AMC Eagle Den Forum

The Shop => Four Cylinder Club => Topic started by: rohnk on September 12, 2011, 03:24:00 PM

Title: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: rohnk on September 12, 2011, 03:24:00 PM
Is the 4 cyl version of the SX/4 any good? I don't know much about the 4 cyl engine but I know that a lot of guys are after the axles for some reason or another. I found a running 4 cyl but I think the body on it is toast. I was going to drive past it again and see what they may want for it. As a parts car, what would it be worth? Again, I have no idea about the 4 cyl engine performance or durability. I think it is an iron duke?  ???
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: shaggimo on September 12, 2011, 03:31:30 PM
Anything slightly over scrap price is fair, anything under is great. May be worth getting if the interior is any good.
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: HappyPappy on September 12, 2011, 03:42:45 PM
I,ve got on and for a 4cyl Iron Duke it runs fine, but then I did a lot to it. Nothing major, just re carded it, did away with all the pollution junk. I'd love to find a good body for it but money is tight right now and so are good bodies. It's worth its weight in gold if the rest of the car is there, for parts at least. Offer the guy 200 for it and go from there.  Good luck
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: rohnk on September 13, 2011, 10:01:23 AM
Found out the car has the iron duke and it runs. The guy who owns it snapped a u joint last year and hasn't had the time/money to fix it since it is a "project" vehicle. The unibody is getting weak and he has already wellded in new floor pans and beefed up the tunnel area of the transmission. He says the rear schackle mounts need some attention too. The interior is rough but it is all black and has a spoiler so it might be the sport trim. Price is $500 ans I told him I'd like to have it as either a parts car or to get it into the right hands for a rebuild. I'll find out tonight whether I'm getting it or not as he had a couple fo people going to look it over last night.

Get this, he told me his buddy has a neighbor with an SX/4 that may let it go too! Man, I might get a two-fur deal here!
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: HappyPappy on September 13, 2011, 02:37:41 PM
GO GET-EM!!!!
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: rohnk on September 13, 2011, 08:12:15 PM
Missed on one and have to hear back on the other. At least the guy who bought the first one has plans to restore it. Maybe he'll find the nest?
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: thereverendbill on September 13, 2011, 10:30:38 PM
The iron duke is a wonderful GM engine, but they are dogs.  Don't plain on beating anyone off the line unless they are powering a walker and remember to floor the car before you hit any hills cause forward momentum will start to slow the steeper the hill.

I do like the iron duke in the end cause after all it's a GM motor and they last forever (My kammback has a claimed 300,000+ miles from the former owner and it still starts and runs)
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: Monkeyjoe on December 22, 2013, 05:07:23 PM
I like my Iron Duke,  Just before deployment I finished my mild performance rebuild. Here a some of the mods.

Bored over .030
Flat top Pistons
Shaved the head,
Port and polished the head,
Zero decked the block
custom cut CompCam
installed the aluminum cam gear
hi performance/high volume oil pump
hot coil
custom cold air intake

Just to name a few

She is a little beast, Wont win any races but wow what a fun little motor
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: IowaEagle on December 22, 2013, 05:09:46 PM
Any idea how much of a HP boost you achieved?
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: Monkeyjoe on December 22, 2013, 05:17:26 PM
I wish I had a way to find out.  I do know that I can hit all the hills in 5th gear.  Conservative 15-20 hp.  I still have not taken advantage of the full potential yet as I am still running the stock carb and exhaust manifold.  that is my next project when I get home.   I could be way off but after driving this car for 5 years then having that fresh engine in her, its really like driving a completely different car.
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: Monkeyjoe on December 22, 2013, 05:22:05 PM
It is the first time I have ever rebuilt a motor with performance parts. 

My hobby is car/truck and motorcycle restorations.  So I have always rebuilt everything stock. 

In the eagles nest, I down loaded a bunch of pictures of the teardown and rebuild, that seems to be lost now.  I could to it again as I still have the photos in photobucket
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: IowaEagle on December 22, 2013, 05:22:34 PM
So it put it around where a 258 is at.   I felt the same way when I desmogged the 258.
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: IowaEagle on December 22, 2013, 05:23:41 PM
We may want to put that info from the old pictures and your experience during the rebuild into the Eaglepedia so that it won't be lost again.
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: Monkeyjoe on December 22, 2013, 05:33:50 PM
So, how many HP is the 258?

 I hope my post was clear, Conservative 15hp -20hp increase.   I don't want somebody thinking I'm the guy who thinks he can get 350HP out of that iron duke with a new set of spark plugs.  ;D

So I think the iron duke was stock with about 8.4:1 compression and 86 HP.  So maybe I have 100hp-105hp. 

when I get a quiet evening, I will redo the rebuilt thread.  How do I get it into the eaglepedia
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: IowaEagle on December 22, 2013, 05:40:03 PM
The 258 in an Eagle was around 112.  It was the low end torque of the I^ which really made the difference, which is probably why MoPar kept it around so long..  Probably something an Iron Duke cannot match.
Title: Re: 82 SX/4 with 4 cyl
Post by: Monkeyjoe on December 22, 2013, 05:44:25 PM
I do have to get a little rpm before she really shows her stuff.  I do have a little more at the lower end than before but nothing like that 258.  I used to have an '84 wagon with the 4.2,  it was pretty strong.