My post earlier today on the 1973 Plymouth Road Runner I dished some praise on the ability of the Chrysler slant six and 318 (5.2 liter) V8 to withstand all manner of abuse.
We all know some engines are a lot less hearty than others. But what engines are the heartiest, able to withstand all manner of unsavory treatment? It doesn’t matter if we are talking ability to run quite low on oil, run too hot for extended periods with no apparent damage, or those simply able to gleefully take whatever abuse is thrown at it.
My nominees are the Chrysler Slant Six and the 318. Yes, that’s two, but they are so close in abusive aptitude they could be tied.
So what engine do you nominate?
Ford 300 (4.9) and Chrysler slant six. Ford had 7 main bearings and neither could make enough power to hurt itself.
Beat me to it, so I’ll add the 240 to your nomination – even less power!
One of my younger brothers did manage to kill a 300 Ford six but in all fairness it wasn’t the engine’s fault. He was cruising down I-71 one day when it started knocking severely, turned out that the fuel pump diaphragm ruptured and started filling the crankcase with gasoline. Not good. Wiped the crank and rod bearings lickety-split.
Those 2 are hard to beat, for sure.
The AMC 258 I-6 deserves a mention as well as its derivatives the 4.0 I-6 and 2.5 I-4. There was a video showing an XJ in the cash for clunkers program (don’t EVEN get me started on that one) getting the sodium silicate treatment and it damn near refused to die. Ive owned 4 variants of them and theyre damned tough.
Toyota 20R and 22R motors are known to be nearly indestructible too. Early 80s Toyota 4x4s with the bodies rotting away but with good drivetrains were a common theme when I was looking for my own wheels in the early 90s.
Second on both points:
-Jeep websites often note the reliable 258 six, which came from AMC
-Often see Toyota Tacoma 4 cylinders with several hundred thousand miles (unfortunately not true for frames and seat belt retractors).
I’ve seen that Cash for Clunkers video of the XJ. It will break your heart watching that old Jeep valiantly struggling to stay alive.
I’ve never seen that video, but I just checked it out on YouTube. I could not make it through to the end. It feels like an old horse being put down, or something.
When an animal is put down, it’s done a lot more quickly.
Also, if you think about it, whatever that poor XJ was traded for (probably something like an Aveo, SX4, or Rio) 9 years ago is probably at a pick-and-pull by now, or maybe it’s already been crushed and recycled into a washing machine.
Definitely the 20R/22R. I had a 1979 Hilux that I couldn’t kill despite a teenager’s idiocy, and my ex had a 1982 Celica that he ran out of oil in the 1990s and seized the engine. Once it cooled down and I added five quarts of oil, I bump-started it and it ran for at least another decade.
The Toyota 22R may be hard to kill in normal use but they are surprisingly fragile on the racetrack. Murilee Martin used to have a gallery of blown up 22R engins feom Lemons racers.
Yes, definitely on the Mopar picks. I’ve owned two of each.
Had a boat anchor Ford 390 that ran up some 300+ thousand miles.
Have to agree with the two Mopars, but yeah, that Ford 300 six was tuff to kill!
Does the Ford 300 six also count the 1950s Ford 223 six?
I nominate the Volvo “redblock” engines in both OHV and OHC flavors.
I’ve seen 200,000 mile versions with frozen distributors from never having been adjusted. The valves call for periodic adjustment, but if you don’t, they just run worse. If you fail to change the timing belt, it just breaks, no harm done.
Irv Gordon is fastidious about maintaining his 1800, but it hasn’t needed an engine rebuild in the last couple million (or more) miles.
These are overbuilt engines.
Yep
The B18 was a pretty durable engine by the standards of its time with 5 large main bearings, but plastic timing gears, not to mention SU carbs frequently requiring synchronization, and points, plugs, condensers, valve cover gaskets etc were not resistant to neglect. And the oil pumps could and would fail.
Not plastic, sort-of varnished particle board. More cardboard than plastic.
American stuff had the “nylon faced” metal hub, sneaked in sometimes.
One word, Benjamin…
This is assuming the water pump still works, the 2.3 Redblocks often went through those and would overheat as a result.
Theyre tough engines for sure, but I wouldnt say they’re the toughest.
Volvo B18 through the redblock B23. The B18 was so stout for two reasons. First, it was 1/2 of a Volvo truck V8. Second, it had crazy bearing surface area. To put this into perspective, the Volvo had more main bearing surface area than a Chevy 409! The B23 redblock was just a OHC refinement of the original B18. I’m not sure what the actual durability limits of the motor was, but I can’t think of any other motor (including the Mercedes diesels) that could claim to be more durable.
*Edit- I just saw Evan’s post. Great minds think alike (grins)
+1
Family member had a ’89 240, she used the oil light as a reminder to add oil the next time she got around to it. She drove up to Washington from San Diego, light was on, I added 3 quarts. I schooled her on keeping the level up from then on, had the car for years after, sold at about 270k miles, engine still running fine.
According to AUWM the B18 wasn’t half of the B36. That point is treated here:
https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/volvo-p1800-history/view-all/
in the paragraph that begins, “There is a persistent rumor, dating back at least as far as 1961, that the B18 was derived from Volvo’s B36 engine ….”
However… they did share bore, stroke, and main bearings with the B36. Things that make you go “hmmm.”
Volvo insists that there is no relationship between the B18 and the B36 other than their bore and stroke dimensions, which was largely coincidental. The B18 was a good deal more compact and lighter than it would have been had it been half a V-8 — 315 lb in initial form, really pretty good for its time.
The small but rugged Studebaker V-8 259/289 can run all day on 10-20 psi of oil pressure! Plus you can boost the wazoo out of it and not blow head gaskets. Also the Studebaker 1939 Champion 6 was the first car engine that could run at 5000 rpm almost forever according to military test run in the 1940’s.
I second 49commander’s nomination of the Studebaker V8. To add to his comments, every one had a forged crankshaft and forged connecting rods, solid lifters and forged rocker shafts, and used timing gears in place of a timing chain, which may be the Mopar LA’s only real weak point.
The things also had lots of bearing surface and perhaps the huskiest blocks for their displacement made by anyone after WWII. Proof of their durability is in the way they could take all kinds of supercharger boost without coming apart (and without any significant block or head modifications).
The engine’s only real vice was its weight.
Didn’t the Studebaker blocks have high nickel content? I thought that was why they were so durable.
I think you may be right. I have seen anecdotal reports of engine rebuilds that didn’t need any real work done to the cylinder bores. Rusted floors are the big struggle with those cars.
Rusted EVERYTHING was the biggest struggle with a Studebaker LOL!
You beat me to it! I was going to bring up the studebaker v8 and how durable it is. One guy told me he drove a silverhawk with a 289 for 15 years daily and never changed the oil in it, he just added when low. He said it ran great when he junked it, but the body was pretty much gone. These engines were extremely over built and could really handle the abuse as well as high mileage
I’ll tell you one engine that couldn’t take abuse, air-cooled VW. A few thousands off on valve clearance, forget to change the oil or let it go low. You had to work that engine to climbe the Sierras or go over 60 mph. It ran better in the cooler weather. Fortuantly it was easy to work and pretty cheap.
On the other hand, I’ll risk the ire of many by saying Austin engines in MGs. Yea we ran them hard but the basic engine was pretty reliable. They got over 100,000 miles before a rebuild. Now the ancillaries were a hassle, especially when these cars were less than $1000 and on their 5th owner.
The Briggs and Stratton 5hp engine on my go-cart. One late July day in the mid-1980s a buddy and I drained out all the oil, and still rode it around for hours on that hot summer day. It never seized or threw the rod despite our enthusiastic and determined efforts to induce catastrophic failure..
All pretty subjective depending on what we’ve experienced.
But…
I’ve seen small block Chevy V-8s run to 300,000 miles without being cracked open.
My ’81 Toyota pickup with the 22r got to 250,000 before I lost track of it. Never rebuilt, though the oil, water, and fuel pumps I replaced.
However, I agree with the Briggs and Stratton legend of durability. I still have one of their little flatheads, 3.5 horse, on my edger.
Well “my” edger inherited from dad. Let’s see, I use it weekly, have actually ever done any proper service on it, and haven’t changed the sludge in the crank case since, uh, Billy Clinton was president. I’m sure dad did no more maintaining than me during his reign. So maybe one oil change in it’s life.
It’s from Montgomery Wards. I think, if memory serves, it was bought in the early 1970’s. Not a bad run. It starts right up and works just fine, doesn’t even smoke.
Indeed it is subjective. But I figured we’ve all had enough experience that we can eliminate some (early Vega engines or a Cadillac 4100 for instance) and, while anecdotal, I suspected some would bubble to the top.
It’s nowhere near being scientific.
Speaking of the infamous Cadillac HT4100, my folks had two of them. An ’84 coupe and an ’87 coupe. Mom kept the ’87 for thirteen years and had zero problems with it. She never performed the coolant system mods that were supposed to be needed according to the Internet. The car was rock solid reliable for her, whereas her replacement for it, 2000 Ford Taurus, did leave her on the side of the road a couple of times.
Weird. And it was supposed to be the other way around on reliability on those two cars engines, but such is life.
Hey, I get it. My in-laws had an ’83 Seville that was flawless (mechanically, at least) until it laid down at 177,000 miles. On the flip side, my wife and I had an ’01 Taurus that needed new crank bearings at 57,000 miles.
Thank you. I was waiting for someone to bring up Briggs & Stratton. Or the OHV Honda 50/70/90.
I’ll add the Buick 3800 to the list of nominees… plus the venerable Ford N Series 2.0l (119.7 ci) tractor engine, a low-compression, low-speed engine that runs forever if even halfway maintained. It counts in this list because it was used in both the ’40-’41 Ford pickup/panel van as well as the Ford GP Jeep, where it was mated to the Model A transmission.
I’ll agree with this, Ed. I thought the 9n block basically was a model A engine. Regardless, darn thing scared the ** out of me when I was out spreading manure and saw 10 psi on the Stewart-Warner oil gauge.
Actually, the N series engine has more in common with the contemporary Mercury flathead V8 – it’s basically one bank of that engine and shares a few common parts.
Later Ford tractor/industrial engines are pretty bulletproof, too. I run a 2.6L 3 cyl and it’s 4 cyl big brother in three old forklifts. Dead simple, run fine after almost 50 years of abuse in the construction industry. I’d guess on the hours, but all those meters broke sometime in the 80s. Keep the oil on the dipstick and they will not die. My Pettibone forklifts have built thousands and thousands of houses over the years, and they still work every day!
VW 1600cc Beetle. It would literally run forever. Additionally beetles were easiest maintainance cars of all times, because engine was only attached with 5 screws towards the gearbox – and nowhere else! But at one (or more?) certain points you couldn’t take the Beetle anymore. The slowness, seats, dash, no brakes, no heater let alone A/C, and so on. You began to look at “real” cars….
…right now 28 years later I am looking for a Beetle again as a hobby. But prices have gone crazy. As if Beetles had ever been real good cars! These were cars that came at the price of diswasher and refrigerator. (I bought an old Smart 450 car instead lately. I like it. It even looks diswasher-ey than Beetle in it’s heydays).
I have to disagree with the VW motor. Especially 1200 and 1300, you just had to work them so hard and they hated hot weather. 1600 had more power, but it was still sensitive to poor maintance and hot weather.
Yeah, you could get the engine out without a hoist which is nice in a way (lots of time flat on your back with rust and crud falling in your face) but in the lifetime of the engines Jason nominated I reckon the Beetle engine would be out at least 3 times.
My experience is more like Fred’s. I rarely saw a VW engine go more than 80k or so without a rebuild. Maintenance was pretty frequent, even by 1960’s standards. No oil filter couldn’t have helped. What led to the VW legend of durability was the relatively solidly built body and ability to take just about any terrain and operating conditions you threw at it. Also, when it did need a rebuild, it wasn’t that complicated, or you could get a factory rebuilt engine from Sears. John Muir’s classic repair guide didn’t hurt either. I remember a coupe of guys in college taking the engine out in the dormitory parking lot, lugging it upstairs, and rebuilding it on the floor of their room.
Air-cooled VWs aren’t my thing, but if I got one, first thing I’d do would be put a remote oil cooler, a remote oil filter, and hydraulic lifters on it.
This is of course very subjective, because unless one carefully defines just how little oil is left or how hot it is, there is going to be a huge variation of outcomes.
I’m of the school that more modern engines are drastically longer-lived than older ones. A few years back there was some coverage of a courier company that delivered parts all over the middle section of the country with Chevy V8 pickups. At that time several of the trucks had logged over 600k miles with nothing but routine service. And of course there are plenty of cars that have done 400-500k+ miles with only routine service, many of them Toyotas and Hondas used in long commuter use in CA and such.
Realistically, no Mopar 318 or 225 /6 would have racked up that kind of mileage routinely. I know that cab companies back in the day had to typically rebuild engines somewhere between 200-300k miles.
I realize there’s the Volvo P1800 with over a million miles, but that’s realistically a statistical outlier due to the constant careful driving by a dedicated owner.
Modern engines last longer because materials and tolerances have improved substantially, and fuel injection keeps raw gas from washing down the cylinder walls.
I would suggest that modern lubricants and fuel injection are what make modern engines so durable compared to the old ones – both of which come down to decent lubrication that was denied to most engines in everyday use before the 80s.
It would be a fascinating experiment to retrofit some of the really tough old engines with FI and run modern oil and see how they stack up to an average modern engine in an endurance test.
Modern oil wouldn’t be good with flat tappet cams though, you’d need a specialty oil or zinc additive
I do agree, modern fuel injection would help just about any old engine, just as modern tires do the cars
Not to mention drastic improvements in oil quality.
It’s indeed very subjective. Although like I told Heath McClure earlier up, I figured our collective experience would rule some things out while others bubbled to the top.
There is no doubt that modern engines on average last longer than those of the days of yore for a number of reasons.
Fuel injection is a big one as that reduced wear in the cylinder as well as reduced fuel dilution of the oil and carbon in the oil.
The improvement in the engines themselves with better materials has certainly lengthened life spans. The fact that oil leaks are not a common thing any more definitely has reduced the number of cars out there running out of oil or low on oil for long periods. There are also probably far fewer cars that reach the point where the owner considers the oil to change itself with how frequently they had to add oil.
Speaking of oil there certainly have been major improvements there too, However the reduction of ZDDP is not w/o its issues not only on older engines but to a lesser extent on newer engines too.
When it comes to standing up to abuse and neglect, many modern engines are at a disadvantage. Old cast iron engines could often tolerate running them way to hot and not blow a head gasket, warp the heads, crack the block ect. Modern engines with aluminum heads and/or blocks don’t fare as well when ran too hot. On the plus side the modern computer controls mean that some cars have fail safe cooling that will alternate cylinders, and reduce power and eventually shut down before temps get to where they are certain to cause damage.
The shorter, less complex oilling systems also have an advantage when it comes to a lack of oil changes and constantly running one, two or more quarts low. Even when the oil level got so low that the lifters would start to rattle heavily there was usually still enough oil making it to the crank and cam bearings that they would survive if you threw a couple of quarts in before too long. And there were actually cam bearings. Many modern engines do no have bearing inserts the cam rides in the aluminum head and they don’t last long w/o a steady supply of oil, see the engine sludge problems. The old system with bearing inserts were much more tolerant of low or intermittent oil flow, the fact that the oil had ZDDP helped things too. Of course since new engines don’t leak oil like the old ones and the oil is less volatile and diluted means that a modern engine is highly unlikely to be constantly run low on oil.
Reliability to me means the thing starts and runs – period. The closer tolerances of modern manufacturing, better lubricants and electronic advances are a great boon to the life of any engine.
A modern engine has traded less vulnerability to mechanical gremlins for more vulnerability to electronic gremlins.
Either one can leave you at the side of the road. The modern engine will probably run far better than an old engine – right up until it doesn’t.
By contrast, older engines usually provide more warning of impending trouble before they quit.
I’d rather have a modern engine. I agree they are better. But failures seem more frustrating because electronic failure usually has so little warning.
It’s been said here many times, but this is one of the areas where almost all new cars are really good.
I put 250,000 miles on a 2.5L V6 Ford Duratec. With that mileage on the odometer, it was still getting the same gas mileage it did when it was new, and it still consumed a little less than a full quart of oil between 10k mile oil changes, just as it always had.
I have no reason to think that with only minimal maintenance, you can’t get that many trouble-free miles or more out of any engine sold in just about any car today. A lot of people are unaware of this only because they never keep a car long enough to find out.
In addition to singing the praises of the Studebaker V8 above, I will nominate two others:
The Ford Model A 200 cid I4
The Chrysler 3.3/3.8 V6.
So if we were to break the issue into categories of PreWWII, Classic post WWII and modern it would be Model A, Studebaker V8 and Chrysler cast iron V6.
Everyone I know with a 3.3/3.8 Chrysler seems to have had a good experience. It was not well-received as a replacement for the 4.0 I6 in the Wrangler, though, and it seems like people look for reasons to bash it.
Our ’98 Grand Caravan had the 3.3, and was just barely starting to smoke a little on startup when the transmission stopped transmitting at around 278,000 miles. Other than two sets of plugs, an O2 sensor, and a serpentine belt or two, it was completely drama-free.
My father’s business has a Toyota Corolla with a ZZ series engine and something like 400,000 miles (odometer broke long ago). The drivers have trashed the poor thing over the past dozen years, but the engine simply won’t die. Just add a little oil and it “takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’”.
Also, the Volvo 850 “modular” engine. Everything power or plastic will break on those cars…but the engine will keep on running.
The ninth-generation Corolla and its’ Matrix/Vibe derivatives as a whole seem to be setting a new bar for durability. Most of them I see don’t even *look* like beaters, an unusual situation since the newest is now 10 and the oldest over 15 years old.
Unfortunately, there is one issue with the Matrix/Vibe, and that’s the 5-speed transmission. Apparently, the likelihood of the 5-speed making it much past 100k miles isn’t too great.
Mom’s car, a ’65 Dodge Dart with the 225 /6, leaked oil like a sieve after 10 years, but always started and ran when called upon, and Mom depended heavily on others to remind her of the maintenance. I just looked after the oil.
I had my ’82 Toyota SR-5 longbed for 14 years but only about 100K miles, and watched it rust away from underneath me from years in the northern latitudes. That 20R motor was the only thing left that was any good, despite the fact that I had to replace the water pump (had that done while the radiator was out for another reason), multiple thermostats (suspecting that they may hang), and once when the repair shop failed to tighten the water hose and I lost all my coolant while at 50+ mph (when I realized I was smoking from the back, I then noticed the temp gauge all the way at H–don’t know how long it was there); the next day I put plain water in after reattaching the hose and it ran just fine the last 4 years I had it (the head didn’t warp). It was prone to overheating on the highway after an hour, but I’d pull off for gas, sit for about 15 minutes, start up and get on the road, and that quirk wouldn’t show again that day. The rest of the drivetrain wasn’t in that great a shape though. But in all the years it never left me stranded, would even start in -10F cold on the second turn of the key.
Ford 4.6 and pushrod 5.0. Both of these are ‘hard to kill’ with the 4.6 serving hundreds of thousands of miles and taxis and police cars and thepushrod 5.0 being subjected to all sorts of stoplight and drag strip hijinx.
Seconded. Although I killed my 4.6 at just over 100k miles, spun three rod bearings, but I have a tendency to fall on the losing side of statistics.
Agreed on the 4.6. I have a 2005 3V Mustang, and I bought it not too long ago with about 180,000 kms on it. It ran great then and now, and the only issue is that notoriously dumb two piece spark plug design that Ford had, where the plugs break off (had to get the spark plug puller tool to remove 4 broken ones). Other than that, it’s bulletproof–it looks mostly stock, too, and–based on the dirt and dust on the bolts and the undisturbed fasteners– I don’t think that too many items have been replaced over the course of its lifetime, either.
Also agreed w/rspct to the 5.0L Ford. I put 236K on my ‘88 T-Bird (granted, I was a religious 3000 mile oil changer then – so no oil abuse), but the car was driven fast… a lot. WOT acceleration was common on my long rush hour commute with that car.
I’m hopeful that the 4.0L V6 in my Mustang is up to the longevity challenge. So far so good (knock on wood) at 176K, but retired from DD service now.
As to the 4.6L… parted ways with that one in the second divorce, so I never got to see how far the ‘94 T-Bird would’ve gone.
Someone above spoke of Lawn Mower Engines. While I agree with the Briggs and Stratton assessment, I’ll vouch for Honda too. I’ve got a Craftsman mower with a Honda engine, and while the Craftsman infrastructure falls apart around it, that engine just won’t quit.
I can’t argue with Paul’s assertion that modern engines are better made with better metals, but I can speak to two encounters with the Plymouth Slant Six.
First – I had a friend with late 60’s Dart with the /6 engine. When I first rode in the Dart the oil light was on and I mentioned it to him. “Yeah”, he said, “it must be a sensor or something; I put a quart of oil in but the light didn’t go out.” Close to a year later, having seen that oil light on all the time, I borrowed the car. As is standard practice after borrowing a vehicle, I filled the gas tank and out of curiousity checked the oil. The dipstick was bone dry. I put four quarts of oil in the engine till it read full on the stick….and the light went out. I said nothing to him, and I guess he figured the oil light bulb had burned out. I knew him for 3 years afterwards and the car ran just fine.
The other story was some years earlier when a friend had a rusty 66 Dart with a 225 his dad had given him for high school. The car probably had 80 or 90K miles on it – I don’t recall exactly. With inimitable teenager logic he decided that if the car’s engine failed his dad would give him a better car. Therefore he took it out in a field, started it up with half a tank of gas, and put a big stone against the gas pedal to run it wide open until it blew up…and left. When his older brother found out what he’d done, the brother got a can of gas and went out the next day, fueled it up, and drove it home. My friend drove it for two more years of high school.
So, anecdotal, yeah, but pretty good anecdotes.
I would say the following since they’ve all survived accidental abuse at my hands; The overbuilt Volvo B230FT redblock, the Mazda JE 3.0L V6, The Mazda B-series (not truck) line of engines (I’ve unsuccessfully tried killing three variants). All are of non-interference design and will leak/burn oil, tick, and develop enough blow-by to keep Al Gore up at night, but have always taken me to my destination, no matter the conditions. Ones that I’ve seen go long distances with short amounts of care, but have not owned by myself are the later flavors of the 4.6L Modular Ford V8, The whole 2nd generation Toyota Prius engine/electric motor system, the 7.3L Ford/International Powerstroke diesel, and the venerable GM LS family of engines. There’s probably a few I’m missing, but I’m sure others will catch them.
168k miles out of my ’75 Valiant with 318 and running on leaded fuel/regular oil.
165k miles so far on the ’85 Crown Vic with 351W.
260k miles on my 350 Chev Monte Carlo (so far), by far the longest lived and best of the bunch, and my nominated engine.
I do agree with Paul that modern engines, with closer tolerances, better lubrication and fuel can lead to much longer lives. My ’02 Focus has about 130k miles and the ’06 G6 has about 160k miles, and both burn no significant oil (synthetic) between changes and run great.
V8: Chrysler 318. I have one, unrebuilt and never out of the car, in a 1969 Charger with 235K miles on it. It still has good oil pressure and 160 psi in each cylinder. Honorable mention to the Ford Modulars.
I6 : AMC 258 I6
V6: GM 3800
4 cyl: Toyota 22R
Its not uncommon for any of those engines to see 300K miles
Can’t complain about the EA 827 1.8 8 valve K-Jet engine. Never been opened up, uses about 1/2 quart oil in 3k miles. The ACN 5 speed manual trans has been just as durable. (’86 Jetta)
Small block Chevy has been a durable engine as well, never let me down even with a lot of abuse, but they do need to have the oil level checked often.
Based on my own experiences
Mopar LA V8
Slant Six
AMC 232/258
All 15-30 years old when I got them, multiple examples- no complaints.
One surprise candidate though, GM 2.2L 4cyl. Not refined, but seems to have absorbed the total lack of maintenance by two previous owners and runs very well. Refined as a tractor engine, but I don’t care.
We’ve had discussions about these 2.2L GM 4 cylinder engines on this board before, they have Opel roots. However, I’m a witness to beating the living crap out of these motors and they just shrug it off. I ran one up to 265K miles, never had any issues with the engine other than routine maintenance.
You are correct about it being as refined as a hardware store paint shaker, though.
Drove my 83 Toyota pickup 669,000 miles before selling it when I moved overseas. Sold it to a Boy Scout leader friend of mine who wanted a truck to haul camping gear. He drove it for another 80,000 or so before he was rear ended. He had run into another Toy pickup with no engine that he bought almost nothing for parts. So the engine of my truck went into that one. Drove it another 3 years at least until he got out of the Scouting world…gave it to the next leader. That was 3 years ago or so, so it may still be running!
The Slant Six.
Nissan’s series of VQ engines are pretty tough and reliable. I’ve seen a lot of Maximas and Gs with hundreds of thousands of miles on them and fairly low maintenance required.
1+ I was surprised that it took this long to mention the Maxima V6s. My Dad had an 87 and then a 91 Maxima. The 91 made it to 280k miles and was still running when it was sold with a bad transmission. I did replace timing belts preemptively, twice and a water pump while I was in there. But otherwise it needed only oil changes.
I concur – I traded in my 2001 Pathfinder (VQ35DE) with 271,000+ miles on it with nary a problem, and expected the Infiniti dealership to sell it at auction. When I went back two weeks later to pick up the extra keys for the new car (also VQ powered – this time the VQ37VHR), they had it for sale on the lot! Went quickly too, according to CarFax…
Slant Six. From about 1991 to 1996, we had an old 1972 Dodge Tradesman van that was beat to hell. I don’t remember the mileage, but it was a lot. Eventually the transmission wouldn’t shift into reverse around the 1996 range, but the engine was still going strong. There were many times where we would load all four of us in it in our family, along with lots of heavy things (camping gear, etc), and it always had enough torque to haul everything around. I never seem to recall my parents ever really complaining about it not having enough power on the highway for passing, but they may have just been smart about how they used it with no abrupt speeds needed. And we drove this thing on a few trips that were well over several hundred miles. I only ever remember it breaking down on the road once, and I seem to recall it being a distributor issue or maybe a regulator issue. I don’t even recall us getting the oil changed in all those years……maybe once?
It’s all relative. A 5.9 Cummins, used to go for groceries in the US and in public service buses everywhere else?
Just to be contrary I’m nominating the 1905cc Peugeot XUD 4 cyl diesel and the 602cc Citroen air-cooled twin.
Edited to add the old skool Mercedes “3rd world taxi” diesels and the Indenor. From the good old days when diesels were diesels.
Seconded for the 1905 PSA diesels they are just about bullet proof providing basic maintenance is carried out occasionally.
Had a bunch of AMC Concords between me and my Dad in early ’90s. Best things about those cars were the 258 straight sixes, they just ran and ran with minimal maintenance. On the ’80 Concord wagon my Dad had it developed an engine vibration problem at certain high way speeds. Our trusted mechanic discovered that the #5 lifter had collapsed, so the engine was running on just 5 cylinders! After a fix, the engine ran like new again.
I’ll nominate the Chevy 5.3. My Suburban just crossed 300,000 miles and the engine/Trans/T-Case has never been touched outside of regular maintenance.
I’m with you on this one. My 06 Sierra SLT is running smooth as butter at 130,000mi. I always do maintenance on time. I did have the trans rebuilt at 117,000mi, which is odd because after looking at my build sheet it turns out the original owner paid for the optional transmission oil cooler.
I have a buddy who uses an 02 silverado around his ranch with over 500,000mi. Not street legal anymore because the entire body is rusted through but still starts every morning he needs to haul a few tons of horse poop.
Boss is selling a 00 Suburban 220,000mi right now for $300. Sale fell through so he might just donate it. It’s still in fine running condition but sans A/C. We’ve been towing with it 4 days a week for the past 9 years without any issues even though the oil was changed maybe once a year.
Also, a good sign is that I’m seeing 2014 Silverado/Sierras (fully loaded) with over 100k mi on the clock selling for around $30k, less than a 50% depreciation. People have faith in this motor.
From personal experience, this is one hell of a motor.
As to a vintage engine, I would nominate the classic Mercedes diesel 4 and 5 cylinders from the late 50s through the early 80s.
The 4.6 modular Ford V8. I read on bob is the oil guy that after reviewing their database they came to the conclusion that you it doesn’t matter what oil you put in it, it keeps running with the same wear patterns, and debris whether it’s an old lady going to church or a NYC cabbie. They also said don’t waste money on synthetic for it, it won’t help with wear. They surmised you could probably put cooking oil in it.
the 5.6 V8 in the W126 Benz.
3.8 Series I, II, and III.
Slant 6
And maybe king of all, the 1UZ-FE in the Lexus LS400.
Yup the 2v 4.6 is the king of durability and will do so even with serious abuse. The Million Mile Van made it to just short of 1.3 million miles on its original 4.6 and the owner admits to oil change intervals of up to 40,000 miles or more on non-synthetic oil.
They also said you should change the oil every 10-15,000 miles, as changing the oil sooner is also a waste of money. They said they noticed the older oil protecting the engine better, then fresh oil or some such. I thought that was ridiculous, but it’s been some years since I read it, and i can’t find that article on their site.
I was about to nominate the UZ engines – 1, 2, and 3.
My heavily abused 164k mile ’05 P71 heartily agrees 🙂 . 2005 was the last year before Ford put hour meters in P71’s so I’m blissfully unaware of how many idle hours she’s got but kn owing the city she came from I assure you it’s a lot 😀 ! The most idle hours I’ve seen on an ’06-’11 P71 was an astounding 21k+ idle hours on an ’07! That comes to over 875 DAYS of continuous idling! And the car ran perfectly!
My list based on my experiences:
Chrysler: Slant Six
AMC: 232/258 Six
Ford: 300 Six, Small Block Windsor, particularly 302 cid
GM: 230-250 Chevrolet Six, 265-350 Small Block Chevrolet, 2.2L 4 cylinder (in smaller GMs and S10/15 pickup trucks).
Toyota 20-22R 4 cylinder
Fiat/Yugo 1.1L 4 cylinder
I have witnessed all of these engines being abused/neglected and seen them not only survive, but came back to ask for more. And ate much, much more.
Fiat/Yugo? Pray tell.
It’s a tough little unit that with the proper care will run and run. I had two of them while I lived in Atlanta. I had some long commutes with these cars (74 miles round trip at one job) and no one was more amazed than me that they would not only hold up to the abuse of stop and go traffic and return nearly 40 MPG while doing so.
I had a colleague who put something like 200,000 miles in one of those in a late 80s Fiat Uno then parked it because the clutch went. Not what I expected from an Uno.
Imagine my surprise with my Yugos. Based on popular opinion, I expected to replace the cars yearly. The reality was entirely different, but in a good way.
One overarching theme that I notice about many of the engines mentioned here, they’re push-rod designs.
These motors don’t have to push their oil very high in order to achieve lubrication and they don’t seem to be as sensitive to the lubricants used. They generally don’t spin very fast and have simple induction and exhaust arrangements. They’re also fairly compact and light.
What’s not to love?
Simplicity is a virtue. 😁
That’s a brilliant take right there.
The Ford 4.6L would like to have a chat with you…
I assume that those pushrod engines have timing chains; I’ve never heard of an OHV engine with a timing belt. I’d also assume that the OHC engines on the list have timing chains. Neglecting to change a timing belt is something you don’t want to do!
I’m throwing a vote for the Mopar 3.3 &3.8 liter engines. Both supposedly designed by the guy who designed the slant 6. Maybe the current Mopar 3.6 as well. And from me who bought a Honda. Lol! Bob.
OK I’ll play… even though I agree with most of what has already been listed. I could go on and on with this topic as I am a mechanic by trade and have a slew of proven favorites but I’ll pick a rather particular personal application… Full disclosure: These opinions are from the perspective of a demolition derby car builder/driver and I have a few favorites in my engine stash. In my classic full size file one can’t beat an SBC. They continue to run even with low oil and soak heat like no other domestic V8.
For a V6 build, I am a disciple of the Church of the 3800, FWIW my back up beater DD/delivery car/2019 derby car (1 of a few I will build) is a Buick Century with over 200K and runs like a top. They are course and unrefined, but still Best. V6. EVAHHH. I want to play with a few Nissan and Toyota engines, mainly a Yota 3VZ-FE V6 (mid 90s Camry).
For a compact/4 cylinder build my go to has been the Honda F22A found in the 4th gen CB7 Accord. IMO the most robust 4 cylinder engine made. I daily them. I race them (circle track, drag, and rally cross). I boost them. And I demo derby them. Not always in an Accord uni-body either, they fit in almost any FWD application. My “secret recipe” for derby success: 1 90-93 F22A mated to Honda 4 speed auto modded to only shift into R-N-D, factory fuel management powered by an 8th/9th gen Ford F-Series external fuel pump between the fuel cell and engine, 15W-40 Mobil Delvac conventional oil/Wix filter, and “dry block” it. Yes, completely delete the cooling system, these engines love heat. Super basic derby engine set-up rules apply here. K.I.S.S. and it will run forever. In the pic I am climbing out of my car 07-26-18 as the FD attends a small fire. Engine is a 92 and has 250K + on it, 5 20-40 minute derbies on it over 2 years, 3 oil changes over its derby career and never ever a drop of coolant in it since I put it in a derby car.
And I drove it on/off the trailer that night after placing 1st in class and 2nd in finale against the remaining 4cyl/V6 cars in 2 heats with no cool down time, both heats lasting 30+ minutes.
Thank you for this. It’s a very real and not theoretical/subjective validation of the ability of these Honda fours to take some very serious abuse. It had never occurred to me that these could be run without any cooling for so long.
You’re quite welcome. The engines surprise me as well with their durability when used in a compact class derby. On this engine, the fire was due to the valve cover gasket failing and oil leaking onto the header. The event was over and I was waiting for the official to wave me off the track when an FD member ran over and began spraying fire suppressant through the front of the car. I hit the fuel cut-off switch and climbed out of the way. The other members also ran over only to discover it wasn’t serious and once it was out, I agreed to be towed to the pit area for safety reasons. I let the car cool for a bit over 2 hours while I watched the other classes compete, then fired it up and drove onto the trailer for the trip home. Topped off the oil and backed the car off into my garage where I will perform a few tests (compression, fuel pressure, etc.). Should it pass, I’ll change the oil once again and run this engine an 8th time mid October. I may need a new shell/uni-body as this car is rather used up.
I used to think the slant-six got its bulletproof reputation mostly due to the fact that the longevity bar was pretty low back when these were in their heyday. But they were engineered well. And, although the sideways cant of the engine was primarily done simply for hood clearance, there’s no denying that there was a performance benefit in how it allowed the intake runner length to be much more uniform, unlike the intakes of the bolt-upright sixes by Ford and GM.
Stuff like the Hemi, 440, and 340 get all the Mopar love but, for my money, the slant-six was the pinnacle of Chrysler engineering, much the same way the SBC is generally considered the high-point of GM’s engines.
But I still think I might go with the Toyota four as the winner. Those Japanese engines are essentially blueprinted from the factory; that’s a big reason why they run so smoothly. It’s also worth noting that in the most God-forsaken third-world countries, the vehicle of choice always seems to be a Toyota pickup.
Interesting question and comments.
I’m reminded of an old wry expression by someone that most GM engines run poorly longer than most other engines ever run at all. Not sure about that, and it may have been said about others too, but everyone certainly has their opinion. It really all depends on the criteria for determining and defining durability.
In any case, my vote for number one overall would be for the Chrysler slant 6.
I would agree with the Volvo B18-B23. These should at least get an honorable mention (there’ve been some very reliable Volvos in our family).
Numerous Honda and Toyota engines could certainly be on the list as well.
As for the Toyota engines, I nominate the 2-litre 4 3Y-PE and 6 cylinder G engine. Crown taxis go for over 500,000km with these extremely regularly.
The ford 300 did get EFI and benefit of modern oils as they were standard up through 96.
The 302 got EFI and roller cam as well.
The AMC 258 is essentially the same engine as the Jeep 4.0, which got EFI and was built to til ‘06. All are common on today’s roads.
GMC 305 V-6, or any iron-block LS.
This isn’t really statistically meaningful, but we’ve owned two Toyota 4’s. Our 1.8 DOHC Corolla required a water pump at very low mileage under warranty, and our 2nd Gen Prius has had staining from the weep hole since about 80K miles. And a friend with a 22RE had a water pump fail below 100K as well. Obviously not core mechanical, but I think a Toyota weakness.
Well, there are some great engines nominated, and I agree with most of them. But I’ll be a little different and, from personal experience and general opinion, will add a Japanese flavour to the discussion by nominating the Toyota ‘3L’ diesel, Nissan LD28 diesel, Nissan RD28 diesel, and Nissan RB-series petrol.
* 3L – I had a 1994 Toyota Hiace from 1996-2001 in which I did over 500,000km – it was scrapped in 2008 with 670,000+ on it.
* LD28 – I never owned a Nissan that was so-equipped, but with an iron head and timing chain, they’re legendary in New Zealand for doing enormous mileage and being basically unbreakable.
* RD28 – successor to the LD28, the RD28 switched to an alloy-head and rubber cambelt. Both were weaknesses in poorly maintained vehicles, but with proper maintenance they capable of stellar mileage – of the three I owned, one did 350,000+km and another one 500,000+.
* RB-series – in several capacities from 2-3 litres, these powered generations of Nissans – mostly Skylines, Laurels, and early Cefiros and Stageas. In turbocharged form they powered several series of the Skyline GT-R. Boyracers everywhere will probably testify that RB-series engines never blow up, no matter how much they’re thrashed. My R33 Skyline was certainly bulletproof – albeit I didn’t thrash it!
not that i’m biased but i’ll 2nd an earlier mention of mazda B series fours. especially the low stressed 1.3L as found in festivas and aspires. never had one of about a dozen that i couldn’t have driven to the scrapper.
Once upon a time, back in the ’80’s and ’90’s, there was a four-cylinder Nissan engine called the CA20E, which was sold here in 2litre twin-plug form. It was a dull and undistinguished lump, neither powerful nor refined, neither particularly clean or economical. It was fitted to a wholly execrable machine that wished desperately it could rise to the level of being undistinguished, namely the Nissan Pintara (Bluebird U12 elsewhere) in 1989.
Now, a friend whose interest in cars is so little that she usually does not know what her own car is, had one of these devices. In line with her policy of complete disinterest, she never serviced it. And I do mean never. 5, 6 , 7 years, about 90,000 miles from memory (mine, obviously, I may as well have asked the cat as her about this), culminating in a feat that is just unfair to those of us who maintain and fuss and still have car troubles.
She had moved to Darwin, in the tropical north of Aus, and lived there with that Nissan for about three years. Logically, upon finishing her time there, she returned to Melbourne, in the far south. That’s about 2,400 miles. In summer, largely through 110+degree desert heat.
When I got into the thing to drive it to the shops in Melbourne, I noticed the oil light was on. I made the obvious enquiry. Her reply – and for once, I am not stretching the truth – was “Oh, is that what that is? I thought it meant the engine was running.” Headshaking, I enquired how long it had been glowing. “Oh, it was on in Darwin.”! I crept to a local garage, where I put 4 litres of oil in (the capacity of the sump), not to mention two litres of water just to complete the ablutions.
And it kept going for years after, only finally conking out for good when a kangaroo got it – and someone bought the motor from the wreck. It’s probably still out there torturing the environment still.
That, then, is an engine unfazed and resilient in the face of the forces of certain death.
Ive had two Nissan Sentras recently both bought with around 350,000kms on them both ran fine, nothing special about the cars themselves and usual japanese electrical faults, but those 1500 DOHC engines are good, first one had a carb the most recent injected.
I can’t comment on the US examples suggested, but would suggest a couple from over here.
The BMC B series was, as an engine, pretty indestructible even if the ancillaries weren’t.
But my outright winner has to be the Russian OHC used in the Lada from the 1970 for 30 years plus. Allegedly, it would run on anything from leaded petrol to vodka.
Certainly agree with all mentioned here – the slant six definitely, a little less sure of the 318 based on one I had in a 74 Charger.
One I see missing is one we’ve covered here recently – the Gen 1 Previa (Estima) 2TE-FE “laydown” I4. Maybe the toughest engine Toyota ever built.
Yes, ofcourse, I’d forgotten those egg-shaped cockroaches. Those (in Aus) Tarago motors, I swear, 50% of those sold here are still egging along. Legend is they only die due to some failed and hard to access cooling hose.
Cooling system maintenance is crucial on those egg vans, dead Previas and Estimas were piling up here mostly thanks to peoples attitude of its a Toyota it will go forever if I ignore it, they dont
1.9 TDI
There’s a Youtube poster called Car Throttle (I think) who has a 400,00 MILE Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi. He took the head off to find….no real wear.
I believe Skoda had some kind of contest and found a taxi driver in Ireland who had over half a million miles on his Octavia. (Yes I know RoI is metric)
Based on eBay UK taxi companies tend to get rid of them at 350,000 (miles) or so.
BTW Antipodeans, speaking of taxis – Falcon straight six? My housemate in Perth was an ex car dealer and claimed they would do 1 million km without a rebuild but need two gearboxes in that time.
Now this makes me think of the 2.7 Nissan engine in the Fairway taxi.
Yes agree the low compression 3.3 Falcon six run on LPG will do incredible mileages eight years was a taxi lifespan and a typical Sydney cab does 1,000kms per day, they are never started cold which helps.
There is a reason that up to about 10 years ago it seems like 90% of taxis were Falcons. They were always pretty durable, until 1988 when the overhead cam engine came out with issues, which is strange because they had (pushrod) alloy heads since 1980. My father had a 1990 that blew the head gasket right on 100,000 km.
The 1998 AU Falcon with the multi-layer steel head gasket solved that issue, and the engines would normally run until the taxi was retired – and beyond. This would be on an aftermarket LPG conversion too.
At this time the transmissions were improving too and if not 1998, then not so long afterwards it became normal for an auto trans to last the 800k-1 million km too. Mind you they would not be quiet by that time!
+1. Great engine in my former ’00 NB.
It certainly varies by era and usage pattern. I’m a huge fan of /6 and 318 LA. I was also shocked by two badly abused 1970-ish Pontiac 350 2v engines that were still highway capable well beyond 200k miles. Any of these engines ran surprisingly long with virtually nothing but sludge in the crankcase. One big advantage that the /6 had there over most US alternatives of the day was solid lifters. They would get quite noisy when ignored, but you could peel the sludge off the adjusters and adjust them to quiet it down and smooth it out. The Pontiacs and the 318s would both drop cylinders due to sludged-up lifters.
I agree with the notion that many modern engines are much better yet. Not sure how they work with sludge in the crankcase, but our 2000 3.5l Honda V6 (Odyssey) ran up over 300k miles and was still smooth and strong when it left the family. It survived a 40 mile highway drive with a torn radiator hose at 140k, but toasted its crank and cam seals. That led to it also being repeatedly run 2+ quarts down on oil before we got it resealed. It crisscrossed the country towing a boat right at its rated max load. In short, it tolerated things that would have killed any 1960s-1970s engine and still lasted a very long time. Never had the heads off of it. I have no idea which modern engines are the most rugged of all, but color me impressed by that one.
Fords 7.3 Powerstoke diesel. I’ve driven plenty of ambulances with this engine and they were worked hard and put away wet. Extended periods of idling, cold starting them and then immediately hammering them hard, driving them hard and then immediately shutting them off without any cool down time and so on. But they were serviced regularly.
Navistar engine, they have a little experience with truck diesels! Great engine in my former ’99 F-250.
Apparently the engines in late model small Internationals is made of cheese.
Navistar isn’t the company it once was. Someone needs to do a Deadly Sin article on them….
That’s a good idea! They certainly aren’t. Although I don’t think it’s all their fault. The emissions control stuff sure took a toll on all diesels.
Yeah but I think it’s old fashioned stuff like pistons & valves letting them down rather than injectors etc.
Abuse and neglect criteria might not apply here as the engine that I’m thinking of was usually installed in well cared for vehicles, but it was a very Stout engine just the same, the Pierce Arrow V12. It was so robust that upon Pierce’s demise in 1938 the tooling for the 12 was bought by Seagrave and with modification such as dual ignition, was installed in firetrucks for decades more. Most vehicles that it was installed in didn’t wear out so much as they became obsolete. The Hudson straight 6 was another tough one too.
Pierce-Arrow engines were very rugged, essentially industrial engines. Seagrave kept them in production for that reason. Fire pumper duty could keep them running full throttle for hours, which they did without failure. Ed Minnie, the foremost expert in all things Pierce-Arrow, is the man to ask on the AACA Forums about their durability,
The last Packard straight eight series 1948-1954, the 288, 327 and 359 have a great reputation for longevity and durability.
Seagrave, who produced the P-A V12 into the 70s, put in more main bearings in the 50s, after some crankshaft failures with the 3-main V12s.
BMC did the same thing with the B-series.
The Hudson 308CID six was supposed to have been pretty tough, with a high nickel content in the block, but was it resistant to abuse? It was before my time, so I’m asking, not telling.
It was before my time too, but I had an elderly neighbor who owned a taxi company in the 50’s and he ran Hudsons. He swore by them. He said that he could get 200,000 miles out of them before they’d need a rebuild. His saw extreme duty but they were maintained.
They would have had strong bodies and chassis also.
Another engine that I’ve had great experiences with, is the Ford 3.8 in my ’99 Mustang which is at about 223,000 kms right now. The 94-98’s are plagued with headgasket problems, but the 99-04’s are bulletproof. Aside from changing the occasional sensor (ie: DPFE, IAC, etc) and an overly aggressive PCV that creates some oily gunk in the runners that should be cleaned out and rectified with an air/ oil separator, the base engine will run forever.
When I put on performance heads a couple of years ago, I noticed that the cylinder walls still have a bit of factory crosshatch left, and I’ve beat on the engine with aggressive spark timing, and the tops of the pistons had no signs of detonation, either. There’s been a couple of times that it’s overheated to a borderline unsafe level (ie: rad cap failed so there wasn’t enough pressure) and it’s been fine…..no warpage or other problems. I daily drive it in the winter, too (sometimes in -40 weather), and usually don’t plug it in, and it’s started every time, no problem.
Hmmm, I’ve had 2 vehicles with indestructible engines. First was my 200ci powered ’79 Fairmont wagon that was pushing 200k miles. The guy I bought it from severely neglected the cooling system which gave her an appetite for freeze plugs. I fine day I was on my way home from Elyria, OH to Lakewood when it popped another plug. Well, I was in a foul mood at the time and I said to myself “F*** it” and just kept trucking on down I-90 til I got home. Poor engine was making all kinds of awful death noises as I chugged down the freeway and I pretty much figured the car’s next trip would be to the boneyard. As luck would have it the damn thing made it all the way home, roughly 20 miles from where the plug popped, without quitting. At least until I pulled into the driveway where it shuttered and stalled rather violently. Tried cranking it and she was locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Yep, I thought, she’d done. Came out the next moring and just for s**ts and giggles I decided see if the damn thing would even crank and lo and behold, not only did she crank over but the damn car started! Ran like nothing had ever gone wrong! So I shut her down and headed over to the local auto parts store for yet another bolt-in freeze plug, installed it, filled ‘er up with coolant and away that damn car went. Drove it for about another year before I sadly fell asleep at the wheel while driving her and totaled her 🙁 . My other indestructible vehicle was my extremely tired and worn out ’77 305 powered Silverado.I got to the point with that truck that I stopped changing the oil because it went out about as fast as it went in. Out the tailpipe and from every single gasket it had, or should I say USED to have. Several times I drove that truck until it was knocking very loudly, I’d just stop and add 5 quarts and be on my way and she’d be quiet as a church until the next time. I finally sold the old girl with about 315K miles on her and the damn thing was still running just fine… until the new owner decided to change the oil. He must have dislodged some sludge that plugged the oil pump pickup and the old girl spit a rod. Dude should have just let things be with that old truck, if he had that damn 305 would have held together just fine.
-Nissan VG30E: Tireless, good power, good fuel economy, robust design, low or no oil consumption, minimal maintenance
-Another vote for the EA 827 1.8 8-valve K-Jetronic: Little oil consumption and minimal maintenance
-Toyota 22R: Almost completely indifferent to abuse. Warped head? Maybe. Warped deck? Sure. Leaking front main? Check! Jug of oil, jug of coolant and four spark plugs stored behind the seat? Ready for an uncomfortable road trip!
I nominate the Ford Vulcan 3.0l V6. My brother ran one out of antifreeze and drove it until it was knocking and losing power. A friend fixed the coolant leak filled it with water and my brother drove it from Indians to Michigan. Eventually the knocking went away on its own. The car eventually died when my sister wrapped it around a tree.
While no one is claiming the high-strung 340 as a longevity contestant, I am a little curious about the other Mopar LA-series V8 engines: the earlier 273, and the later 360. Neither were high-performance (the 360 started out as a truck engine) but wonder how they compare with the 318. In fact, I wonder if the 318 is in the running simply due to the large number of them that were made, certainly one of the most common V8 engines from Chrysler (if not the most common).
Just guessing, I would say that the 273 and 360 were every bit as stout as the 318.
I can tell you that my wife won’t consider a mopar based on bad experiences with a 360 (cracked block among other issues) and the 2001 Ram that it was fitted in.
My engine experience is mostly Ford in that I currently have a 289, 302, 390 and 410. I would expect 200,000 miles out of them under my care. Mopar experience is only the 225 and 360 but I only had the 225 for 18 months and the 360 of today I couldn’t say as it will be lucky to get another 25,000 miles before I pass. The Ford 240 and 300 sixes also great engines from prior association via others.
The Toyota 22R I am very familiar with because of others and that is a great engine. Another great engine, from personal experience, was my Mazda 2.2L in my 86 626. That engine went 375,000 miles. I have another 2.2L Mazda with 200,000 currently and a Ford 2.3L at 160,000 miles. The Ford engine is my first of that kind and I am shooting for 250,000 miles which I expect as a minimum. The Vulcan 3.0 I have heard good things but the one sitting in my garage at 207,000 miles is making a loud tap that has yet to be located despite having the upper half of the engine apart two times.
My 2004 Buick 3800 you can ask me in another 15 years.
Would love to get experience with the engines in the Volvo 240 and Saab 900S from the 80’s. Manuals naturally.
Chevy Stovebolt 6.
1929-1990.
Jeep 4.0L in-line six. I drove a ’91 for 325,000 miles with nary a worry. I sold it to a friend of my son and it now has about 360,000 miles – unstoppable!
Two entries, based on personal experience: 1. Chevrolet 230 six which, installed in a 65 C-10, would let you know it was getting low on oil by making a slight tapping noise of the valve train. A quart or two of CO-OP 30 weight and you were back in business, no apparent ill effects. We eventually figured out the the missing oil was leaking out of the valve cover; new valve cover seal and that problem was solved. And the garage floor was a lot easier to clean up for use in the annual Father’s Day Picnic. We only had it for ten years and 75,000 miles, but those were hard ones.
2. The 4A-FE engine in the 1990’s Toyota Corolla. Sister had two of them, each passed down through multiple sons for college duty (which speaks to the issue of regular maintenance). When finally let go with 250,000 plus miles they still ran strong and tight, with only a growing buzz from a failing rear motor mount. Probably still running somewhere in the Dayton area.
I will add that the bar for acceptable longevity has certainly been raised over the years. My father’s 50’s and 60’s GM iron was meticulously maintained, with oil changed every two thousand miles and good compression/lack of oil consumption still in evidence when he would trade them in with 120-130,000 miles for something new. That was considered remarkable longevity at the time. (The truck was considered a “farm vehicle,” maintained to a different standard and expected to get by with less attention.) Now we don’t turn up our noses at a used car with 100,000 miles on it, and if it is a Toyota or a Honda consider these to be “break-in” miles. Fuel injection/better oils/improved materials and reliable assembly, for whatever reason, this is a good thing.
Motorcycle division: The Hinckley-built Triumph T3 triples (1991-1998) and four cylinders (1991-2006). 750 or 900cc on the triples, 1000 or 1200cc on the fours.
These were the first Triumph engines of the reborn Triumph company (although it never went out of business, contrary to most people’s belief), and they had to be good. Never break down, never leak oil, never have electrical problems – everything that the classic Coventry and Meriden Triumphs were incapable of doing.
I’m on my third, they’re the most perfect motorcycle in the world for me. My first Trident was lost by t-boning a deer at 60mph when the bike had over 117k on the odometer. At the time it was working perfectly, and my mechanic had only warned me that I was going to have to start looking for a new cylinder head about the 144k or 150k service. I was getting wear around the valve guides.
My second, a Speed Triple, was traded in at 55,000 on a new 2000 Tiger. It ran perfectly. My current model, a Sprint, only has 45,000 on it, so I have a feeling its going to last the rest of my life . . . . . . barring another deer.
Six figure T3’s are not at all odd, but the bar was set by a London courier who put 240,000 miles on his bike in two years – Triumph bought the bike back, and gave him a new one. They tore the engine down and everything was still within factory spec.
Wow. You learn something every day. BMW twin? Bandit? Maybe. But a Triumph? I’d never have guessed.
Some fine stories *very* entertainingly told today—lots of new-to-me perspectives.
Being from a Ford family, I know those engines best, and have heard plenty of tales about the 250 and 240/300 sixes.
I’ll mention also Ford’s low-stressed 2.3L Lima/Pinto engine. Ford really “Americanized” the design (compared to the “Kent” engine from earliest Pintos), with the beefy block and so on, and a lot of people rolled up a good number of miles in their Pintos, Rangers, Mustangs, Fairmonts, and so on.
Paul, thanks for one of your occasional reminders of the longevity upside of fuel injection–cylinder walls not getting washed by raw gas.
Someone somewhere said that “engines would prefer to be started and never shut off” (save oil changes, etc.)—where thermal expansion/contraction wouldn’t be a variable. I’ll bet today’s nominees could really roll up the miles under such conditions.
BTW: everything else equal, what’s the longevity benefit of today’s oils compared to, say, the 1960s-70s-spec stuff?
From my personal experiance, the Nissan 3.0 V6 in an 91 Maxima was the family’s all time mileage king, getting to 280k miles before being sold, still running but with a bad transmission. An 82 Honda CVCC 1500 engine came close to that mileage. It was also running but needed carb work at around 250k miles. Neither needed much more than timing belts, water pumps and oil change.
As for older stuff, I aquired 67 Mustang with a 289 once that had around 180k on it (i am guessing, odometer rolled over at least once). The engine was all sludged up and the valves were tapping, but it was still running. Since that engine was never bored out or rebuilt, I kept it to rebuild and use in my 65, whenever I have time to get back to it.
Toyota K and Nissan A
The Mopar 318 and Slant 6 are truly bullet proof. I would toss into the ix the 4.0 Liter Jeep engines in the Cherokees. Another example of bulletproof engineering. I read an article a while back about a guy who turbo charged one with 8 lbs of boost through the carb. Runs like a top and doesnt miss a beat!!
I have a neighbor who is still driving the Kaiser he bought new in the 50s. It’s been all over the US. The secret? “It’s all about bearing surfaces”.
225 Mopar slant 6.
I had a ’65 Cornet my great grandfather bought new. She had the 225. when he passed in late 70s(I was just a kid) my father, mother, 2 sisters & my aunt drove the car back from Missouri to Colorado. Then my uncle had the car, the odometer/speedo broke at 65xxxmi(165xxx actual) & my aunt drove it back and forth from north end of Denver(Northglenn) to south of downtown back & forth for work for about 7 & 1/2 or 8 years(plus other errands). Nothing really wrong with it they just had gotten a Toyo corolla on the cheap so the ’65 was parked in the backyard for quite a few years until I bought it in late 80’s. Threw a new battery some new gas, prime the carb & she was up & running in minutes. As best of my estimations the car probably had 325k- 350k when I parked her(still running fine) at a friends house east of town(Colorado Springs) as I got something newer. The body was pretty shot as well the interior. Some people broke all the glass out threw full jam & jelly jars in it(witch rotted in the hot summer sun) & who knows what else they did. Other than a late 70s head(with seated valves for unleaded out of a junkyard donor) nothing was really done other than regular maintenance. I wish I would have parked it somewhere else, might still be rolling around now. Had alot of other cars since but nothing even close as durable.
2 great honorable mentions-
I have a ’91 sable 160xxx vulcan 3.0 still runs great.
I had a ’94 Chrysler LHS 3.5 went 238xxx before 1st gen on bored cpu fried(might still be running with a better cpu like later years).