Most reliable consumer automotive engine. Your opinion.

[tbburg]

While there are a few V-8 fans, we seem to be converging on the straight-4, 5 main bearing, and straight-6, 7 main bearing engines.

 

[Matthew Currie]

While there are a few V-8 fans, we seem to be converging on the straight-4, 5 main bearing, and straight-6, 7 main bearing engines.

True enough. There are some fine V-8's (I did nominate the Chevy 350, for example), but I still think that for just plain durability, few things will surpass the classic American cast iron pushrod 6. Choosing which one is the best is going to be kind of like shopping for anvils.

 

[tbburg]

Hey!.. watch that.

The right anvil is important.

 

[streetpirate]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the Chrysler 2.2 yet :dunno:

ive taken mine from 96k to 139k with a bad wrist pin. still chugging along and sounding like a diesel. I've rarely seen them with over 200k though.

 

[Matthew Currie]

Hey!.. watch that.

The right anvil is important.

True enough, and one of the most useful anvils I ever had was the block from a '51 Chevy straight 6!

 

[XJLI]

ive taken mine from 96k to 139k with a bad wrist pin. still chugging along and sounding like a diesel. I've rarely seen them with over 200k though.

Had 190k on mine before I crashed it, got 30mpg with my 17 year old foot firmly planted to the floors wherever I drove the 85hp beast

 

[jeepwillyscj2a]

Do those count? All of the Cummins engines were designed for commercial applications. They were never designed for the consumer market.

I believe the 5.9 Cummins was originally designed for a stationary power generator. Made to operate endlessly (literally never shut down except to service) In that mode, it's common for them to run for a month at a time at rated power. Mounted in a pickup, that engine's loafing.

If you want to throw in commercial applications, any of the over-the-road semi engines will blow any car engine into the weeds. Half million miles? No problem.
Aircraft engines are the same. 2000 hours at 80-100% rated power? Normal operation. Take any new car built, break in the engine correctly, and set it up to run at 80% rated power,.. It'll be trash in under one tank of gas.

Except the 5.9 was applied to production vehicles and redesigned to do so it was in dodge trucks for over 15 years. They are tough as hell I wouldn't be afraid to buy one with 200,000 on it. I think they count why discount a good motor just because what it was a originally designed for?

My two cents on the 4.0 it is ok but not longest lasting for damn sure. I just don't think it stands out from the crowd.

My other nominee is the toyota 22r.

 

[tbburg]

I wasn't knocking the Cummins. Great engines! But the question was " ..,the most reliable consumer automotive engine", not most reliable engine overall. That's why I asked if they should count. If you include the Cummins, well, it kind of blows everything else into the weeds.

I'd have to say I disagree with your assessment of the AMC 4.0 While they can be torn up, and there have been a few duds('00 0331 head anyone?)The renix, OBD, and first gen HO series all seem to last 200K with minimal care. That is head and shoulders above the crowd. But yeah,. it's not longest lasting. My vote still goes to the Chrysler slant-six.

True enough, and one of the most useful anvils I ever had was the block from a '51 Chevy straight 6!

But can you size a horse-shoe on it?

 

[kastein]

I'd have to say I disagree with your assessment of the AMC 4.0 While they can be torn up, and there have been a few duds('00 0331 head anyone?)The renix, OBD, and first gen HO series all seem to last 200K with brutal abuse. That is head and shoulders above the crowd. But yeah,. it's not longest lasting. My vote still goes to the Chrysler slant-six.

fixed

 

[Vanimal]

i dont remember the last time i cared about mileage. well maybe i can... i think it was when my civic spun a rod bearing at 54k. at that point, i decided mileage didnt mean a damn thing. several 200k plus mileage vehicles later (which i still own and drive), i stand by that decision. and i wont buy jap crap again.

 

[Matthew Currie]

But can you size a horse-shoe on it?

I do have a proper anvil although I never got into horseshoes, but seriously an old engine block is a very useful home shop accessory, giving surfaces to beat against, support for welding, and an assortment of holes for bending or holding work. Torch cutting over a cylinder hole helps to contain the slag and sparks, too. As a sort of souvenir of my first car, I still have the stripped block from my '59 Peugeot in the shop.

 

[bigalpha]

I've only had experience with a few engines.

The engine in my Subie was pretty solid at ~200k (though, it's interference so it shouldn't make the list). As long as you have a good timing belt, it should be good to go.

The motor in my Jeep(s) have all seemed pretty unbreakable, though I didn't abuse mine like kastein did.

The motor in my 1.9L Saturn is supposed to be pretty darn bulletproof (provided you don't let it go low on oil).

I would be willing to say that if you have a qualifier to your engine, like "provided you don't let it go low on oil" it doesn't make the list.

 

[FlexdXJ]

Do those count? All of the Cummins engines were designed for commercial applications. They were never designed for the consumer market.

I believe the 5.9 Cummins was originally designed for a stationary power generator. Made to operate endlessly (literally never shut down except to service) In that mode, it's common for them to run for a month at a time at rated power. Mounted in a pickup, that engine's loafing.

If you want to throw in commercial applications, any of the over-the-road semi engines will blow any car engine into the weeds. Half million miles? No problem.
Aircraft engines are the same. 2000 hours at 80-100% rated power? Normal operation. Take any new car built, break in the engine correctly, and set it up to run at 80% rated power,.. It'll be trash in under one tank of gas.

Well, yeah they are commercial but aren't commercial companies also consumers? The Cummins N14 is one of the best diesel engines ever built and there are a bunch still on the road to this day. and the 5.9/6.7 have been in the dodge trucks since 91(i think) and there are several of them pushing 700k+ and still going.

 

[FlexdXJ]

and i wont buy jap crap again.

Really dude? This argument is pointless. My brother has had 4 hondas(all of which are well beyond 100k), the 92 accord coupe he had was bought by my mom at just over 200k and lasted my brother to 263k, this was with very little maintenance and lots of abuse. The trans finally let go on it as I was driving it. his first honda was a pile because it was a carb'd one. I wouldn't own one to save my life. Honda engines are great as long as you keep them stock and don't throw boost at them.

 

[Vanimal]

Really dude? This argument is pointless. My brother has had 4 hondas(all of which are well beyond 100k), the 92 accord coupe he had was bought by my mom at just over 200k and lasted my brother to 263k, this was with very little maintenance and lots of abuse. The trans finally let go on it as I was driving it. his first honda was a pile because it was a carb'd one. I wouldn't own one to save my life. Honda engines are great as long as you keep them stock and don't throw boost at them.

what argument? that was a statement. I've had several STOCK, well maintained Hondas, and they didn't hold up to my abuse. i averaged 2 motors a year, plus transmissions (manual, not automatic). If they didn't spin a rod bearing, they smoked like a chimney. If the car had any real torque, it'd rip itself apart. I've built things out of legos with more structural integrity. The one with the higher mileage (172k) rattled more than my jeep. I've had probably close to 30 vehicles at this point, and the Hondas were by far the worst of them. And i even owned a Chevette if that tells you anything. If you drive like a little old lady, they're probably fine, but i'm very, very, not nice to the right pedal.

 

[heyhar]

I saw a '95 ZJ, 318 motor, in the junkyard with 456k on the clock. Can't tell if it had had any work done, though. A good friend of mine has a '95 ZJ Orvis, 210k on it, never touched the 318, although it just got a new tranny. A three-grand new tranny in a 220k+ sixteen year old vehicle? Yeah, it's still that nice, and runs that good...

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

ive taken mine from 96k to 139k with a bad wrist pin. still chugging along and sounding like a diesel. I've rarely seen them with over 200k though.

That probably has more to do with the cars they were attached to :laugh:

 

[Matthew Currie]

While engaged in another thread and a pm with a fellow here who goes by the handle "ihscoutlover," it occurs to me that we have left out one of the great engines of all time, at least in terms of robustness. It guzzled gas, and weighed as much as a small tugboat, but NOTHING could break the International Harvester slant 4! For those not familiar with this formidable piece of retro-engineering, the Scout came first with a 4-152, later enlarged to a 4-196. 3.2 liters of cornbinder iron. It was, quite literally, half of the 392 V8 often seen in school buses and dump trucks and the like. It was uncompromisingly, unapologetically, big, noisy, thirsty, heavy and smelly, and as reliable as a hammer.

 

[kastein]

It was uncompromisingly, unapologetically, big, noisy, thirsty, heavy and smelly, and as reliable as a hammer.

in that you can still smash your fingers with it even if you break the handle off? :gee:

 

[cnjcherokee]

Top gear is doing a thing on clunkers, and they have a crown vic(lived life as a taxi) with 42x,xxx miles on it.
And a ford festiva that the beardguy swears on
Figured that was worth mentioning/relevant