previous owner converted my awd 3.0 to a 2wd?
 

the other day i went in for an oil change and my local mechanic said the previous owner of my montero converted it from a 4wd to a 2wd.. which explains why iv been having so much trouble driving in snow and now im wondering if im doing any damage to my car by driving it with only front wheel drive, mine has the 3.0 motor and i worked hard to get it running in tip top shape.. i know its obviously not as strong as the 3.5 which had the option of both front and all wheel drive which makes more sense since the motor provides more power. i asked about doing a repair but he says it would be a little costly and i struggle just to save up 30 dollars for oil changes let alone.. id like some opinions please i love my car and i wanna keep her running long

It is too bad, however Front Wheel drive is better than Rear wheel Drive in the snow. Before you decide if you want to make your Montero "whole" again, you need to figure out what exactly was done to make it a 2wd. Did the PO just removed the rear drive shaft or did they "gut" the rear differential? That will determine which parts you need and the eventual cost. The modification had to have been done because some component (perhaps rear differential or drive shaft) had failed. Get as much info as you can. That will help you guide towards finding an eventual solution. For right now drive it as is. You are not going to hurt anything. Don't worry about teh 3.0 vs 3.5l engine ether. They have plenty of power if maintained properly. I would strongly recommend to NOT tow anything with FWD only working. These vehicles designed to tow in AWD, so that the stress is distributed to all wheels/axles evenly. Doing so in only FWD may damage some drive components.