Wow, I didn't think they ever actually died.
Mine /6 got pretty tired at around 155k miles. The LOL (Little Old Lady, original owner) only drove it about 1/2 to warm each drive for its first 90k miles. Oil preasure was largely a memory at idle and between burning and dumping it needed a quart every 500 miles. The lower end was so loose that it roared over 3200rpm, but that was OK as the loose distributer couldn't accurately fire it over 3000rpm anyway. It overheated, but that was expected - the water pump impeller was missing lots of metal (found later). And it ran a bit ugly, all the nylon on the timing sprockets was found in the oil pan over a few oil changes (-8 degrees for the cam timing).
I wasn't done assulting it though. It used to make a weird chirp from time to time - never could find it. Right as I got onto hiway 2 that chirp turned into a full on fan belt whine. No where to get off so I kept going. Half way across the bridge the fan belt came off. No stopping now, finish my way across the flats and up Hwy 204 to Lake Stevens. Before I got to the end of the bridge the radiator started blowing steam. By the time I got to Lake Sevens the steam had stopped - there was no water left!
The poor little 6 lived through it just fine. A quick call home to get a fan belt and some tools brought and I got it running (with the help of 3 gallons of water from the nearby gas statioin). Left the fan belt real loose - the alternator bearings had gotten so bad the stator had lodged in the field (that was the chirp
Drove it home and from there started the search for another stock (36 amp?) alternator. That started a snowball of events that went on to include rebuilding the stock engine (wanted to keep the numbers) and the hunt for the rest of the stuff that belonged on it (never have found a non-ribbed exaust maniford without a bit of cracking).
The /6 is a tank engine. I'm sorry yours has died. I didn't think it actually happened, but I guess it can at times.
Paul
Imagine an old dart taking out Lexus, Mercedes, Bimmer etc with sponsorships at high end competitions. Even beat a dude in a yellow Ferrari (deep pockets) with my system. It was glorious. And I have no idea what it's life was like for the first 89 or so k miles of it's life.
