In your opinion, the best automotive engine of all time?

[shp4man]

SBC= Small block Chevrolet. Of which the best engine of all time was the 327, in Chevy orange. Fuck the 350. 


That's mine. What's yours?

[2o6]

Buick 3800?

[FoMoJo]

Best or favourite?

My favourite is the Boss 302, Windsor small block with Cleveland type heads.  This is closely followed by the 427 FE.

[Payman]

The Toyota 22R. Simple yet overbuilt. The trucks deteriorated around them, yet people have started them in junk trucks that have been sitting in the woods for 30+ years.

[shp4man]

Buick 3800?

That was a good one. It was a revision of an old '60's motor. Very durable.

[Payman]

The Jeep 4.0 I6, for the same reasons as the Toyota 22R.

[shp4man]

The Toyota 22R. Simple yet overbuilt. The trucks deteriorated around them, yet people have started them in junk trucks that have been sitting in the woods for 30+ years.

The 22R put Toyota "on the map". The only fault was a propensity to leak oil from the front seal.  Damn good motor.

[shp4man]

The Jeep 4.0 I6, for the same reasons as the Toyota 22R.

Another revision of an old 60's motor, and a damn good one. The AMC 232 6 cylinder.

[shp4man]

Best or favourite?

My favourite is the Boss 302, Windsor small block with Cleveland type heads.  This is closely followed by the 427 FE.

The 302, one of the greats. Short stroke happiness. 

[12,000 RPM]

It has to be the SBC... I don't even like V8s and this much is obvious

[shp4man]

It has to be the SBC... I don't even like V8s and this much is obvious

Huh...fascinating. As Spock used to say. 

[CaminoRacer]

It has to be the SBC... I don't even like V8s and this much is obvious

I have a hard time picking the SBC when the LS improves on it in important ways.

If I say SBC, it'll be a 383 with a roller cam and port injection EFI.

[MexicoCityM3]

Favourite

[Soup DeVille]

I have a hard time picking the SBC when the LS improves on it in important ways.

If I say SBC, it'll be a 383 with a roller cam and port injection EFI.

I guess the question can be framed as "historical important/influential," or "best engineered" in a number of different ways.

[CaminoRacer]

Can I choose this?

https://www.facebook.com/TheHoonigans/videos/1655781294442896/

[Submariner]

The Jeep 4.0 I6, for the same reasons as the Toyota 22R.

It deserves a win solely for being the only Chrysler group six cylinder that isn't a complete disaster.

[CaminoRacer]

Sometimes I dream of installing an aluminum Edelbrock head + supercharger on a 4.0L

[GoCougs]

It has to be the Chevy Small Block if but for nothing else than its longevity (1955 to 2002), number built (~90,000,000) and range of application (from 150 hp (net) family sedan to 300 hp (net) sports car, and all points in between - trucks, vans, SUVs, muscle/pony car). The standout of course is the 350/5.7L, made from 1967 to 2002.

The LS and LT are definitely up there, for the same three reasons, but they won't likely come close to matching the SBC (which isn't a bad thing - innovation is good). Whilst the competition is chasing OHC and turbocharging here's GM's pooprod, smaller, less complicated, and putting down huge power for bargain basement prices.

[2o6]

The Bonda J30/J35 are also good too

[FoMoJo]

As for best, within the era, this one needs to be considered...



Ford Cosworth DFV.

[Laconian]

It deserves a win sololy for being the only Chrysler group six cylinder that isn't a complete disaster.

AMC made it.

[Payman]

[Payman]

Buick 215/Rover V8.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

It has to be the SBC... I don't even like V8s and this much is obvious

Yup....

[r0tor]

Favourite

[Morris Minor]

In terms of democratizing transportation, I would say the humble unglamorous air-cooled flat-four VW is right up there.

[MexicoCityM3]

In terms of democratizing transportation, I would say the humble unglamorous air-cooled flat-four VW is right up there.

I had a Beetle for a while back in the day.

I think that the whole lineage from that car to the Metzger and then current tremendous flat six engines from Porsche is worth bringing up in this thread.

[FoMoJo]

Old Henry's Flathead V8 deserves a mention here as well...

[Morris Minor]

Old Henry's Flathead V8 deserves a mention here as well...

Agreed: crude, but effective & no competitor had anything equivalent.  IIRC, as a money-saving measure, the exhaust gases routed out across through the blocks: so there were lots of problems with overheating, cracking etc.

[FoMoJo]

Agreed: crude, but effective & no competitor had anything equivalent.  IIRC, as a money-saving measure, the exhaust gases routed out across through the blocks: so there were lots of problems with overheating, cracking etc.

This image gives a pretty good view of the exhaust porting through the block...



Initially, heating a cracking was a problem, but cooling was resolved pretty early on.  The Flatheads that were made post war were, pretty much bulletproof.

The one in my '51 Mercury was about as smooth as a Swiss watch and just as reliable.