Old motor endurance tests:what kind of abuse will they take?

[marco_1978_spyder]

1st edition, non 'crossflow' 151 iron duke 4cyl:
factory stock.

Plenty of abuse;
can run floored uphill on super highways for hours at a time.
Never fuss for a second, but granted you might only be 60mph (floored) but usually 80+

can be shifted at 5500 rpm, many times but its absolutely useless unless you've got mods.

otherwise it can be shifted as hard as possible at 4500 all day.
Can run at 250+ degree's at least 4-5 times for a few minutes

Will usually conk out and refuse to budge untill she cools down after too long at insane temps.

No fires..cools down, runs like new.

Running without coolant untill even all the oil has evaporated the 3rd time, will cook it.

she still runs but sounds down on one cyl, and the white smoke is profuse, and didnt seem to go away after 10 minutes.



305 small block:

rebuilt with flat tops, mild porting and a cam.

runs at 230* (240*on 85* afternoons) and 3400-3600rpm for about 45 minutes. Everythings probably stressed to the max.
but seems to be taking the abuse in stride.

(i have no choice - have weeks to work before I can afford a rad and either a 5 speed swap or back to a lower numerical rear)

Or else I'd spare my otherwise good natured 305.

dosent seem to vapor lock, and starts good even when hot.
(new battery ground and block ground wires)

Above the longblock is a 2bbl manifold, all stock. Stock emmissions hookups except EGR.
stock ignition and catalytic converter.

average muffler.

sooo theres what some typical old GM engines can take.

Not very nice of me to do that to these engines, but nice to have the info.

Pretty darn durable if you ask me.

[tymax]

So which one were you driving turning onto Aster street the other day?

Rod

[marco_1978_spyder]

??

[starfire383]

Real thrashing involves old beat up and stuck 4x4s. Lost track of the nights I started with 2 gallons of water and 3 qts of oil behind the seat, used them all, and still had to add 3 qts and 2 gallons the next morning It's really hard to kill an old cast iron chevy once they've got enough miles to loosen up. As long as there's some hint of oil pressure and the temp needle is visible on the gauge, you'll get home.

I've driven +15 miles without any coolant, hydrolocked em in deep water, made the manifolds glow so red that troubleshooting could be done without a flashlight, and more abuse than can be listed in one thread. It's no coincidence I'm a chevy guy.

Quit being so nice to em Marco

[marco_1978_spyder]

Lol...you got it man!!!

[Elfmagic]

The origonal '77 305 monza engine i had in my '79 was running on all copper left for main and rod bearings still smoked some mustangs and all ricers it ever came across and you could almost take the timing chain off without taking loose the cam sprocket. Had more than 170,000 on her and still ran great on the barely 2 lbs. of oil pressure at idle with the oil light flashing at you (thats why i stuck in the 350) and i cant even count the god knows how many times missing third and reving 6000+ rpms and never even complained! will never own anything else! Like the old chevy comercial said "Put Gas in her and she'll go." What more could you ask from her. Kenny

[monzaman69]

My first monza (a 79 2 headlight hatchback) had the 151 Iron Duke...

When I got the car, the odometer read 84000 miles... The previous owner (who bought it brand new) said that it had rolled over 3 times already!

So, she had 384000 miles on the clock when I got her, with no work ever done to the engine except basic maintenance. I put around 70k on her in the 4 years I had it. The car blew a head gasket around 410k miles

The car is STILL driving around my home town of Sandersville, GA, and hasn't broken down yet.

Although the engine won't die, it definatly isn't a performance minded machine.. The car burned about 2 quarts of oil every week, only did about 65 miles an hour on level terrain (and took a while to get there) Took about 15 minutes to get started on a cold morning, and the tranny (also original) took about 2-3 seconds to go from 2nd to 3rd gear


But, all in all, I'd say that it was one well built and designed powerplant


My 2nd monza however (Same engine) threw a freeze plug without me knowing it, and the dummy light never came on. I just started losing power, and eventually the engine locked... I had it towed home and didn't even touch the car for about 2 weeks.... When I got in to try turning over the motor, the starter clicked the first 2-3 key turns, then started turning over after 4-5...
Within 20 seconds the motor fired to life, although extremely unhappy, and the exhaust was almost pitch black... (This was the monza I parted out and junked in `04)


I have a lot of faith in those engines, they can take one hell of a beating and keep moving


Later,

Adam

[bugdewde]

Since the "Iron Duke" is 1/2 of a Pontiac 301(sort of)........ I'd back Adam's story with my '79 Pontiac 301's longevity.

200+k miles...... one rebuild(due to a failed harmonic balancer after a front collision). Never leaked or burned one drop of oil. Not one engine problem ....... ever.... in 9 years under the control of a crazed teenager. Well, I was very immature in my 20's.........

[monzamess]

When I was a dumb teenager, my Monza (Iron Duke + auto) was my first car. On my way across town (Atlanta) one day, the oil light came on, and I just kept driving. I didn't know it was serious--I thought it was like the gas light, you know, do something about it soon but you don't have to pull over now. Duh. I drove another 10 or so miles like that. Dad chewed me out later, but the car was OK after replacing a seal.

It ran until one of the engine mounts gave way and shoved itself into the oil filter many years later. Even then, I put it back together and it ran just long enough for me to decide it was project time.

[ozzymoose]

I can vouch for these motors even here in oz. Bout 10 yrs ago a mate bought a canary yellow 79 Z28 camaro with a 350.We decided to do an oil/filter change and put less than 1lt in it but got distracted and didnt put any more in.Went cruzin that nite,must have done bout 80 miles,it started to drag the last few miles so we poped the lid and had a look when we got back, never seen so much glowing metal in all my life lol. Parked it that nite,next morning we fixed a few molten wires, changed the oil again this time with enough lol, and it fired very first kick, thats the day i went from blue oval to chev, funny that.

[mldeolde]

when my brothers and i were all of the above,many years ago. we fould an old Corvette 283 in the back yard of a neighbor who had moved out. there it was valve covers to to oil pan sitting with the weeds growing all over it. so what did we do? PUT OIL AND NEW FILTER ON IT SCROUNGED A DISTRIBUTOR AND CARB AND THREW IT IN ONE OF OUR FRIENDS 56 CHEVY. IT RAN LIKE STINK FOR OVER A YEAR. SMOKED A LITTLE UNDER A BIG LOAD BUT WE DIDN'T CARE,IT WAS GREAT. WHEN WE FINALLY YANKED IT WE FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD BEEN PUNCHED OUT TO A 301 AND NEEDED A NEW BORE BUT THERE WASN'T ANY ROOM LEFT IN TYHE CYLINDERS FOR THAT SO THE GUY LEFT IT. BUT IT SURE WAS FUN FOR A BUNCH OF YOUNG GREESE MONKEYS LOOKING FOR SOME CHEAP THRILLS .