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Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual fail

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 05:08 pm
by CBA
if it wasn't broken and got scrapped it doesn't count, if it failed from weak mixture it doesn't count coz that's just cruel.

I doubt I'll get any replies....

350000 miles I have seen still running perfectly, but I want to see a mileagez for a b14 that died of natural causes, not neglect.

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 10:06 pm
by Ride_on
I didn't think a B14 would do 150K, nevermind 200+

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 10:46 pm
by bogbasic
Well, the first thing to go will always be the head gasket and with yer average car owner that will be terminal.... get a new car. But if someone has the gasket replaced rather than scrapping the whole car (yes, there are nutters like that out there ;-)), how long the rest of the engine will go on for before something else wears out terminally is an interesting question, I would have thought?? My guess is that its going to be the valves next.... but then you could just get a new head, push-rods, tappets.... and then how long will it go on for?? Maybe piston rings next... but then just whack in a new set and new liners...??

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 12:25 pm
by MCHUDD
Hi mate.
My Banana is 32 years old and hit the 90.000 mark on its way
to the MOT station. It never need topped up with oil or water.
Cheers Mark.
sm69 sm69 sm69 sm69 sm69 sm69 sm69 sm69 sm69

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 02:28 pm
by CBA
is this a shhh shhh topic? I think the b14 is all but indestructible. I'm sure it could do a million.

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 06:32 pm
by macplaxton
An engine with a nice 5 bearing crank goes a long way. 340pw

203k miles (327k km): http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... 58&p=37259
235k miles (379k km): http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... 58&p=37259
326k miles (525k km): http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... 9&p=148277
345k miles (555k km): http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... 8&p=150557

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 07:43 pm
by SteveP
Ride_on wrote:I didn't think a B14 would do 150K, nevermind 200+
Plenty of 200k 1.4's about, AFAIK they don't like much more than that though...!

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 09:45 pm
by volvodspec
HG is so easy on a B14 you can nearly call it small service
i've recently replaced a burned valve in a renault twingo (the same pushrod C-series engine), took me 6 hours from parking the car to starting it up again with the new valve in; you can't call that terminal either if i may say so :P

what i do have seen happening quite a few times is that the oil pump can seize, this causes the sprocket that operates the oil pump and distributor from the camshaft to snap it's teath. there doesn't seem to be a relation to mileage as it happened on a 80xxxkm car, a 320xxxkm and a few at around 200xxxkm; what all of them did have in common was that it wasn't clear when it's had a small service and the oil replaced

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 10:47 pm
by bogbasic
My dubious meaning of 'terminal' is that by the time the head gasket goes on a 340 or 360, the cost of having the job done by a garage is more than the value of the car, usually by a factor somewhere between 2 and 10, so the cars just used to get scrapped. However, I agree that it is hardly a terminal condition... but ali heads are a bit dodgy for DIY'ers, aren't they?? Need bolting down and skimming or sumthin??

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 11 Aug 2013 09:10 pm
by Ride_on
Terminal is hard to define, and i don't agree with the whole value of the car thing. Gets to the point when service items cost more than the car, especially if you are paying £75/hour labour charges. The question for me is is it worth putting the money in for future reliability. DIY labour costs nothing and the parts are cheap enough, as long as you are not constantly repairing the car.

For a 360 no question, the engine will last, its dependant on rust entirely. I think the key definer is do the engines normally last to xx miles, and where are you on that scale. Does stuff wear out on a 1.4?

BTW Al head, yes you would normally skim the head after gasket failure if its warped or corroded, but its £30 at an engineering works.

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:44 pm
by bogbasic
Wicked advice on the head.

You've probably also seen this site.....

http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/combined/volvo_340

http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/combined/volvo_360

..... it makes a very interesting look at.

There's got to be a reason for that fall-off given that most folk who had them, loved them, and what with garages telling owners to "bin-it" just cos the cylinder head gasket leaks, *weep*. They've got a lot to answer for in my view!!

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 12 Aug 2013 03:03 pm
by macplaxton
bogbasic wrote:There's got to be a reason for that fall-off
Age & rust. It's a similar pattern as to what happens to other vehicles of the era of a similar age.

In order to rack up 200-300k before age & rust catches up with the vehicle, you have to be a hardcore commuter/drive for work to clock up those sort of miles on a small over-crowded island. It's even harder now to aimless drive around at current petrol price:wages ratio too.

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 12 Aug 2013 11:50 pm
by classicswede
just looked through the high milage list and not a single 300 on there!

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/hmc/hmc_bronze.php

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 12 Aug 2013 11:52 pm
by classicswede

Re: Highest mileage obtained from a b14 engine until actual

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 07:02 pm
by CBA
so mine is high mileage, almost at the limit... Supposedly... Time for a towbar!. No, seriously. Anyone have one... or a 300 with one? A sub 800kg 2 berth would come in handy too. Me and the mrs are having simultaneous midlife crisis..........