I agree. The 2.2 with a carb was durable but underpowered. The 2.5 with fuel injection (throttle body) ran OK but was hard on gas. Had a 2.2 turbo and it was very durable and very powerful once the turbo kicked in. The turbo lag was bad. It was sluggish until about 3,000 RPM but once the turbo kicked in, it was like grabbing a passing truck. It would plant you in the seat and make torque steer you would remember a long time. The shelby charger was fast but crude.

 

worst ...anything crystler

 

You people who've gotten a cylinder head to last longer than 50k on a 2.2/2.5 chrysler need go out and buy a dozen lottery tickets TODAY!

 

I've had a few (no failures) that did it and know of a lot that did it. I have never won anything from a lottery. The head gasket problem with the engine on the early Neons.

 

I would have to say the Ford 289/302 motors

 

Assuming we are talking about 1/2 to 1 ton trucks my list is as follows.

Diesel-5.9 CTD, no matter which variation you want to throw out there I think this one speaks for its self.

Big Block- 440 Chrysler, had one in a '77 Dodge 3/4 ton back in the day and loved the hell out of it, wrapped the truck around a telephone pole and the motor now sits in a '68 Cuda drag car.

Small Block- 318 Dodge, had one in a '97 1/2 ton and that thing would FLY, made a lot of power for no bigger than the motor was and I could get 21 MPG if I was inclined to drive 62 MPH

6 Cylinder- 4.9 I6 Ford hands down, anybody who has ever owned one will agree with me for what I believe to be reasons well known to all of us.

 

5.9 cummins 4.9 ford i sure as hell agree with u

 

I agree, the FE390 460 were awesome

 

Worst
351 and 400 m ford motors

 

It was originally 1 bank of a V-12 chrysler designed to use in a tank, it lost to the diesel, and chrysler went out on a limb and decided to use half of it. It was a hell of a motor in its day.

 

I would agree with that. With one exeption(a 78 bronco with 4:10 gears) they seemed barely able to move whatever vehicle they were installed in.

 

I will put a disclaimer to that... post smog era 351M and 400...

Ever been in a 71 T-Bird with the 400? They aren't that bad

 

The only V12 engine chrysler had that I know of was a very large upside down HEMI, that was used in a few planes.

As far as I know, the Slant 6 was slanted so it would fit under the roof of the smaller cars of the time.

 

I still remember the highly sought after 351 windsors about 5 to 1 over the clevelands and modifieds for SODA trucks. Yes they were smog (dog) era motors.

 

...but lots of memories in the other posts....great engines I have owned:

1. Two 426 Chrysler Hemis...there was nothing more awesome than spinning all that much metal up to 6500 rpm's with all 8 carb throats wide open.

2. 300 inch Ford six--bought a new '78 Ford pickup with one of these and a 4 speed O/D--only drove it 100k but it had a lot more in it. Hell, I love workhorse straight six motors in general--from my 1960 Austin Healey 3000, to my 1970 Gremlin (great motor, horrible car), the 4.2 Toyota Land Crusher motor in my old FJ40 (8-9 quarts of oil in that sucker to get you across the desert while you were baked by engine heat and beaten to death by the suspension).

3. 350 Chevys--had these in Corvettes and a Savana van (the van was a POS, but the engine worked great)--the 327 in my '66 Vette was right there too. (Had a couple workhorse Ford 302's and they were nice as well--I'll put in votes for the BOSS 302 and Z/28 302 motors although I never owned either).

4. 1.7 liter V4 in a SAAB Sonett--not a powerhouse, but such a cool little package that looked like it could have made a great outboard boat motor, and a great uncle to the current 4.0 Cologne Exploder engine (by way of the 2.6, 2.8, 2.9 V6's) "hey look, the valve covers are less than a foot long"

5. BMW 4-valve 4-cylinder motors--I have an M42 (first year '91 318is) and my son has an M44 ('97 318ti). This was BMW's first 4-valve street motor aside from the 4-cyl M3 motor, and it's a live-forever rev-happy motor. Light chassis cars help a lot (these were the first gen Z3 motors as well, and both of our cars weigh the same as a Z3). Yeah, BMW builds great sixes as well, but the first BMW I drove was a friend's '67 1600 (a 2002 with a smaller motor) back in 1970 and loved little 4-banger Bimmers since then.

6. Ford Duratec 3 liter. Had one in my wife's '98 Sable and we put over 100k on that. When you stood on it, it sure didn't SOUND like a frumpy passenger sedan. Great power output for its size, on regular gas. Ford bought the bottom end design from Porsche and had Cosworth help with the top end. A race engine for the masses, most of whom hadn't a clue.

7. Chrysler turbo 4's--these were the first "everyman" turbo motor, and it was amazing that Chrysler took the frumpy K car with its non-crossflow motor and gave it supermodel looks with the Lancer, Lebaron, Daytona, etc and some reasonable power. Thanks also the the 7/70 warranty which got me a new head gasket, new turbo, and other parts at 69k miles.

8. I'll give kudos to the Ford mod motors. For its displacement, the 4.6 in my van gets great mileage, runs real smooth, and may be the last V8 I'll ever own (and I have probably owned 25 of them). There is absolutely no need for overhead cams in this motor, and the bore center should have been wider, but there is something about the block and heads that is beautiful to me--it's a real VEE shape, a pair of 2.3 liter (or 2.7 in the case of the 5.4) slant 4's sharing a crank.