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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / January 2007Motor Size
I realize there must be a lot of variables, and perhaps you can elaborate on the more important ones, but generally speaking, is a 6-cyl motor going to be inherently more durable than a 4-cyl, and an 8-cyl more durable than a 6-cyl? I would think a more powerful engine in the same car would not be working as hard, and would therefore last longer. But what if the bigger engine is in a proportionally bigger vehicle? Is there anything about the mechanics of the larger engine that makes it more (or less?) reliable? Thanks. > I realize there must be a lot of variables, and perhaps you can elaborate on > the more important ones, but generally speaking, is a 6-cyl motor going to [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Thanks. I think durability is more a function of engine design and quality of manufacture than anything else. Durability of any engine will suffer if neglected or abused. Now, sure, if you put a tiny engine in a huge car you would be stressing the engine all the time and would not likely be satisfied. A huge engine in a small car can be a nightmare as well (I am well qualified to comment on this!) But if you consider engines that are similar in size and power, then that argument can be largely offset. Straight sixes run smoother than fours, in general, and can be balanced better. V-8s are not as inherently balanceable as straight sixes, but still are smooth enough for most people. Balance shaft applications can tame many a shivering powerplant. <> Now, sure, if you put a tiny engine in a huge car you would be stressing the > engine > all the time and would not likely be satisfied. A huge engine in a small > car can be > a nightmare as well (I am well qualified to comment on this!) Please, expand on this....... ;) Steve > <> Now, sure, if you put a tiny engine in a huge car you would be stressing > the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Steve I was one of the few people who ordered a factory 428 CobraJet Mustang when they came out in 1968. There were problems with ooverheating, driveability, economy, etc etc. The engine started burning lots of oil at 17,000 miles, due to a broken ring land. Later it caught fire. What a nightmare! Instead of paying off a car, I felt I was serving a sentence.... > I was one of the few people who ordered a factory 428 CobraJet Mustang when > they > came out in 1968. There were problems with ooverheating, driveability, > economy, etc etc. But then, you don't *buy* a car like that for economy, either. On the other hand, there were some muscle cars out there that were amazingly docile and reliable. A 440 Mopar in, say, a GTX will run all day in traffic with the A/C on without overheating or "loading up" too much. So will a 455 Oldsmobile in a 442. > The engine started burning lots of oil at 17,000 miles, due to a broken ring > land. Later > it caught fire. Somehow I just KNEW that a story about a problematic Ford would end with it catching fire. The only thing I can conclude is that the blue oval emblem itself is a fire hazard ;-) > > I was one of the few people who ordered a factory 428 CobraJet Mustang when > > they > > came out in 1968. There were problems with ooverheating, driveability, > > economy, etc etc. Economy was a minor thing, Steve. You are right. I didnt buy it for economy. But, there was so much engine, so much heat, in this small frame that it really made for a dismal whip. It didnt handle, it didnt really run that well, it was not economical, heat problems caused a myriad of dependability problems. It was truly a turd Bigger engines are only better to a point after that they are no longer efficient. If you manage to put to big of an engine in a vehicle u find out where all the weak spots are after that as far as the trans,rear end, frame it could be any number of things so only get as big as you need. And if your looking for gas mileage you shouldnt worry about the engien size instead look at the hole car i get 12mpg with my 460 in a 91f250 ext cab 4x4. The only good thing is it pulls the loaded car trailer straight as an arrow 60-70mph down the highway when its raceday.  Signaturemidgetracing28 http://www.automotiveforums.com > I realize there must be a lot of variables, and perhaps you can elaborate on > the more important ones, but generally speaking, is a 6-cyl motor going to [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Thanks. You seem to feel that the power of the engine is proportional to the number of cylinders. This is true only if the cylinders are the same size. In passenger car engines this tends to be SOMEWHAT true. It is NOT true with engines for other purposes. There are some whopping big four cylinder industrial engines out there that are high power. Better than engine size, rpm or better yet, piston speed at operating rpm is a better determiner of longevity. With two engines of the same size displacement, one with a shorter stroke will have a lower piston speed and better longevity, but may not be as efficient. As someone else pointed out, however, the big determiner is how the engine is made. The TYPE of service is important also. Industrial engines running at constant load and rpm can last a VERY long time. |
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