DeTomaso Mailing List: September 2000, Message #115

When you say it was "REALLY worn", what parts are you referring to??

There are a lot more probable reasons for pre-mature wear than where
the engine is in the car:

Over-rich carb jetting will wash the oil off of the cylinder walls,
dilluting
the engine oil, and wear out the bores and piston skirts.

Running the engine without a thermostat, or not allowing the engine
to warm up very often, can eventually clog the oil passages in the
push rods, causing very heavy wear on the rocker arms, valve tips,
and valve guides.  See if you can see through all 16 push rods that
you took out.  The stock rocker arms simply rub on the tips of the
valves, so even with proper lubrication they eventually get worn
pretty badly.

Also, the stock valve seats on these older engines weren't hardened,
so running a lot of unleaded gasoline will wear out the valves and seats -
especially the exhaust.

Brian F.