Best/Worst/Most Underrated Engines Ever Built?

[Slash]

Just curious what you guys believe to be some of the highlights of the automotive world, and some of the worst. Just give some background knowledge and why you believe what you believe.


Here I go.

1. Ford 300 Inline 6 (4.9L)

One of the biggest inline 6's to ever come out of the American automotive industry. It is one of the most reliable engines to ever be built, and it's been proven as it has stood the test of time. Introduced in 1965, it was offered in many trucks (as the base engine), passenger cars, and still to this day being offered in UPS trucks (until they converted to diesel). It was produced for over 30 years, and it can take a beating and keep on chugging. It made 170 horspower and near 300ft-lbs of torque. What made this engine special was that it produced it's peak torque very low in the RPM range, at 2000rpm. With the right gearing, this engine could easily pull a house down, and it's well known for being a great engine. A staple in the history of American cars.

2. The Ford 302 V8 (5.0L)

This engine is one of the most feared V8 engines in American history. And it wasn't that way for a reason. This is yet another crazy reliable engine that was produced from the early 1960s until the early 2000's. It is still available from Ford in crate form. it is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most succesful engines ever produced by Ford. The engine started out as a 221ci engine, and over time increased all the way to 351ci (5.8L). All the engines share parts. The 289-351W are some of the most sought after V8's as there is much after market support for them. In it's best year, official dynos have suggested it produced 315hp and 333ft-lb torque. In 1969 and 1970, a special version of the 302 was produced for the Boss 302 Mustang featured in the SCCA Trans Am racing series. It produced 470hp. The engine has proven itself to be a favorite when restoring classic muscle cars and using them for off road purposes etc. They are best known to very very streetable engines that can make exceptional power, and when built, can run very fast times at a track. It is known for havign a rediculously strong bottom end.

3. Mopar 318

This torquey little monster is a well known engine from Mopar that was known to be able to rip apart anything it went against, and for that it is a common offroad engine. 270hp was it's best year, but torque wise it was about 300ft-lbs. Very respectable and it could be shot with a gun and still run great. A few bolt on parts and you have a very stout engine.

I'd say a Ford 460 and a Chevy 350 but everyone knows how great those are.


Worst:


Pontiac 4.9L Turbo from the '80s

Great combination, terrible power. A measly 160 horses at the wheels...

Most Underrated:


Ford 2.3L Turbo SVO Inline 4


Sure, they were heavy, maintenance prone, but they made more power than a lot of V8's, and it's a 4 banger. 205hp, 250ft-lb torque.

 

[Dabest]

I think the worst engine is the .. I forgot but the mustang 2 has it.

 

[Slash]

The Mustang II had like 4 engines and all of them were great. Those years weren't the best years for performance. One of the ones offered is posted above.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

Best Engine: Chevy LS Series. Lots of power, decent fuel economy, many swap possibilities, huge documentation and fanbase, good reliability.

Worst Engine: BMW M70 V12 engine. High fuel consumption, low reliability, not much power.

Most Underrated Engine: VQ35.

 

[Bottoz]

I wonder how many of these 'best' engines can stand up to hours and hours on a road course. I know the Chevy v-8 can.

 

[crooky369]

From my very limited personal experience the Ford Endura-E/Kent engine that was in the 1.3 litre versions of the Ford Fiesta MK4 and Ford Ka must be one of the worst engines to be used in the modern era.

Apparently it was easy to repair and I assume it was very reliable if they used it for over 40 years (1959-200?) but it wasn't particularly economical and the power was absolutely non existent. I'll never get over the shame of being undertaken by a lorry up about a 5% gradient...

Are we including racing engines in this by the way?

If so a very good certain Ford engine and it's many variants deserves a mention.

 

[Slash]

From my very limited personal experience the Ford Endura-E/Kent engine that was in the 1.3 litre versions of the Ford Fiesta MK4 and Ford Ka must be one of the worst engines to be used in the modern era.

Apparently it was easy to repair and I assume it was very reliable if they used it for over 40 years (1959-200?) but it wasn't particularly economical and the power was absolutely non existent. I'll never get over the shame of being undertaken by a lorry up about a 5% gradient...

Are we including racing engines in this by the way?

If so a very good certain Ford engine and it's many variants deserves a mention.

Yes racing engines are permitted.

I wonder how many of these 'best' engines can stand up to hours and hours on a road course. I know the Chevy v-8 can.

The 302 I posted was a race engine in the '60s and early '70s. It is notoriously for having a rediculously strong bottom end.

 

[JER_CREST]

Hey I disagree about the 5.2L 318 c.i. I over-rate that engine it is fuel efficient and good power per/size. I drive a 1978 Dodge D300 Crew Cab with the 5.2L 318 c.i. with a 4 speed manual transmission and i adore the miles per gallon I get 21mpg.

 

[Anna+Reece]

This. Highly underrated.

 

[Slash]

Hey I disagree about the 5.2L 318 c.i. I over-rate that engine it is fuel efficient and good power per/size. I drive a 1978 Dodge D300 Crew Cab with the 5.2L 318 c.i. with a 4 speed manual transmission and i adore the miles per gallon I get 21mpg.

You should be getting 12-15. 21 is a bit high

 

[crooky369]

This. Highly underrated.

From the GTO?

 

[motortrend]

Best:
S65 In da haus

 

[Bopop4]

I don't even know what category this would be in...

Oval piston NR500 Honda GP bike, they tried to make a 4-Stroke when everyone else was running a 2-Stroke. The sad part was that even though it was very creative, it just couldn't compete with the smokers of the day. A TZ250 was as quick down the straightaways.

It could rev to 21,000 though...

 

[savage388]

Slash just based on your avatar i think you might be biased.
Here's my input:
Best: The lsx engines. best engine produced for performance ever. Dont believe me? Here's a link: http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/hrdp_1109_stock_gm_ls_engine_big_bang_theory/
Worst engine: The dodge/chrysler 2.7 liter v6. Never seen one last past 50,000 without extremely obsessive care.
Most underrated: the turbo 3.8 that came in the buick grand nationals and tta's

.
So many people talk about the jz and rb inline sixes, but this thing predates them by quite a few years and can make every bit the power.

Oh slash about that 302, guys have been known to crack the block even right in the lifter valley plenty of times under mild boost or spray, some even n/a. They are popular but cant really run over 600 hp reliably on a stock block.

 

[lldantell]

These engines is,IMO,the best engines because these engine would rev up to 18,000 rpm and it got 750 hp.with a 7 speed semi automatic gearbox,the gear changes and the noise in this car is completely insane.its the most responsive engine I could think of too.

Red bull F1 engines

 

[Bopop4]

Best
An 8000hp Top Fuel dragster engine.

Designed for only pure power, so much so that after 2 car lengths the spark plug electrodes are melted and the motor is running on preigntion, it's essentially a diesel for most of the run.

 

[Anna+Reece]

From the GTO?

Yup. 6G72 from the 3000GT's and GTOs.

 

[oopssorryy]

Underrated? Toyota's 1MZ, it's a popular engine in MR2 engine swaps. It's lighter than the 3SGTE and bolts up to the turbo transmission. Tony the Tiger (forum name) has one boosted up to 720+ hp in a Camry. It has sludge issues if you slack on the oil changes, and it could use a better oil pump, but usually people think Camry and think slow.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Worst Engine: BMW M70 V12 engine. High fuel consumption, low reliability, not much power.
.

Maybe nothing special in M70B50 form... but it became one of the best engines ever once M had a fiddle and it (eventually) became the 6 litre version of the S70 engine.. to be found in the back of the Mclaren F1.

I'd nominate the BMW M10 family of engines as one of the best, in one form or another it's powered everything from compact sports saloons, to touring cars, to sportscars to 1276+bhp F1 cars.

edit:

Worst: Toyota 5F-5E

 

[Jet Badger]

These engines is,IMO,the best engines because these engine would rev up to 18,000 rpm and it got 750 hp.with a 7 speed semi automatic gearbox,the gear changes and the noise in this car is completely insane.its the most responsive engine I could think of too.

Red bull F1 engines

For starters Red Bull uses Renault engines

In my opinion Rover K series engines were pretty decent. Meant for motorsport, ended up in road cars. They were light, efficient, relatively reliable and made good power.

 

[homeforsummer]

For best engines, it's hard to argue against various generations of Chevy small-block, for their reliability and for the vehicles they've powered. Though seeing racing engines are allowed, the Cosworth DFV as used through several decades of F1, and the Renault V10 used throughout the 90s, have to be up there for the massive success they achieved.

Worst engines? Harder to judge, as even some engines we may consider a bit crappy still have merit in some areas. Even characterless econobox four-cylinders can be good for some stuff - if an engine's only job is to be unfailingly reliable day-in, day-out and it succeeds, it's not really a bad engine. To that end though, any characterless lump which also happens to be unreliable must rank fairly badly. I'm not even mean enough to vote the Rover K-Series in here, because as long as it's looked after it can be quite reliable, and it's powered some brilliant cars (Lotus Elise, anyone?).

As for underrated engines, there's again plenty of choice. In the upper echelons, I'd say the Ferrari 2.4-litre V6 used in the Dino and Lancia Stratos could qualify - most go on about Ferrari's V8s and V12s, and even Enzo himself didn't consider the V6 worthy of powering one of his cars, but it sounds glorious and powers two of the most stunning cars ever designed. On the complete opposite side, very little is ever said about the little three-cylinder in the original Honda Insight - yet it powers one of the most fuel-sipping cars ever made, is unfailingly reliable and even sounds pretty cool. More small car engines should be like it. Then there's the original Miata's 1.6 - most consider it a bit under-powered, but anyone who has ever driven one knows it has lots of character and is virtually bulletproof - really, it's the perfect engine for that car.

 

[dhandeh]

I Have two that spring to mind instantly, both from BL/Rover. I certainly have an appreciation of the BL A-series engine. It powered my first car a Mini and never gave me any problems. The engine that is, there were other issues with it.

Spent many an hour mucking around with mine, doing all sorts of mods, shaping etc to it. It might be a touch rattly , but it was certainly a tough old thing. The phrase ' a noisy tappet is a happy tappet', was made for A-Series.

As for worst, as HFS alluded to the K_series is pretty poor.

I suppose when you make a engine out of mild cheese, you should expect a few problems.

 

[Nicksfix]

BEST

Mopar's legendary "Elephant Motor", the 426 Hemi

Mopar's 440 Six Pack

Mopar's 340 small block

Mopar's 273 Formula S

Yeah, I'm Mopar biased

Some good engines have been listed in here. The Chevy small block is undoubtedly the most popular engine amongst enthusiasts. It deserves a 👍. The Ford 302 is also well deserving of a 👍. Chevy's 454 LS6 ... good God, what a monster this thing is 👍. The Ford 300 6cyl, Chrysler's 225 slant 6, the 3.8 Buick V-6 (Grand National). The list can go on and on. There is just a plethora of "good engines" out there.

My list of not so good.

The 2.6 Chrysler / Mitsubishi conglomeration
The 2.0 GM engine (earlier versions, Cavalier, Beretta, Corsica years)
The 4.9 turbo Pontiac (what a joke)
2.2 / 2.5 Chrysler (head gasket blowing pieces of crap) I wish I had a quarter for every 2.2 / 2.5 Chrysler head gasket I replaced.
2.5 GM "Iron Duke"

There's more, but I'll stop here for now.

 

[Slash]

Slash just based on your avatar i think you might be biased.
Here's my input:
Best: The lsx engines. best engine produced for performance ever. Dont believe me? Here's a link: http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/hrdp_1109_stock_gm_ls_engine_big_bang_theory/
Worst engine: The dodge/chrysler 2.7 liter v6. Never seen one last past 50,000 without extremely obsessive care.
Most underrated: the turbo 3.8 that came in the buick grand nationals and tta's

.
So many people talk about the jz and rb inline sixes, but this thing predates them by quite a few years and can make every bit the power.

Oh slash about that 302, guys have been known to crack the block even right in the lifter valley plenty of times under mild boost or spray, some even n/a. They are popular but cant really run over 600 hp reliably on a stock block.

I'm biased but I didn't go overboard like I could have. That's why I included the Mopar and some others.

They weren't meant to be built over 600 horsepower, they are just very popular for being able to make cheap power and be reliable under that mark. Not many small blocks can hold over 600 horsepower with a block the size of this.

 

[TheBook]

Best: Like others, the Chevy small-block V8 is one of my best. I'd also like to nominate the GM 3800 V6. Dead reliable, reasonably easy to work on/modify, and GM put them in friggin' EVERYTHING for about 20 years.

Worst: Chevy Blue Flame Six. Heavy, underpowered, and almost killed the Corvette. Also, VW's 2.0 that went in the Mk3 Jettas; broke often, and was hard (and expensive) to work on it when it did. The 2.0 DOHC that went into Ford's Escort ZX2's and early Focus's was bad, too. It wasn't too bad on power, but would shake itself (and the passengers) apart.

Underrated: VW VR6. Same issues as the 2.slows, but at least it was quick. Very quick, actually. [And don't forget the 2.2 that went in the Camrys...

 

[buickgnx88]

Another great inline 6 is the 4.0 liter used in AMCs/Jeeps in the 80's and 90's. They had the durability and torque of the earlier 4.2, along with the power of modern fuel injection. It is generally considered to be the best engine offered in a Jeep that doesn't have 8 cylinders.

I would say the variations of the aircooled VW flat 4 were underrated. Sure they may not have been powerful stock, but they could be hopped up for fairly cheap, were very dependable, easy to work on, and of course didn't require a radiator/cooling system. There's also the fact that with a few simple mods, the same engine could be used for numerous other purposes, including a generator and an air compressor (I've seen it done).

 

[savage388]

I'm biased but I didn't go overboard like I could have. That's why I included the Mopar and some others.

They weren't meant to be built over 600 horsepower, they are just very popular for being able to make cheap power and be reliable under that mark. Not many small blocks can hold over 600 horsepower with a block the size of this.

Well for a v8 600 horsepower shouldn't be really pushing the limits of the block however the design was a good one in terms of easy hp and rpm. Perfect for the light mustang.

 

[homeforsummer]

I would say the variations of the aircooled VW flat 4 were underrated. Sure they may not have been powerful stock, but they could be hopped up for fairly cheap, were very dependable, easy to work on, and of course didn't require a radiator/cooling system. There's also the fact that with a few simple mods, the same engine could be used for numerous other purposes, including a generator and an air compressor (I've seen it done).

And in aircraft, and as a water pump, and a dozen other applications!

Good shout though, I'd forgotten about the VW flat 4, despite owning one. Definitely easy to work on. Good torque too, and pretty long-lasting provided it's kept cool.

 

[Murcie_LP640]

These are some of the engines that I reckon are the best. I may be slightly odd though.

F20C inline-4 (Honda S2000)

Barra 310T turbocharged straight-6 (Ford Performance Vehicles FG F6 310)

M156 V8 (Various AMG Mercs)

Old Lamborghini V12 (All V12 Lambos pre-dating the Aventador; in this application the Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce)

GM LS3 V8 (Various General Motors vehicles, in this case Vauxhall VXR8/Holden Special Vehicles E-Series Clubsport R8)

VW 1.8T turbocharged inline-4 (Eleventy-billion Volkswagen Auto Group cars)


DSC_0023 by Murcie_LP640, on Flickr

EJ205 turbocharged flat-4 (Subaru Impreza WRX MY99-05. Slight bias involved )

I don't really know of any truly terrible motors except for potentially the V6 that they put in the DeLorean, and:

Nissan ZD30 Turbodiesel inline-4 (Nissan GU Patrol/Safari)

It's generally the ZD30, or the 3.0L Grenade, that fouls the normally bulletproof Patrol's reputation for reliability. Decent outputs, but not very reliable nor very cheap to fix when it does go bang.

Underrated engines:

5. Nissan RB30ET turbocharged straight-6 (Holden VL Calais Turbo)
4. Mazda MZR L3-VDT turbocharged inline-4 (MazdaSpeed 3/6, Mazda CX-7)
3. Volvo Modular B525 turbocharged inline-5 (Volvo T5s, Ford Focus ST/XR5 Turbo, Ford Focus RS)
2. Renault-Nissan V9X turbodiesel V6 (Infiniti FX/EX/M30d, Nissan Navara ST-X 550, Nissan Pathfinder Ti 550 Renault Laguna and Latitude)
1. Ford Australia 351 Cleveland (XY GT-HO Phase III Falcon)

 

[PhillGuy]

I have been always partial to the Ford SHO V6. For 1989 it produced a great amount of HP for a 3.0 litre and made for a excellent sleeper car. I looked great as well.