Top 10 Worst Car Engines of All Time: See The List of Clunkers from GM, Ford & Chrysler !

Learn more about the worst engines of all time in classic cars. Be sure to drop a comment in the comments section!

[@matthewbanta3240]

Here is how I picture the development of the iron duke to have gone: Engineer: My life's goal is complete. I finally designed the smoothest 4 cylinder engine ever Beam counter: Wow! Your engine is so smooth that we could remove the harmonic balancer and save $4 on each car! Engineer: But that would make my masterpiece run like a tractor engine Bean counter: What part of $4 on each car don't you understand?

[@RareClassicCars]

Balance shaft. Not harmonic balancer. Otherwise correct.

[@timothykeith1367]

I'd have liked to have seen a good pushrod inline four, for example a modular upgrade to the Chrysler slant six with a four cyl version - sharing only the bore center spacing of the old slant six with a 3.60-inch bore. Replacing timing belts is widely unappreciated and the Chrysler 2.2/2.5 four wasn't higher reving than a pushrod motor could have been

[@donotatme]

GM's gonna GM!

[@geoffmooregm]

The Duke was good for utilitarian work. It can't take a ton of power upgrades unless you get your hands on a Superduty engine. I really like the Chevy II 4cylinder later turned into the Vortec 3000 it didn't make it into passenger vehicles, but it was great in boats and forklifts.

[@kevinbarry71]

@@RareClassicCars General Motors could never pass up the opportunity to save one dollar in order to spend or lose 500

[@dillonmiller956]

The Iron Duke feels more like it was built by Briggs and Stratton than an automobile company.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

My parents had a Pontiac 6000 with the iron duke...it was idling in a parking lot and someone asked me if it had a diesel due to the clatter. Everything about was unrefined...the starter when activated, at idle and under acceleration. Spent years with that car and I think of it when the USPS drops our mail via a Grumman LLV.

[@Two_trucks]

lol

[@irritablearchitect]

That's an insult. Briggs has made some pretty good engines that would actually rev and were smooth.

[@dirk013adfa]

Ahem. Briggs and Stratton are much more reliable. I wonder how all of the past owners of the engines listed in the video compare to the woes of post covid vehicles..

[@mikeperry6794]

Very durable engine. It was obnoxious

[@rEdf196]

In the 1980's, I owned a 1978 Chevy Chevette equipped with the same dreaded disposable metal enclosed air cleaner, most likely leftover NOS from the Vega era. Of course the filter got clogged, I was stunned to learn it would cost $60 bucks to replace it so I hacksawed the old one open, scraped out the clogged paper filter, siliconed a new $5 filter and duct taped the hacked metal enclosure back together. It did the job.

[@gordtulk]

My mom got a fulltime job once I and my three siblings were in school and I can remember the fall evening when she came home with her first car - a brand new first year Vega two door grey coupe. She was - justifiably - proud. 20000 miles later the engine was replaced and it was a rattle can at any speed. As I type this I feel bad for how much disappointment GM caused her at that point in her life. Needless to say she never owned a GM for the next six car purchases she made.

[@danr1920]

The Iron Duke is considered "good" because it replaced a really bad engine, the Vega engine.

[@mph5896]

Until Gm bled market share like crazy over “good” things such as the tractor engine in a car.

[@BillLaBrie]

It was pretty good for stationary/marine use. Cars? Well, it’s delivered billions of pieces of mail. So there’s that.

[@markanthony3275]

My buddy had an S-10 with said Duke. I hauled two ladies and a small dolly with my Opel GT's front wheels on it on a 400 mile trip...with no problems . I found it to be good.

[@JonathanSparks-ht4vq]

ROFLMAO 🤣 😅😅😅😅😅. @ the Vega engines

[@TorCow1234]

The Oldsmobile Diesel Program: Transforming the Rocket into a SCUD.

[@phillittle9321]

The last GM vehicle I've owned was an '83 S-10 Blazer with the wonderful 2.8L iron/aluminum V6. Heads warped about two months after warranty expiration. Dealer said sorry, you're out of luck. I had the engine rebuilt at a local rebuilder, and went into arbitration with GM. Despite their rep clearly being a lawyer, my detailed records impressed the arbitrator enough that GM had to pay for my rebuild costs and some ancillary expenses.

[@Clevelandsteamer324]

4.3 was great. It got a balance shaft in 1993

[@puffkendrick6850]

@@Clevelandsteamer324 currently working on a 4.3 V6 in a fork lift

[@redpine8665]

I had the misfortune of having that engine in my '85 GMC Jimmy. The twin to the Blazer. I didn't have your particular issue, but what an underpowered dog of a motor. Awful.

[@marknease1631]

My first and last Chevy was an 82 K-5 Blazer with the 305 he describes in this video….and I had to replace the camshaft around 40k miles..about a third of the lobes were completely round.

[@puffkendrick6850]

@@marknease1631 Unable to count the amount of cams replaced because of soft metals,otherwise good engine.My Monza had the 305 in 1975with no issues for 40 yrs.

[@robertaccorsini4663]

Vega, #1 agreed. Toyota was sending cars over with no problems and we offered the Vega.

[@charlesharmon4926]

The beginning of the end of Detroit.

[@jahbad01]

GM dug it's own grave not with the engineering but with the basic concept of the Vega. They wanted the cheapest car they could build and cut every corner they could. Add to that labor relation problems that lead to poor build quality, you then had a perfect storm that drove people to the Imports which now dominate the US market.

[@khakiswag]

Funny how GM and Ford introduced 2.3 4 cylinders within a couple of years from each other but had vastly different outcomes. The Vega 2.3 came out in ‘71 and was a disaster. Ford’s Pinto 2.3 came out in ‘74 and went on until 1997. Even got turbocharged and powered the Mustang SVO and Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.

[@zacariasblanco9738]

The SVO and the Turbo T-bird are rare but not popular I remember having the matchbox turbo T-bird when I was a kid blue neon orange and black I think that's the only colors for that model

[@matthewq4b]

@@zacariasblanco9738 SVO was rare the Turbo Coupes were not rare and were fairly popular. There were over 129,000 Turbo Coupes built. Almost 20% of total T bird production for the years it was offered. So that is is NOT rare and it was fairly popular...

[@zacariasblanco9738]

@@matthewq4b popular back in the area 80's

[@marckyle5895]

The '71-'74 Pinto with the 4 speed standard and 2.0 4 was the most fun. Autocrossers loved them.

[@pjimmbojimmbo1990]

Cadillac, GM's Flagship has 20% of the Duds shown, but I think the Northstar also belongs on the list

[@johndespain4620]

northstar was reliable minus the head studs, replace those and you had a great engine

[@richardp6178]

I run Northstars, great engine if you keep on top of the maintenance.

[@johnandrus3901]

@@johndespain4620 I understand what you're saying, but it is a bit silly. If you buy a new Caddy, you expect it to last. There should be no reason to expect that your engine needs some kind of modification, so it wouldn't be junk after so many years.

[@bobcoats2708]

I’m sure the Nothstar didn’t finish too far out of the running for this list

[@ryanelectra225]

Deathstar. Took them around 10years to fix its flaws

[@jefferysmith3930]

My boss back in the early 90’s had a Caravan with the 2.6 L Mitsubishi engine. I drove it many times. That thing was thrashy and crude. Fast forward to a day when I spent the day driving a rented U-haul 80’s vintage IH diesel, manual box truck to haul some heavy parts around the state. I got back very late and dropped off the U-Haul and drove his Caravan home. It seemed like the quietest most refined vehicle that night after driving that horrible box truck all day long. We never owned one, but the iron Duke was so ubiquitous back in the day that I consider it part of the soundtrack of my youth. They did sound like a tractor at idle

[@MyerShift7]

That Caravan wouldn't have been newer than 1987!

[@jefferysmith3930]

@ I think it was an ‘87

[@jefferysmith3930]

Actually…no. ‘86. Still had the stacked quad sealed beam headlights. 2 tone silver/gray SE model. He was far too cheap to pop for the Lux L3!

[@misters2837]

​@jefferysmith3930 I believe it if the Box Truck had an Inline Six...The 6.9/7.3 and 9L IH Diesels were pretty smooth, though the last one had more power, had more problems. - Try a Cummins 5.9 in a box truck....After a day, you want to unalive yourself. Pathetic No Power!

[@rockymountainjazzfan1822]

I owned a 1979 Olds with the 4.3 diesel V8. The engine was junk at 60K miles. GM warranted the engine because I had meticulous maintenance records (I had to pay for the labor to replace the engine, but not for the engine itself). The 4.3 was replaced with a '84 Mr Goodwrench 350 diesel. That engine lasted for years without any major problems. My neighbor, who was a traveling salesman, bought a 1983 Buick Riviera with the 350 V8 diesel--he drove it over 300K miles with no significant engine issues. People need to realize that, back in the 1980s, those diesel engines could get up to double the fuel economy of gasoline engines in the same vehicle model, and diesel fuel was considerably cheaper than gasoline, as well. What killed the GM diesels, on top of their reliability issues, was the introduction of the great 3.8L pushrod gasoline V6 by GM. The 3.8 was reliable, had great longevity, and would get fuel economy as good as the 350 diesel had gotten, not to mention having much more horsepower. If one of GM's biggest mistakes was selling the 260 and 350 diesels, one of its second biggest mistakes was discontinuing the 3.8L pushrod V6.

[@MK-ge2mh]

My parents owned TWO ‘79 Olds Diesels simultaneously! Complete and utter disasters!

[@21jimmyo]

The GM V6s were excellent, I've owned a few. The shared many of the same design elements as the SBC.

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

The 3800 was an underpowered gas guzzler when compared to the OHC V6s that were available when it was discontinued. GM was also having serious problems with the 3800 and had to recall the engines multiple times.

[@platinumuschannel]

You can thank CAFE standards for a lot of this...

[@RetNemmoc555]

I worked at an Olds dealer in '79, and people would bring these in for running rough. After oil, filters, inspections, etc., I'd just drive them a block away, park, and jam the accelerator to the floor and let them self-govern and blow black smoke until it cleared up. I'd bring it back idling like a purring kitten and they'd drive away happy. No extra charge for the "tune-up."

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

Timing gears: 👍😀 _(wait for it)_ They wear plastic: 😨

[@michaelreppert1207]

No they weren't. They were a fiber composite material. Only on the cam.

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

@michaelreppert1207 all I heard was they weren't metal. Even in this day and age I wouldn't trust a plastic composite material for gears... barely would trust aluminium alloys for gears... best left for old fashioned hardened iron and steel... 💪 Those materials are best left for bodywork and the dash.

[@MUUKOW3]

Yeah so we're the cam timing gears on every gm v8 since the 60's , nothing new there .

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

@MUUKOW3 were they gear on gear, of timing belt on gear. Mind you, I'm a Ford man that drives a 2007 Ford Falcon with a Barra I6 that still uses a timing chain... you only have to worry about them at around the 300,000 mile mark.

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

And even then the timing chain doesn't really fail, the problem I had once was the spaces breaking off which found its way backwards into the oil pump, jamming the Gerota gears and snapping the drive shaft to the oil pump and the distributer... replaced the shaft for $10 and reused the oil pump (no real damage, just an imprint of the offending timing chain spacer).

[@desertmodern7638]

Fortunately the only one of these I ever owned was the infamous 5.7 diesel, circa 1980, but I had an aftermarket fuel/water separator on it and never had an issue. But I witnessed friends' drama with many of the other engines on the list. Perfect list, perfectly explained.

[@bobbbobb4663]

I own a 1979 240D owned since 1993. Mercedes designed the fuel filter to trap water. Never had any issue with water in the fuel. Simply change the fuel filter periodically.

[@LongIslandMopars]

I would take any of those engines. Properly maintained and set up correctly with the water separator, they got great mileage. Not fast but not intended to be. At this point I'm my life, I prefer to just enjoy the journey and go 500 miles on a tank.

[@Ashcrash82]

As I was not of driving age until the late 90s, I had only one experience with the infamous Ford VV carburetor. My dad bought an older F150 (I think 81 or 82) that my younger brother drove. This was a total bare-bones machine: 2WD, 4 spd manual, single fuel tank, bench seat. It did have 4.10 gears in the diff, and the 351W with the VV carb. This truck ran like a scalded dog! You could spin the rear tire (open diff, lol) all the way through 3RD gear and I would bet serious money would run into the triple digits. We never had a single issue with it as far as the engine running until the wiring harness started to crumble and cause issues with the Duraspark ignition. Was far and away the peppiest and torquiest vehicle we ever had my entire childhood (not a high bar, but still...).

[@cheftomsd]

Imagine the millions GM spent designing and building all these new engines if they had just put the money into improving one of their proven V6 and V8 engines. Like lighting money on fire.

[@bmstylee]

They would never make smog requirements they keep making stricter every year.

[@tedpalmer5552]

Engineering prowess has been replaced by accounting prowess. It seems that "goodwill" and "reputation" are numbers that are too hard to nail down.

[@brady3474]

Between the stupid and random government emissions regulations, the moron executives running GM and the crooks running the UAW since the 1970’s, I’m surprised GM still exists.

[@michigantler5046]

had the pleasure of working at plant 9 at pmd in pontiac mi assembling the iron dukes back in 79. installed cam shafts

[@nb7466]

My grandfather worked from like 56 to 98 in plant 15. It's now a junk yard.

[@michigantler5046]

@@nb7466 cool, that facility was massive back in the 70's

[@nb7466]

@@michigantler5046 yea I seen it's once before they knocked it down. My grandma also helped make parts for the monkey mobile.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

My relatives owned a junkyard, and my grandfather said they had a junk Lincoln Zephyr to haul parts and oxy acetylene torch equipment around the yard, and he said that it smoked like crazy and burned a ton of oil. Thankfully they had plenty of dirty oil to add to it.

[@oliverdelgado6952]

Wet oil pump belt 🤢

[@walterbatman7949]

What a joke

[@sc1338]

Ford is doing that now! lol

[@walterbatman7949]

@ I I know will not own one

[@bobcoats2708]

The definition of planned obsolescence

[@narglefargle]

"Wet belt" in general. Like, if it's gonna be lubricated anyway, why not just use a fkuicgn chain? Oh, yeah. Planned obsolescence. My condolences to all my friends and neighbors who ended up with a Ford EcoShart. 😢

[@jeff-ds2pr]

The Iron Duke was a dog, but it was a fairly reliable engine. There were a lot worse from this era, like the 301 Turbo and early versions of the HO Quad 4.

[@pcno2832]

I've driven many 4 cylinder cars that annoyed me more than my parent's 1981 2.5 L Citation, including some later GM 4 cylinder engines and even a Honda Civic that seemed to downshift on every incline. I can't explain it, but the clatter from the Iron Duke just didn't bother me. I've heard some people say similar things about the machine-gun sound of GM's odd-firing V6's.

[@bobcoats2708]

🐶

[@PuzzleVizion_TV]

The turbo was because of the bad electronics of the era, i bet.

[@sneff1052]

@@PuzzleVizion_TVThe turbo was the least problematic part of the engine. Weak crankshaft, weak block, tiny valves, tiny intake ports . Got one stand at home but it is just not worth to rebuild.

[@jeff-ds2pr]

@@PuzzleVizion_TV If I recall right. You had to let the car idle for a few minutes and let the turbo cool down before shutting off the engine. Otherwise the oil feeding the turbo would start to coke up, and prematurely kill off the turbo. Most drivers ignored/forgot about that as they used the car. I'm guessing they didn't use synthetic oil back then (?) which probably added to the problem.

[@Henry_Jones]

I had an 85 Reliant with the mitsu 2.6 as my college car from 2000-03. The mikuni carb was impossible to get parts for and service back then. It was always running rich, impossible to tune correctly and replacement mikuni carb was $500, more than the value of the car so I just drove it rich, out of tune, with a rejected inspection. Mpg depending on weather was 13 in the winter 20 in the summer lol. It ran smooth though and had good power for an early 80s car. In rhe end, around 95k miles it was the timing chain guides that did it in. Clatter from the timing chain side of rhe engine was the dead giveaway. I drove it that way while i searched for a new car, gen 3 prelude SI. The mitsu 2.6 never gernaded itself and I drove it into the junkyard.

[@volktales7005]

Back in the day we used to have to get those choke pull off diaphragms from Hyundai dealers for those crappy Mikuni carbs on the 2.6's. Changed a lot of them back in the day. Don't miss them, either.

[@Henry_Jones]

​@@volktales7005 In mitsubishi world theyre named the Astron engine and they were very advanced when new, in the mid 70s.

[@tvelis513]

Although I agree with the internal water pump criticism on the modern Ford 3.5, I have owned two with over 250,000 miles in Ford Edge models without changing the water pumps.

[@khakiswag]

The leaks were from owners who didn't change the coolant on time which caused it to become acidic. If you did proper maintenance those 3.5 V6 engines were very reliable.

[@jamesengland7461]

​@khakiswag not true. The water pump weep hole can fail, and you don't even know your oil pan has filled with coolant. It was a garbage idea. Shouldn't happen, no matter the miles.

[@matthewq4b]

The 255 Small Block Ford was truly a dog of an engine. And there was no such thing a a Windsor 255, It is a Small Block Ford 255

[@mattmc8391]

My parents traded in an 81 Fairmont with that engine on a brand new Pontiac 6000 with the iron duke in 1989 . My dad was done with Ford after the fairmont , it had 100k miles on it and oil was literally pouring out of rear main . The Pontiac went on to be a great car outside of the paint .

[@aaronmcconkey1062]

So was every other v8 at the time

[@TactaGhoul]

The MSP tested several vehicles for use as police cars in 1980, the Ford Fairmont with a 255 was unable to outrun a 90hp 225 slant six equipped Dodge Diplomat, posting a 15.9 second 0-60 vs. the 225's 15.0, and a 1/4 mile time of 20.65 compared to the 225's 20.10. Ouch.

[@matthewq4b]

@@aaronmcconkey1062 You clearly have not driven vehicles of the era...

[@puffkendrick6850]

@@matthewq4b We ran the Fairmont version in our cruisers,got about a year out of them that's it.

[@dcanmore]

FunFact: Rolls-Royce did produce a four-cylinder engine... for the British Army. It was called the B40 2.8 ltr 80hp that powered the Austin Champ, a replacement for the Willys Jeep that was produced between 1951-56. The engine was a modular design which included six and eight cylinder variants (B60/B80) for heavier armoured tactical vehicles.

[@bartismoellis1052]

The Ford engine with the internal water pump also has the added problem of if you don’t catch the leaking water pump and the weep hole is plugged it will leak coolant into the oil pan destroying the engine

[@Lousybarber]

I believe the 2.7 liter Chrysler V6 had the same problem. If the water pump started to leak the coolant would get into the engine oil. Also I think the crankcase only held four quarts of oil which contributed to sludge problems if the oil was not changed often enough.

[@robytar]

Today's engines have more of a "built in obsolescence" than possibly ever before; just like all the other junk we buy in our disposable world.

[@fjb3544]

Yeah but it makes 375 horsepower!!!!😂 people are fools for following the HP. No replacement for displacement

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, Determining the Top 10 Worst engines was a Herculean feat. 🙌🙌

[@anthony221956]

a documented list of how GM nickle and dimed itself to death and went from 60 % market share in the 1960's to where they are today... i think GM would have been better off if in 1977 they made the really hard decision and went back to Alfred Sloan's model... Chevy should have been the small car and only the small car and then the cars got bigger and more powerful as you went up the ladder... every division selling every size car with the same engines made no sense except to the dealer network

[@BillLaBrie]

The dealer network was very influential, and for good reason.

[@JohnnyAloha69]

Very well thought out list! Only change I’d make is remove the iron duke to make room for the lean burn 318.

[@dustyradcliff1009]

The engine itself was good, the injection system was trash

[@PuzzleVizion_TV]

@@dustyradcliff1009 So the engine is not unreliable, the electronics are

[@kristoffer3000]

@@PuzzleVizion_TV Which makes the engine unreliable as it's part of the engine.

[@tonywestvirginia]

My aunt had a 1967 Corvair Monza She bought in the spring and did not like the heater in the Michigan winter. It had 18K miles on it when she traded it in on a new Vega in 1971. She had good heat but it rusted away in three years.

[@sharkinstx]

I just watched a Periscope Film on the ‘75 Nova, Monza, and Vega. I miss my two Vegas, especially the ‘76 GT with the 5-speed. I drove it from 93,000 miles to 218,000, and never even had the head off of it. It didn’t burn oil - just leaked it.

[@kevinj2412]

I miss my Vegas too, never had an issue with either one, and the 74 with a 4 speed would do 40 MPG on a long trip.

[@AnyoneSeenMikeHunt]

The worst engines have been made in the last few years. Some of the classics were dogs but they didn't just explode when near new.

[@nothanksguy]

There were plenty of lemon motors in the 60s 70s and 80s. Especially at the early years of fuel injection

[@AnyoneSeenMikeHunt]

@@nothanksguy Yes, that's what I said, there were dogs back then but they didn't generally literally explode at near new like they do now.

[@nothanksguy]

@@AnyoneSeenMikeHunt chrysler literally had to recall all of the first fuel injection motors for not working properly. Gm put the wrong dipstick into fieros locking up motors. Car companies have always had their heads up their ass

[@jasonchristopher2977]

Agreed. I've been fixing them 30 years. The worst are what's been made in last 15. Earlier are stout. Easy to fix. 90s same thing. Owned many Panther platform cars and never had a 2 valve pop out a plug. Had a few 3 valves do it, break plugs etc. Any eco engine that has a internal waterpump are great when they run, a nightmare or hours of work and thousands to fix. Yes you get the 350 HP and more compared to 239 on 2 valves but only 1 hour water pump jobs and that's taking your time. Right under alternator. 2 bolts loose, 2 out, belt off and a handful for water pump. Costs 35 bucks for wp, and 20 in coolant. Dome. 10.5 hours ecoboost. While there ford says if you have around 100k do timing set. So that $1700 turns into $2400 easy. Cvt and wet belts are crap. Most places won't rebuild them. It's crazy how much ppl pay for these baskets of repairs and still keep buying them. Oh well, it keeps me working. So keep buying eco cars, keep buying wet belts, interference engines, cvts, and about all chryslers. 😂

[@21jimmyo]

@@jasonchristopher2977 There definitely can be a list of the ten worst engines from 2000-2025. I've bought American cars as cheap used cars, but never new. Most of them are terrible when compared to Hondas, Toyotas, etc.

[@fjcrod]

You're bang on with your assessment of the 2.6 Mitsubishi engine. Such a complete piece of trash. Had one in my dad's 1982 Chrysler LeBaron. It was pretty much done by 80000 kms. Even the rebuilt engine that replaced the original was a piece of crap. By 1990 the car was off the road.

[@southerndiy1]

Used to be lots of smoky old 2.6 Astrons getting around in Australia

[@buckshot6481]

The iron Duke is in our post drivers van.

[@johnscreekmark]

I understand they are in most postal vehicles. That should tell you something about the reliability of this engine. It gets a bad Rep for noise and vibration…ok, big deal. It runs and runs…that’s what it was designed for. I think the 2.5 Iron Duke should be rate among the BEST engines of alltime.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

The Ford Essex V6 should get an honorable mention. Head gasket issues which seem to be more problematic in transverse applications like the Taurus/Sable, Continental and Windstar.

[@Dac54]

In particular, the 3.8 liter version of that 6 cylinder engine had chronic head gasket issues. The smaller 3.0 liter version, on the other hand, was one of Ford's best all-around engines, period. Go figure!

[@PuzzleVizion_TV]

Isn't that a head gasket problem, not the engine's problem?

[@mrluckyuncle]

I can’t argue with your number #1 pick. We had a Vega when I was a kid. The little engine that couldn’t.

[@tensortab8896]

Iron Dukes were used in AMCs as well.

[@bobcoats2708]

Was that the 2.5 that was in the Cherokees for a few years?

[@platinumuschannel]

80's compact Jeeps used the 2.8 Chevy V6 which, just like the Ford equivalent, not that great.

[@robytar]

@@bobcoats2708 Yes, and other jeeps too.

[@hutchcraftcp]

​@@bobcoats2708No, the iron duke 151 was used in Spirits, Concords, Eagles and CJ 5 and 7s. After 1983 AMC used it's own new 150 cubic inch 4 cylinder engine. When the 84 Cherokee came out it used the AMC 4 cylinder and not the GM engine

[@dmandman9]

I think the iron Duke was ok. But it was put into vehicles that simply overwhelmed it. The noise made it seem worse than it was.

[@Ccyawn123]

The entire purpose of putting the iron Duke in those cars was to punish people for buying the cheapest model

[@marknease1631]

I could always tell when the postal vehicle was driving up my hill.

[@randyrankin589]

Great job as always, Adam! Thank you for your comments on the history of the Oldsmobile Diesel engines. You nailed it!

[@volks-jager]

ill take just about any classic car engine over the modern overcomplicated cuckoo-clocks with 20 feet of timing chain, cam phasers,direct injection etc. my daily driver is 35 years old - super simple and cheap to fix

[@timothykeith1367]

Pushrods forever for me!

[@reini3006]

None of the things you list are "modern". (Double) overhead camshafts have been around since at least the late fifties, direct injection is - to my knowledge - an invention of WW 2 aero engines and was first used in the famous inline six powering the Mercedes Benz 300 SL. Cam phasers have been around since the fifties, too. The first engine I know of that used this technology during warm-up phase was the early Mercedes Benz Diesel engines. Just because you don't know about these technologies does not mean they were not around for quite a while. Even "new" hybrid and EV technology dates back to pre WW 1 times. Better do some research first before posting crap 🤷.

[@sunnohh]

Idk my new porsche never needs fixed and if it did the factory warranty, well to put it one way free repairs!

[@volks-jager]

None of the things I mentioned where put in regular production. cars until fairly recently. I was not refering to aircraft, super rare exotics or goofy diesels. No one was driving around with a Merlin or a DB605 in their car. Older cars that did have overhead cams used a simple timing setup. Not a half dozen chains with 14 different guides. Things that should be simple and cheap like the mentioned water pump are now costing a fortune to fix.

[@reini3006]

@@volks-jager All of the technologies are used in series for at least thirty years. If you are really that concerned about complexity buy an EV. Those are really nothing more than a giant version of a RC car with a brushless motor and those are far from complex. All other systems are barely creature comfort systems (GPS navigation, heated/ventilated/electric adjustable seats, automatic AC...) or safety systems (anti lock brakes, pre collision warning, lane keeping assist...).

[@stvkomer]

20 years of being broke and driving used 2nd hand GM cars is why I drive a Honda accord for my commute and a pre war Model A for a fun car. The mitsu 2.6 with a simple weber carb upgrade transformed it into a torquer. man what a trip into obscura thanks for the momories on this one lol

[@IndridCool54]

I had a neighbor who had a Jeep CJ7 with the Iron Duke and he absolutely loved it. I have a 2005 Ford F150 FX4 with the well hated 5.4 3V. When I bought it new it had 25 miles on the odometer and it now has almost 350,000. The engine has never been touched. I do my own maintenance and I’ve put spark plugs in it several times. I had to replace the throttle body due to an electrical failure, but it still has the original alternator, starter, water pump, power steering pump etc. I had to rebuild the transmission at about 285k because the splines in the 3rd and 4th gear drive hub stripped out. I live in a little travel trailer and I tow it with my truck. It’s all about the maintenance.

[@Paramount531]

I have an 09 that I purchased new and it's still going strong at 140K. I maintain it and never abused it. I plan to keep it until it wears out.

[@dmandman9]

I agree 100% concerning the Vega engine. Total junk unless equipped with cylinder liners.

[@tedpalmer5552]

Vega engine *could* work with nikasil coated bores, but that technology was a couple of decades later. Any body that ever 0:02 owned a teflon coated frypan knows you are not supposed to scrape it with metal stuff. I'm almost surprised GM didn't fit plastic piston rings.

[@RetNemmoc555]

I liked my mom's Vega, but it burned more oil than gas. After I replaced the head and cleaned it up I thought it was a cute little car. Not a keeper, though.

[@4af]

The '71-'75 engine had many more wear problems than just the cylinders. All problems were fixed in '76. Was a nice car by '76

[@2packs4sure]

The first time I heard of the 255 was when a neighbor got a beautiful new LOADED LTD Crown Victoria and couldn't stop raving about how great that 255 was,,, he had it for many years.. He loved it because of the mileage it got on the open road and that's what it was,, a traveling car.... Every summer it went from Houston to New Hampshire and back.. Woof ! I would have HATED that drive !! lol

[@bloqk16]

Aside from better fuel economy, another aspect that made diesel engines appealing in the early 1980s, at least in California, was the lower price for fuel. I had a 1982 Isuzu pickup diesel, and to this day I still recall at a self-serve gas station that year, while I was paying $1.05 per gallon for diesel, the regular grade gasoline was selling at $1.45 per gallon at the same gas station. BTW: When it came to diesel fuel and water -- My truck had a fuel filter with a water separator petcock valve; whereupon once or twice per month I'd end up with a tablespoon or two of water from that separator, as well as a few bits of algae, too.

[@johnscreekmark]

I’m still driving a 1988 S10 with a 2.5 Iron Duke engine. Extremely reliable and provides quite sufficient power for this little, short-body pickup. I bought it brand new off the lot at Webber Chevrolet in St. Louis, MO. The only problem I’ve had is a defective ECU computer box. I found a replacement in a junkyard, swapped the EPROM, and now the truck runs like a top.

[@blautens]

The S10 is a good vehicle for that engine, especially with a manual trans - the vibration isn't so bad at a stoplight when you push in the clutch.

[@paulwatson1507]

You nailed them all! Great work. 😎

[@j.frankparnell3087]

I'd have to throw an honorable mention to the 262 cu in V8 that came in my father's 75 Chevy Nova. Rated at an amazing 110 HP it was a truly dismal engine.

[@markanthony3275]

Would you say it was spectacularly dismal?

[@philricci2012]

And the equally dismal 115 horsepower 307.

[@jimsvideos7201]

Thank you for the research this takes, whether that was first-hand or from other sources.

[@johnlandacre767]

Interesting you mentioned the oil cap being made of rubber. I had a ‘72 Chevy Caprice small block 400 V-8, which had a rubber oil cap. It did indeed crack and fall into the engine, though I think the mechanic doing the oil change got most of it out, maybe all of it. This engine was an oil burner, about a quart every 700 miles as I recall. What a nice car overall, to be saddled with such a ridiculous idea as the rubber oil cap. I bought two or three during the time I had the car. They didn’t last long.

[@KeithOtisEdwards]

Yes, but the rubber oil cap likely cost GM 85¢ each less ! Cost cutting is what this entire page is about !

[@Rom3_29]

5:11 - I remember 1982 Canada new auto show. Checking out beautiful big body style Camaro. After popping the hood and seeing tiny black four cylinder engine. Most of the engine bay was filled with various rubber hoses going all over. That was only time I remember seeing four cylinder Camaro. I laughed out loud seeing it. Thats just embarrassing. 17:42 - Emissions controlled engines were literally opening can of worms. Any mechanics nightmare to find a vacuum leak. If they didn’t have smoke machine or didn’t smoke.

[@compu85]

I always describe the 305 as the torqueless wonder. I wasn't aware of the camshaft issues.

[@philricci2012]

The 305 had lots of torque compared to the 267.

[@JimSix-jo6hf]

the only comment I have is I agree with all the choices, I worked at a Cadillac dealer in the 80s the 864 was a good engine but some could not live with it, it did save some fuel but you had to keep your eye on that monitor and drive really steady, but 8 rockers and pivots would just make it a nice V8, the HT4100 was not very good, at the dealer we called them hand tight 4100s the intake bolts would loosen and back off in just a few thousand miles, I made a lot of money on those we would get low mile engines after the factory rep approved a replacement then replace all the gaskets and add 50% to the bolt torque, we got really good money for them and they held up not much power but really smooth

[@DurocShark]

Agree with the Vega being #1. Had a Vega wagon back in the day. Its exhaust could have been used in an 007 movie. Loved that car though until I hit a deer with it in the mountains. Oh well.

[@jamesHazel-b2n]

My uncle bought a used 78 Chevy truck with the Olds Diesel from the factory. He quickly pulled that out and put in an Olds 350 from a '72 Cutlass. Ran like a scalded dog after that.

[@Gerisheng]

Ah, the iron duke. You did a good job of covering this, but didn't quite touch on everything. That's understandable on a list like this, so I humbly add: Piston knock. My first car, in 1985 when I was a broke E1 in the USAF fresh out of high school, was an '81 Olds Omega. I could never, no matter what I did, get it to not just start randomly piston knocking for no apparent reason. FF 20 years and I become a mailman and...every mail truck has piston knock, because they all have an iron duke (with some exceptions that have the Vortec 2200, but they are a tiny minority, and the also minority of Ford-based mail trucks). The iron duke goes forever, but it is a curse, not a blessing. It is not a trusty friend, it is a frustrating poltergeist that never lets you relax, wondering what it will do wrong next.

[@MUUKOW3]

Sooo? They rattled for how many hundred thousand miles? They never left you stranded no matter how crude.

[@Gerisheng]

​@@MUUKOW3 First - yes, they left me stranded several times. Second - Saying "they never left you stranded no matter how crude" is like saying "the parasite didn't kill you no matter how much it made you suffer." Yes, I had puss running out of my armpits because of the iron duke, but hey it didn't kill me! Yes, I had rubbery tentacles sprouting from my eyeballs because of the iron duke, but I lived! No, the iron duke didn't slowly pop the testes from my scrotum like grapes, so it's all OK! The iron duke didn't explode and lodge a connecting rod between my eyes, so everything it does is OK! The iron duke didn't seize up like a broken food processor, so all it's flaws are forgiven! Dude, it's a bona fide POS, and as I said clearly, it's longevity is not a blessing, it's a curse. It is a horrible engine that keeps going to keep making you suffer. I drove an iron duke for a total of 8 years. All 8 of them sucked.

[@dmandman9]

In my opinion, The Ford 255 wasn’t unreliable. (Unless it had the variable Venturi carburetor. ) It was just underpowered. When in the Full sized cars, it was just over taxed.

[@roberthaygarth8525]

Now you guys all mention it was in the full sized cars and I somehow don’t believe that cause number one ford wouldn’t do something as senseless as that as they already had the 302 and 351 anyhow and number two I’ve never seen or heard of them being in the full size cars given the fact I’ve had 4 and my father had just about as many my brother had one my friend had one and none of them had a 255 my brother dies have an 81 mustang with a 255 and my 2 friends had 81 t birds and they were both 255s. 255s were reserved for the midsize fords mustangs and capris not the full size cars

[@TeeroyHammermill]

@@roberthaygarth8525 : They were in LTD's. It was hard to tell unless you read the emissions decal.

[@dmandman9]

@ While most of the full sized cars were equipped with the 302 in all years. The 255 was indeed offered in the full sized cars as well in 1981 and 1982. It was offered in an effort to improve the CAFE . My father had a customer with a 1981 LTD Crown Vitoria ( then a trim level) equipped with the 255. He kept the vehicle until at least the late 1990’s. It had the infamous variable Venturi carburetor that was the only significant mechanical problem it had. It was noticeably slower than the 302. But it wasn’t as slow as the 3.8 v6 equipped GM full sized cars. Our customer’s car was the only 255 equipped LTD I remember seeing. The others were 302’s. Yes, the 302 and (a relative few) 351 were available. But the 255 was the base engine in 1981-1982 . This was in the midst of a recent increase in gas prices from around 65 cents in early 1979 to around 1.20 by the end of 1980. Here’s one that was for sale recently www.primoclassicsllc.com/vehicles/184/1981-ford-ltd

[@roberthaygarth8525]

@@dmandman9 well I must say this is news to me and I’ve been into fords for at least 40 years now . Like I said with all the ltds and grand marquis I’ve been involved with none of them had a 255. Now I’m in Canada and I wonder if that has anything to do with it? Like I said 255s in mid size cars yes 255 in big fords from what I knew and saw here no

[@dmandman9]

@ Again, it wasn’t common. Like I said, I e only personally seen ONE in the LTD. Having said that, I’ve also only seen 2 or 3 1980-1980 Lincoln Town cars equipped with the 351 . The rest were 302. I can’t recall seeing ANY 351 equipped 1979-1982 Ltds or Marquis equipped with a 351 even though I know they were offered as options.

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

I've got at least 2 of my father's Pontiac 301s here, or, 4 Iron Dukes the way I look at it 😂

[@markanthony3275]

Yeah...301 gets my vote! Blew rod bearings on mine.

[@dmandman9]

The 4100 was junk. But the 4.9 was pretty decent. I’d take a 4.9 over a Northstar any day.

[@markcain5168]

Worked at a Caddie dealership when the HT4100 came out. Hated working on them. Just about killed the brand.

[@Henry_Jones]

2 engines that belong on this list- the gm quad4 and the ford 3.8 v6. The ford 3.8 is especially ironic given their goal was to reverse engineer the buick 3800, the most reliable gasoline engine of all time. Fords copy just ate head gaskets cuz they used aluminim heads.

[@dmandman9]

The 3.8 was hit or miss. If the head gasket survived, it was a solid engine. And once the head gasket was replaced, it was trouble free from then on. But a good number were destroyed by the blown gaskets. I think the quad 4 was much worse, cracked heads, timing chain issues and fixing them didn’t seem to last.

[@loveisall5520]

I'd forgotten about that engine! I had friends with both Fords and that little Lincoln Taurus-based with it. It'd just run and then die.

[@dmandman9]

@@Henry_Jones Back in 1981 the 3.8 Buick engine was far from the reliable engine it became as the 3800. No, it didn’t have many head gasket issues. But the oil pump was notorious for failing at relatively low mileage followed by the timing chain. You were lucky to make it to 100,000 miles because of the oil pressure issues.

[@TeeroyHammermill]

@Henry_Jones: My brother in law could change Ford 3.8 headgaskets in about an hour because he had so much practice at it. All years from the 80's through the 90's blew headgaskets about as frequently as Cadillac 4100.

[@Henry_Jones]

@@dmandman9 i had a quad4 powered olds achieva. Worst car Ive owned crashy suspension, cheap as hell interior, leaks, i was happy when the 4t60e gernaded itself and I junked it

[@xXcampx]

I had a Dodge Caravan cargo van e.g. "Mini-Ram Van" with the 2.6 Mitsubishi. I can attest to the fact that it was a smooth engine. The carburator actually did a pretty convincing impersonation of fuel injection. However, when the carb started leaking gas and came time for a rebuild, it was horribly expensive and my carburetor guy said "these things are needlessly complicated." I also had problems with blown head gaskets and timing chain keepers and guides. At 185,000 miles, coming back from skiing at Jimini Peak, it threw a rod and blew a hole in the engine block on the Taconic State Parkway.

[@49commander]

I has an 88 S-10 with Throttle Body fuel injection and 5 speed manual. It had a serious off the line hesitation that sometimes was so bad it would stall. It had a check engine light that no GM dealer could ever fix!

[@johnscreekmark]

Assume yours was a2.5L Iron Duke? I had the same problem in mine. You have to use the old “paper clip” method on the OBDI diagnostic and read the “Service Engine Soon” flash codes. It’s awkward, but it works. I fixed mine by finding a computer box with the same serial number in a junkyard…replaced the EPROM with the original from my truck. Mine runs like a top now!

[@MK-ge2mh]

Oldsmobile Diesel! Worst damn engine ever made. My mother bought a ‘79 98 Oldsmobile. My father was so impressed, he bought one two weeks later. Then the problems started. Can you imagine owning two of those POS?

[@miguelluna6842]

I have 2 anecdotes about 2 of the motors on you're list. The first involves my father. From late 1978, early 1979 until early 1983, my father was the lead mechanic at the Cadillac dealership in Beverly Hills, Ca. N as you know, at the time, Cadillac was still the top luxury car everyone wanted. He was thoroughly sad though when Cadillac stopped the V-8-6-4. He told me that pretty much every customer that came in would complain to him n offer him money under the table to fix it. Well, he'd spin this tall tale of how he couldn't do it at the dealership cuz if the manager saw he'd get in trouble n how time consuming it was n each one would offer anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 cash n let him take their car home for however long (he'd usually just take it for the night. As he used to joke, sitting in LA traffic isn't so bad when you're in a Caddie). Needless to say that money came in handy for a guy who was just starting his family. The second anecdote is about the infamous HT4100. My maternal grandfather always bought a brand new Fleetwood Brougham, black exterior/padded landau with maroon interior every 2 years starting from the early 1970's when he lived in New York. Fast forward to 1982, n he's moved to California. Time for a new Cadillac. Goes n purchases his double black with maroon interior Fleetwood Brougham. About 3 months later, him n my grandmother decided to make their one of many trips from LA to Vegas (both my grandparents were avid casino goers). So they pack up the Caddie n head out. It's late June/early July. Their out in the middle of the desert, pre cell phone days, n the car dies. I'm not exactly sure what happened but my grandfather always said "The damn motor melted!" N him n my grandmother got lucky that someone stopped n gave them a ride to the next town which was over an hour away. After that debacle, my grandfather refused to buy another Cadillac n switched to Buicks (mostly Rivieras with a few Electra Park Aves here n there) from then on.

[@Cougracer67]

Obviously your father was an out and out crook!!

[@joerosier6059]

You couldn't be more wrong about the Iron Duke. I had one in a 1990 Grand Am and I loved that car. I paid $10,500 for it brand new. It was a 5 speed manual and I ran that thing to the red line thru almost every gear every time I drove it. I ran the piss out of that car. I am from St. Louis but got relocated for my job to Dallas. I used to put my wife and two kids in that car and cruise back to St. Louis for a weekend. 12 hours both ways. I would average 40 MPG with it on the highway!!!!!! I never had any trouble with it. I went thru 3 sets a brakes, 4 sets of tires, an alternator I think, and ran it up to 197,000 miles. I got rear ended by some idiot down there and when the insurance adjuster came out to look at it he had to do a double take when he looked at the odometer. He says "New engine, new clutch???". I was like nope. All original. He said he would do what he could but with so many miles he might have to total it even though it could have easily been repaired. he called me later at work and said they had to total it so I could come get my check for $3,500 as soon as I wanted. So the car only cost me $7,000 ($10,500 minus $3,500) and serviced me well for over 5 years. I went and got that check, deposited in my bank, and went and bought myself a brand new 1996 Impala SS off the show room floor later that night. And I still have the SS!!!! Wish I could go out and buy another new 1990 Grand AM just like the one I had because it was worth every penny and then some. Great car and great motor!!!!

[@Flies2FLL]

Great video as always!

[@brettscott7770]

Great video thanks.

[@SirOsisofLiver]

My uncle traded his '75 LTD in on an '81 Cougar with the 255. He was generally happy with the car, but had mentioned it needed more power. That car was traded for an '84 Accord EX. Dad had an '84 Voyager with the 2.6L. 101hp IIRC. The van was bare bones, not even AC. With our family and one set of grandparents, it was a dog. No real issues with it, but it was traded for an Accord LX in '90. World of difference.

[@LongIslandMopars]

Hondas make great power from small displacements.

[@tomtumulec2504]

My friend have 4.3 v8 olds diesel siting in his yard in rual poland in middle of nowhere. How this engine ended up here ? Many of those olds diesel cars was sold new in europe. One time i saw 2 door chevy celebrity with 4.3 v6 old diesel with manual ? siting 4 sale in some junkyard in the nederlands. Back to v8 olds, his uncle bought olds cutlass 4 door fastback in belgium back in 90s and import it to Poland. The old v8 died fast from poor quality of heating oil used as diesel back in the day and they swap it for om616 mercedes diesel at the time that was super comon swap for us cars here.

[@simplygregsterev]

I enjoy how even 40+ years later the Olds Diesel and Vega 4 are always still talked about being total junk!

[@MyerShift7]

Chrysler's 2.7 is definitely among the worst, but their 318, 2.2, and 3.5, and 3.3/3.8's are incredibly good

[@DSP1968]

A very thoughtful list, Adam. The one that always perplexed me the most was the Ford 255. Just such an unnecessary variant on so many levels. They designed it "on the cheap" and boy, did it show. This was borne out by its (thankfully) very short life.

[@taguer261]

Very good report I didnt think anyone would remember the 2.6 chrysler used. I had one of those k car limos Dealer said my 2nd motor and something stretched or flared that caused carb issues that made it undrivable warming up Chrysler wouldnt pay for a 3rd motor dont drive one of the little limos in the rain with passengers in the back Fwd doesnt work well with the weight balance

[@sashley616]

I can always tell when the mail is at the mailbox if I am working outside thanks to the distinct sound of the iron puke engine in the mail truck.

[@Lurch4you]

Going way back for this one Adam! 1923 Chevrolet Model M 134CID " Copper Cooled " engine. It failed testing at GM but was released anyway. 759 were built but only 100 made it into public hands when it was dropped by January of 1923. GM tried to recall all of them ( and destroy them all ). However two cars escaped ( one is at The Henry Ford in Detroit, MI & the other is at the former Harrah's Collection in Reno, NV ), plus 2 or 3 free-standing engines.

[@RareClassicCars]

I forgot that one!

[@peterbenson3776]

I remember the GM307 has noisy valve assembly.

[@malcolmhamilton5200]

@@peterbenson3776 and we're gutless wonders compared to the 327s and 350s, even the 283s they were related to.

[@williampetsch1244]

I have the 2.5 in my 83 Camaro with the 4spd manual transmission. It is the most crude and vibrating engine I’ve ever owned. Was going to replace it with a V8 but might just keep it the way it is for novelty 💁‍♂️

[@RareClassicCars]

Keep it. Super rare.

[@brady3474]

I don’t see the problems commenters are having with modern engines. I was born in ‘56 and I don’t remember any cars lasting 200,000 miles. I routinely see that now. Also every car older than 6 months leaked oil. Plus nothing stock had horsepower equal to cubic inches, back then but at least they burned a lot of gas.

[@jwelchon2416]

I would include the NORTHSTAR engine. They were excellent until they were not. There is a fix for them but unfortunately the Cadillac's the engines are in are worthless. Plus the transmissions were trash. Oh..And the electrical systems were plagued with parasitic draws.

[@WinkelManBearPig]

Timing driven water pumps serve no purpose

[@mopartony7953]

The 2.6L Mitsubishi’s Mikuni carburetor was a piece of work. A fist-size bundle of vacuum hoses. Coolant circulating through its body. And often the secondary would not even open. The high altitude, California-legal tuning was LEAN. When it got fuel injection in 89/90, was improved a lot. The short block was bullet proof. Excellent service in fork trucks. Fork truck did have jet valves either which helped with reliability.

[@bmstylee]

The Olds Quad 4 was trash. My parents had one that blew 3 head gaskets before being declared a lemon.

[@markanthony3275]

Yeah...I visited my mechanic buddy who was trying to find out what the problem was with the long timing chain in the quad four of a customer ( the guy who sold the EZ Wrap 1000 to Walmart). Turns out a piece of the oil pressure activated tensioning shoe broke off, and was nowhere to be found. JUNK from new!

[@lvsqcsl]

I am wanting to say that the 2.5 liter "Iron Duke" came out in 1976 for the 1977 model year. The Pontiac Astre used this engine while the Vega still used the "Durabuilt" aluminum block engine. (It was anything but durable.) Beginning in 1981, Cadillac had their own engines, Oldsmobile and Chevrolet were assigned V-8 engines, Buick had the V-6 engines, and Pontiac had 4 cylinder engines, hence the reason why most everything then had the Pontiac "Iron Duke." I think AMC also used that Iron Duke in some of their cars like the Spirit and Concord. (This was later; I am wanting to say they used a Porsche 4-cylinder engine before that.) GREAT VIDEO!

[@CSMSteel7]

What are you talking about with this beginning in ‘81 stuff with engine size? Not accurate.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I almost bought an early 80s Cadillac when I first got married. My wife wanted something smaller. And by the time I convinced her that it was the right car. I got to the owner's house just in time to watch the new owner drive it away. I was heartbroken for awhile. But after learning about the engine problems. I was relieved

[@narglefargle]

There are so many modern engines that could make this list. Literally EVERYONE I've known who had some large GM SUV with a 3.6L V6 has told me some horror story about catastrophic engine failure. Same with all the poor souls who got stuck owning an F-150 with the dreaded 5.4L 3-valve V8. I think enough time has passed with both of those things to officially declare them "garbage."

[@gregdelagrange8573]

Great video Adam! I own 2 cars with engines on this list. A 1942 Lincoln Continental coupe with the V12 and a 85 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz with the HT4100. I can safely say that both were pretty anemic when compared to their contemporary competition.

[@RareClassicCars]

Awesome that you have a 42 Continental

[@gregdelagrange8573]

@RareClassicCars Thank you! I have videos of that car on my KZbin channel.

[@timothykeith1367]

Chrysler 2.7 v6

[@MikeekiM-vh5se]

Toyota of the same years late 90's to 2010 V6 had a worse oil sludge issue than Chrysler and Toyota's failed at low miles too, research it! Yes the 2.7 Chrysler was not good,150,000 miles it could last if you changed oil every 3000 miles. I ama former Toyota tech..Also Toyota 3.0 of the 90's blew head gaskets and 2010- current Toyota 4 cyl engines burn oil and blow pistons and piston rings from new albeit the 2022- current Toyota Lexus 3.5..

[@chadconine6091]

My son had a 2.7 300. Change the oil every 3000 and use mobile one it ran 300,000 without a hiccup. Frame rotted out. If that didn’t happen it still be in the road today. The 2.7 was a high maintenance engine not made for people who don’t do regular maintenance

[@CSMSteel7]

I don’t miss doing those 3.0 head gaskets.

[@This.Handle.Is.Taken.Already]

Depends on what year. My 2008 300 has the 2.7 and has 275,000 miles on it. I haven't had any problems from the engine or transmission.

[@Cougracer67]

I changed as many cams in 350's as in 305's. Except for the smaller bore, 305's and 350's are the same engine.

[@jblyon2]

I grew up with an 86 Caravan with the 2.6L engine. It ran like absolute garbage with the carb configured 'properly.' Dad could get it to where the engine ran smooth as could be, but had to change it back every 2 years when the van was due for an emissions test. It would fail emissions if the engine was actually running right. That thing had no power. Had to shut off the AC going up steep hills. I can't believe they sold that van with an even less powerful base engine...

[@MikeekiM-vh5se]

Chrysler products with the Mitsubishi 2.6 and 3.0 engines were trash! Chrysler's own 2.2,2.5 4cyl and 3.3 and 3.8 V6 would last 300,000 plus miles easily and keep going!

[@jericho86]

2.5 iron duke : excellent except for the fact it was terrible. 305: we all know some old timer who says they had a 305 that didn't suck ( or a "305 that thought it was a 400") and he's just as confused about as it as the rest of us. 255: an engine for the fudds who have to have a v8. Cadillac V8-6-4: The worst version of the worst version of the 500 engine family. Cadillac 4100: The fact that they kept the 368 for commercial chassis says it all.

[@craigbenz4835]

This is the first time I've seen the term "fudds" cross over from a firearms context to an automotive one.

[@DeadKoby]

We had a Cadillac 4100... think it was from 84'. My dad bought it used as a work car, and speculated that the factory recommended oil fill was too low. I think he put an extra quart into it. In the 90's he was testing the new hip full synthetic oils and going 10k miles per oil change... as it was a long highway cruise to work every day. When the timing chain gear crapped out, he fixed it and kept it going.

[@wondersteven]

I had an 82 LeBaron Mark Cross convertible. I loved that car and put up with the 2.6 Mitsubishi. The engine, although underpowered was actually a pretty good engine. If I remember right during the maintenance period, you had to retorque the head and if you didn't, you had head gasket issues. I always retorqued mine so I probably escaped those issues. I did have some timing chain and guides issues which would rattle and I had a Mopar mechanic that I was good friends with who loved working on these things, put the chains and guides in for me. Only problem I had was with the carb. Occasionally it would go haywire and run rough and surge. I would put in a can of gas additive and then it would stop acting up. Engine was still strong when the transmission went out. Had the box rebuilt and kept it for a couple more years before I traded it in on a new 95 Lebaron ragtop. My mom also had a 84 T&C that she bought new that had the 2.6 in it. I don't think she had a lick of problems with it.

[@Troy_nov1965]

I completely agree with you on the iron Dookie engines. Even new you felt like you were driving a car that felt like it had very high mileage and needed a rebuild. Reliable but very crude is a very good description. I owned a couple of cars with them back in 80s and early 90s and had no problem getting rid of them. The Chevy 305 ( along with 307) I always thought was a dog as well . But because it was a Chevy small block many thought it was great. I was not one of them. No comparison between it and 283, 327 and 350. Out of High School my first real job was working at a GM dealership doing auto body repair ( mid 80s). One of my best friends that worked there rebuilt and repaired engines. He LOATHED the GM diesel engines he said they were the worst engine you could get and the only thing they were good for was a boat anchor. I never owned a Vega ( had 3 Pintos though) but one of my brothers owned a couple of them. Complete junk although I liked the looks of them. How that engine got approved for production is mind boggling. The rest you have on the list I never owned or had any direct connection with, so not much I can comment on them. A couple I can add though is the Pontiac Trophy 4 engine ( half of a 389 V8 ) . My dad had got one in a trade from a customer from his gas station/garage he owned. That engine was so rough running it felt like the car would shake apart. The Ford 6 cylinders ( US models 200-250 ) was not a favorite and Im a huge straight 6 engine fan. The bottom ends were really good on them but that horrid log intake they used made them dogs. One of the worst designed heads I have ever come across..

[@richardbrant5728]

All of these problems would be devistating recalls today. They can't get away with these problems today.

[@sheehy933]

I remember my 1979 Pontiac Sunbird rocking like a hobbyhorse on cold startup. It was a crude and rude hunk of reciprocating parts that gave the impression of being at war with itself.

[@robertandrews5506]

The 305 Chevy was a GM dealer mechanic that worked piece work, cash cow. Early cam/lifter failure was second to valve guide failure I’m talking a couple hundred miles and the value guide was wiped out. With an impact gun and a parts department that stocked plenty of heads. I good “A Man” could do two a day. Just loosen the intake and exhaust manifolds and slide the head up and off. The cause: Per GM engineering, They GM tried to save money by only putting two layers of chrome on the valve stem instead of three saving a few pennies. That resulted in a ruff surface that acted as a file on the guide.

[@Flies2FLL]

Motor Oil Geek has a video on here in which he talks about ZDDP. Too much of this can cause camshaft pitting, so if you add it you have to add the correct amount.

[@CSMSteel7]

Correct. You want a thin layer. If the layer thickens, it schluffs and peels off.

[@PuzzleVizion_TV]

Is this american v8's only?

[@frankdeboer1347]

We bought a 77 Pontiac Laurentian (Canada) in 1979 that already had the 305 rebuilt. During our many years with it with many teen drivers it was extremely reliable.

[@DUNEATV]

Years down the road, the new Toyota tundra engine will be on a list like this!

[@christopherg9806]

The fact that GM had so many years of 305 that had soft camshafts is inexcusable. I also never understood why the Iron Duke was so LOUD. My brother's '80 Monza had the I.D. and it was ridiculously raucous. In fact, GM powertrain engineers should be embarrassed that they have so many engines on this list, as they were using their customers for R & D. I love the Buick and Olds 350's and 455's, as well as iterations of the Chevy smallblock, but far too many buyers ended up with crappy 301's, 305's and 307's, plus all the engines you mentioned.

[@danielmarek4609]

I knew someone who had a Caddy with one of those V8-6-4 engines. He had nothing but problems with it. He started calling it the V8-6-4-2-0 engine. The 4.3 V* diesel in the Olds were very poor sellers in the secondary market. People just didn't want them, and you could get them for a real steel. Often what some would do is buy an Olds diesel and then convert it over to a gas burner V8. You'd get a car, same year, that had a gas engine, totaled in an accident with low miles. Rip out everything related to the diesel, including the diesel engine itself, and swap over the gas parts. Emission testing was beginning so you still had to smog out the car. In my state you could do the swap but had to have it inspected and the emissions classification was updated.