Best & Worst Engines Ever Made ?!?!
#1201
Too many posts to read through but I would hope someone mentioned the Chevy 262 and 267 from the smog era. They are related to the classic 350 and that motor, along with it's 4" bore cousins the 327 and 302 are among some of the best engines out there.
A couple of Fords off the top of my head would be the 300 I6 and the 5.0 Windsor. 1 it's very compact and fits into anything and 2 you can make a bazzilion HP with one provided you address the block. However with a stock block and EFI you can make 350hp out of 302ci and stick it into your daily driver. Pretty good for an old school 2v OHV engine.
Back to GM, their LS motors are killer and definitely in the running for "Best".
A couple of Fords off the top of my head would be the 300 I6 and the 5.0 Windsor. 1 it's very compact and fits into anything and 2 you can make a bazzilion HP with one provided you address the block. However with a stock block and EFI you can make 350hp out of 302ci and stick it into your daily driver. Pretty good for an old school 2v OHV engine.
Back to GM, their LS motors are killer and definitely in the running for "Best".
What about the Chevy 265 and 283?
#1203
#1205
#1206
Ford still builds the best trucks though, always preferred Ford trucks over GM but always liked the GM gas engines better! The newer 6.2 and eco boost Fords are stepping it up though! GM though has been running the similiar LS motors now since 1999 and probably will go many more years.
#1207
Didn't realize we were talking ALL engines, not just Ford. In that case:
Best: Harvester DT466- Wet sleeves, I6 config, steel piston crowns. Gets the job done, and made for fleet service if anything ever was.
Nissan KA24 (both versions)- Cheap, long stroke, reliable, and not too hard to work on. The inline configuration is a plus, although I wish it had a balance shaft. Insanely fuel-efficient for such a durable motor.
Still believe the Ford 300" I6 is the best light truck motor EVER MADE, and here at FTE there's no need to explain why.
Worst: GM Iron Duke, GM "Abortion Motor" (the gas engine they made into a diesel and put in Grumman vans), any Cat, Ford Essex V6
I'm not as big a fan of the (other) 4.9, as most people here are. The 302 is a great sports car motor, but IMO not a great truck motor. It's fast, but the rods and the stroke are too short.
Best: Harvester DT466- Wet sleeves, I6 config, steel piston crowns. Gets the job done, and made for fleet service if anything ever was.
Nissan KA24 (both versions)- Cheap, long stroke, reliable, and not too hard to work on. The inline configuration is a plus, although I wish it had a balance shaft. Insanely fuel-efficient for such a durable motor.
Still believe the Ford 300" I6 is the best light truck motor EVER MADE, and here at FTE there's no need to explain why.
Worst: GM Iron Duke, GM "Abortion Motor" (the gas engine they made into a diesel and put in Grumman vans), any Cat, Ford Essex V6
I'm not as big a fan of the (other) 4.9, as most people here are. The 302 is a great sports car motor, but IMO not a great truck motor. It's fast, but the rods and the stroke are too short.
#1208
Has anyone mentioned any larger diesels. JD and International 466. 855 or 3406E. I look at engines on how simple they are to work on and reliability. Rebuilt and worked on numinous JD 466 and they are simple and last 10K hrs without problems if they are taken care of. 855 Cummins are easy to work on and are used in all kind of applications from tractors, Bulldozers, Trucks to Haygrinders. 3406E have been to easy to work on and take the abuse pretty well. I seen a kid rebuild 3 of them in 4 months with only working on them for 4 hrs a day. The worst diesels i have seen have been 3406 Cs because of location of parts and they all kind of fuel system problems. and Detroit 60 Series DEC III because you need to pull the cams off just to set the jakes. There are others but these are some of the ones that i would rather avoid.
#1209
#1210
LS rods and rod bolts can barely handle half of that power reliably in the real world.
P.S. Hellion has taken stock 03/04 Cobra engines to ~1100 RWHP, and have them last on the street.
#1211
Hey, I'm a hardcore Ford guy and wouldn't own another GM product if they were free, but how can anyone not be impressed by the numbers they get for very little dollars? I also agree that Hellion makes killer turbo setups that work, even on my favorite engine of all-time, the 289/302 Fords.
#1212
The simple fact is that with the right fuel and tune almost any engine can survive a couple pulls on an engine dyno at huge power levels with fingers crossed and a cleared out dyno cell. What Hot Rod did with that LS was done for shock factor, it isn't representative of stock LS capability.
I also agree that Hellion makes killer turbo setups that work, even on my favorite engine of all-time, the 289/302 Fords.
#1213
Look, I tried being objective about it, and the more you type, the more I'm sure you never even read the test. They made over 50 pulls (you say a couple) that registered more than 1,000 hp with a junkyard 4.8l LS and a cheap set of ebay turbos. If you're not impressed, fine. But don't belittle the test by saying it was for "shock value" only. The LS engine isn't the single most popular engine swap because it blows up all the time. Like I said, I consider myself as hard-core of a Ford guy as there is, but I've also been to many a dragstrip and don't take the LS Chevys lightly.
#1214
Look, I tried being objective about it, and the more you type, the more I'm sure you never even read the test. They made over 50 pulls (you say a couple) that registered more than 1,000 hp with a junkyard 4.8l LS and a cheap set of ebay turbos. If you're not impressed, fine. But don't belittle the test by saying it was for "shock value" only. The LS engine isn't the single most popular engine swap because it blows up all the time. Like I said, I consider myself as hard-core of a Ford guy as there is, but I've also been to many a dragstrip and don't take the LS Chevys lightly.
Also of note is that they DID go into the engine to freshen it and open up the ring gaps, it also had a cam, a set of TEA ported heads and FAST R manifold. But the fact remains that this was a test designed to grab headlines, and it would be a ticking timebomb on the street. I've personally seen plenty of LSx rods and rod bolts fail at half of that power.
Cheap eBay turbos? It was a twin T76 PTrim kit with an air-to-water intercooler designed for the dyno cell, that kit wouldn't fit in any street car I've ever seen.
#1215
I didn't read through the whole thread but did anyone mention the pos 2.2l Chevy ohv. in the cavalier slow noisy head gasket always failed . steel freeze plugs and cheap timing chain tensioners made it a nightmare the only good thing was that it was easy to fix. the best my vote would be for a truck 300 i6 a car 302v8 and for a cheap easy and good build the 350 SBC . I have personally had a 302 and it wouldn't die , I tried the 300 I had was awesome torque monster and strong . 350 In my truck wasn't abused but was a good capable engine.