 percent of solo time I spend in a car. If EVs are decent by 2027 i might even get one just for DD. But I think I'd spend for time efficiently with a 2 door wrangler running minimalist for overlanding when i'm by myself. and I'm usually by myself. I love my Mojave, but its everything, even when you don't want/need it. I'll give it a year or two and finish her out for expedition use. Then she can sit in the stable for intended use only. I got a buddy trying to talk me into a CANOO electric mini truck for a daily. NGL i kinda dig the looks and having the only wear items be brakes and tires. A little too easy.

 

[ZeeJay]

If I needed just a midsize work truck. the Nissan Frontier is the best option hands down in my opinion. Bed is large for its size. Motor is very punchy for the application. 9 speed trans makes easy work of anything truck use related while keeping it surprisingly efficient. I've seen people build em out for overlanding and desert racing. But its a lot more work than a taco or Glady due to lack of aftermarket support. A stock rental frontier got me all over great basin with HT tires and never gave me a single issue. very impressed with that little truck. It was a close second when i was deciding what to pull the trigger on.

Traded a ‘19 Frontier SV with 44K for this truck. Super capable truck and went everywhere with it. The 4.0 in it even though had less HP made more torque than this 3.6L. Your right about the aftermarket, at least with a Jeep or Toyota can find shit to bolt on it at any gas station or coffee shop, Nissan doesn’t have near the the goodie support.

Sponsored