Quote Originally Posted by djvx View Post
I know of a Rodeo that wasnt really maintained that well but has nearly 300,000 miles on it. Its has had a very hard life but is still ticking.
I really wish I knew if I am going to be one of the lucky ones and my vx engine will last for 200k. Like someone said earlier--its always there in the back of my mind. But, even more aggravating is not knowing what the best solution is once it does blow up. In a perfect world I would choose a 3.2 Rodeo engine with low miles and go that route I guess.
It's really hard to tell what you're going to get with these engines. Some don't burn a drop of oil, and others, like mine, burn a LOT. Since I bought mine seven or eight years ago with 35,000 miles on it, it has burned 3/4 of a quart of oil every 350 miles or so. With that kind of consumption I guess it was really just a matter of time until something happened, but I babied that thing. It rarely ever saw 3500 rpm's, I checked and topped off the oil religiously, had the oil changed at regular intervals, and had the PCV replaced and EGR and throttle body cleaned every other oil change. I guess mine was just destined to do this.

Like you said, I have always driven around with the possibility of the engine letting go in the back of my mind. The radio was always low so I could hear every little noise that was coming from the VX.

It seems to be hit or miss on these things. Like your Rodeo example, some people will hammer on these things and they'll last forever, and others will tip-toe around with them and they'll blow at 60,000 miles.