I used to have an '84 245 (n/a, b23f) that developed a crack in the block at around 240,000 miles and subsequently threw a con-rod (#1) about 5,000 miles later. I didn't think much of it at the time. Car had ran for longer than any I had owned previously and I figured she was past her time.

Came on the BB a coupla years later and read about Don Foster's 300,000+ 245 (now retired, IIRC) and Senor Ringlee's 280K 740 turbo and began to realize how long the bricks were really running. Did a search in the archives and found that my case wasn't unique. Someone said that he had seen this phenomenon on several 83-84 240s with mileages ranging from 90K-200K at time of failure.

So for purely academic purposes, I'm wondering if this is a known problem area with '83 and, more specifically, '84 240s? My case seems to support the theory of a defect in the block design/materials, as it was a meticulously maintained car. OTOH, it did have almost a quarter of a million miles on the ticker, and I would think that a defect of this sort would show up much earlier in the car's life.

Just thought I would throw this out there and see if anyone else had mulled over it. ;-)

TIA,
-Jim