I know certain OEM engines are renoun for longevity under arduous conditions (so SBC, BBC, SB Ford, probably others) - always understood that Poncho engines were strong as long as one kept the revs down......5000 rpm onwards and they could 'blow'. Mopar's 440's seem to be good too.
Rolls Royce (when they made car engines) I seemed to recall used to mention machined-in small oil recessed sections of bearing surfaces to act as oil reservoirs in the event of oil starvation. Cadillac made a big thing more recently about their North Star engine (I think thats the one) that also had a similar feature and the capability of isolating/shutting-down individual cylinders in the event of a major problem - and the ability to run without coolant for a limited period.
Just reminds me of the BBC engine in my car - when a big end bearing shell broke-up on one cylinder there was in excess of 30, possibly 40 thou' of play on the 'rod.....yet it still ran fine (albeit a little 'clattery') - no contact with cylinder head or valves. Much later when an oil pump drive shaft sheared at high rpm and resultant zereo oil pressure it was only when the lifters started 'bleeding down' a mile or two later that it became apparent.....with no long term damage to the engine. Really good design by GM I'd say!
