ATTN: Car Guru::: Wear & Tear on Smaller Car engine?

[evergreen96]

Okay here the situtation:


My dad believes that smaller engines will produces more wear and tear and therefore won't last as long.
(maybe this was true back) then a bigger one.
Does this "theory" still hold true today?

(eg Both engines are 4 cyclinder with different displacement size 1.8L vs. 2.3L ) BTW I'm talking about Honda and Toyota engine specifically


Question 2:

What about difference in engine size (displacement) and 6 cyl engine (2.3 L 4 cyl vs 3.0 V6)?

Question 3.

Honda spec say that the estimated MPG of

23/30 for 4 cyl 2.3L
20/28 for 3.0L V6

Does this come into play with the using the assumpations below?

Question 4.

Is forking the extra $1500-$2000 worth it for a V6? if my dad theory is correct?
Know Assumpations:

1. All cars are 4 speed automatic
2. A smaller engine will rev more in the 5th gear (eg highway speed, 70mph 1.6L=3800rpms, 2.2 L 3000rpms)
3. Make or make not have different gear ratios? Not really sure If it will affect the finally outcome????????
4. Different compresssion ratios??? " """""""""""""""""""""""""""

 

[evergreen96]

bump no-1 know this or have a opionon on this

 

[gregshin]

Have you not heard about the durablity of Japanese 4cyl engines?

I had a co worker delivering pizza with an old 85 toyota pick with 285,000 miles....HOLY crap that thing ran like it was rebuilt. All he changed was the fuel filter and the alternater.

My 1990 Nissan 240sx which i sold at 160,000 miles....no probs what so ever.

Honestly having a v6 can lengthen the lifespan on the engine. It prevents less wear and tear when reving high.

 

[notfred]

What are you asking? You want to know if a v6 is worth $1500 more than a 4cyl? I'm sorry, your English is really bad.

 

[teg]

smaller engines dont have as much torque as larger engines meaning they need to be revved more to get power. Most V6 engines have ample torque down low so they dont need to be revved to gain power. I own a 1.8L 4 cylinder and the most annoying feature is 5 gears that are close in gear ratio. At 70 km/h i can be in 5th gear turning 2k. But once I get upto highway speed, 110km/h im almost turning 4000 rpm. This sound and gas milage suffers and can bother you on long trips. 4 cylinder engines last just as long as V6 given they are taken care properly. Im at 240,000 km clicks on mine and it revs to redline fine. If you want more lowend torque and just driving around in the city, a V6 should do you well, but if you liek to fly around town revving the hell out of the engine, then going with a four banger is your answer.

 

[Eli]

The answer is no. That doesen't even make any sense.. lol.. It's the design and care of the engine thats going to determine how long is lasts, not how big it is. :Q

By his logic, your lawnmower should only run for a few hours... lol

 

[Eli]

Others do have a point about the RPMs, though. Aside from normal wear and tear, the higher your average RPM, the faster you're going to wear your engine out, naturally. But I don't think it's really *that* big of a deal as long as you take care of your engine.

 

[KokomoGST]

<< Honestly having a v6 can lengthen the lifespan on the engine. It prevents less wear and tear when reving high. >>

Umm, nowadays, many engines are built to rev high, especially many of the Jap 4s. The Honduhs rev up to insane levels. Most daily drivers never reach that upper end of the tach... I bet that you'll never see the redline on an auto during normal driving. Sure, revving a lot produces more wear and tear, but not so much that it would be an issue during the car's normal 150K+ lifespan.

Some of those bigger displacement engines have fairly high compression ratios... a 4 cyl doesn't neccessarily have to rev more than a V6 or straight6 or whatever. It's mainly based on the gearing... my 4put Neon had an extra tall gear for highway gas efficency, 3K takes you well past 70mph. So to sum up, this "theory" doesn't work at as a rule. The engine build quality is more of an issue. I'd rather by a B16A Honda engine than a 3600 Chevy engine.

EDIT: btw, my 2.0L 4cyl engine gets over 200ft/lbs of torque at around 2800rpm and it's bone stock. It's the torque curve, not the displacement of the engine. If I have a fat flat curve, I need less revving for my daily driving... but then again, some engines are built to be revved mercilessly.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

I don't know about newer hondas, but my auto 92 accord runs at about 3400 rpm at 80mph and my brother's manual 90 accord a little less.

Yes, gear ratios will be different for different engine sizes.

The whole big engine vs small engine comparison to amount of wear doesn't make much sense. All else being equal, a V6 is more complicated than a straight 4 so the likelyhood for problems is a little higher probably.

 

[Eli]

And actually, if you want to get technical.. If you're comparing two 4 cylinder engines of the same type, the one with the larger displacement is probably going to wear out faster. More power = more heat = more friction and wear.

This is especially true with the air-cooled VW Bug engine. Stock is 1600cc. There are many kits available to raise it to 1775cc, 1883cc, 1950cc, 1995cc, 2087cc, 2110cc, 2180cc, 2276cc, 2399cc, and 2659cc.

As you can imagine, the 2659cc version of the same engine is considerably more powerful. However, passed the ~1.9 litre mark(1900cc), it becomes impractical for daily drive use, because longevity is compromised.

Not to mention you could bunny hop your bug from light to light.

 

[Mill]

Your dad is wrong.

 

[Eli]

<< EDIT: btw, my 2.0L 4cyl engine gets over 200ft/lbs of torque at around 2800rpm and it's bone stock. It's the torque curve, not the displacement of the engine. If I have a fat flat curve, I need less revving for my daily driving... but then again, some engines are built to be revved mercilessly. >>



Yep. It's not like, when they design an engine, they throw it together and say... Oh look, it produces say 130HP@5500rpm and 110ftlbs@4500rpm..

They make an engine the way it is for a reason..

Cam timing is going to affect the torque curve of a given engine the most. Not raw displacement...

 

[thomsbrain]

<< I don't know about newer hondas, but my auto 92 accord runs at about 3400 rpm at 80mph and my brother's manual 90 accord a little less.

Yes, gear ratios will be different for different engine sizes.

The whole big engine vs small engine comparison to amount of wear doesn't make much sense. All else being equal, a V6 is more complicated than a straight 4 so the likelyhood for problems is a little higher probably. >>



Same for me on my 91 Accord Wagon. Any 4 made by Honda, Toyota, or Nissan is going to last a LONG time, I wouldn't even consider durability with those brands. You might also take into account that those companies have been making their 4's for a lot longer than their V6's. That Honda 2.2L 4 has had a decade to be refined and refined, whereas the V6 isn't as tried-and-true (although the V6 is probably a marathon engine, too).
Personally, I'd take the 4 cylinder because it's lighter and gets better gas mileage. I love the way it sounds at 6500+ RPM, too. It's get plenty of torque for getting on the freeway and hauling ass on the backroads, you just have to learn to not be afraid to keep you foot planted when the revs start entering motorcycle territory.

 

[Bulldozer]

In general, the harder a piece of machinery is worked, the sooner it will fail. So I would say in theory, with all other variables equal, the larger engine will last longer. A 6 cyl does not need to apply as much effort as a 4 cyl to produce the same amount of power. Four cylinder engines can last a long time, however. I've always felt that getting the largest engine possible, within reason, is the best way to go. In some circumstances larger engines can actually improve fuel economy.

Keep in mind that nearly everyone on this board will tell you to get the larger engine. They ignore the fact that not everyone needs the horsepower. Having said that, get the v6 I'm sure your dad would be happy with the 4 cyl as long as he isn't a car enthusiast (obviously he isn't, considering the engines/cars in condiseration).

What is with the drive of so many Americans to have big and powerful stuff? So often I see women driving cars like GTPs and you know they don't use half of that horsepower. I see people on campus driving Excursions. Why? Are they going to go tow their camper with their 7 kids in the back seats after class? I am a car enthusiast but I think too much emphasis is placed on automobiles in the U.S. Too many people driving SUVs who should be driving minivans. Suddenly the minivan is horrible to be seen in, even though it is the the most practical vehicle for many people. The other day I saw a high school girl talking on her cellphone while driving a Toyota Highlander with a large brushguard. I'm guessing the brushguard was installed to reduce vehicle damage after she hits multiple mailboxes while not paying attention because of an important phone call.

 

[Tominator]

<< Have you not heard about the durablity of Japanese 4cyl engines? >>



American Taxis....Limos...both exclusively American and both routinely turn 300,000 miles plus.....there is no Japanese competition here..

 

[Eli]

<< << Have you not heard about the durablity of Japanese 4cyl engines? >>



American Taxis....Limos...both exclusively American and both routinely turn 300,000 miles plus.....there is no Japanese competition here.. >>



police cars, too.. But who would want one? They're ugly.. lol.

 

[evergreen96]

<<
<< << Have you not heard about the durablity of Japanese 4cyl engines? >>



American Taxis....Limos...both exclusively American and both routinely turn 300,000 miles plus.....there is no Japanese competition here.. >>



police cars, too.. But who would want one? They're ugly.. lol. >>



No kiding, those are full sized sedan, how many pple still drive those, you might as well just get a minivan

 

[Viperoni]

<<

<<
<< << Have you not heard about the durablity of Japanese 4cyl engines? >>



American Taxis....Limos...both exclusively American and both routinely turn 300,000 miles plus.....there is no Japanese competition here.. >>



police cars, too.. But who would want one? They're ugly.. lol. >>



No kiding, those are full sized sedan, how many pple still drive those, you might as well just get a minivan >>



Some people like torque, and RWD, and the ability to mod CHEAPLY :|

 

[LoTecha]

Like people have mentioned above, it has more to do with engine design and materials used than anything else. Just looking at the specs or comparing a v6 and an i4 (especially from different companies) is looking at it too simply. A better indicator would be looking at the previous reliability records for both cars, and focus specifically on engine conditions.

Furthermore, I would disagree that simply because engine A has more power or is larger that it will last longer than engine B. First of all, yes, higher rpm's do mean more wear and tear, but that's comparing identical engines. When comparing engines of different sizes and manufacturers, that rule goes out the window. In general though, a universal rule would be that smaller engines can rev higher more safely, more reliably, and with less cost than larger engines. That's why motorcycle engines can hit 10,000+ rpm's, smaller Honda engines (type R's, S2000) can hit close to 10,000rpm, yet domestic v8's (Camaro's, mustangs) are usually capped at 6,000rpm's. The more mass the engine has (ie, the larger the engine) the more problems it will have in reaching high rpm's reliably. Secondly, I'm pretty sure (someone correct me on this) that an I4 is inherently better balanced than a V6. That's another factor to consider, but there are probably hundreds of other factors I haven't even delved into yet.

 

[Tominator]

<< No kiding, those are full sized sedan, how many pple still drive those, you might as well just get a minivan >>



The Ford Crown Vic and the Mercury Marquis have a 70% repeat buy ratio. Nothing be it domestic or foreign even comes close.

You evidently have never compared the two or you would never have made such a statement.

 

[iamwiz82]

A buddy of mine has a decommisioned police cruiser(1995-96 Caprice, cant rememebr year). Nice engine, but the tranny was shot after 80k miles.

 

[Nefrodite]

The Ford Crown Vic and the Mercury Marquis have a 70% repeat buy ratio. Nothing be it domestic or foreign even comes close

i bet the average age is so high children aren't a factor, not to mention how many old ppl do u see buying acura rsx's or whatever anyways they want da big floaty boat!

 

[creedog]

You really cant go wrong with a nice toyota, honda or nissan. As far as I am concerned all their engines are champs, but their 4cyls do have a longer track record.

I had 260,000 on a honda 6 in an acura and
225,000 in a nissan 4, sold both cars. The acura still runs like a champ, dont know about the nissan.


The main thing to focus on is maintinence. MAke sure you change that oil and run the right viscosity.