> You're confusing it with the GM V6 which was optional in the Fiero and had timing gears that tended to go out around 80-100k.
No, I'm not.
I worked as a shop assistant @ v8archie.com in my youth, and swapped out the Iron Duke in my 2.5l Fiero purchased with a busted rod (surprise surprise!) in favor of a 3.1 stroker v6 that started life as the 2.8. The Iron Duke was the absolute laughing stock in that shop and the community in general. Neither of these engines were particularly good, but the Iron Duke was notoriously bad.
It took me under one minute with ddg search results to find this gem [0]:
'I have an '87 Sport Coupe with the 2.5L "Iron Duke". This past July, with 126,000 miles on the engine, the timing tear sheared off about 30% of its teeth and stopped the engine dead.'
The Iron Duke was so bad it singlehandedly ruined the Fiero's reputation by having a tendency to throw rods through the block which then set the car on fire by blowing crankcase gases and oil on the hot cat below.
Am I actually arguing with someone defending the Iron Duke on the internet first thing in the morning right now? On HN no less? What has the world come to.
Strictly speaking, many of the Tech4's problems in the Fiero were related to the shallow oil sump, necessary for packaging, that had it always effectively running a quart low.
I can't say I had heard of one losing teeth on the timing gear-but I don't doubt it either. My biggest gripe was that during the design phase, balance shafts were left out for cost reasons-it feels and sounds far too industrial for a small car engine, relative to its output.
Sadly, pretty typical for 2-valve fours of that price & era. The Chrysler SOHC 2.5 made about as much power, but was quieter about it. Likewise, the AMC 2.5 that they designed to replace the Iron Duke in Jeep applications was, despite being a truck motor, smooth enough to put in Eagle Premier sedans.
No, I'm not.
I worked as a shop assistant @ v8archie.com in my youth, and swapped out the Iron Duke in my 2.5l Fiero purchased with a busted rod (surprise surprise!) in favor of a 3.1 stroker v6 that started life as the 2.8. The Iron Duke was the absolute laughing stock in that shop and the community in general. Neither of these engines were particularly good, but the Iron Duke was notoriously bad.
It took me under one minute with ddg search results to find this gem [0]:
'I have an '87 Sport Coupe with the 2.5L "Iron Duke". This past July, with 126,000 miles on the engine, the timing tear sheared off about 30% of its teeth and stopped the engine dead.'
The Iron Duke was so bad it singlehandedly ruined the Fiero's reputation by having a tendency to throw rods through the block which then set the car on fire by blowing crankcase gases and oil on the hot cat below.
Am I actually arguing with someone defending the Iron Duke on the internet first thing in the morning right now? On HN no less? What has the world come to.
[0] http://www.calgaryfieros.com/OSGdocs/timing-gear.html