Hyundai Genesis 4.6 V8 TAU "BAD" Engine Teardown. Well, it WAS good but now...

Check out our website at www.Importapart.com or email us at [e-mail] for parts and part inquiries.
I've been tearing down engines on camera for 2 and a half years! Search my channel to see what I've torn down.
I'm VERY excited to tear into one of these for the first time. A Hyundai/Kia TAU 4.6L V8. This is an engine from a rear ended Hyundai Genesis sedan with 150K miles. This was an engine another yard sold to a customer who said it wouldn't turn all the way over. It was never installed and apparently never investigated as to why.
The TAU V8 came out I the late 2000's in the Kia Borrego and the Hyundai Genesis sedan. This, being an early engine is not direct injected but still makes an impressive 385hp. Many Hyundai and Kia engines from this era are a crapshoot for how reliable they are. They make some really reliable engines, and some really unreliable engines.
This video is proof that the auto salvage industry, like many, is imperfect. Its unfortunate but this type of experience is a great learning tool and should be applied when the scenario fits.
Why on earth am I doing these teardowns? I own and run a full service auto salvage business in the Saint Louis area called Importapart. Part of our model is buying blown, core and unwanted engines and dismantling them to resell the good, usable parts. We do not rebuild engines, we merely supply parts to those who do.
I really hope you enjoyed this teardown. As always, I love all of the comments, feedback, and even the criticism. Catch you on the next one!
-Eric

[@Ar0d]

For the first time ever my 22 month old son is actually leaning against my shoulder to watch instead of running away when he sees a "Dad" video

[@yeahitskimmel]

Lol my boy watched some Hoonigan This vs That with me and now goes around doing arm drops saying "go"

[@mikek5298]

TMI

[@ab2230]

My son said I watch 'dad' videos

[@secondthought2320]

Now, that is an absolutely great Father's Day gift.

[@lilsmoot4488]

Very wholesome

[@xDSTRYRx]

Every rotary owner was on their feet cheering when you mentioned opening up the throttle on the highway to blow out the carbon build-up

[@davidb6576]

Hah! Yeah, I was laughing at that too...

[@dennisyoung4631]

Perhaps have a water-methanol spray into the ports to keep things clean?

[@bwalker4194]

We used to call it the Italian tune-up.

[@charlesfranks1902]

I have explained to the police that I was clearing out the carbon. No comment as to whether it worked or not, your mileage may vary.

[@mysock351C]

Gonna say the same thing. Needs an Italian tune-up! 🏎🏎🏎

[@rainmant5724]

I am actually impressed at the simplicity and robustness of the design. Large bearings, simple timing chain setups (that seem to hold up well for 150k), and no crazy fasteners!!

[@misterdeedeedee]

the heads off chain service kinda sucks tho

[@rainmant5724]

@@misterdeedeedee Yep..but they looked pretty good for 150k miles.

[@daw162]

​@daktah if you have a recent Hyundai, you quickly learn that 150k is a target the motor probably won't see.

[@sloanmagnum5009]

​@@daw162exactly. I swear those motors are designed to fail at 150k.

[@FixingWithFriends]

I do like the simplicity of Hyundai/kia engines. There tends to be more space in the engine bay for working. Seems fairly rare on new vehicles these days.

[@aheroictaxidriver3180]

This is the first DOHC V8 design I actually admire.

[@HorribleHarry]

Wow an intelligently designed engine for maintenance. I must say I’m impressed.

[@purplestrawberrysunset]

It's a Hyundai thing.

[@klesmer]

I am surprised you didn't recognize this engine. I went to school on this engine and commented to the Korean instructor about how this thing looks just like a 4.6 liter Ford. He gave me a shit eating grin and said " No comment". I then asked him about the Borego looking like the Explorer, same grin, same answer.

[@Realtime1501]

it's an adaptation of a Mitsubishi 8a8 and ford 4.6

[@LSDelta92]

I have a sneaking suspicion the reason why Hyundai didnt stick a V8 in their genesis coupe was to avoid a lawsuit from Ford. Also kinda funny that Hyundai released their 5.0 Tau the same year that Ford released the Coyote

[@Kidd-nq4fg]

@@LSDelta92just direct competition there imo

[@Genesis385]

As the current owner of a 2011 4.6 genesis sedan, I had no choice but to join in for this video. Just turned over 150k miles yesterday and still going strong. Holy crap, I immediately went to write this comment as soon as I opened the video and am returning shortly after to laugh at how this engine is from a 2011 genesis with 150k on it 😂💀

[@KHALABEEB]

Dude, get a carbon clean treatment asap!🤣👍

[@_supasped_]

Right? Read this comment after hearing it in the video and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Hopefully yours gives you many more miles of trouble free motoring. From what I've seen in this video alone (admittedly not a wealth of experience) they seem to be good engines.

[@Genesis385]

@@_supasped_ I’ve had mine since august of 2020 with just under 102k miles on it, so about 48k trouble free miles since then as far as the engine itself goes. I believe as long as I keep up with my oil changes and other maintenance like I have been, and choose quality fuel to put in it, I should be able to keep it going for a good while. I’m sure it also helps that I follow Eric’s advice and “floor it every once in a while” 😉😂 it’s nice to let that 385hp loose when the road is empty, and it helps that I have exhaust work done on mine. Lol

[@Genesis385]

@@KHALABEEB thankfully, it’s not as often an issue on port injected cars, especially when maintained properly. On account of some of the sludge seen in this video, I’m willing to argue lower quality oil and/or improper frequency of oil changes contributed to this particular 4.6s demise. I’ve contributed about 48k miles or so to the cars current mileage, and haven’t had an issue out of the engine itself. Done an alternator and AC compressor, but the 4.6 itself hasn’t left me in a bind yet. I’m not looking forward to changing my spark plugs however, but I definitely need to do that here soon. I also do occasionally throw in a fuel system cleaner when I fill it up to help keep clean, and appropriate quantities of fuel coming through the injectors. So far, my nearly 3 years with this car give me strong belief that if nothing else, the engine will be plenty healthy if/when this car ever leaves me. Barring any circumstances beyond my control, at least.

[@justinpeterson6839]

Drive it like you stole it for about a week maybe youll clear up that carbon lol

[@willgriffin3490]

This episode reminds me of my Grandpa. He'd take me fishing in his late 60's GMC pickup. Every time we would start out he would floor it and shift through the gears. He'd look over at me with a big smile and say "Every now and again you gotta blow the carbon out!".

[@MrManuel1329]

Overall im pretty impressed with the engine design. Oil squiters, bed plate/girdle holding the crank with 4 bolts mains along with beefy chains keeping everything in harmony. This case was definitely caused by shitty gas and extended idling and maybe short tripping constantly.

[@hitbythese]

I’ve got one of these recently but I work 2 miles from home and idle on break some times but I also floor it and do burnouts and stuff. Do you think I’ll have issues?

[@MrManuel1329]

@@hitbythese keep idling down its never good to idle for extended periods. No more then 10 minutes.

[@BlackGravity-ox7yw]

Vehicles are ment to be driven. Otherwise they brake

[@TheMadTube]

I worked for Hyundai for a couple years. I left right as soon as the Theta engine fiasco started up. As much as the Theta is a turd, the Tau are pretty decent engines in my experience.

[@scott8919]

The Car Wizard has a video on those Theta direct injected engines... his customer had a 2015 Sonata... engine failure. Low oil, engine seized. Every place he called, including the dealerships, said they don't even touch those engines. No one rebuilds them. But, he said, you could replace the engine but it would cost more than the car's value. So this specific customer ended up getting rid of an otherwise perfect car with relatively low miles because it wasn't logical to fix it.

[@rushking19]

The tau, delta, sigma, and beta are great engines

[@deesnutz42069]

@@rushking19 lambda II fucking slays

[@CalculatedRiskAK]

@@rushking19 The gamma is pretty bulletproof, too. 130,000 miles on my engine. Had to open the top to replace the turbo and it looks pristine in there.

[@noelpeterson5591]

Hyundai & decent don't go together.

[@_supasped_]

Glad I checked KZbin one last time before bed, to see this uploaded 7 seconds ago. The day just isn't right without a teardown. Hope you're all keeping well - it warms my heart to see just how much growth and success Eric has deservedly had. We're all here for the same reason and I love seeing how many of us have fuel running through our veins. Gives me hope for the future.

[@TheBandit7613]

I'm getting ready to make dinner and your going to bed? Tomorrow is Sunday, you can sleep in.

[@_supasped_]

@@TheBandit7613 I wish. Getting ready to move out for summer and got driving lessons tomorrow as well... yet here I am at 3am. I'll still likely end up sleeping through my alarm anyway so what the hey.

[@paultice610]

The good old Italian tuneup. I try to do that at least twice a month. Oh, who am I kidding every other day?

[@Big.Ron1]

Amen.

[@nigelalderman9178]

Every day on my Toyota diesel. No trouble from DPF at 125k miles

[@alro2434]

1960-61, a neighbor's son bought a new Jaguar XK150 and said the dealer told him to 'open it up to blow out the carbon ever week or so'! So many cars never get on an expressway ramp, surprised that the hard carbon buildup doesn't break a lotta top rings on the rare occasion that they are revved!

[@OffGridInvestor]

@@nigelalderman9178 DPFs just need to get hot to work well

[@pastafazul]

The Volvo/Yamaha B8444s would be a fun teardown. 4.4l naturally aspirated V8 with pfi and 315hp. I know they had some issues so there may be a few broken ones out there to play with. I think polestar developed a 650hp version of it in 2014 for use in their race cars.

[@amplituhedron5582]

The Noble m600 uses one. 660 HP

[@Buick_GSX]

add to that the ford SHO v8 and see just how similar or different they really are. Yamaha claims they're not at all similar buuut

[@gin3648]

I think that most of those race engines were for Australia's V8 supercars series when there was more competition, sadly now it just Chevy and Ford. I think one of their downfalls was a design flaw in the balance shaft bearings. After reading up about it the balance shaft is in the valley without adequate drainage for water and that in turn ruins the ball bearings on the balance shaft.

[@shekharmoona544]

Autonation has one S80 V8. I was tempted. 😂😂😂

[@J-kade]

I’m actually pretty excited about this one! I have a 2015 5.0 - always been curious at how they would tear down… knock on wood, haven’t heard much for major problems on them.

[@grape8992]

Absolutely love these engine teardowns! Thanks for your hard work Eric!

[@klyneis]

As the owner of a 2009 Genesis 4.6L with 176k miles, this was interesting to watch. Thanks for the vid!

[@poohssmartbrother1146]

If you include 5L and below, the E39 M5, E92 M3, The 4.2L Audi V8, Lexus IS-F, all make about 400bhp and are N/A. Technically the E60 M5 V10 is only 5L and it makes 500bhp. Still, for Hyundai to make an engine that can hang out in a crowd of BMW M's, Audi's, etc is quite something

[@ronnymb67]

I believe the 4.2 in the S6 wagon and S8 hit 360hp. The normal ones ranged from 300 to 340hp depending on year and application. Only the RS4/RS5/R8 4.2 was over 400.

[@cmkm54]

4.0 v8 in the e92 m3 makes 414hp

[@burntnougat5341]

It's really impressive this engine can hang with the BMW S engines

[@vumba1331]

​@@burntnougat5341Isn't it, and the engine configuration looks a lot simpler than the BMW setups. Therefore the $64,000 question is, why do the Germans do it? (Edit - spelling)

[@ChileVuela]

The 4.5L from the early Porsche Cayennes made 335hp, and the later 4.8L Cayenne GTS engines were 405hp. And then they stuck turbos on both for extra fun.

[@Clean97gti]

I'm impressed by the relative simplicity and stout build of that engine. No crazy timing system, just simple chains running the cams and long guides. Same chain running the oil pump and all of the chains are solid, beefy pieces. Those cylinder walls are beefy too. Big bearings and that chonky bed plate. This block looks like it will support some pretty serious power. The crank looks like a cast piece. The rods are decently hefty although not the most hi performance parts ever. I've never looked into Hyundai Tau motors, but I suspect that the rods and pistons are the weak point and the factory motor would probably be fine with 550+hp. You could probably push a lot more with all forged internals. Drop the compression slightly, big injectors and a turbo.

[@clockproof]

the 5.0 tau is a borred out version of this motor and is good for 430 stock but on e85 with no other upgrades it’s pushing 520*

[@terry5008]

I had a 2010 Genesis 4.6 and it did not require premium gas. However, it did come from the factory with a defective drive shaft carrier bearing.

[@fiji3591]

Ive always been fond of these korean v8s, really considering an equus as my next car, only bad thing is the lack of aftermarket support for a speed junkie but those cars are beautiful for a steal of a price

[@xnewguyx2738]

My stepmom had one of these, I was visiting and took her car out for something. At one point I needed to get on it and a giant black cloud came out the exhaust. Makes sense now.

[@revdharp]

What a Father's Day gift. I've been looking for a Tau teardown for the longest and you gifted us with one. 😢 Can't wait for a 5.0 GDI, but the foundation I'm sure is here.

[@splender88]

I had no idea that Hyundai made a V8. It did not seem overly complicated like so many of these modern engines do and the fact it's rated at 385 HP makes me wonder why it isn't more valuable or popular. I've learned a lot from your videos please keep up the good work!

[@CaptainSpadaro]

Hyundai still has a rep for being a cheapskate's car, plus the Genesis sedan was pitched more as an E-class rival than a 5-series rival. Also they never put the V8 in the Genesis coupe even though I'm 75% sure it would've fit.

[@lust4life09]

@@CaptainSpadaro V8 in the Genesis Coupe?! Take my money, that would be a panty-dropper!

[@CaptainSpadaro]

@@lust4life09 I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to pitch it, but the brass said no. Reason I think it would've fit is because I've been under the hood of a couple Genesis coupes, as well as having a rough idea of the external dimensions of the Tau; might've been a case of it fitting, but not having enough room around the engine for crash dissipation.

[@lust4life09]

@@CaptainSpadaro I hear that. I've seen under the hood of a Genesis coupe as well, and I agree, just not enough room in the engine bay for crash dissipation; unfortunately. :0

[@davidquinn9676]

Impressive engine. I may look for a Genesis with that engine when I shop for my next used car.

[@blueblade455]

Might as well do a combustion chamber cleaning using some Seafoam. Then change the oil, spark plugs, PVC valve. Throw in a new air filter and that engine should be purring like a kitten.

[@OffGridInvestor]

They're a beautiful car. Nice big machine with more bits and bobs than you can think of. But word of advice. Turn off the crash avoidance because if someone next to you is waiting to turn and you come up BESIDE them on a green light, it think you're about to rear end them even though they're in the NEXT lane. The thing will then automatically SLAM the brakes on and anyone behind you will rear end you. Badly designed collision avoidance on them.

[@xion1629]

Happy father's day to you and all of the other dads out there. Currently 5 hours from home visiting family with one of my little guys sleeping next to me, and a teardown is the perfect thing to end the night on 🤙

[@swingping]

Thanks for doing this teardown...I have a 2010 Genesis with the 4.6...when you step on the gas, it goes...I take it on the turnpike every couple weeks just for fun!

[@lust4life09]

Enjoy that fine piece of machinery. Genesis focuses on three key areas: Luxury, Performance, and Technology. I have a 2011 Genesis V8 Tau, I drive it like I stole it on the interstate!

[@ryanaddy1135]

I love that you did this Kia /Hyundai engine. That build up of extremely compressed carbon is exactly why I use premium and add Techron fuel system cleaner like twice between oil changes and never use regular.. Not to mention full synthetic 5w30 gets changed at least by 5000 miles. Of course I'm hoping for 300,000 miles. ✌️

[@blitzroehre1807]

Germany here: wish our Kraut engineers had put the effort into making our engines as easily serviceable as this unit. Looks like a breeze to work on

[@harrywalker968]

is gemany your first or last name.?. & yes,,modern engines are a masterpiece.. of head aches.. i bought a wrecked x5, 3.0 tdi. just for the engine.. here in aus,, diesels are scarce,,that are any good to buy.. for my f100 4x4.. foton tunland is another,, hard to come by..cummins.. my 02 s/duty f250 has a mercedes engine, std.. tractor engine, built in brazil.. mwm. 4.2tdi.. took me 20 yrs to find one.. ford didnt promote them.. fitted bigger turbo, has 700nm.. 175 kw.. 13,lt 100..

[@Slaktrax]

@@harrywalker968 Is English your first language? Hard to tell, the grammar is awful.

[@SteveB88]

In Germany, are the German cars like BMW, Mercedes Volkswagen, and others in the shop more than they’re on the road there like they are here in the US? I’ve always wondered that. They brag about making such great vehicles, but it seems like they’re just always broken all the time over here. I wonder if they make them better there than they do here

[@Slaktrax]

@@SteveB88 IMO people in the US don't seem to bother servicing their cars as most Europeans do. Most of the engines that are torn down on this channel are the result of negligence and misuse. Engines are identical and built on the same production line, but may have different performance levels for different markets. 🙂

[@bwalker4194]

Oh come on….who doesn’t love BMW’s hollow, oil-filled alternator bracket or my Audi’s thermostat living underneath the supercharger? Just fun, quirky Germanic engineering.

[@neil6212]

Interesting stuff every week! Hint on removing parts (old method) "Continue removing bolts 'till the part you want falls off"

[@raymonster55]

Thank you VERY much for taking the time to do this. I know that this takes a lot of your personal time,and I greatly appreciate this content. To my knowledge, this content in this much detail is not available anywhere else.

[@willridgway2513]

I appreciate that you provide insight into such a variety of ICE, keep on grinding

[@uscdwua]

I gain a lot of knowledge every time I watch one of your autopsies. Please keep it up, you are entertaining and informative!

[@Tiger351]

Super interesting teardown this week Eric, we never the Tau V8 in any Hyundai/Kia vehicles here in Australia (much to the disgust of car guys here). Looks to be a decent engine and definitely better than some of their other designs.

[@Genesis385]

I’m curious, with how crazy (in a good way 😎🫡) Australians are, if these Tau V8s would’ve had better aftermarket support if they’d made it over there. 🤔 perhaps the Australian market would’ve pioneered performance modifications for them. Sadly it was just a bunch of old people that got into these when they first came out and it took forever for the v8 genesis sedans to get discovered/fall into ownership of the younger folks. I know of one guy here in the States though that’s been doing some fun stuff with his 5.0 R-spec sedan including running it on ethanol.

[@OffGridInvestor]

YES WE DID. In the genesis I believe. There's not tons of genesis but they're around

[@OffGridInvestor]

@@Genesis385 we have them in genesis I thought. But there's few genesis her but TONS of Hyundai and kias. Like they outnumber fords. We DON'T HAVE all the kia and Hyundai issues America has because the Korean made stuff we get is better quality than the US made kia and Hyundai.

[@Genesis385]

@@OffGridInvestor interesting. I’m from the US so I couldn’t tell you.

[@android584]

My first thought was the expense of our petrol but that's not stopped the sale of these SUVs and American sized utes.

[@dj-kq4fz]

I love these teardowns, thanks!

[@inkbitten9282]

Growing up around auto mechanics, I find your videos awesome. Excellent content.

[@bradgreen987]

Love the variety of manufacturers for these teardowns. Still surprised this one made that much hp!

[@doctube2020]

Enjoy your tear downs, personality and humor. Keep the vids coming! Thanks for bringing us along.

[@JSparrowist]

I don’t think he wants to date you. 🤨

[@jeffreydrees1254]

Really enjoy all of your videos. Never had an appreciation for the complexity of internal combustion engines before seeing you disassemble them. Please keep searching for new engines to tackle.

[@jeffreygoss8109]

I thought I was pretty clever and handy after I changed a Subaru head gasket…..then I opened a mechanical watch.

[@blairguinea6811]

Great tear down Eric, its always good with your style, you are the Boss

[@kristensorensen2219]

Great video Eric!! Sad to see a wasted engine because of a wreck!!

[@wafflesnfalafel1]

super interesting - I'd seen a few of those v8 Genesis sedans that smoke a bit and figured maybe it was the type of person that happens to buy them (ie fails to regularly change oil.) Looks like this might be a perfect example - not enough oil changes, maybe cheap gas and a bunch of short, low speed trips and still got 150k out of it. The motor actually seems really well designed - shame it got dumped for the turbo 6.

[@drewlee9062]

Some of the 5.0 engines in the 2012-2014 had issues with piston rings and excessive blow-by

[@OffGridInvestor]

Turbo 6 was lighter and the car became more powerful than the V8. Which is odd but that's what happened

[@CanIbeFrank]

I haven't lost to a V6 yet. I'm Catless E85 in my 5.0 Kia

[@raykaufman7156]

I agree. The design was actually pretty impressive. I wouldn't hesitate to use one in a custom build. Good one ,Eric 👍

[@harrywalker968]

chev should take a look..but then thy,d fk the design,,as usual..

[@blanketboyactual5264]

Another weekend, another tear down. Always love the content!!

[@brucel76]

Eric great video. I really enjoy watching your videos. Your videos show how the diversity and the complexity of the modern day engines are. I am an old school mechanic (stove bolt straight 6 chevy engine) the mopar 340's and the BOP 455's. Keep up the great tear down videos.

[@geoffgaffieldsickassc4152]

Thanks Eric for another great video. Totally agree with you that the performance numbers are super impressive and it's very evident that these are built to last. Unfortunately it seems like that trend is fading or is already gone. I look forward to your next Video.

[@IuriSantos]

Pretty interesting, the engine and its Teardown. It seems an easy engine to work on, all things considered. At least you didn't complaint about multiple bolt sizes, like you sometimes do with other brands. Also, pretty smart tensioners in comparison with other engines.

[@hangman396]

Again a Great Tear Down, I always look forward to my Saturday Evening Tear Down... As always I'm hooked, Catch ya next Saturday...

[@dabracer3260]

Thanks for all the great videos happy fathers day enjoy your weekend with the family!

[@Jakek200]

I used to work for Kia for a couple years a handful of years ago and I don't think I ever saw one of these engines in person (except at a training center). I only saw one or two Borrego's and both were V6's.

[@austincjett]

Thank you. I would have never seen the inside of this engine if it weren't for you. Looks like the engineers did a great job with the cam chain guides and bottom end. I think something was wrong due to oil getting into the combustion chamber and causing carbon to build up on the quench area. Don't know why maybe EGR, crankcase ventilation or the wrong oil being used. Any way's the basic design of the engine looks good. Much better than the last engine you tore down.

[@Dappersworth]

I definitely agree, and that singular main bearing cap design would make for a very good candidate to up the power on one of these engines. 385hp from a 4.6 v8 is damn good from factory. I would just make sure to delete any emissions BS before modding it.

[@SPAZTICCYTOPLASM]

As someone who rebuilds motors professionally, i get offered these for almost scrap value (and lots of other Hyundai and Kia engines) but i don't touch them and idk who does. In my experience, these engines aren't worth rebuilding because the reputation mostly. I know a lot of comments are praising this engines, but I've never seen one over 300k km, and i deal in a lot of engines. They seem very adequate in that they survive just a little after warranty ends for the owner to sell it. I've seen a lot of oil burners too, it seems to be piston rings. And inadequate filters. What i mean by reputation is that it's kind of obvious right now that Hyundai and Kia are the "cheap" brands, they're the car non car people buy as disposable appliances. Nobody wants to shell out the money for a 0 mileage Hyundai engine, there's a market for used ones as they do go bad often enough but they're not super expensive, because typically when the engine goes, the car goes. A direct comparison to the Toyota and Hondas, their run of the mill v6s GR and J series are still asking 2-4k around here and i've always got requests to rebuild them because even if unsellable here, pack them up and off to africa.

[@bobcoats2708]

Waited til Father’s Day morning for my teardown treat. Happy Father’s Day to Eric and all the dads out there!

[@CaptainSpadaro]

We had a Genesis with the 4.6 show up at my shop a year or two ago with a timing issue (can't recall exactly what it was). Lead tech looked at Identifix to get an idea of where to go with the diag and the lone submitted fix for this issue, whatever it was, was to...replace the long block. Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Car left on a flatbed IIRC.

[@christinesommerfeld9815]

Straight to a scrap yard.

[@CaptainSpadaro]

@@christinesommerfeld9815 probably :/

[@where578]

I think the failure mode was that this engine smoked! If you look at the cylinder walls you can still see the factory hone job. After 150k miles that should be gone. I suspect that it was soft rings that then caused it to smoke... that also would explain the carbon buildup. Compression would be low and cause hard starting and poor performance. Cleaning the carbon out wouldn't have fixed anything... Great job on the tear down... (Remember the rocking pistons.... soft rings, no tension!)

[@OffGridInvestor]

Some soccer mom driving slow and waiting outside of school for the kids for 20 minutes idling because she wanted the AC or heat.

[@kayciecarryl3366]

This channel, as always is really fun to watch. Thanks! 👧

[@jeffreyshepherd8488]

Happy fathers day eric thanks for another great teardown

[@ozmanozgood856]

nicely built engine , maintenance looks simple 👍😁

[@quicksilver462]

That is a stout engine for sure, forged crank, PM fracture cap rods, four bolt mains/bed plate, extra thick main webs.

[@rackernack8186]

Another great video! Excellent presentation... 🙂

[@chuckz8053]

Thanks again, you make this old guys Saturday nights!

[@junsuzuki1412]

This engine was roughly based on the Mitsubishi 8A8 that was co built by Hyundai. If you compare the block design they are very similar. With a shorter stroke and a larger bore they were able to squeeze out some decent numbers and increase the displacement. The firing order is also very uncommon, in the last 20 years I think only the 8A8 and Tau use it. It has an interesting sound with a proper exhaust system.

[@OffGridInvestor]

There's a few that Mitsubishi and Hyundai done together. I have seen a video where they had a Mitsubishi block with all Hyundai parts and it WAS FINE

[@junsuzuki1412]

@@OffGridInvestor interesting! I'll keep my eyes out on the forums to look for a hybrid 8A8/Tau. I've had a 2011 Genesis 4.6 for the past 5 years without issue. If you're interested a bit about these cars they also have a ZF 6HP26(7 series, 5 series, Bentley Continental, Rolls Royce Phantom, and many other luxury cars). It was also the first car that Lexicon worked with outside of Rolls Royce. If you cross reference parts in the infotainment system you'll find that some of the modules are the same. They also respond fairly well to light modification. With a tune, secondary cat deletes and a cold air intake some see 340 ish rwhp which is roughly 400hp at the crank.

[@xray111xxx]

I hear so crap about how bad Hyundai family engines are. This is pretty nice. I like some of the design features on it actually. Cool tear down.

[@iadr]

The difference is in what country they are built. I work for a dealer and we've never seen a failure on a Korean built product. Those US plants have nearly ruined them. I don't know how they grow as a company in the next 5-10 years with this going on.

[@silicon212]

The Theta engines are not good. The Tau engines seem to be decent.

[@rushking19]

It's mainly the theta and the nu engines. Most the pre 2010 engines were the best ones

[@garychipman3095]

About time you posted. Been waiting with baited breath.😮

[@reviewaccount469]

The beautiful cross-hatching @ 150k miles, wow! Nicely built engine!

[@ballsdeep420x]

The carbon is exactly why people should be running 91 + octane in there Tau 4.6. Also don't be afraid to open it up and let it breathe that helps as well.

[@ballsdeep420x]

@@mg.2187 Doing it right 👍, I like it.

[@blackhawk7r221]

Octane slows down the rate of combustion so the fuel mix does not become too explosive in high compression engines. It does not provide more power in a normal engine. Actually the opposite. And higher octane does nothing to affect carbon buildup rate. Fuel with ethanol helps to reduce carbon. But good luck trying to convince the general public of that science. Detonation and valve clatter is not so much a problem anymore with modern variable valve timing engines and electronic controls. But you will often see 91+ requirements on cars with standard stick shifts, because some folks lug the engine which can cause valve clatter.

[@blackhawk7r221]

@@mg.2187 Most are not. They simply call them “global” because they outsource them to other manufacturers or industry. With the various manufacturers at our dealership, GDI’s are simply conventional engines that happen to use direct injection. You can run US 85 octane with no issues, but the software is programmed for domestic standard 87. In almost all cases, a 91 label is simply there for legal reasons to release the manufacturer from any engine pre-ignition or detonation damage, which the PCM will not allow anyway. Now turbos or specialty hipo engine options are of course the exception. But I assure you, whether 4cyl or V-6, your mawmaw Camry, Accord, Maxima or Sonata is more than fine on 87. I understand that there are lots of antiquated misconceptions about octane. Save your money at the pump. Just friendly tips from a dealer tech guy who holds Master, Gold, or Platinum level certs from Toyota, Hyundai, GM, Mitsubishi, and MOPAR.

[@ballsdeep420x]

@@blackhawk7r221 where does carbon on the piston and valves come from then? I'll tell you. From unburnt fuel. How does fuel remained unburnt in the combustion chamber? I'll tell you, Lower octane fuel. Thus creating carbon.

[@ballsdeep420x]

@@blackhawk7r221 then how do you explain when I run 87 instead of 91 in my Tau 4.6 I get knock/pinging?

[@helenault7452]

You can get a lot of carbon buildup when the O2 sensor is dying, if it's one of ones that uses the old-style sensor whose voltage goes to zero as the mixture goes lean. With that type, an intermittent signal or anything that causes the voltage to read low will result in the ECM running the fuel delivery up. Combine that with an engine whose service intervals might have been a bit long, and you're set for buildup of crud in the chambers.

[@carsonw722]

Interesting, though wouldn't the car throw a code if the O2s were dying? It also wouldn't pass smog. I was hoping Eric would have given a better explanation as to why that specific engine had so much carbon IN the cylinders...

[@helenault7452]

@@carsonw722 It may have been intermittently tossing an O2 code, but a heck of a lot of people have become used to the way that trouble codes can be a bit Chicken Little-like at times, and often will ignore the O2 in particular until they don't have a choice. Also, if the car is registered in an area with lax emissions testing requirements, like most of rural Texas, it will pass as long as the Check Engine indicator isn't lit when it gets in front of the tech. No history and no driver feedback came with the core, so any of that could have been happening, and we just don't know.

[@Dappersworth]

@@carsonw722 for many states there just isn't any vehicle inspections

[@jeffreygortz6146]

I watch you every Saturday, I finally subed

[@that_camo_bronco_guy]

That yeah at 10:32 made me spit food all over my monitor, love the unexpected edits, and the content as always, but damn you for making me make a mess 😂

[@PRL1290]

My guess is the oil control rings got stuck, they look almost flush when you showed the pistons then, it started burning oil and that was the carbon on the pistons.

[@mattschlatter4999]

Thinking the same thing. When those oil control rings get stuck, it's still a perfectly fine engine, just burns a lot of oil and builds up carbon on the pistons fairly quick. It's a double-edged sword though too because if you floor it to try to "clean" away the carbon deposits, it only accelerates carbon buildup as it allows more oil to enter the combustion chamber which adds to the carbon buildup and can possibly lead to a burnt exhaust valve (happened to me), clogged cats, and/or O2 sensors failing or reading erratically

[@iadr]

He specifically said the rings were free. He's also really shade tree and inaccurate keeping going back to the carbon which was NOT the cause of failure. Bad storage killed this engine. It was running when the car was rear ended. While we can't know if a check engine light was on, etc, every single car and truck prior to things really getting tuned in around the turn of the century, ran the latter half of its life with more carbon than that.

[@alro2434]

@@iadr Getting kicked in the ass mighta broken it loose, to then jam up.

[@silicon212]

Gotta give your car the Italian Tuneup from time to time to keep it all clean!

[@greebj]

No officer I wasn't speeding, I was doing a scheduled 7000rpm service

[@509brown]

Thank you, Eric.

[@mikespencer237]

Nice job! Thank you! I think you missed your calling as a Mechanical Engineer.

[@lordcorgi6481]

I always feel bad for the engines owned by people that think oil changes are expensive.

[@BiffBuffchest]

Exactly...the typical Kia/Hyundai owner

[@Genesis385]

I own a genesis sedan with one of these 4.6 engines in it. I typically stick to the old reliable 3k mile oil change, synthetic 5w-30 with a wix filter. Comes out to about $75 or so depending on price fluctuations for the oil and filter, but I’d rather spend that $75 every few months than to need an engine or new car. 😅

[@OffGridInvestor]

@@BiffBuffchest more CHEAP kia owners. Not genesis which is NOT a cheap vehicle. It's cheaper as far as luxury cars but not cheap like a kia

[@OffGridInvestor]

@@Genesis385 this is idling too long, not lack of oil changes

[@toraja04]

As the owner of the 5.0 version of this engine, thank you! I hope they are the same, I heard it’s the same block?

[@Radi0he4d1]

5.0 is GDI after 2012, no?

[@taz24083]

Eric, I would love to see more of the head cleanings. Like a before and after type deal of possible. I'm sure others would too

[@jofridz]

Great tear down. I love those cars.

[@matthewguerra5410]

Audi 4.2 goes from 300hp to 450hp depending on model year

[@philhenderson3516]

Those are direct injected engines. He specifically mentioned that at the beginning. This Hyundai V8 was port injected.

[@Jazc-mp889]

Hyundai’s V6 and V8’s are usually pretty good

[@williamkelley7654]

Thanks for the great content!

[@robertrodriguez8167]

My 4.6 has 130kmiles, happy to see the timing components hold up.

[@davidaldrich2154]

If I may make an observation, having grown up working on the 'old' technology motors. Watching your videos it appears that these new hi tech motors actually run dirtier. The only time I would see that much carbon inside a motor was 200,000 + miles without an oil change and carburetor tuning completely for majority of those miles. Thanks for the videos

[@iadr]

Nah. If you were around for the late 90's working on vehicles from 86-91 manufacture date- I'm talking early and mid generation 4.3 GM, Ford 3.8, GM 305/350 TBI, Chrysler/Mits 2.6 - they were all much worse than this by the 50-60% point in their lifespan. At that point I was doing tear downs- in fact much as Eric does, the difference being we were trying to do budget rebuilds for fleets and car lots. Quite successful in terms of quality, but it was a crazy low margin business. I left, but I think cash for clunkers did them in as a business model and that aspect of the industry had just been too weakened by trying to fix customer engines so *they* could profit- at our expense- to ever bounce back.

[@davidaldrich2154]

@@iadr I have to admit that when I got those vehicles they went straight to the junkyard, all the vacuum operated devices and the control valves made them not worth working on, lol

[@greebj]

Yes and no. DI and silly long oil service intervals have made "modern tech" look bad and added sources of carbon and dirt, but the core "old style" processes themselves are much cleaner and more efficient in modern engines. The whole point of PCV, EGR, DPF is to recirculate crap that used to be vented out the exhaust, back into the intake Tldr emissions tech bad, combustion efficiency tech good.

[@elen5871]

yeh, all the carbon being retained in stuff like oil and recirc systems and all of that was just being yeeted into the upper atmosphere. newer engines are burning purer fuels with detergents baked in, and doing a _much_ better job of it, they just look worse bc they do a better job at doing it _efficiently,_ and they hold on to pollutants instead of just shitting them into the sky. and like Eric said, it's a 4.6 liter putting out as much _wheel horsepower_ in a genesis as a 6.5 liter olds super rocket could put out _at the crank with no accessories._ while getting what, 2x the gas mileage? 2.5x? hard to complain about any of that when you can abuse the hell out of them on top of everything else 🤷

[@codew5y2f94]

A well designed high quality engine - too bad it had to end its life this way.

[@michaelweatherhead9470]

I've got a Civic with 549k. Thanks for the video Eric nicely done. Take care of yourself and family and be Blessed ❤️❤️👍.

[@j0zinald0]

I just can't wait for the "let's crack the head bolts loose" part 😂 love that sound!!

[@matthewbowen5841]

Much like the pre-GDI Lambda V6, this is an absolutely tough engine bolted into depreciation queens that owners never cares about. I honestly can't fault Hyundai for their current ways, as their owners didn't care enough to maintain their old Mitsubishi engines, continued not caring when they actually made some really rugged engines and attempted to rival Toyota on some reliability fronts, and now have just given up, making cars laser-focused on their "60k and throw away" cheapskate customer base. Their roughly 2006-2011ish engines are well engineered and built engines that can withstand near-zero service and not break as well as a 2GR or MZ. The cars just never last long enough to matter.

[@kevin9c1]

The thing about Hyundai is they tend to over exaggerate their engine power outputs. And it gets worse when you compare to the Germans who do the opposite.

[@Vfh........y]

I'm glad you brought that up...Americans have short memory. It was a scandal several years ago. Me . 97 accaod wagon

[@BobBobson]

You could always take some of the scrap wood you have laying around to make a platform for your tubs to sit on the engine stand. You'd not have to worry about them falling over, or getting them in the right spot. Just a thought. Love the vids.

[@MtnHiker]

Thanks for sharing. On ramps 'hammer down' not only feels good but your engine benefits; even if the passenger seat often disagrees

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Show her this video.....

[@brendanlorente1968]

I owned a 2009 Kia Borrego quite frankly it was the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. It never broke never nothing and I had 140,000 on it when I sold it and he just in a tuneup and spark plugs and it ran like a champ never had an issue.

[@johnfranklin5277]

I bought 2 kia spectras new, a 2005 and 2007. Both were great cars. I bought a new 2017 Hyundai Elantra , fully loaded, it just turned 100.000 miles last week. Absolutely 0 repairs, and 0 issues. In May of 2021, I bought a new kia K5 GT LINE with premium package. Very nice car, 26.000 miles now, again, no issues . The Elantra is now mostly used for my 78 mile round trip to work. I bought the K5 at just the right time, paid MSRP, and qualified for thier 0.0 intrest promotion! SWEET!

[@poohssmartbrother1146]

I bet the owner ran 87 octane, instead of 93. That and no where near enough Italian tune ups

[@darrenvictoriathornhill1170]

Great vid. I can’t believe that carbon. I’ve not seen so much before. Perhaps a grandma driving a 385 HP engined car. With the pistons rocking at the top of the bore. That’s where I would expect any rocking due to the pressure created at firing. At the bottom of the bore no firing would be occurring. My understanding is that bores taper over the engines life. More wear at the top. Thanks again for the video. I do love that sound of the cam cap and head bolts cracking open. I really like the way you edit that in a quick sequence. Well done sir. Cheers from Australia. 👍🏻👍🏻🧰🧰🔧🔧🎸🎸

[@OffGridInvestor]

Soccer mom driving slow and idling for 20 minutes waiting for the kids to get out of school, because she wants the AC or heat while she waits. Meanwhile the carbon builds up...

[@korn111685]

Excited over this one! Why have I avoided all these years? 🤔

[@strokermaverick]

That engine, looks to have set outside, for a long time.

[@duckeedoug9077]

Thank you For this review. It is awesome. A couple of months ago on your channel in the comments I suggested the 5.0 Tau engine as I have a car with that engine. I'm not sure of the similarities of the two motors although from what I heard the timing system for the 5.0 are on the back of the engine so if this is the case then the 4.6 and 5.0 engines would be quite different in their architecture

[@CrazyPetez]

I like your preventative measure. Romp on it occasionally to blow the carbon out. That works and is FUN!

[@carwashadamcooper1538]

This is a beautifully designed engine. it's a shame it had a premature death, likely due to never getting to stretch it's legs.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Next engine tare down, carefully save the chain guides, then run them over with your forklift!😅

[@nickloh912]

These were also in the Equus (how many people remember that they sold those here?). Thanks for the video as always!

[@derekfriday7931]

Man those were also such nice cars to drive. Its a shame people write them off because they're "just a hyundai"

[@lttsr]

I mean they’re G90s now lol

[@auntbarbara5576]

Am i the only one that finds that first snap of a head-bolt removal extremely satisfiying?

[@kevinlindhorst3930]

I have a 2010 Kia Borrego which I bought for $ 8 k cad years ago. It now has 170 000 miles on, beautiful engine. Service every 3000 miles. Been all over Canada in it and really is a pleasure to drive