Worst engine ever?

[GrabberOrange69]

...I used to drive the crap out of that thing and never had a spot of trouble with it. It had the 2.0 with a 4 speed. I heard that the 2L engines were actually made in Germany....

Yes, they were German design/made. It is the same basic engine that powered "Formula Ford" open wheel class for many decades. That engine is rock solid.

The worst has GOT to be the aluminum 4cyl that powered the Vega....

 

[RustyRatRod]

I think the 2.6L Chrysler 4 cylinder ranks right up there.

 

[WileE]

I think the 2.6L Chrysler 4 cylinder ranks right up there.

Chrysler never made a 2.6L 4-cyl, if I recall. Only 2.2L and 2.5L. Are you referring to the Mitsu ?

 

[theman440]

60* 2.8ltr. V-6 carberated 1981 S-10 engine, was total crap.... Vapor-locking Gutless Pig, that left me stranded a few times....

I second that motion.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Chrysler never made a 2.6L 4-cyl, if I recall. Only 2.2L and 2.5L. Are you referring to the Mitsu ?

Ok. Nitpick. How many you reckon are in Chrysler vehicles? THey were mitsu engines made for Chrysler and put IN Chrysler vehicles. They were total POS's.

 

[WP29440SE]

Chrysler never made a 2.6L 4-cyl, if I recall. Only 2.2L and 2.5L. Are you referring to the Mitsu ?

From 1998-2002 2.7L Engines are prone to premature catastrophic engine failure due to a defectively designed Timing Chain Tensioner that Chrysler quietly redesigned. Unfortunately, many consumers have had to pay out of their own pockets for this while Chrysler avoids responsibility.



From 1998-2004 Dodge / Chrysler 2.7L Engines are prone to Oil Sludge often caused by internal coolant leakage that has to do with the design of the Water Pump that allows coolant to enter the Engine over time and cause oil sludge, experts at a well known remanufacturing company say. The second common cause of engine sludge is from poor oil circulation caused by oil passages that are too narrow causing the oil to wear down more rapidly unlike normal engines. Another contributing oil sludge factor is possibly due to an inadequately designed PCV system that can also accelerate engine oil breakdown, which Chrysler later made improvements to for the 2005 model year along with other changes knowledgeable sources state. Although Chrysler is aware and there is nothing consumers could have done to cause this, Chrysler still regularly blames consumers for 2.7L Engine Oil Sludge.

 

[boltupal]

You got that right. Iron heads on a aluminum block. What crossed threaded engineer thought that was a good idea? I bought a 77 Monza in 79. It had a 263 v-8 in it, complete turd!!! . Took it back to the dealer three weeks later. Bought a new 79 4speed z-28 instead.

 

[pabster]

Great replies... so glad I've never owned any of these vehicles with crappy engines in 'em... and that my Charger has the bulletproof 318. :headbang:

 

[71_Duster]

Wow the Ford 6.0 powerstroke hasn't come up yet?

Worked on enough at the dealership from a fan belt that was a major pain to change due to the "stator shroud for engine cooling"

What engineer thought an EGR on a Diesel was good I'll never know. The gasses where too hot so they had an egr cooler pumping coolant through a tube which on the otherside of the core was exhaust flow. Of course this would leak on every truck so your now throwing coolant into the exhaust.

There where also issues with an o-ring on the high pressure oil side which would conveniatly push oil into the coolant and gum it up nicely. -Once fixed Ford recomended Dawn dish detergent and water till it ran clean.... smelled like lemons under the hood no joke-

Last but not least head issues... but oh wait the head isn't removable in the chasiss we actually lifted the cabs off to get at the rear bolts as it was faster then pulling the engine.

 

[kb67mopar]

Wow the Ford 6.0 powerstroke hasn't come up yet?

Worked on enough at the dealership from a fan belt that was a major pain to change due to the "stator shroud for engine cooling"

What engineer thought an EGR on a Diesel was good I'll never know. The gasses where too hot so they had an egr cooler pumping coolant through a tube which on the otherside of the core was exhaust flow. Of course this would leak on every truck so your now throwing coolant into the exhaust.

There where also issues with an o-ring on the high pressure oil side which would conveniatly push oil into the coolant and gum it up nicely. -Once fixed Ford recomended Dawn dish detergent and water till it ran clean.... smelled like lemons under the hood no joke-

Last but not least head issues... but oh wait the head isn't removable in the chasiss we actually lifted the cabs off to get at the rear bolts as it was faster then pulling the engine.

There is a reason why you can buy a powerstroke truck cheap but early 90's Cummins trucks with 300k on them and rusty still list for 5-6k....

 

[Sonny Black]

I had A '84 2.2 "4" in a K car...the car rotted & fell apart before the 2.2 did! it always started.:yes:
But then it did not have much power........

 

[ws27]

Wow the Ford 6.0 powerstroke hasn't come up yet?

Worked on enough at the dealership from a fan belt that was a major pain to change due to the "stator shroud for engine cooling"

What engineer thought an EGR on a Diesel was good I'll never know. The gasses where too hot so they had an egr cooler pumping coolant through a tube which on the otherside of the core was exhaust flow. Of course this would leak on every truck so your now throwing coolant into the exhaust.

There where also issues with an o-ring on the high pressure oil side which would conveniatly push oil into the coolant and gum it up nicely. -Once fixed Ford recomended Dawn dish detergent and water till it ran clean.... smelled like lemons under the hood no joke-

Last but not least head issues... but oh wait the head isn't removable in the chasiss we actually lifted the cabs off to get at the rear bolts as it was faster then pulling the engine.

I mentioned ALL powerstrokes, and the Triton motors that shoot sparkplugs. Still can't figure out how they stayed in business with these things. LOL I see you have been particularly victimized by them.

 

[69roadr]

ok then, who is the undisputed winner of the worst/poorly designed engine of all time!

 

[73runner]

I'm still working on behemothshat,,, seriously though....my all time worst experiences were with a 67 504 Peugeot diesel.

That's what I thought of when my eye hit the word behemothshat.

this thing looked like it came out of a 19th century train, had the awesome power of a frog's fart and literally shat oil turds from the muffler when parked.

It was my high school ride and every morning I would have to get up early to warm up the plugs with the aid of a charger before starting it if the weather dropped below 60 for even five minutes. God I hated it! It finally died (or I killed it) when the head gasket finally blew at 150k mile. My dad moved me right up to a Renault 17 with a 1.4 liter 4 that ran sweet.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Thanks so much for bringin up the 6.0 powerstroke. I was trying to forget. My first ever new vehicle was a 04 6.0 F250. Biggest POS ever. Stayed in the shop more than the driveway. I finally had enough at 36K and traded it on a 08 Jeep Wrangler. THe engine went out on the Wrangler with 18K on the clock. Took the dealer 2 months to replace it. It was never the same. I traded DOWN to help the finances on the 04 Ranger I have now. Check engine light popped on the next DAY. I took it back and they cleared the codes. Did it again so I put my scan tool on it and got several misfire codes. I did some research and come to find Ford has a major TSB on exhaust valve seats pounding in. So it needed new heads. I went to the dealer and had to pitch a complete *** showing fit in the showroom just to make them buy the new heads, head gasket set and head bolts. They finally relented, cut me a check and I did the work myself. Happy little Ranger now.....but I tell you what. I will NEVER long as I live have another new vehicle. All old stuff for me from here on out.

 

[J5 GTX]

I'll have to go with the GM "350" based diesel engine. I'm at a loss for words to describe how could anybody with a conscience produce and sell that motor. I use the term "motor" only because I did actually see them propel cars down the road.
Worked at a car dealership as a mechanic in the mid '80's, by the way.
Probably not the worst but, certainly in the realm of "what are they trying to pass off onto the public"..... V8-6-4 Cadillac engine.

 

[kb67mopar]

Thanks so much for bringin up the 6.0 powerstroke. I was trying to forget. My first ever new vehicle was a 04 6.0 F250. Biggest POS ever. Stayed in the shop more than the driveway. I finally had enough at 36K and traded it on a 08 Jeep Wrangler. THe engine went out on the Wrangler with 18K on the clock. Took the dealer 2 months to replace it. It was never the same. I traded DOWN to help the finances on the 04 Ranger I have now. Check engine light popped on the next DAY. I took it back and they cleared the codes. Did it again so I put my scan tool on it and got several misfire codes. I did some research and come to find Ford has a major TSB on exhaust valve seats pounding in. So it needed new heads. I went to the dealer and had to pitch a complete *** showing fit in the showroom just to make them buy the new heads, head gasket set and head bolts. They finally relented, cut me a check and I did the work myself. Happy little Ranger now.....but I tell you what. I will NEVER long as I live have another new vehicle. All old stuff for me from here on out.

Sounds like you had one hell of a string of bad luck there bud. We recently bought our first new vehicle and I can say I don't regret it. So far its been a pleasure to drive.

Me I am not a carburetor guy so I prefer fuel injected stuff for my daily driving not to mention my coronet will be too. So I tend to gravitate toward middle aged vehicles.

 

[RustyRatRod]

We bought my wife an O4 Escape the same time I got my F250. 2 weeks after we got the Escape, the battery died. The dealer came got it, put a new on in and even brought it back. Since then, it has not had one single hicup. It has been one good car. It's 4x4, NOT AWD. Thank GOD it has a transfer case and NOT a viscous coupling. It has a tick over 99K now and not one problem.

 

[Mooky]

newest car we have is my wife's 98 jeep liberty / magnum 6 cyl / and it is a good little truck..also her Chrysler Lebaron convert has been a die hard as well....my personal truck is a factory 79 Dodge D30 dump dually with 4 speed 360 carb'd and live pto...tough and very reliable...I drive my projects in the summer and can't say anything bad about them...I am a mechanic and I am back in school under a co-op which means working on low income cars for free and have to say ford hands down wins the worst engine and trans's ever...many many TSB's - hard to work on physically - and very poor customer service through there parts hot lines

 

[RustyRatRod]

You gotta badass truck, Mooky.