>Worst engine ever? The Vega block used an aluminum that was loaded with
>silicon. The cylinders were honed to expose the silicon and the pistons
>(iron plated) road on the silicon, not the aluminum. This process got a
>lot of bad press due to the Vega's problems but the Porsche 928 uses the
>same basic design and those engines are pretty bullet proof.
>
>What let the Vega down, if I remember correctly, was the head gasket and
>marginal cooling. They used and iron head on the aluminum block and, if
>the engine ever got even marginally hot, the gasket blew, the car
>overheated, and the cylinders were destroyed. If the engine stayed cool,
>it was a decent engine.
>
>Regards,
>Bill Eastman
>61 MGA that uses aluminum in the doors, where you are supposed to and wood
>floorboards like MOWOG intended.
>
Now I had a Vega once. Never had a bit of problem with it. But I knew of
others that failed. The major difference was who was driving and
consequently HOW they were driving.
The ones that failed were driven like the current (at the time) V-8's Low
RPM and trying for the torque that wasn't there.
Now here I was a lowly 16 yr old that was invincible so I drove the car
like a bat outa hell wrapped up and screaming! I had it in 1st when the
others had theirs in 3rd or 4th. I never got to 4th until about 80.
That motor lasted until I traded the car for a 67 Firebird Conv
400/4speed. that is another story. That car was driven for a while after
that then wrecked and the kid driving was badly hurt. Around 125,000 mile
or so w/o a major engine problem.
Larry Macy
78 Midget
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