Originally Posted by
happygu
Jiggy,
I have had both, and I loved my old 4.2 6 cylinder Diesel, and I love my 3.0L.
Both have their strong points, and for my usage, fuel economy is a little better with the 3.0L 4 cylinder .....
Off Road - 4.2L Hands Down, but my 3.0L goes everywhere it went too
On Road - 3.0L, but the 4.2L got there too.
I bought the newer Diesel due to the 10K Servicing, rather than 5K, and have never been unhappy after 16 years of owning them ( after the shock and dismay of my first 4wd trip where I kept stalling it again and again and again - trying to drive the same way I used to with the old 4.2 )
The 4.2 and the 3.0 are both incredibly strong engines, as even the 3.0L ones that have had piston issues display great signs otherwise internally, with the rest of the internals in great condition.
The only real issues with the 3.0L seem to be either Piston related ( holes in pistons, and that seems to be a common problem across a lot manufacturers and the newer more powerful engines that run hotter to create less pollution ), cracks in the head between the valve seat and the glow plug, cracked EGR Pipe, or warped exhaust manifold.