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.
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