Just curious,
Who's got the highest accumulated mileage on their 4 cylinder Pinto or Bobcat, (without doing any internal tear down of the piston/crank reciprocating parts or replacement of valve train hard parts, rebuilding or parts replacement such as pistons, valves, etc.)?
Having the head OFF, (even for head gasket replacement only) or a valve job stops the clock, but installing a new oil pan gasket for example, or an external type of accessory such as an oil or water pump, distributor, timing belt or chain does not, nor does changing valve seals. Basically just about anything goes as long as the block and head haven't been separated.
I know that my 201,000 miles on a '71 with a 2000cc can't be the highest, as it was still running reliably when I sold it. Of course, I don't know how many miles the NEXT guy and his wife (who were last heard from years ago as fighting over it's custody, among other things in their divorce) put on it.........
my title says the mechanical limits have been exceeded, so i'm guessing it at either 230,000 or 330,000 I dunno for sure. I DO know it's the original engine, but not the original tranny. Does installing a Ranger roller cam count toward stopping the clock? The engine is still the original factory ford blue, the paint goes over the hd gasket, & water pump gasket, so I don't believe the engine's been apart.
hmmmmm,
Concerning exceeding the mechanical limits:
ANY mileage over 99,999.9 miles would have a title that indicates "exceeds mechanical limits" on many/most of these earlier era domestic cars, whose odometers usually only registered up to that figure before starting over. (Some of the foreign cars had "million mile" odometers, even back then.) So, unless you have personally owned and driven it long enough to KNOW for a fact that it has now gone over the top MORE than twice, it could just as easily be 130,000 total miles, as 230,000 or 330,000 miles, right?
From what you've said and not said, it sounds as if you may well not have had the car long enough to KNOW the actual minimum mileage, to a certainty.
The 1971 Pinto (who's engine mileage I listed at 201,000+ miles) was purchased used by my brother, when it was only a couple of years old as a one owner car, and with approximately 70,000 original miles. He owned it until it had seen most of the lower 48 plus Alaska and had also been shipped to Hawaii and then back to California. (I'm not counting any of the sea miles, because the car wasn't driven to Hawaii and back.) In case you're wondering, he was in the Coast Guard at that time, and was being billeted in different places every 2 years.
Anyway, by the time that I got it, the cars' mileage was up to 140,000 miles, and he sold it to me (WITH NO RUST ANYWHERE!!) for $750.00. I lived in Chicago at the time so I promptly had the body professionally cleaned and Ziebarted it as an 11 year old car. (At that time, they would still do this on a used car and give a full time period guarantee 5 or 7 yrs? on the rustproofing of the car, if it was in good enough condition when the rustproofing was done. I don't know if their policy still allows for a full time length guarantee.) I then had the exterior repainted as the color coat had been road grit blasted and sun bleached down to the primer on some of the horizontal surfaces, such as the roof, trunk lid and front fender tops. I forgot, I was mistaken, it was actually a sedan, not a runabout as I have mentioned somewhere.
As far as a cam replacement goes, even though that parts' replacement doesn't require a head removal, since it IS a replacement of a critical, and metal original mechanical part of the valve train, (unlike a valve seal) that's also a no-no, at least within the parameters of this search.
Possible performance issues aside, I really DO like the idea of using a roller cam from a standpoint of possibly increasing engine longevity and decreasing maintenance. My '87 Crown Vic's 5.0L has a factory cam and roller LIFTERS and now has 195K on the engine block and heads, still as originally assembled, and with a good number of those being towing/lower gear miles. I recently replaced the valve SEALS, leaking intake manifold and valve cover gaskets, and agonized over doing a valve job, but finally decided not to, because the compression was so even and the oil consumption is once again very low. I digress.
Whats the highest mileage anyone has gotten on any vehicle? My dad got a little over 345,000 out of his 1989 F-150. The only things he had to change out were a clutch and the Upper plenum gasket started leaking so it was changed out. He traded it in for a 1997 "dodge" ram and he had the rear end go out of it the first year that he owned it. We saw his old ford on the side of the road broke down about a month after he traded it.
Well, the old man put about 250,000 miles on the 2.3 in our old 79 pinto wagon we had before the blow-by got too bad to drive it. He found another 2.3 with 30,000 on it and swapped it in and put another 100,000 or so on the car before the c3 trans went out. And if my brother hadn't gotten the car going as fast as he could in reverse and then chunking it into drive to spin the tire (open diff), it probably would've lasted a lot longer than that.
So, 250,000 on the original engine and over 350,000 on the car. Not bad.
-Harry
I just bought a 71 Pinto with 309,890 miles. Had all reciepts since new...Head gasket at 280,000 or so. Just drove it home. Over 1000 miles. Used 1/2 quart 10/30. Will change to straight 40 wt for 300,000 + miles engine. Oil was changed EVERY 2000 miles. She does clatter..haven't adjusted valves yet. Dave
I had a 1973 Pinto Squire ,( from the 1st day on the road ), it had the 2.0 4 spd . I put 372,000 K , miles on it. I've changed just about everything else, except main engine parts, brakes , alt, brain box, clutch & cable. My brother and I were coming down from Estes Park , CO. , when the lights went really dim, when we opened the hood , the alternator was actually on fire ( with real flames ). I'd never seen one actually burn , before. But anyhow , I've done a lot in that car , in fact , that's the longest I've held onto , & enjoyed a car , to date.I owned the car until 1990. Then i sold it to a friend, who sold it to my brother. Then my brother put an additional 20,000 on it , before he gave it up, as dead. He said it was still trying to run , but , only on 2 cylinders.
wantapinto, even at 280,000 miles to a head gasket, (clock stops when the head first came off, remember) that's a lot of miles.
If you still have anything resembling acceptable performance, I would bet that at LEAST one valve job was also done somewhere along the line on this engine, even if it was as late as when the head gasket was replaced at 280,000 (which would be a very reasonable time to do it, in any case, since the head had to come off regardless.)
By the way, if the engine in your car only used 1/2 quart of 10W30 in 1000 miles, why would you be thinking of switching to straight 40wt oil? 2000 miles per quart of oil is still within the ORIGINAL design limits for this engine when new. And would only be hitting a quart low when it was time to change the oil (at least according to what you said the prior owner was doing.) Did you perhaps mean 10W40?
Unless you drive at extremely high engine temperatures nearly all the time, the straight 40wt would create a significant drag on your engine and noticibly effect your fuel mileage as well as decreasing performance. Even 15W40 would create more drag, but still a lot less than the st. 40.
I'd suggest doing a compression and compression leakdown test now and then see if it changes after checking and setting the valves, if necessary.
If the clatter you're hearing is from excessive valve clearance, setting the valves will help, if it's rod knock, it won't and while the 40wt MIGHT quiet it down, on this engine it's fairly easy to a main and rod bearing change, which would be a wise thing to check and probably do at that mileage anyway. Plus that way you'r be helping to restore oil pressure and still be using a more normal weight of oil.
If I remember correctly on the early Pintos you could still unbolt the engine mounts and jack up the engine enough to pull the oil pan without needing to move the steering rack completely out of the way.
Once the oil pan is off, it's a usually a simple matter to replace bearings if necessary.
sspncr:
372,000+ miles and no head gasket OR valve job in 20 odd years of running? That sorta stretches credulity.... This was a number of years ago now, maybe you forgot?
My 80 wagon went 212,000 on the origanal motor.It was still running good except for an annoying knock created by a gigantic ridge on the front of # 1 cyl,piston striking ridge.The car now has about 430,000 on it 16 yrs later,but none of the origanal running gear remains.