any inline 6 battle stories?

[Errtt]

70s, only 2 I remember having
Rambler w/232
Merc Comet w/230 (i think).

Both had 3 on the tree.

Used to run all over top half of California for a lot of fishing/camping - then finally moved up in the world and got me a truck. Don't recall the clock, but I put a lot of miles on each and loaded them down more than the car law should allow. Had more times than I want to know digging them out by hand stuck in mud, snow, rocks etc. when we couldn't find someone to pull me out. One time took a couple days of hand digging to get us out off the Eel river.
Carry oil, gas up and go - Those were the days.

 

[meep]

I bought a jeep zj with over 200,000 miles on it with a well-neglected 4.0. It had been repeatedly and chronically overheated. I drove it daily, loving every minute of it, topping off the radiator every evening. As I sorted it out, all hoses were replaced, thermostat and housing, water pump..... And that was just for the cooling system.

It still lost coolant. And oil. And the oil leaked visibly from where the head joined the block. While the oil and coolant weren't mixing, it didn't take an expert to figure out where the antifreeze might have been going.

Solution? Head torque on that thing is around 125. I grabbed a torque wrench and did everything I could to tighten them. Some were loose at 110. Others closer to 119. When I finished, they were around 135-140.

I drove it for a year after that, and it didn't consume nearly as much coolant, or oil. While the rest of the vehicle continued to act its age, the engine became pretty reliable. I sold it at around 240,000+. That engine made a racket but was smooth under power and could absolutely still deliver when asked to.

 

[afoulk]

Anyone remember the old duralube infomercials where they ran a slant six on a stand and shot water in the valvetrain while it was running? I remember seeing it on TV when I was a kid

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: afoulk
Anyone remember the old duralube infomercials where they ran a slant six on a stand and shot water in the valvetrain while it was running? I remember seeing it on TV when I was a kid


They also threw rocks and sand in it as well, but as all the oil was drained they just laid there causing no damage... Any water ran out the open oil plug, so the bearings never saw any of the water either...

The choice of the slant six was because of it's solid valve lifters and the fact the valve train was angled to the camera didn't hurt either...

 

[Astro14]

The I-6 in the '92 300E has a reputation for great durability. It's a smooth-running engine, needs a HG about every 100K (just did it last summer), but it's been great.

Still not an I-8 for smoothness and torque, but that 3.0L I-6 is a great engine...

 

[afoulk]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
Originally Posted By: afoulk
Anyone remember the old duralube infomercials where they ran a slant six on a stand and shot water in the valvetrain while it was running? I remember seeing it on TV when I was a kid


They also threw rocks and sand in it as well, but as all the oil was drained they just laid there causing no damage... Any water ran out the open oil plug, so the bearings never saw any of the water either...

The choice of the slant six was because of it's solid valve lifters and the fact the valve train was angled to the camera didn't hurt either...


I was going to mention the sand and rocks too, but I wasn't sure if that was a figment of my imagination or if I actually remembered that too. Even as a kid I knew enough about engines to know that there had to be some reason that engine kept running, such as what you mentioned about the drain plug being out. I knew enough then that it was more or less a "snake" oil.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
The I-6 in the '92 300E has a reputation for great durability. It's a smooth-running engine, needs a HG about every 100K (just did it last summer), but it's been great.

Still not an I-8 for smoothness and torque, but that 3.0L I-6 is a great engine...


Sorry, (flag thrown) An engine that needs a head gasket (major repair) every 100k would never have a reputation for "great durability"

 

[Astro14]

They routinely get to 300k without needing any other work...that vintage all needed a HG At 100k...don't know why.

Let me put it this way: how many 21 year old cars, that look and run like new, do you see on the road?

That's great durability...

Now, if you REALLY want durability, let me tell you about an inline 8...

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: GearheadTool
BMW 2.7L "ETA" engine was.. un-killable.

I know, I know.. everybody hates this engine (the 2.7L one?) but I don't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M20

The BMW M20 was a straight-6 SOHC piston engine produced from 1977-1993. Like the larger capacity M30 engine it was produced alongside, the M20 has 12 valves. While the M30 camshaft is chain driven, the M20 camshaft and auxiliary shaft are driven by a timing belt. Initially released with a carburetor, later models used Bosch fuel injection.

With displacements ranging from 1990 cc to 2693 cc, it was the "little brother" to the larger BMW M30 engine. It has 91 mm (3.6 in) bore-spacing[1] instead of 100 mm (3.9 in) of the M30.

Powering the E21 and E30 3-Series, as well as E12, E28 and E34 5 Series cars, it was produced for nearly two decades, with the last examples powering the E30 325i touring built until April 1993.[2] It was replaced by the DOHC BMW M50 engine.

Early versions of the M20 were sometimes referred to as the "M60",[3] although the M60 code has since been used for a V8 engine first produced in 1992.

The M20 was the basis for the M21 diesel engine and the M70 V12 engine.[4]

Oh, it's killable.

Neglect the timing belt. It'll get killed.

I don't know if the exhaust valves were sodium filled or something but they were $40 apiece. I thought the lot owner was going to have a seizure when he got that bill.

But it was a cool car otherwise. It accelerated slowly compared to a similarly size engined late '80s 2.8 Grand Prix, but then you look down at the speedometer, thinking you are at 55mph and it's maxxed out the US mandated 85mph speedo. Just cruising along, high speed, no drama.

 

[Shannow]

My E30 (still in the back yard, need to get rid of it) went like a dog shot in the arse if you kept the revs up...150km/hr in 3rd, and still pulling.

Car came with proof that you can kill them, with a 5 cylinder block and stuff as "spares"

 

[addyguy]

Step-father had a 1975 Duster with a slant-6, he bought when it was about 8-9 years old.

Don't know exactly what happened, but it 'let go' on the highway one day and scattered all over the road, which got the police very upset with them.

Family friend had a 1976 Gremlin w/232 I-6 that ran fine for 10+ years, with what would have been minimal maintenance.

Neighbours of ours years ago had an early 1970's Maverick that got driven REALLY hard...never forget the sound of that I-6 being thrashed...that 'hissing' noise it made.

 

[cjcride]

Originally Posted By: afoulk
Anyone remember the old duralube infomercials where they ran a slant six on a stand and shot water in the valvetrain while it was running? I remember seeing it on TV when I was a kid
They sprayed cold water on the valve train and crankshaft (oilpan removed). It would have seized otherwise, yet they said it was to remove the traces of oil if I remember correctly.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

I've had many I6's. None ever failed me.

1971 Dart Swinger 225
1981 Fairamount 200
1980 Lebaron 225
1977 Granada 250
1972 Maverick 250
1981 Mustang 200
1959 Edsel 223
1978 Granada 250

 

[ecotourist]

I've had 2 I6s: a '63 Chevy II with a 194 ci I6, and my current '00 BMW 528i. Both have been very reliable.

I6s have a wonderful sound, I think Road and Track described it as like "ripping cloth".

As I recall, there are 3 engine lay outs that are intrinsically balanced for 1st and 2nd order harmonics - the V12, the boxer 6 and the lowly in-line 6. All 3 engine designs have been used in some of the great cars of our time.

I do have an engine story to tell, though I can't swear it involved an I6. When I was 18, I worked for a few months at a Pontiac dealership. The owners were a sporting duo who had offered a potential customer a good price for a clapped out Pontiac, "if he could drive it onto the lot". It was pretty clear it wasn't running so it seemed like a safe offer. The owner pulled it quite close to the lot with a farm tractor, made a few adjustments under the hood, and (as we all watched) drove it 40 or 50 feet onto the lot! It seemed quite remarkable (that he had gotten it to run at all) so we immediately looked under the hood to see what he had done. There was no carburetor and he had stuffed a cloth into the intake manifold and let gasoline drip onto that. I doubt the air fuel ratio was very good (and the throttle response would have been non existent) but it ran, sort of. I don't suppose he could have gotten a mile before it caught fire but he had "driven it onto the lot". True to their word the owners accepted it as a trade in.

Ecotourist

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: ecotourist
I've had 2 I6s: a '63 Chevy II with a 194 ci I6, and my current '00 BMW 528i. Both have been very reliable.

I6s have a wonderful sound, I think Road and Track described it as like "ripping cloth".

As I recall, there are 3 engine lay outs that are intrinsically balanced for 1st and 2nd order harmonics - the V12, the boxer 6 and the lowly in-line 6. All 3 engine designs have been used in some of the great cars of our time.

I do have an engine story to tell, though I can't swear it involved an I6. When I was 18, I worked for a few months at a Pontiac dealership. The owners were a sporting duo who had offered a potential customer a good price for a clapped out Pontiac, "if he could drive it onto the lot". It was pretty clear it wasn't running so it seemed like a safe offer. The owner pulled it quite close to the lot with a farm tractor, made a few adjustments under the hood, and (as we all watched) drove it 40 or 50 feet onto the lot! It seemed quite remarkable (that he had gotten it to run at all) so we immediately looked under the hood to see what he had done. There was no carburetor and he had stuffed a cloth into the intake manifold and let gasoline drip onto that. I doubt the air fuel ratio was very good (and the throttle response would have been non existent) but it ran, sort of. I don't suppose he could have gotten a mile before it caught fire but he had "driven it onto the lot". True to their word the owners accepted it as a trade in.

Ecotourist

"Ripping canvas" is usually used in relation to a high RPM V12 in a car painted red.

 

[HerrStig]

One of GM's "better ideas" (and there have been many) was a single OHC head on the older than dirt Chevy I 6 block which they sold in the late 60's Pontiac Tempest. Car and Driver, for who knows what reason, stuffed one into a baffed XKE and went on to prove that Jag owners couldn't tell the difference without looking. Having just got good press from C&D, GM then discontinued the thing. Not as expensive a mistake as the Northstar I suppose.

 

[MCompact]

I've had great luck with every one of my inline sixes:
1972 Bavaria 3.0 (M30)
1973 Bavaria 3.0 (M30)
1987 535is (M30)
1988 M6 (S38)
1997 528i (M52)
1999 Wrangler (4.0)
2004 X3 2.5 (M54)
2009 328i (N52N)
It's hard to beat an I6...

 

[84zmyfavorite]

My 1987 Black Jeep Cherokees 1st Year 4.0 currently has 296,909 miles. Just changed out the first seal to go bad, the front main. Excellent compression, oil dirties to a Brownish color around 8,000 miles, could go 10,000 mile OCIs with Conventional Oil and Confidence. My 96 Cherokees 250,5?? mile 4.0 is so Smooothe and has a Wicked PowerBand, my 99s 141,??? mile 4.0 did have a bad #2 Piston to Piston Pin Relationship, but Now is ReBuilt, Gold 2000s 4.0 was at 213,212 miles before being torn down due to Cracked 0331, now currently being ReBUILT, and my Beloved SilverStone Metallics 64,820 mile 4.0 that Runs like She just came off the ShowRoom Floor is the Smoothest Inline 6 I have ever driven. Smoothe as Silk at 500RPM Idle up to 5300Redline.

 

[jdawg89]

Everyone here seems to have some great i-6 sories here. I LOVE my straight 6s

 

[ABCarr]

I've owned 2:

- L24 in a '70 Datsun 240Z
- L28 in a '77 Datsun 280Z

Both great engines; loved the "howl" they made. I appreciate I-6 motors in classic RWD setups.....super easy servicing; plugs laid out nicely along the block along with oil filter; plenty of space to work.