What is a "Strong engine"

[Simon]

Ship engines are the strongest. Run for 25 years non stop and the parts are huge

 

[Scania]

Truck engines for the win.

 

[Dtab]

The 2.8tdi in my fourtrack is pretty rugged,gets no tlc,a service every 12mts and thats pretty much it.Still pulls like a train,and is suprisingly quick once the turbo starts doing its stuff.Should have had a cambelt at 80k but hasn't yet,tho i will be picking one up tomorrow as i have to get a new exhaust for it -and thats mainly the reason i'm posting : 100k+ on its origanal 14yr old exhaust is not bad going is it ? esp when you consider that it has spent most of its life going through cow ****

 

[Barry Smalley]

Ship engines are the strongest. Run for 25 years non stop and the parts are huge

Not true. They are continually being rebuilt.

 

[RoboCod]

Why is a say a Honda VTEC engine supposedly more reliable than say a TVR AJP-6? Is it just down to the tolerances when building or is there more than that?

Wasn't it something like 15million Vtec unit's made, not one a callback or failure

That's a strong engine

 

[NickXX]

Wasn't it something like 15million Vtec unit's made, not one a callback or failure

That's a strong engine

It's just the VTEC unit itself though rather than the whole engine.

 

[JRS]

Wasn't it something like 15million Vtec unit's made, not one a callback or failure

That's a strong engine

As NickXX said, the VTEC unit itself has never had a warranty claim/failure to it's name.

The engines themselves have had their share of problems though, as any engine would with the laughable attempts at maintenance that a lot of drivers engage in....

 

[nutcase]

Take a Saab 9000. 225bhp as standard as I think it started as an aero. Run it for 150,000 miles. Take the output up to, oh, 400bhp for a few thousand miles. Strip it down at 250,000 miles. Put it straight back together again because there is no appreciable wear - honing marks still on the bores etc. etc.

Take it up to 500bhp and carry on.

That counts as a strong engine in my book

Whoops, just double checked and the engine was stripped at 200,000 miles. And a few internals done at the same time:

Fully re-built @200k
with shot peened con rods
lightened and balanced crankshaft (not tooo radical)
matchweighted piston/con rod assemblies
Radically ported head with oversize exhaust valves
30% uprated valve springs
Lightened flywheel
(all done at ctm performance )
rebuilt using new chains/water pump/oil pump
Turbo garret gttb30 with a/r of .82
3 bar map sensor
Forge atmos BOV
Prototype tubular exhaust manifold and fully 3" downpipe
4" induction pipe
Mc 60 maxogen air filter
Ylee pipe from i/c to inlet manifold
Maptun 50 mm intercooler
3X fuel pump
630 cc/min injectors
Maptun custom software
8's spark plugs
silicone hoses throughout

429.2 hp and 407 ftlbs of torq

Chassis
Quaife lsd
335 mm brakes with brembo calipers
Braided hoses f/r
Mintex 1144 pads
strut brace
sas 1" rear a/r bar
Polybushed everything bar the eye bush on the front a/r bar
Magic camber bolts on the front struts
Koni adjustables front and rear
Roc springs
17/7.5 et 30 team dynamics race 1.2 wheels
235/40 zr 17 goodyear f1 gsd3 tyres

Inside
Sony 1000 mtf "dancing dolphin" mp3 head unit
denison ice link i-pod interface
1000 w 4 channel amp feeding the front JBL speakers
and mission subwoofer (deceased)
standard rear speakers (love em)
Origin blue i...(dying )
snooper remote
blue tooth hands free
wylee coyote (x2)

Outside
rusty wheel arches
scraped front bumper
Maptun stickers
"stealth spray" (pat pending) on the number plates

The raise to 500bhp came later (49something anyway).

 

[Stonedofmoo]

The Saab engines mechanically are bullet proof.

Mine is at 120,000 miles which was described to me by my mechanic as 'still running it in'

 

[nutcase]

Just done more digging, car is currently at 255,000 miles and has been in for some bodywork restoration (see rusty wheelarches comment!) and a respray.

I've been out in it once and it's mighty fun!

The Saab engines mechanically are bullet proof.

Mine is at 120,000 miles which was described to me by my mechanic as 'still running it in'

And he' right. My 99GL has 180,000 on it. Admittedly I had to replace the engine at 160,000 miles, but that's because the bloke I got it from didn't service it, and when the fan failed he let it over heat so much the HG went - then still drove it home and wondered why there was a hole in the piston. Strong yes, but you can still abuse them to death. The engine I put in had 155,000 on it, so should be good for a while longer

 

[timbob]

What about big old diesel tank engines? Huge capacity, huge output, designed to be thrashed day in and day out through deserts, lakes, forests and rubble.... I'm not sure how much maintainence they need, but I'd imagine for something designed to spend months at a time in a combat zone, they won't need huge amounts!

 

[wozzizname]

I'd nominate the Honda C90 engine as a strong one - these things run forever on virtually no maintenance, and can be seen everywhere in Asia loaded up with passengers, boxes, livestock etc. On my last trip to Thailand I saw at least one of these being ridden with 5 people on board...