100 k miles on 383

Is 100 k miles a lot for a 67 383 ?
Just a driver car

It depends a lot on how well it was taken care of and where and how it was driven. Back when these cars were relatively new, it was not uncommon for high mileage fleet cars that were properly serviced to go 250k of freeway miles. If this car was driven mostly on short trips around town, 100k is a lot of miles. If it does not burn oil or have excessive blow by, it will probably continue to run for an extended period of pleasure use. At 100k the engine is due for a timing chain if that has not been done already.

Dave
 
How much work is the timing chain ?

It is a fairly big job, but it is not particularily difficult. Down load the free FSM for you car at www.mymopar.com. FSM info is in the tools/reference section. You will need a harmonic balancer puller and a 1/2" drive socket set. Buy a Cloyes timing chain, do not buy the Chicom knockoffs sold at Auto Bone or Car Crap. You will also need a tube of black RTV sealant and a new timing cover gasket set. (Some cover sets come with a small tube of sealant) Read the FSM, it gives detailed instructions on how to do this repair and decide if you want to do the repair yourself. This would also be a good time to replace the belts and hoses if the car needs it.

Dave
 
If you are having to ask I am assuming you dont have much experience turning wrenches. That's fine, every single one of us had to learn at one time. I would not suggest it for a first time foray in to doing it your self. Find someone who knows and give them a hand and learn. It's a half day job with the right tools and experience. (Edit) I see @Davea Lux answered in his typical, knowledgeable, helpful self. This sight is full of guys like him that have a ton of knowledge. Jump in. What model car is this 383 in?
 
On our '66 Newport 383 2bbl and also on my '67 Newport 383 4bbl, plus my '70 Monaco 383 4bbl, EACH one needed a valve job by about 75K miles. Usually #7 exhaust valve. The '66 we bought when it was one year old (when the new '67s came out) and it was serviced regularly with quality oil and a Chrysler filter. Seems like the timing chain was done sometime, too, for good measure (many factory nylon-teeth would start to fail at about 80K miles, by observation).

In normal driving, it went to 150K with no problems, but also understand that many didn't keep their new cars past 75K miles before trading them for a newer vehicle. Usually, 100K was considered "time for an overhaul", back then. Only thing was that "overhaul" meant different things to different people. "Rebuild" was something completely different and more expensive.

The '67 was supposed to have been a "one owner" widow who traded it in in 1981, when I bought it off of our used car lot. Seemed to have been serviced pretty well (oil change stickers). But at about the 75K time, it was needing a valve job, so I round a set of 906 heads, put bronze heli-coil guides in it, with new Six Pack valves I'd bought for another project (from Chrysler).

The '66 and '70 both got normal "one cylinder only" valve jobs, knurled guides, new seals, etc. At the local Chrysler dealer service dept. At some time or another, the '70 also got the Direct Connection roller chain timing set, as did the '67.

Back then, people traded their cars somewhat sooner than in modern times. So we never really got to see just how far an engine would go before it definitely needed a rebuild by a good machine shop (which ALSO had different definitions back then!). So, at this time, each of those engines are still un-rebuilt, with well past 100K on each of them

Either valve jobs or timing chains not replaced soon enough did-in many of them, by observation.

On my '77 Camaro 305, at 82K I put a Cloyes Plus Roller chain in it, along with a cam and 4bbl upgrade. The OEM cam sprocket was still in good shape, but I wanted the insurance of the new "performance" timing chain. When we pulled it out at 525K, for leaking freeze plugs, the timing chain was still going well. SO, if I can get a production Chevy small block with good oil and general maintenance (always OEM oil filters, at least), then a CHRYSLER V-8 ought to be "forever" (with the roller chain upgrade), the way I see it. I bought it new, ordered it, so I know where it's been all of its life. Still have it, too. Never could arrange for that '76 Cordoba 400HO that I wanted, back then.

Enjoy!
CBODY67
 
Is 100 k miles a lot for a 67 383 ?
Just a driver car

It probably would also be a good idea to run a compression test on the engine while you are at it. Valve failure became a problem on these engines when the lead was removed from gasoline. Valve failure was more of a problem on 2BBL engines because they tended to run on the lean side to start with. If it still has good compression at 100k the valve job was probably done at some point in the past, so I would not worry about it.

Dave
 
It depends a lot on how well it was taken care of and where and how it was driven. Back when these cars were relatively new, it was not uncommon for high mileage fleet cars that were properly serviced to go 250k of freeway miles. If this car was driven mostly on short trips around town, 100k is a lot of miles. If it does not burn oil or have excessive blow by, it will probably continue to run for an extended period of pleasure use. At 100k the engine is due for a timing chain if that has not been done already.

Dave
My '68 300 which my folks bought new, has 83K miles, burns no oil and has never been molested. Dad was religious about oil changes and routine maintenance. Every 3K the oil and filter were dumped. Mom drove the car mostly about town, complained about winter-time gas mileage (leaded hi=test back in the day!) and the car was not known for fast warmups! It also served our family on two or three extended vacations, the ol' drive-type where you got in the back seat and sat while we toured about....but mostly, the car was used for short trips. I have had it since 1974 and I only use regular oil, and don't drive it hard. Recently I did a tuneup and some other maintenance, eliminated the awful Holley and installed an Edlebrock 750 on it. What a pleasure! My shakedown run quickly found me at 110mph and I decided that was a "good-enough" test on the local interstate! Yikes, too fast! No smoke, no issues, and I think I had about 1/4" off accelerator depressed! 'You cannot beat these big block Chryslers from that period. Cubic inches rule!

There was indeed a time in our youth when 100K miles was somewhat of a milestone....I agree that with good foundational maintenance these engines will serve well with respect to related fuel issues. With the Edlebrock now installed the 300 has been rejuvenated in a manner that I cannot remember!

Enjoy yours and good luck!
 
My Fury was at 141k with original engine. Smoked some. When I added Seafoam, whatever gunk was holding the engine together let go. I drove 20 miles to a mechanic I know and burned out 2 quarts of oil. Found what looked like pieces of piston ring in the oil pickup when changing the engine. Had I not dumped the additive in, I may have gotten more miles. Still had the nylon timing gear on it.
 
66 300 383 4bbl original paint family heirloom...2013 I did top end rebuild at 257,000 miles!
Mostly highway miles since it was a company car from 66 to 72.
Rene's Dad was hired to drive this car when it was brand new and bought it when it was decommissioned.
He kept the car until his passing in 2010 when his son Rene inherited.
Rene got me to revive and maintain the car.
Today,Almost at 300,000!
Religious oil changes makes a huge difference. Penzoil High Mileage 10w30 with Lucas oil treatment.
Uses a quart between oil changes.
Yes the rings are tired and puffs a bit and has a little blowby but she still pulls good!
Second pic is Rene's dad back in the 70's somewhere outside of Montreal,Quebec.
Note; Same tags have been on the car since 1973!
1966 300 revival 025.JPG

540497_10151350228150178_459488732_n.jpg
 
66 300 383 4bbl original paint family heirloom...2013 I did top end rebuild at 257,000 miles!
Mostly highway miles since it was a company car from 66 to 72.
Rene's Dad was hired to drive this car when it was brand new and bought it when it was decommissioned.
He kept the car until his passing in 2010 when his son Rene inherited.
Rene got me to revive and maintain the car.
Today,Almost at 300,000!
Religious oil changes makes a huge difference. Penzoil High Mileage 10w30 with Lucas oil treatment.
Uses a quart between oil changes.
Yes the rings are tired and puffs a bit and has a little blowby but she still pulls good!
Second pic is Rene's dad back in the 70's somewhere outside of Montreal,Quebec.
Note; Same tags have been on the car since 1973!
View attachment 304221
View attachment 304226
Thanks, another testimony to the nature of good care and the quality of these cars. Oil has always been the life line to preservation plus sensible driving habits. That's a great looking car and for me, it's great to see another 300 4 door! Appreciate the post! Those '66's are beautiful and I love the dash layout....so much style.
001b.JPG
Drive on!
 
my 67 Newport has 123K miles on it 383 4 bbl. This car was bought new by my dad and had most of the mileage put on by 1980, when he got a job near home and had a newer family car to drive on weekends. During the time he drove it he maintained it well. He stopped driving the car in 1990 and stored it. We got it out this spring and after quite a bit of work it was driven again for the first time last week. It has never had heads off or timing chain replaced. Compression is fine in all cylinders and not much slack in timing chain based on watching rotor and turning crankshaft back and forth by hand, but I am sure all the slack present is from deterioration of the nylon teeth on the top gear. One thing to consider if you are going to do the timing chain job is that if the top gear is in bad shape with parts of the teeth missing, then the parts of that gear are in the bottom of the oil pan where they can clog up the oil pump pickup. As I remember this was a problem so back then when I was in the business and saw a top gear in bad shape I would drop the pan and invariably the oil pump pickup was in bad need of cleaning out. A lot of extra work but worth it.
 
Mine has 383 w. 2BBL and except for the chain its never been touched. (It was Pike's Peak that killed the chain...) I had the valve covers off for gasket replacement last month and there wasn't even a hint of sludge build up. If it sits for a while, there's a puff of blue for a few seconds after startup. Doesn't seem to burn oil though and still has plenty of power/ great idle/ no blue smoke while running. I'm way over 160,000 (speedo was broke for a while) and it was a short-distance commuting/family car all its life. Not highway miles. So... check the compression. Drive it if it's good!
 
the puff of blue smoke is worn valve seals they r not hard to change just time consuming . do u have a good air compressor ? a airline with a spark plug adapter? & a valve spring compressor u can change them yur self
 
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