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The most reliable engine ever made in a older American car

S

steve from staten island

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Some swear by a slant six in fact i think all the big three sixes were good. Chevy had a later six that had the intake built into the head which was prone to cracking which i did not care for. Some of the older Hobart welding machines were powered by slant sixes and those things could not be killed
 
My vote is for the old reliable 318 Chrysler. It was the longest running production engine in American history (1957-2002) for a reason. It was very, very durable!
 
That Jeep 4.0 straight six is insane. Crazy torque and long life. Minus the cooling equipment seems to have failures often. But a new radiator or hose is better then a new block.
 
coronet340 said:
That Jeep 4.0 straight six is insane. Crazy torque and long life. Minus the cooling equipment seems to have failures often. But a new radiator or hose is better then a new block.
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I agree. My parents had a 70 buick with a 455 that I wrecked when 16. My uncle is using that same engine in a car he has now. I wrecked that car 33 years ago.
 
ykf7b0 said:
My vote is for the old reliable 318 Chrysler. It was the longest running production engine in American history (1957-2002) for a reason. It was very, very durable!
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Sorta true. The old 318 Poly ain't the same engine as the later 318. Same displacement, different everything else.
 
I've had real good luck with my 318's.

Poly has same rotating assemby, IIRC.
 
I'm going with the leaning tower of power on this one. I've tried blowing up slant sixes and it's damn near impossible. I've had several over the years and never had a failure of an internal part.
 
As well as being very resilient, you then add the sheer production numbers, the slant six wins hands down. Very easily a million cars a year, 90% or so of all A body production, then taxis, B bodies. Endless numbers.
 
I have heard from a D derby guy who likes the big Chryslers that the 318 is the ONE! He yanks the 440's out, sells them on CL, then puts in a 318. Because according to his experience the 318 will run for an hour without water.
 
I agree with the jeep in line 6. When I was a kid, I accidentally left the old oil filter gasket on the motor when changing the oil. I drove the thing down the street the whole thing started shaking violently so I pulled over, found the problem, put a few more quarts of oil in and drove it home. Never had an issue with that motor even after that.
 
300s are nice. But can you imagine a stroked /6 with that much displacement ? Wow !!!!!
 
318......289....283......327.....ford 300/6........all winners
 
While in the The Military in the early seventies, I drove tugs with the slant six pulling large planes from the Taxiway to various staging areas. No other six cylinder engines in sight! LoL
 
YY1 said:
I've had real good luck with my 318's.

Poly has same rotating assemby, IIRC.
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Yes and no. Don't know about all Pollys but my 1966 came with forged crank, rods bushed for full floating pins, and pistons notched for valve relief. It seemed close to a 340 than 318. I am sure it was a more expensive engine to produce than the LA.
 
Model A engine went on forever as a Contenental industrial engine. Remember, flat heads have no valve train pieces to break.
 
very true, and the old flathead mopars were even in the Sherman tank, I believe eight of them? I saw a picture once at a Chrysler plant.
 
In 1970, AMC introduced the 258 inline six. Was a very reliable engine. I would say the slant six and the 258 would be too close to call. Small block chevys and 318 Mopars were very close too...
 
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