I need to replace the engine (2.7L) in my 2002 Sebring convertible. I was able to locate a newer engine, also 2.7L, from a Sebring coupe. Has there been any significant changes since 2002 that would keep the 2006 engine from fitting and functioning in the older model?
Is there anything else that should be swapped out with the newer version? Radiator maybe?

 

here we go again.......

DO NOT DISPOSE OF YOUR OLD ENGINE, Youre gonna need a bunch of stuff from it.

FLywheel is different, cam Gear and tone rings are different, Exhaust manifolds are diffferent, Cam and Crank sensors are different...The list goes on and on...

If youre looking for a Bolt in Swap.....Forget it...somewhere around 2003, chrysler went to a new electronics design....and the motors dont interchange "Directly"...

Look at the Connectors at the PCM...The EARLY (SBEC) Design has Two large White or Gray Commectors , while the LATE (NGC) uses Four Black connectors.

If you dont mind tearing into it, It is do-able, But Hardly worth the effort as opposed to finding the correct engine.

 

That's what I feared...

In that case, is there a span of years where they ran the same engine? Even if it was just 2001 - 2002, that would be something.

Unfortunately, with all the trouble Chrysler has had with the 2.7, finding specific year replacements is troublesome.

Has the engine been redesigned or is it still as troublesome as in the past.

Love the car... hate the fact it no longer runs.

 

By 2004 ...ALL of The SBEC systems Were GONE......

It isnt as Much of a Year Thing , as It is a System thing.....

There are a few ways to tell the difference......As I metioned , The SBEC system has 2 Large Connectors at The PCM, The NGC system has 4 . Your Car has The SBEC system, so your donor MUST come from a car with a 2 plug PCM. 2002/2003 could go either way, so There is really no definitive answer for what Years will work.

Another way , is to Take a digital picture of your cam sensor.....Anything that DOES NOT match your Picture EXACTLY is enough reason to Move along and keep walking.

I'll probably Catch Holy Hell for this.....But I really didnt think the 2.7 was THAT BAD. If It has been maintained, and the SLUDGE issues kept under control thru consistent maintenance with Quality fluids....They were No worse than anything else in our line-up.

The drawback......Its not a V8....Nor is it to be treated as such.....They dont hold up to abuse....So If you plan on "Standing On The Accelerator" Expecting anything more than a cool Whooshing Noise...He will let you know very quickly and Certainly, that he wont put up with your Nonsense...... A gentle touch and regular maintenance, And the 2.7 is just as reliable as anything else, ...Or at least No worse...

 

Thanks for the clarification. It helps more than you think.(I had to look up PCM, SBEC and NGC) Now I have a clearer picture of what needs to be done and why. The next logical question is, where can I get one?

As for the 'Holy Hell', this is all I have... I'm 50 years old. My days of standing on accelerators are over. That's why I had bought a Sebring convertible in the first place instead of a Mustang. I enjoyed nothing more than taking the top down on warm days and cool evenings on my way to and from work. I wasn't taking anyone off-the-line with it nor racing it on Sundays.

Having bought it used, I can't speak to how it was treated prior to my time with it but it came with all the maintenence records and seemed to run fine.

I drove it for a total of eight months. Most of that time it remained very local. Only recently did I start the job that I mentioned above. I had the oil changed when I first brought it home. I was due for my next oil change on the Saturday before it died. I was headed home on Friday afternoon (top down, naturally) through some winding roads in northern NJ and came upon some road construction. Waiting patiently, I happened to glance down at the dash. My temperature gauge was pointed true-north. No warning lights. No siren in the cockpit (kidding). Nothing at all. I pulled it to the curb and popped the hood. I could hear the coolant boiling in the overflow. I'm old enough to now what that means. The thermostat was locked and all the water in the cooling jacket had probably boiled out. Instead of driving to my service station the following day, I had it flatbedded there that evening. It sits there till this day (3 weeks). Mechanic says that he drained about two gallons of water out of my crankcase. It's dead.

Now, as for you assertion that the 2.7 is no more troublesome than any other engine provided it is cared for... I see far too many incidents such as mine to accept that as a blanket statement. The idea that you would have to 'baby' an engine just because it is a six-cylinder instead of an eight is silly. Millions of Chevy Novas are laughing at you right now. I've seen teams of bad drivers incapable of destroying Novas. If it was a four cylinder, I'd let you off the hook. However, it seems to be a four-cylinder that someone added two more cylinders into. A four-quart oil capacity requires the engine to run too hot. In retrospect, an oil cooler may have bought me a few more months (or years) but the design of the engine was just not well thought out. The only reason for the 'sludge' issue is that the oil is breaking down due to the high heat and gumming up the internals.

Sure, if you're willing to drive 55 and change the oil every 2000 miles it may take you 150K but that's just not realistic and using an engine that requires such kid-glove handling in such a popular model vehicle is just unforgivable. Chrysler's line is now the standard 'owner abuse' defense from what I've read...no matter how well you've maintained the vehicle.

All in all, I'm pretty pissed off at myself for not doing my homework prior to purchasing it and at Chrysler for creating the issue and then just walking away from it. Had I known, I would have gotten a more sedate Mustang and enjoyed it for years. Instead, I'm searching junk yards and eBay trying to find a replacement engine like the thousands of other working slobs who got caught with one of these failed engines and is competing for anything they find.

Shame on Chrysler for not properly designing this engine. Shame on Chysler for ignoring the issue. Shame on Chysler for not recalling the engine when they realized it was failing in huge numbers and shame on our government 'watchdogs' who allow it to continue and reward bad business practice with huge sums of taxpayer money.

My engine was not too big to fail.

 

shame on the oil makers for not having upgraded the oil type the army core did a test on 315 different engines using the grade oil avail back in 98-03 the oil with smaller passages would sludge up causing engine and bearing issues on all engines with small ports not just a Chrysler 2.7. The upgraded oils GVS or something like that 4 now will not sludge up in small ports so no matter what engine u get there wont be an issue if the ports are cleaned. I have a 98 Concorde with a 2.7 had 200 k on it b4 I nuked a piston a small washer had fallen into the intake and took it out there was not a drop of sludge in that engine and I changed the oil with the correct stuff every time.

So once again do home work not on web forums only that give one sided info based off there personal experience and not fact based info. Would u take some one to tell u that a product is crap or would u take it into account and keep looking? If i did that all the time hehe I would not eat out any more or visit stores. People with bad days will always tell u whats wrong but u hardly hear when a place or service is good because content people dont bitch.

 

Also the engine change and design was from the computers make up not an oil issue when they went from old SBEC 2 that has been around scene 96 and new stuff NGC 02 and up

 

Well, History is written by the Winning Team, and I guess only those who have bad experience will call it Junk....

I personally have BLOWN UP two 6 cylinder Chevys, a 67 Nova, and a 70 Chevelle... But I dont consider them junk, and I whole heartedly accept at least half the responsibility for their untimely Demise.

On the other hand, I know of at least a dozen 2.7's in Chargers, 300's, and Sebrings, with over 200k on them, and In perfect order, and their owners really arent that "METICULOUS"....I know of just as many that exploded with under 30k....

Point being, It is all in the luck of the draw.... There will always be someone to complain about something, But as a person, You have to make your own informed decision.....If i recommend a car to you, and it works out badly, You will be pissed at me.
But, Think for a moment.....

If you pass up the deal of a lifetime, because I told you its a piece of $*it, and ten years later, the other guy still has it and is very happy........Arent you gonna still be pissed at me???
There is NOTHING available that is Bullet-proof, or Indestructible....And the WIZARD who has a bad experience, and Runs out to buy a Toyota or Honda,,,is in for a really Nasty tasting surprise......The grass is only greener on the other side, until you get there.

 

Perspective is everything. I've been burned and have found that many others have suffered a similar fate so that becomes my reality. You see vehicles on the road with 200K operating without a hitch. We make our opinions based upon personal experience and research.

I've driven many cars in my time. I have never blown an engine. Friends who have raced have blown engines. It was just something to be expected when you raced. The cars you shredded, as you said, were at least partially your fault. You had to TRY to blow them up...push them to their limit... abuse them. You don't expect it from normal driving.

Personally, I have not seen other sites dedicated to complaints about a particular engine. Maybe they exist. Sure every car company has its share of lemons but it seems odd that so many people have the same problems with the same engine. The Sebring is not a car that lends itself to racing or abuse. It's a sedate, touring convertible not a muscle car. The percentages just don't jive.

Having properly vented and you properly defending, where do I go from here? If I find a replacement from a junkyard, what do I do to get past this 'sludge' problem? Does the engine need to be completely cleaned and rebuilt (which makes it no longer cost-effective)? Can it be de-sludged internally without being taken down to components? Would an oil cooler and synthetic oil solve the problem going forward?

Like I said, I love the car but I hate that it doesn't run. I got burned, either by the previous owner or the engine itself. That is neither here nor there at this point. I have a car that no longer functions and a brand new engine will wind up costing me as much as I paid for the vehicle. I don't have that kind of money to throw at this problem. So the issue is a brand new engine is way too expensive and a junkyard find may have the same problem I'm looking to get rid of.

Where do I go from here?

 

Thye salvage yards know the demand for them is high. Price them and you'll see.