I have to laugh when I hear someone talking about swapping the motor in their truck or rebuilding the motor for their car, etc. My understanding is that a MOTOR is electrically powered and an ENGINE is powered by fuel.(? Is that really the difference?) I know I've probably used the right word in the wrong sentence before too, or maybe I just misunderstand it all together????

 

You're correct. A MOTOR is an electro-mechanical device. An ENGINE works on compression.

 

motor and engine is the same to me. Better then walking.

 

I rarely see any professional books/literature that refer to engines as motors, but I seldom give it a second thought when someone asks, "What motor do ya got in there?"

Motors may also be hydraulic or air powered; driven by a pump which in turn is powered by an engine or electric motor.

BTW, what is the deal with search engines. They are more electronic than they are combustion, so why are thay not called search motors?

 

Well said. I call it either also.

 

Well I guess all the car manufacturers are gonna have to change the 'motor' in their names to 'engine'.

Barry

 

Ha, I remember a thread like this coming up about 3 or 4 months ago.
It doesn't matter to me
But i usually say something like "I have a 390 cubic inch motor"
Or "My engine is a Ford FE"
etc

 

Whats the differance? They both turn over and over inside and work their magic to get all of us from point A to point B.

 

Tell Ford to stop using the term "Motorcraft"!

 

Yea, and we need to change the name from Motor mounts to Engine Mounts.

 

That's what they are "Engine" mounts.

 

What about a motor mouth? :P

 

I don't know about the technical meanings behind each word, but we race a dirt late model with a 700hp, alluminum block, 15:1 compression, Titanium valves and springs, jeff gordon heads, bowtie intake manifold, and we call it a "motor".

To me, a motor is something with lots of horsepower and has lots of expensive things on it. Of course, that's just me.............

 

I believe some of this comes from the term "motorcar". An electric motor is never called an engine. I have never seen a sign that says Electric Engine Shop.

 

But I have seen a sign that says "Davids Small Engine Repair"
and he repairs lawnmowers and such :P