Re: Fwd: A look inside 200k mi. engine

[Kiwi <enzeder@home.com>]

At 10:02 AM 10/15/1999 EDT, JShadzi@aol.com wrote:
>
><< <<My dad, who spent 43 years working on steam and diesel locomotives, as 
>well 
> as airplane and tank engines for a while, couldn't believe the amount of 
> crap sitting on the pistons!  Scary to think of that stuff flying around in 
> the combustion chamber, getting stuck around the valves, etc...
> Anyway, got me to thinking if that engine has 200k and so much stuff in the 
> cylinders, wonder what my 4k with 300k looks like.  Probably pull the plugs 
> this weekend and stick a vacuum hose in there to see what comes out!
> Alan>>>
> 
> My coupe GT, which had over 200k mi when I pulled off the head, was 
>amazingly in excellent shape.  In fact, the factory hone pattern on the 
>cylinder walls was still there, and there was no uneven wear on the cylinder 
>walls.  Compression was still within spec too.  The only problem was that
the 
>valve guide seals were worn and leaking.  From othere motors I have opened, 
>and others I have talked too, I dont think my experience was too rare.  I 
>have to question the maintenence history of a motor like yours with so much 
>gunk in the combustion chamber?
> Javad Shadzi
> 88 80Q >>

My '86 5ktq had about 170k mi when I pulled the head (4 bad EM studs), and
it was pretty crappy looking on the inside.  I used to go through a good
amount of oil between changes (at least a quart).  I cleaned everything
out, put a new valve cover gasket on (among other things), and now it
doesn't use a drop.  That was about 25k mi ago.  The top of the intake
manifold was covered in oil and even now it's still perfectly clean, so I
guess it was just the gasket in my case (although the one I installed was
the same style as one I removed). 
Arryn