Most dependable engines

[brownnova]

The 2.0 engine in the Porsche 924 is a pretty reliable one - mine had 180k on it when the bodywork gave up around the engine!

[martc]

Those stationary engines that turn up at country fairs/steam rallies - they go on forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or at least it feels like they do.

[MrBiscuits]

From personal experience, the ones that stand out are:

 

BL A+ : I cooked one of these proper at 17 when the bypass hose popped. Filled it up with rain water and drove home - no long term effects. I rebuilt it a couple of years later as whilst it still ran reliably Dad reckoned it was sounding a bit rough. On inspection found huge chunks of white-metal missing from the main bearings.

 

Honda D16 : This one did 40k miles in less than 18m without missing a beat. Always sounded like a sewing machine though - even after I'd adjusted all 16 tappets. VTEC was vastly overrated too.

 

BMW M50 : Both of these were the old Iron block jobs with no VANOS. One had suffered terrible abuse in the hands of a tight fisted old boy who did about 500 miles a year and hardly ever changed the oil. collapsed hydraulic lifters made it sound like a Talbot Horizon but it just kept clacking away with no detriment to performance.

 

Jag AJV6 : 150k and counting, still sounds sweet and barely uses any oil. Probably helps that its mainly a motorway car - and probably has been all its life.

 

Discounting the obvious lemons, and Direct Injection diesel I think it mostly depends on keeping the fluids clean and to the correct levels, plus driving with a degree of mechanical sympathy. I cringe when people rev a cold engine and use the wrong gear and always feel guilty if a journey's too short to get the car up to temp. However I'm clearly an eccentric - I dont recall ever seeing a friend or neighbour lift the bonnet, unless to stare blankly into the engine bay while waiting for the AA.

[Asimo]

Good call on the Transit Di. Quite probably the best Diesel engine ever made.

 

If you are stone deaf.

[sierraman]

If you are stone deaf.

Or not in a rush.

[Tartan58]

The MX5 engines are pretty robust - mine is the (slightly) more complex 1.8vvt and has done 120k (which isn't massive in the grand scheme of things but on the high side for a 14 year old MX5) and is sweet as a nut and shrugged off a 2500 mile trip to France as well as being thrashed on few track days last year without batting an eyelid, all I've done to it in the last 4 years is change the oil, plugs and filters a few times. The bodywork on the other hand is the reason it's now off the road.

 

Is it an unwritten rule that no car is allowed to last forever i.e. if a company manages to produce a good engine they are legally bound not to rustproof the body properly, and if you build a body which won't rust you have to put an engine that will expire the day after the warranty runs out.

[Hertz]

I'm also a fan of the 2.0 8V Vauxhall engines, I would gladly have another 2.0 gli Cavalier tomorrow.

 

My mate always raved about the engine in his BMW 325i. 24v 190 odd break I seem to recall. To be fair he had the car nearly 20 years and it never broke down once, the body rotted away around the engine mind.

[Jikovron]

I read some rolls royce literature that suggested that their L410 6.75 Litre was tested at maximum power for 500hours without failure, i dont know anything that could achieve that especially as the american v8s they compared it to couldnt top circa 50hours .meticulous metallurgy and tolerance detailing was the standard practice i read ie copying the basic design of american tappets but making them in house to ensure quality

[twosmoke300]

Some plant/ ag engines spend almost their whole life flat out at max power .

[steve_earwig]

If you are stone deaf.

The man said dependable, not easy on the ears

 

If we can have A series for surviving neglect we should have VW aircooled flat fours for similar reasons.

[nebuchenezer]

BL A series, could withstand epic amounts of abuse and still soldier on

 

BMW M20's - as long as you look after them (especially the B20) they just seem to go on and on and on

[Lukas]

SO as a result, almost every engine except the K-series Rover and modern turbodiesel-engines is the most dependable engine. 

[theorganist]

Leyland E series. The last Maxi I had suffered overheating due to blocked radiator, driving back from South Wales with barely any oil (inadvertently I hasten to add) and had done well over 100,000 miles. Yet it is still going strong (Well going anyway)!

 

The Simca pushrod in my Horizon sounds like it is durable!

[PhilA]

Chevy 3.8 V6. People try to break them. I think normally they give up and send the thing to be crushed instead

Detroit 2-stroke diesels. Massively overbuilt, incredibly simple. They just go on and on and on, redo the ancillaries and change the oil periodically and you're good to go. Smokily.

Another vote for the BMC A-series. Long stroke and questionable metallurgy meant deeply scored bores after 60-100k but the oil that was let past seemed to keep them running.

Vauxhall 8v engines, another upvote. They don't actually seem to need oil and water, just add fuel, drive the car like you just don't care and you'll be fine.

 

--Phil

[Pete-M]

Daimler V8. The Turner one.

[srad34]

Toyota 1.3vvti lump in the Yaris. You could run it on liquid shit and it would still smell of roses.....

[New POD]

 

What about the Vauxhall 8v engines OHC through the 80's/90's? Non interference and cambelts a DIY job?

 

 

Having had 2 off 1.4, 1 off small block 1.6,  1 off large block 1.6 and 3 off 1.8';s - all 8 V's I thought that the 2.0 SEH 8V might be equally great.

 

Unluckily, the first with no history in a dodgy as Feck Calibre (note the E !!!) had low low pressure and was replaced with an 86K miler from a mk3 which threw a rod.  Apparently in 1990 to 1992, the big end bolts were made of cheese.

 

Cambelts are an Hour, if you don't touch the water pump and the small block had a nice little tensioning wheel instead.

 

The Headgaskets were made of cheese but 5 hours for an enthusiastic amateur is about right.  Head skin, gaskets, bolts and cam belt and tensioner on a 1.4 came to about £90. add an oil change and £110 max.

[rml2345]

Daimler V8. The Turner one.

Which one? I'd heard the 4.5 was less sturdy than the 2.5 but have nothing more than a fuzzy memory from an old issue of Practially Brassic to back that up.

[Rusty Pelican]

BMW M10 engines seem bomb proof , at least mine is 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Mercedes M111 (1990's C and E Class 4 cyl).

BMW M20 and M50

Ford Endura E in Ka and Fester

Vauxhall Family B OHC 8v (Nova, Astra, Cavalier)

BL O Series EFi

Ford Pinto EFi

Jaguar AJ6, esp. 3.2 and 3.6

Whatever powered the Toyota Carina E

Alfa Romeo Twin Cam T.Spark in the 75 and 164

Ford Zetec/Duratec in the 'Deo

 

 

All as tough as old arseholes, rarely go wrong, take loads of abuse, produce decent power and economy and will still start on the button when the car is swinging from the scrapyard crane.

[Coprolalia]

Toyota 1.3vvti lump in the Yaris. You could run it on liquid shit and it would still smell of roses.....

 

Nopppeeee. Her indoors has one that's on 70,000 miles and eats coil packs for breakfast. Gone through two in the last six months, and neither of those is original.

 

Bizarre aside; cost of replacement at GSF £70, cost at Euro £80, Halfords.... £30. Same manufacturer. What?!?!

[New POD]

The MX5 engines are pretty robust - mine is the (slightly) more complex 1.8vvt and has done 120k (which isn't massive in the grand scheme of things but on the high side for a 14 year old MX5) and is sweet as a nut and shrugged off a 2500 mile trip to France as well as being thrashed on few track days last year without batting an eyelid, all I've done to it in the last 4 years is change the oil, plugs and filters a few times. The bodywork on the other hand is the reason it's now off the road.

 

Is it an unwritten rule that no car is allowed to last forever i.e. if a company manages to produce a good engine they are legally bound not to rustproof the body properly, and if you build a body which won't rust you have to put an engine that will expire the day after the warranty runs out.

 

 

That describes the mk1 we have. Will need a clutch and bodywork soon.

[Albert Ross]

As said before. Land Rover 2286/2495 OHV petrols. The 2052/2286 diesel has a reputation for being unreliable, but if maintained correctly, they are great. These are all chain drive engines. The later 2495 diesels, Tdi included, are all belt drive, and less reliable.

 

Mercedes M129 2.5, and M103 3.0 6 cylinder petrols.

 

Volvo Redblocks.

 

Renault C1J and derivatives 1397 OHV.

 

XUD..... without a doubt.

 

RR Merlin. Without it, we would all be goose stepping.

[stripped fred]

My 2001 A4 had the 115bhp PD engine. I owned the car for 6 years, changed the oil on the button with the correct spec, 2 timing belts, tensioners and water pumps in my ownership. Got to 202k and I was looking forward to 300+ as most people said this was possible. I pulled out of a junction and there was a slight twanging noise. 3 miles later it was chewing itself to bits and about to die. I always wondered if I should have changed the thermostat as it never seemed to get much past 75 on the guage. Perhaps that was what killed it, running too cool? It was also quite noisy but felt strong.

[UltraWomble]

I dont give a shit what you say, these 110 bhp HDi engines are really reliabe and easy to work on....

[Captain Mainwaring]

From personal experience, and from what I've read on forums, the Renault B14 as fitted to the Volvo 340 seems a pretty dependable engine.

Any engine that can withstand nearly a year of constant, near-redline running at around 30mph due to either a fucked Variomatic box or an idiot driver has to be pretty dependable in my book.

There used to be a chap on the Volvo 300 Mania forum who had about 250k on his, and he did all kinds of stupid, abusive shit with it.

I like 'em.

[danthecapriman]

I dont give a shit what you say, these 110 bhp HDi engines are really reliabe and easy to work on....

I'd love one of those!! They sound awesome too. Horrifically expensive to run and look after though. One of the reasons British Rail were keen to get rid of them in the early 80's.

[srad34]

Nopppeeee. Her indoors has one that's on 70,000 miles and eats coil packs for breakfast. Gone through two in the last six months, and neither of those is original.

 

Bizarre aside; cost of replacement at GSF £70, cost at Euro £80, Halfords.... £30. Same manufacturer. What?!?!

Crikey, you must have a duff 'un, we have had ours for 100k of its 150k and other than oil changes and a grumbly water pump, nowt at all, its epic imho....Shame its slow as a slow thing!

[MarvinsMom]

a napier deltic, now THAT is an engine!

 

i love the english electric engines whichwere fitted to the class 37 and 40's (and also the 31's?)

 

lots of clag, noise, power and drama!!

 

some gr9 vid's on you tube of locomotives with an enthusiastic drivers at the controls...

[doobietoo]

Early 90s VW 1.8 8v had two with over 250,000 on the clock.... both ran like clocks...