Your favorite or least favorite engine, and why

[klatt_89]

Post your favorite engine, or engine design and list a reason why. You can also post up about a engine you hate. Just basically a conversation about postive sand negatives.

I like the old 427 SOHC Cammer, it was a quick solution that had Chrysler at the drawing boards building a DOHC Hemi. The Cammer also has some similarities with the Modulars....like i said, some.

 

[Bob]

I like pretty much any engine that will get me from point A to point B.

I don't like the engines that won't.

Another pointless post by Bob.

 

[john112deere]

2.3 SOHC Lima 4-banger

Slow, but tough as hell. Mine's got well over a quarter million miles, with nothing but routine maintenance, and still runs well. Before I put the topper on, I could still get mid/upper 20s for MPG if I kept my foot out of it on the highway, too. (And that's with 4.10 gears.)

Probably brand me a heretic, but I have been really impressed by the 5.3 in my friend's '07 Tahoe, too. Gets about 18 mpg (compared to the 12 his father's Navigator got), has good power even with a two-ton trailer on the back, and the cylinder-deactivation is nearly seamless.

 

[TexasNomad]

Mine will have to be the little 302 you just really can't go wrong with one.

 

[klatt_89]

My friends 6.0 in his 01 2500HD is a pretty beasty engine, plus sounds damn good with with the cheap glasspacks that were gonna go on my 57.....Amazingly Chevy had a dual in/dual out muffler, with 3 inch piping.

 

[5.0]

Mine will have to be the little 302 you just really can't go wrong with one.

X2, of the engines I could actually afford, the 302 is my favorite also, especially the 5.0 HO.

The GM 5.7 Vortec from '96 to '98 is a good engine also. They stopped in '98 in the trucks, but continued for a few years in the vans.

I think a Buick Grand National would be fun to drive.

Most inline 6's are good for everyday driving.

One of the worst engines ever made was the GM 2.8 V6 from the 80's

 

[klatt_89]

I never had good luck with my 292 Y-Block. My best friend reminded me that we poured oil and all kinds of crap in a cherry bomb to screw it up on his 55 Chevy straight 6 truck.....well, it'd never smoke. We got a bright idea, lets try it on the 57 with the semi blown up 292. AS soon as it was started, it was a smoke fest. Guess that tells the story as to why that engine got sold.

 

[Raptor22]

The best engine IMHO is the Ford 300 for the obvious reasons, and also because I am biased...

Most of the V6s that Ford has made have been garbage though, with a few exceptions (cologne series, new duratecs, and the Yamaha 24v one)...

 

[klatt_89]

A lot of the earlier V-6's weren't all that great. I hate driving my friends grandpas old chevy wheattruck, it has a old worn out v-6 i'd like to throw in the scrap bin. Feel free to talk about designs and flaws in designs, it's a technical thread, well a for fun technical thread.

 

[polarbear]

We talkin' Fords, or other makes?

For Ford: least favorite. K- I'll get this out of the way now. I'm not feeling the love for the mod motors, although the 4.6 seems to have avoided many of the teething issues the 5.4 and the V10 had. In the same vein, the old 3.8 V6 with the destructing head gaskets wasn't a prize either.

Favorites: 460's- cheap to build up to stoopid HP, bombproof durability. The Cologne V6's- that started as 2.0's in Europe, and are still under the hood of Explorers, Rangers, and Mustangs today as 4.0's. If a 40+ yr old design is still viable, with all that's happened in engineering and emissions, it had to be a great design.

For GM: least favorite (current). The inline 4/5/6 cylinder found in the Trailblazer and Colorado. Weak low end torque, crappy fuel mileage, and noisy/rough in 4 & 5 cyl versions. They seem to be durable, but few will keep them long enough to care.

Favorite: Current gen LS-family small block V8. Unbelievable HP and fuel mileage, this motor family also trashes the idea that it takes overhead cams and multiple valves to generate efficient HP. Ford had to put a blower on their mod motor to get equivalent power from a NA LS motor.

Mopar: least favorite- current gen 6.7L Cummins. Daimler took one of the most durable, buildable motors and turned it into an unreliable POS. Nothing nice to say here.

Favorite. Hmmm.... Hemi's just a knock-off of the GM LS motor (but GM does it better). V6's are just OK, 4.0L inline 6 went by the wayside (would have been my top pick). Chrysler needs some powertrain help.

 

[Raptor22]

We talkin' Fords, or other makes?

For Ford: least favorite. K- I'll get this out of the way now. I'm not feeling the love for the mod motors, although the 4.6 seems to have avoided many of the teething issues the 5.4 and the V10 had. In the same vein, the old 3.8 V6 with the destructing head gaskets wasn't a prize either.

Favorites: 460's- cheap to build up to stoopid HP, bombproof durability. The Cologne V6's- that started as 2.0's in Europe, and are still under the hood of Explorers, Rangers, and Mustangs today as 4.0's. If a 40+ yr old design is still viable, with all that's happened in engineering and emissions, it had to be a great design.

For GM: least favorite (current). The inline 4/5/6 cylinder found in the Trailblazer and Colorado. Weak low end torque, crappy fuel mileage, and noisy/rough in 4 & 5 cyl versions. They seem to be durable, but few will keep them long enough to care.

Favorite: Current gen LS-family small block V8. Unbelievable HP and fuel mileage, this motor family also trashes the idea that it takes overhead cams and multiple valves to generate efficient HP. Ford had to put a blower on their mod motor to get equivalent power from a NA LS motor.

Mopar: least favorite- current gen 6.7L Cummins. Daimler took one of the most durable, buildable motors and turned it into an unreliable POS. Nothing nice to say here.

Favorite. Hmmm.... Hemi's just a knock-off of the GM LS motor (but GM does it better). V6's are just OK, 4.0L inline 6 went by the wayside (would have been my top pick). Chrysler needs some powertrain help.

For Chrysler, my pic would be the 4.7L High Output Powertech V8. 320HP base engine in the Challenger, SOHC, good power application, low RPM torque, reliable, everything you would want in an engine. I like it much better than Fords 4.6L....

 

[5.0]

In the same vein, the old 3.8 V6 with the destructing head gaskets wasn't a prize either.

The head gaskets are an easy problem to solve. Other than the head gasket failures, is there anything else you didn't like about the motors?

I liked the one in my '95 Mustang with a 5 speed, and I REALLY liked the one in my '90 Super Coupe with a 5 speed.

.

 

[surewhynot]

My most favorite engine-

Ford flat head V-8. Hands down.

It was the first v-8 to be economically mass produced. A stepping stone to what we have now.

My least favorite-

The 12.5 hp tecumsah in my mower. The one with the rod sticking out of the side of the block.

 

[lenny1carl]

all time fav is the 318. the 3.9 is a VERY close 2nd.
the least.....anything put in a volkswagon.

 

[klatt_89]

My most favorite engine-

Ford flat head V-8. Hands down.

It was the first v-8 to be economically mass produced. A stepping stone to what we have now.

My least favorite-

The 12.5 hp tecumsah in my mower. The one with the rod sticking out of the side of the block.

Hey! You're back!
The Ford Flat Heads are a pretty awesome engine tho, especially the hot rodded ones.....

 

[radialarm]

My favorite Ford 302.

My not so favorite Ford 300(4.9) I will elaborate. You can't rev this engine(3000 max), and I hate the power curve IE it winds up too fast. Sure it's nearly indestructable and runs forever, but I just don't like it.

 

[Blue Goose]

I will have to agree with you about the 300 six, Robert. They are damn near bullet proof and were used in many stationary applications back when gasoline engines were common in same. Their fuel economy vs. performance just plain sucks.

My favorite Ford engine is the 427. I've owned two and still have one in my boat.

 

[TexasNomad]

My second favorite is the all mighty 460 sicking power and you just can't kill it...
trust me i've tried

 

[lenny1carl]

I'm not surprised Goose is not a 300(4.9) fan and mentions back when"gas was.."
he was there when burning a dino turd in the cave was central heating.

 

[Raptor22]

I'm not surprised Goose is not a 300(4.9) fan and mentions back when"gas was.."
he was there when burning a dino turd in the cave was central heating.

The 300 six is a love/hate engine I guess. I like the low end torque, the sound, and once I turbo mine it will be plenty powerful.