Each brand has there wear & tear tendencies, as a result of how good or bad they are designed and/or the quality of the components used in their vehicles. I’ve seen some here on the forum, yet I am curious what else folks have run into.
- For example: BMW’s tend to need their valve cover gasket AND valve cover replaced. While a valve cover gasket may be normal for an aging car, valve cover’s usually don’t need to be replaced from other makes.
- For example: Honda’s need their valves adjusted as they age, since they use dinosaur technology compared to the rest of the industry.
- For example: Nissan CVT’s need their transmission oil changed more frequently, because of the extraordinary friction of the CVT belt.
What are some of the wear & tear tendencies across various brands, or even a specific model of a brand across generations? What took several years, or decades for a brand to figure the problem out? Or are their wear & tendencies still persisting?
That's a huge area. A few things off the top of my head...
Early prewar Crosleys tended to crack their bell housings because to save money the manufacturer did not use any universal joints on the driveshaft, relying on rubber engine mounts to provide flex due to suspension travel.
Postwar Crosleys with the brazed sheet-metal OHC 4-cylinder engine tended to develop leaks over time, though most were replaced later with the cast iron version. The 4-wheel disc brakes that Crosley installed on 1949 models were extremely prone to corrosion when driven on salted roads.
Studebaker OHV six cylinder engines are overhead valve conversions of the 1930s-era flathead engine used on the Rockne and tend to crack cylinder heads in the area between the valves because they were not made strong enough. Studebaker V8s are prone to oil burning.
Likewise, Rambler old-series 195.6 OHV cast-iron inline sixes are converted from an old flathead design from the Nash 600. Factory service recommendation calls for retorquing the cylinder head ever 3 years or 12K miles, whichever comes first. The cylinder head is a heavy design with poor internal cooling. Expansion/contraction with temperature changes over time tends to loosen the head bolts which can result in premature gasket failure.
Oh whoa. You went way back! Good to know the history. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Man...when you ask a question, you ask a QUESTION. Lol. I mean that with respect as I am always entertained by what you come up with. Its just that usually, as is the case here, it would take forever to answer fully and correctly.
However, I'll throw a couple out there that I can think of off the top of my head that maybe you haven't heard of:
1. GM LT1 Camaro/Firebird - The OptiSpark ignition system is junk. For reasons I will never understand, they positioned the unit right under the water pump. So the slightest leak and zap....you're stranded and need a tow and an $800 replacement unit. This was fixed with the 1998+ cars with the LS1.
2. 03/04 Mustang Cobra - The motor in these cars, though hand built and forged, suffered from head cooling issues. This problem was particularly prevalent on the 2003 models. Ford had to replace many heads and some people say they marked the replacement with a blue marker so you can tell if the work was done without breaking the engine down. This is actually false. Some cars do have a blue marking on the head, but it was actually for quality control purposes. Yes, the irony. Fortunately, the aftermarket came through with a head cooling mod that solves this issue. It is not for the faint of heart, as it does involve the engine block, some tubing, and a...(gulp)...drill. I recommend having it done professionally.
3. Vintage V12 Jags - Tank of an engine, but the electricals in those cars.... {black}:razz: . Will literally drive you to drinking trying to get it tuned in and running right. For the record, modern Jags still suffer from poor electricals, but those classic V12's are just migraines waiting to happen.
4. 90's era Dodge Ram 1500 - Virtually impossible to keep them aligned correctly. Know many shops that struggle with this issue and a definite cause has not been found to my knowledge.
I guess that's all I'll put down. I could go on and on about various exotic car problems, but I feel like with cars like Maserati, Ferrari, Lambo....you know they aren't going to be reliable and you know they will be money pits. You only buy them because you have money to burn anyway. I mean, otherwise you're making a HUGE mistake.
Kaizen is working on his thesis and collecting as much info. as possible.
Ah well that would make sense. {black}:cool:
LOL. I do ask a ton of these crazy questions.
Thanks for sharing your insights @mod_man.
I bet you could probably write a book about it, and appreciate the tidbits you did share.
