| Final | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Brian Goodell | USA | 3:51.93 | 1. | | 2. Tim Shaw | USA | 3:52.54 | 2. | | 3. Vladimir Raskatov | URS | 3:55.76 | 3. | | 4. Djan Madruga | BRA | 3:57.18 | 5. | | 5. Steve Holland | AUS | 3:57.59 | 4. | | 6. Nagy Sándor | HUN | 3:57.81 | 6. | | 7. Vladimir Mikheyev | URS | 4:00.79 | 8. | | 8. Stephen Badger | CAN | 4:20.83 | 7. |
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| Heat 7 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Brian Goodell | USA | 3:55.24 | 1. | | 2. Nagy Sándor | HUN | 4:00.02 | 6. | | 3. Max Metzker | AUS | 4:00.82 | 13. | | 4. René van der Kuil | NED | 4:03.14 | 21. | | 5. David López-Zubero | ESP | 4:03.73 | 23. | | 6. Andy Knowles | BAH | 4:10.78 | 36. | | 7. Tomas Becerra | COL | 4:14.73 | 40. | | 8. Patrick Novaretti | MON | 4:20.62 | 45. |
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| Heat 6 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Tim Shaw | USA | 3:56.40 | 2. | | 2. Zoltán Wladár | HUN | 4:00.55 | 11. | | 3. Gordon Downie | GBR | 4:01.00 | 14. | | 4. Bengt Gingsjö | SWE | 4:04.68 | 28. | | 5. Johan Van Steenberghe | BEL | 4:08.28 | 33. | | 6. Francisco Cañales | PUR | 4:15.78 | 41. |
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| Heat 5 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Vladimir Mikheyev | URS | 4:00.20 | 8. | | 2. Casey Converse | USA | 4:00.65 | 12. | | 3. Alan McClatchey | GBR | 4:02.09 | 15. | | 4. Werner Lampe | FRG | 4:03.04 | 20. | | 5. Arne Borgstrøm | NOR | 4:03.49 | 22. | | 6. Gerhard Waldmann | SUI | 4:09.54 | 34. | | 7. Edwin Borja | PHI | 4:18.97 | 44. |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Steve Holland | AUS | 3:58.39 | 4. | | 2. Stephen Badger | CAN | 4:00.14 | 7. | | 3. Henk Elzerman | NED | 4:02.16 | 16. | | 4. Vladimir Salnikov | URS | 4:02.79 | 19. | | 5. Georgios Karpouzis | GRE | 4:12.41 | 37. | | 6. Andreas Schmidt | FRG | 4:14.36 | 39. | | 7. Rui Abreu | POR | 4:28.43 | 46. |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Vladimir Raskatov | URS | 3:57.56 | 3. | | 2. Bill Sawchuk | CAN | 4:02.18 | 17. | | 3. István Koczka | HUN | 4:03.75 | 24. | | 4. Peter Pettersson | SWE | 4:04.15 | 25. | | 5. Graham Windeatt | AUS | 4:04.31 | 26. | | 6. Frank Richardson | NIC | 4:40.76 | 47. |
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Djan Madruga | BRA | 3:59.62 | 5. | | 2. Frank Pfütze | GDR | 4:04.66 | 27. | | 3. Tom Alexander | CAN | 4:05.63 | 29. | | 4. Bengt Jönsson | SWE | 4:07.28 | 31. | | 5. Borut Petrič | YUG | 4:07.54 | 32. | | 6. Lutz Löscher | GDR | 4:12.88 | 38. | | 7. Kris Sumono | INA | 4:17.48 | 42. |
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Pierre Andraca | FRA | 4:00.34 | 9. | | 2. Brett Naylor | NZL | 4:00.38 | 10. | | 3. Rainer Strohbach | GDR | 4:02.24 | 18. | | 4. Stefan Wenz | FRG | 4:06.25 | 30. | | 5. Kevin Williamson | IRE | 4:09.60 | 35. | | 6. Sigurður Ólafsson | ISL | 4:18.11 | 43. |
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