Woah, Blast from the past!
Do engines even wear out any more?
- Thread starter glennc
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I had a Dodge Spirit with approx 240,000 miles on it. I got a bargain on a donor wreck with an engine with only 68,000 and the 4spd transmission, so I swapped it. After that, I tore down the original engine. You could still see the crosshatch on the cylinder walls from the factory hone and all the bearings looked fine. It was mostly well maintained, but not religiously so. Still got great MPG and had plenty of power.
(Of course, the donor engine blew a head gasket after about 8k miles and I junked it. The rest of the car was still in OK condition, but I was sick of spending time and $$$ on repairs. Ended up selling it to a scrapyard for the $400 I originally paid for the thing.)
(Of course, the donor engine blew a head gasket after about 8k miles and I junked it. The rest of the car was still in OK condition, but I was sick of spending time and $$$ on repairs. Ended up selling it to a scrapyard for the $400 I originally paid for the thing.)
So you paint the underside of your car with this stuff?
http://www.amazon.com/POR-15-Rust-Preventive-Paint-Black/dp/B000GGMLQE
http://www.amazon.com/POR-15-Rust-Preventive-Paint-Black/dp/B000GGMLQE
Yes. That's what I use.
Seen a couple:
- Dad's 1978 Malibu 305 either wore down the camshaft to nothing, or it carboned up so much it would barely run after 8-9 years..don't know the actual mileage, but it would have been high.
- buddy's 1987 Buick Century 2.8 V-6. Maintained fairly well, but driven nightmarishly hard. Oil light came on constantly at idle at about 120k miles.
Never had the engine actully wear out on a car I owned.
- Dad's 1978 Malibu 305 either wore down the camshaft to nothing, or it carboned up so much it would barely run after 8-9 years..don't know the actual mileage, but it would have been high.
- buddy's 1987 Buick Century 2.8 V-6. Maintained fairly well, but driven nightmarishly hard. Oil light came on constantly at idle at about 120k miles.
Never had the engine actully wear out on a car I owned.
1995 Geo prism with a little over 200,000 miles and the motor is still going strong.I never had a engine failure on any car or truck I ever owned.But i do check under the hood every saturday morng to check all the fluids and give the engine a good look to keep on top of any problems.I think how the car is driven has more to do with how long the car lasts then anything else.
We just lost our 04 Chevy 3.4 to blown heads. Only 139k. Great running engine prior to that with no signs of tiring. Probably repairable but not worth it, was donated to the Salvation Army instead for salvage auction.
Originally Posted By: glennc
We've all seen the thread (now two threads) on the million mile Chevy, run on cheap oil and lackadaisical OCIs. We all see results in the UOA section of this site where engines have single-digit or low-double-digit wear metals over 6-12k OCIs or even longer.
I'm wondering whether ANY engine that is well maintained actually wears out these days at all.
Of course there is SOME wear: clearances eventually increase, the engine gets mechanically noisier and loses some of its new precision. But has anybody actually had an engine that was maintained properly, didn't have any particular flaws or mechanical trouble, and just wore out? On modern oil?
It seems to me that more often an engine just gets to the point where it is neglected, and either a timing belt breaks, or coolant gets into the oil, or the oil is not changed for so long that it all leaks out or gets burned or turns to sludge and the engine fails because it is eventually run without proper lubrication at all.
Or the whole car falls apart and the engine is still running fine.
What think ye?
Yeah, and how much power does it have left? Can it pull hills of any kind anymore?
We've all seen the thread (now two threads) on the million mile Chevy, run on cheap oil and lackadaisical OCIs. We all see results in the UOA section of this site where engines have single-digit or low-double-digit wear metals over 6-12k OCIs or even longer.
I'm wondering whether ANY engine that is well maintained actually wears out these days at all.
Of course there is SOME wear: clearances eventually increase, the engine gets mechanically noisier and loses some of its new precision. But has anybody actually had an engine that was maintained properly, didn't have any particular flaws or mechanical trouble, and just wore out? On modern oil?
It seems to me that more often an engine just gets to the point where it is neglected, and either a timing belt breaks, or coolant gets into the oil, or the oil is not changed for so long that it all leaks out or gets burned or turns to sludge and the engine fails because it is eventually run without proper lubrication at all.
Or the whole car falls apart and the engine is still running fine.
What think ye?
Yeah, and how much power does it have left? Can it pull hills of any kind anymore?
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Honda V6 VCM if you read two instances here! They self-destruct under 80K miles. You have been warned. The junkyards are filled with new Odysseys and Pilots an Accord-V6s with blown engine and pristine body and transmissions.
Oh, you mean that is not the case? Never mind then!
Oh, you mean that is not the case? Never mind then!
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: glennc
We've all seen the thread (now two threads) on the million mile Chevy, run on cheap oil and lackadaisical OCIs. We all see results in the UOA section of this site where engines have single-digit or low-double-digit wear metals over 6-12k OCIs or even longer.
I'm wondering whether ANY engine that is well maintained actually wears out these days at all.
Of course there is SOME wear: clearances eventually increase, the engine gets mechanically noisier and loses some of its new precision. But has anybody actually had an engine that was maintained properly, didn't have any particular flaws or mechanical trouble, and just wore out? On modern oil?
It seems to me that more often an engine just gets to the point where it is neglected, and either a timing belt breaks, or coolant gets into the oil, or the oil is not changed for so long that it all leaks out or gets burned or turns to sludge and the engine fails because it is eventually run without proper lubrication at all.
Or the whole car falls apart and the engine is still running fine.
What think ye?
Yeah, and how much power does it have left? Can it pull hills of any kind anymore?
I`d be afraid to get on the [censored] thing for fear it would let loose or something.
Originally Posted By: glennc
We've all seen the thread (now two threads) on the million mile Chevy, run on cheap oil and lackadaisical OCIs. We all see results in the UOA section of this site where engines have single-digit or low-double-digit wear metals over 6-12k OCIs or even longer.
I'm wondering whether ANY engine that is well maintained actually wears out these days at all.
Of course there is SOME wear: clearances eventually increase, the engine gets mechanically noisier and loses some of its new precision. But has anybody actually had an engine that was maintained properly, didn't have any particular flaws or mechanical trouble, and just wore out? On modern oil?
It seems to me that more often an engine just gets to the point where it is neglected, and either a timing belt breaks, or coolant gets into the oil, or the oil is not changed for so long that it all leaks out or gets burned or turns to sludge and the engine fails because it is eventually run without proper lubrication at all.
Or the whole car falls apart and the engine is still running fine.
What think ye?
Yeah, and how much power does it have left? Can it pull hills of any kind anymore?
I`d be afraid to get on the [censored] thing for fear it would let loose or something.
Originally Posted By: ericthepig
Originally Posted By: hotoil
Our 1998 Camry V6 has 119k miles on Mobil 1 5W-30, changed every 4k because of short trips. The engine runs like new, but i wonder how long the automatic trans will last; anyone with experience there? Fluid has been changed twice.
Also, head gaskets? The valve covers are beginning to leak a bit, wondering if I should change them or plan on doing the head gaskets at 150k?
I have a 98 Sienna. I think we have the same drive train. I have 151k miles on mine - valve covers had to be replace about a year ago. For the last several months the transmission makes an occassional light buzzing noise before shifting - about six years ago I started chging the ATF every year (3 qts) w/ M1 ATF. Hoping to get a few more years out of it.
228,000 on my 98 Camry V6 and it runs like a dream. I also have M1 ATF in the tranny and have had it in there since about the first flush @ 60k. I do the radiator line flush every 60k and it takes about 7-8 quarts. Coming up on another flush soon. Shifts super smooth.
Originally Posted By: hotoil
Our 1998 Camry V6 has 119k miles on Mobil 1 5W-30, changed every 4k because of short trips. The engine runs like new, but i wonder how long the automatic trans will last; anyone with experience there? Fluid has been changed twice.
Also, head gaskets? The valve covers are beginning to leak a bit, wondering if I should change them or plan on doing the head gaskets at 150k?
I have a 98 Sienna. I think we have the same drive train. I have 151k miles on mine - valve covers had to be replace about a year ago. For the last several months the transmission makes an occassional light buzzing noise before shifting - about six years ago I started chging the ATF every year (3 qts) w/ M1 ATF. Hoping to get a few more years out of it.
228,000 on my 98 Camry V6 and it runs like a dream. I also have M1 ATF in the tranny and have had it in there since about the first flush @ 60k. I do the radiator line flush every 60k and it takes about 7-8 quarts. Coming up on another flush soon. Shifts super smooth.
My friend has a 98 Avalon with that same A541E transmission. His has about 180k on it, and one day, around 175k it just wouldn't go into gear, nothing. Original trans fluid. Yeah. Like SOME KIND of miracle, he changed the fluid and oh, gee, it works like new again.
That transmission is some kind of miracle. If there WAS a bulletproof factory built trans, that's probably it.
That transmission is some kind of miracle. If there WAS a bulletproof factory built trans, that's probably it.
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