Hi everybody I am new to this site, I don't know that much about this engine.
I have a question to do with the slant six engines, what years were the best years to get.?

I understand from a mechanic I deal with that 1977 and newer slant six motors are all made in Mexico and have much more quality control problems with them then the older engines, he said timing gear problems was one issue and valve problems is this true or not.?

1976 or older slant 6 at the wrecking yard is harder to find these days, I was also wondering
how good that engine would work out in a one ton dump truck that has a standard transmission
for hauling roof shingles to the dump, would it be ok for that, or would there be not enough
power there to handle that job.?

I had trouble one time, I had a 1973 slant six in a Dart that ate the oil dipstick, I pulled it out one day and there was 2 inch chunk of the stick missing, after it got chewed off it started using more oil and making a banging noise, when the noise subsided after a couple of weeks it still ran I figure that the metal chunks from the dipstick just got pulverized and might have ended up in the oil pickup screen, never did find out what happened or why that happened as the car got scraped 6 years ago now.

Any ideas as to why this happened to me would be appreciated.?

Your mechanic is incorrect; while slant-6 engines were made in Mexico beginning in the 1970s, they were also made in the US through the early '80s. The mid-'76-up slant-6s have a cast iron crankshaft rather than the previous forged steel unit. Forged steel is stronger and nicer, and the bearings are bigger, but the cast iron crank is plenty adequate for any normal usage.

The dipstick got eaten because the dipstick tube was bent outward, which moved the dipstick inward towards the crank, and it got whacked off. The fix is a replacement dipstick after bending the tube inward so it's more vertical.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

How many times have we heard this?:shock: Just like doctors you should get second opinions from different mechanics as well