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My uncle had one it had one million kms on it no joke seriously. Ford wanted to give him a new truck for free and take back his old one because they wanted to see how it was possible to last so long. It was a 1980 Ford F-150 he bought it new he died in 2010 the truck is still around.. I should add the truck is the six cylinder engine.
My Dad's was a '87..300, 5sp. 297,000 RAN PERFECT, I sold it a month after He passed. The Local Guy that bought it, says it's STILL RUNNING STRONG. HELLAV MOTOR.!
We had a 71 dodge dart, w/225 slant 6. My sister drove it over 100 miles without most of the oil as the oil pan had a leak in it. We replaced the oil pan and gasket and it ran for almost 200,000 miles more before my dad sold it. Unbelievable durable and reliable engine. Super simple design and super easy to maintain. I miss that in today's engine compartments.
So you had a reliable one - So what? I used to fix them for a living and they have no right being on this list. As a qualified mechanic you don't see what we do. I really don't understand where the rumors of legendary Slant reliability come from? It must be an urban myth or something. They are in there with the most unreliable inline six engines, not the most reliable. A reliable I6 that was omitted was the Toyota 2F so this list is anecdotal opinions compiled and presented as fact in my view. Some of the engines in this vid are very reliable, just not the Slant. I would never ever trust one of those engines and I'm a Mopar nut. I know it's not an inline 6 but a 318 is so vastly more reliable than a Slant it's ridiculous.
@@thomaskelley1718 That's just like with General Motors stopping production of the 3800 V-6 right after getting Motor Trends award of "Best push-rod engine in the world."
@@Inquisitor6321 it seems with all products, if they win an award, or score high in a test, the company will cease production and replace it with something no good. I recall a charger for AAA and other batteries had great reviews. When I tried to buy it, none to be found. I learned the company had replaced it with another model. The new one had TERRIBLE reviews! A woodworking magazine did a review of an adjustable support to be used with table saws and such. I went Home Depot to get one, and they did not have it, and had me order it from the company that made it. HD could have used that article to make a lot of sales, but instead chose not to stock the product.
I own a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sports with the 4.0 inline 6 with 353800 miles and still going strong . And it's only 2 wheel drive, and I'm always out in the mountains camping 😊😋😀😂😃😎💕💕
Earlier this year, 2024, an acquaintance had a 2001 Cherokee with the 6. The body was toast but the engine was fine with only 124,000 miles on it. I told him to advertise it and someone would eagerly grab it. He sold it to the junk yard for $225. Some people shouldn't live.
Holden greys and reds were mini copies of chevy motors- and were garbage. Holden sixes are why yella terra heads made so much money. Never heard of yella terra making any parts for Hemi sixes- they were built to breathe, you literally cannot put bigger valves in a 265 they are so big from standard.
@rossbrumby1957 nah the red motors had better cooling than Chevys (they still overheated though) and you can get them to move pretty good. I'm putting a either a 202 or 179 in my HD with a 2 bbl carb and it'll be a pretty good motor once it's finished, also I've seen blue motors with shattered pistons still running so they are definitely tough things. But hemi 6s are unmatched, have one in my CL
My father had a 1966 Ford Falcon with an inline 6 and three on the tree back in the 80s that he used to commute to work. He could get mid 20s mpg. Super easy to work on.
Yeah, a real neat engine. We only got them until 1969 here in NZ. They were replaced with an upright 'hemi' 6. The joke used to be 'those slopers were so good, the had to stand them up to wear them out' 🙂
I sold my 77 f150 with a 300 cid with 545000 miles on it. The guy i sold it to put engine in a newer truck and still drives it. It was running on points ignition with the 1 lunger carb.
I had a Wrangler Jeep with this 6 cil legendary 4.0 lt engine, I bought the car new 1.4.1996 at Emil Frei in Zürich Switzerland, have done 350`000 km with cero issue, I still love this Jeep, best car I ever had, swapped the Wrangler Jeep 4.0 for a G wagon 300 GSE SWB ( uncommon luxury version only 2 diff locks ( middle & rear no front lock ) with the M103 125 kW power, 6 cylinder 3 liter petrol engine, on the G wagon M103 ( also legendary engine ) until now 270`000 km with no issue, soft like a cat 🚙🪕⛑🧸🚁🛩 pilot greatings Erik
I once owned a '67 Chevy C-10 panel wagon that had the L6 250 w/manual 3 speed. Bought it for $500 in 1979 at a small used car lot. Was in great condition with a Green Rust-Oleum paint job and the entire rear compartment covered with a quality indoor-outdoor nylon carpeting. Had 34,000 on the OD so was assumed it had 134K. Got it cheap because nobody could shift it into any gear. I looked at the 3 on the tree linkage inside the engine compartment to to find wear had worn slots into the shift rods due to a lack of lubrication. I bought it then returned with a tub of axle grease. I slathered that onto the linkage and learned how to finesse it into the gears before driving it home. Met the original owner a few months later to be told that the engine had 234,000 miles of use, a new clutch assembly and u-joints. It was a heavy 1/2 ton with 8 lug wheels. It would get 24 mpg loaded down when doing 55 to 65 mph. I put another 65,000 on the OD before it got totaled in a head-on collision. I currently drive an '88 Chevy G30 work van with 300,000 miles on the original 5.7L and TH400. I wouldn't mind setting a rebuilt 292 L6 with a rebuilt 700R4 and different ring & pinion in it to get better gas mileage and easier access to the engine. Been driving the van since 1994 so have become attached to it.
@@brianclark2119they were understressed is why they lasted. 4 main bearings do not make for a strong engine. The introduction of the Hemi six in Aussie Valiants showed the slant up to look heavy, thirsty, low powered and hard to work on.
Both great! Still driving one of each. Actually, The 225 is too powerful to operate a peak efficiency in an ordinary car, but boy will it haul when loaded. The 170 is just right for two people in a convertible.
I always thought my 225 sounded like a sewing machine. $100 ...69 dart. I clipped a huge electric pole clean off with it. Absolutely mangled it. The auto tranny was broken free from the block. I was in pieces too.
Early 2000s and I worked at an engine rebuild shop where we did anything in size from lawnmower to locomotive engines. Can't say I ever saw any slants come in the door except for one that the guy wanted all pretty for a car he was restoring. maybe a cylinder head rebuild or 2 but that's about it besides that one, it got the usual rebuild but was in really good shape at the teardown.
I owned an early Falcon 170 cubic inch, it always burnt a little bit of oil but it never got worse. I treated it well and it responded in kind, the best run I've ever had from a non-Japanese engine.
@@ffarmchicken I agree completely: I own a straight six 63 Belair. Swiss assembled. The car never let us down in nearly sixty years of ownership. The only thing we had to replace were the fuel pumps and the carb.: Original water pump, radiator and the engine was never opened. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I just came home from the States: I used a 63 Impala for the second time in eight years to tour the country. From deserts to mountains and everything in between. Those engines will run forever and ever.
I put a Frantz oil cleaner in the bosses Chevy Suburban with the 292 straight 6. Early 60s. It had over 350.000 miles on it when I left the job. He pulled a dragster.
The AMC six in older variants, 199, 232 and 258 cid engines along with the chrysler slant 6 were used in taxis in the sixties and racked up over 1,000,000 miles without a major engine component failure. We are not talking about water pumps and things like alternators and starters. The major cause of failure in cause back then was not engines, but bodies, transmissions and frames. Most engines back then long outlived the cars they were installed in.
My "old man" had a 1971 AMC Hornet. Its 232 inline 6 engine ran like a sewing machine. Indeed, those AMC sixes outlasted their respective car bodies especially in northern climates with snow and road salt.
The GM 4.1L 250 inline 6 didn't make the list, and it came out in 1966 in the GMC pickup line. It lasted up to the 1990's. I have a 66 GMC I1000 2 wheel drive with the old 420 SM 4 speed manual. It's dead reliable and torque will throw you back into the seat if you get on the throttle.
Aussie Hemi 265 inline 6, I've heard stories of them being driven from Adelaide to Melbourne with no water in the radiator. Performance models were 302bhp from factory.
I’ve seen ford 300 -6 run for hours with no water in radiator. Also saw a guy who built a dragster with ford 300 and Chevy crank and concrete water jackets. He’d run that car all summer at different drag strips.
The Hemi 6 engines made good power but they were not as reliable as the slant 6 they replaced. They were also quite harsh, noisy, and the weak link which killed many was distributor and oil pump drive.
So true you can't sell new cars if the engines last too long. i drive a 1994 dodge cumins diesel currently has 320000 kms on it. going strong Up in Canada its the rust that kills our older vehicles. i do a yearly rust inspection and spot repair on our vehicles. Fortunatly I'm retired so my truck is now semi retired and will likely last me the rest of my life.
That's not why they stopped them though. I know it feels edgy to blame manufacturers for ending reliable engines for the sake of making sales, but it just isn't true. No engine you listed would pass cafe standards today, just like none of them would be capable of power numbers to keep them competitive in today's market. The modifications needed to accomplish this would be less cost efficient than a complete clean sheet design, which is what happened and why it happened. It's a shame too, because those old straight sixes are cool as hell.
@@crewdawg2008 You have to ask yourself why do we need car engines with 500 + hp. answer: we don't, we want them. I find it interesting that we all managed to get around just fine with 200 hp engines and even 300 hp truck engines. What is more important is torque, In line 6 engines had long strokes that devloped lots of torque at low RPM's When they were carberated they were dirty. but with port injestion or even direct injection they could have been cleaned up and even could have been made more powerful. These changes coupled to an overdrive trans would have made them winners. What killed them was the sylist wanted lower hood hieghts and sleeker lines. To bad though look at the shoes boxes coming out these days. Also cast iron engines that run slower just last longer , and god knows we can't have that. I'm retired now but my 40 years as a certifed mechanic tells me that what is being offered up are glorified rolling smart phones that are as close as you can get to being disposable S.H.I.T.E. heeps JMHO
I bought a 1965 Valiant with a 225 for 50 dollars 25 years ago. The crankshaft was good so only new bearings and seals were needed for the bottom. I got exhaust headers and an intake manifold with 3 twin choke Weber carburettors from Australia. It took a while to find an affordable Hurst 4 speed transmission but it had really good performance and left many V8s in the dust. I had no problem selling it for a reasonable profit.
Drove an '83 F150 with 300ci I6 engine over 255k miles, sold it to friend who drove it well to over 400k total miles without overhaul. Each of us pulled loaded utility trailers many miles with that F150.
Never appreciated the Inline sixes until I bought a 97 Volvo 960. It came with a 2.9 Liter DOHC I6. Change the oil at 5K miles and the timing chain every 65K miles and it'll easily run past 300K miles with proper maintenance. The only engine problem I've had, was a leaking oil pan gasket. One nice thing, if I ever have to replace the engine, I can get a re-manufactured unit for only $3400, even less if I ship them my original engine. 27 years old and it still runs like new. It's my dedicated long distance highway car.
I’ve had several of the old straight 6’s from the 50’s and 60’s not much on the top end but for sheer torque they are unbeatable! Plus they are simple to work on. I’ve also had the slant 6 just as good!
I have both Mercedes M103 3.0 and M104 3.6 AMG in my garage right now. Bullet proof for sure. M103 lacks power and M104 has plenty of power. However, M103 isn't bad at all, it's a lot lighter than M104 and it produces less heat than M104. The car equipped with M103 is easier to corner and the air conditioner tends to be cooler in the summer time.
My father had the 300 6 cylinder. Ran over 300,000 miles before selling the vehicle. Last time I've contacted the person that purchased the vehicle, it was over 460,000 miles on the engine. Good engines when maintained properly.
I only work on ford falcons and territories in australia, all of which use the barra i6 so i see an awful lot of them. I have seen several Barra engines with 2 million kilometers on them. And a ton with over 1 million. They were the choice for all taxis running on lpg and baaically ran 24/7 because taxi licenses were super expensive so they all had multiple drivers. Change the oil at 10k and they don't die. There is a barra that won horsepower heros at the summernats for several years. Over 2200HP from a factory block and head barra. The barra is literally an evolved version of what started life as an old school american i6. Barra was the first version with double overhead cam VCT and 4 big valves her cyl. The heads flow huge from the factory.
A couple more motors you can add to the list , inline Chevy six 235 , 250 , 292 , gear to gear no timing chain and the 4 cylinder Volkswagen Rabbit diesel , strong little power plant.
Yup! (2) 225 slant sixes in a 1979 ex-phone company short bed Dodge pickup and a 1982 long bed as well. Best inline 6 on earth! The 1979 had legit 500,000 miles on it and it ran great! Also had a 1976 Chevy square body with a 250 inline 6, fantastic engine as well!! I love inline 6’s. Another excellent inline 6 is the 6-71 2 stroke Detroit diesel, probably the best engine in world history along with ALL Detroits, Cleveland diesels, and EMD’s regardless of layout! These engines built built this country and won WW2. We had Fords with 300 sixes too. Good motors, and I ain’t even a “Ferd” guy!
I learned to drive on my parents' 1968 AMC Rebel with the smooth 232 c.i. six and automatic. The car passed through the family and eventually disintegrated many years later, but that engine was still going strong. As a side note, I was seriously disappointed when they passed on the 290 V8 for the six, but history proved it to be a wise move. Funny how so many of your parents decisions and actions become better over time. 🤔😅
Having grown up in this era, it was expected that you bought a straight 6 above all else. V-8's were for the ones that wanted to fool around on the road, but for pure reliability, the 6 was it. Some of us wouldn't even think of having anything else. You bought it, maintained it and there was never a thought of it wearing out. Then front drive came along and fear gripped us because we saw the straight 6 on the road to disappear. To say we were depressed would be an understatement. I despise everything new that's out there and SO wish the straight 6 was back for common use.
In 1977, I remembered driving these GMC step Vans on the flight line that were built in 1947-49 with straight 6 engine. These vans would run all day long for at least 16 hrs around the runways with tools to go to fix airplanes.
Back in the 60s & 70s those Inline 6 Engines seemed indestructible!! They could take massive abuse and keep going!!😊. GM, Chrysler. Ford and AMC all had some excellent I6 and Small Block V8s!!
I had a 240 cid that ran for 27 yrs. Not one ounce of trouble. It went 169,000 miles. I was very careful to filter & oil change b4 the 3,000 mile limit...every time. The motor was blowing oil out the exhaust. I had the valve stems changed, hoping that was why. I had the $, so I had a 300 put in my '65 F100. Real strong. I should mention...I put a set of efi exh, mnflds on the 240 one yr b4 I retired it. WOW ! the two mufflers and short runs that turned b4 the pass rear tire...it was a whole new motor. The 300 has the efi's on it too. Don't need a V8 with this set up. I am using Shell Rotella 15W40 T4 oil now in the 300. I was advised to use this by a west coast nitro drag racer. The motor does well with it.
I've got two Barra's. Ones got over 440,000k on it and it's still smooth as. Chrysler Australia plonked the 225 slant in our local Valiants. Always were extremely tough. Only 'bug' seemed to be that they were known to crack exhaust manifolds.
Blessed to have both a 1998 Dodge 2500 Cummins 12-valve, 4x4 as well as a 2000 Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0 liter in-line 6 both around the quarter million mile mark running smooth and always reliable.
I made a mistke that I bought a 96 Grand Cherokee. The only good thing of this car was the legendary straight six. That engine was so great as it was not made by Chrysler. Let me watch on and see if there is the legendary Chevy sixbanger of the Sixties on this list. I think those engines will run forever.
VW ALH 4 cylinder diesel at 1:57, great engine. My 25-year-old Jetta just rolled over 435k miles. Still love a good 6 cylinder, four BMWs in the '80s all with great six cylinders, even that fantastic diesel, wish I'd never gotten rid of it.
Gosh.. I thought I was only one who remembers the 235 Chevy straight 6. I wished America would reintroduce a basic 1/2 ton pickup based on 1965 design.
When I lived in Thailand, we had a Toyota 1G straight 6 without turbo put in our 1977 Toyota Cornoa, It took the stock 70hp engine up tp almost 200HP that was a nice engine. Never had trouble. We bought the engine on a dock whare house outskirts of Bangkok and tested it where it sat.. Very nice!
I have a 2004 Ram2500 5.9 Cummins with only 123K miles. It’s almost broken in now. My dad bought it new and now I drive it every day. I’ll pass it to my kids in another 30 years.
The 3.7 slant six it’s incredibly reliable, we just bought a 1966 valiant which has been stored for minimum 3 decades, we just restore the total electric wire harness, carburetor, and distributor, and ran at the first start smoothly
I've had several Ford pickups and full size Broncos with the 300 inline six. My '86 Bronco had 623,000 miles on it when I did an overhaul. I changed out the timing gears ( not belt, not chain ) with both crank and cam gears in metal, A little noisy at first but she quieted down after a few thousand miles. I recently bought a '79 F-150 4x4 with a 300 inline six.
My first car was a 1964 dodge dart 225 slant 6 with 3 speed manual transmission. Drove it all thru the 70s 80s sold it when I got married my wife said it was ugly and won't ride in it
2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 with a little over 250,000 on the 4.0L High Output I6…has never missed a beat. Have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD with 120,000 original miles on it with same 4.0L High Output I6…it’s never missed a beat either.
Inline ohv 6's were one of the best engines ever made,had one with 200 thousand miles that used no oil from oil chang to oil change(Ford)the majority of inline 6"s were very reliable and easy to work on.
I asked a friend about a knock I was concerned about in my Ford 300. He told me "DON'T TOUCH IT!". He said he had a 300, that outlasted 3 cars, and was still running well, but he got tired of moving it into new cars! I really miss my 300! 😢
Their mistake in the U.S. was to not replace it with the Hemi six they designed but passed off to Chrysler Australia. From 1970 we dropped the 225 for the 245 Hemi, followed by a 215 and 265ci in 1971. 7 main bearings, 12 port, huge valves. More power, more economy and at the same time. Easier to work on than the slant to boot.
Best motor on the list Barra 4ltr not only for its longevity but the ease of tunabilty can easily turn it into 8 second car yet still drive it home and do so for the next 20 years nice and tourquy too.
Have owned Several AMC 258 and one 232 as well As The Reliable AMC 343 and AMC, 360 V-8s plus I had A1990 Ford 300 Six 3/4 Ton Pick Me Up, 12 MPG, loaded or Empty, but was Reliable and Tough as Nails.
Just bought a 520i E39 with 140.000 miles, drives like an angel and won't be doing more than 1000 miles per year from now on as it's not the main car. Probably has more that 50% of it's life left
79 ford 300, f150 long wheelbase hang on air conditioning, 3 spd on column, best truck ever , would still own, but ran hot, found another 300 engine, rebuilt it sold it to my brother 150000 miles kept it nearly 20 years
Here's a Surprise For Ya I bought a New 76 Chevy Vega Afterwards, I heard all the bad things about them, Mine had the new bigger radiator in it, so No over heating issues I used it as my everyday driver for many years, around 200,000,000 + miles later I sold it to my Brother I never had a issue with worn out parts, "If is not broke, don't fix it" (He had to replace clutch n plate, all the brakes & leaking gaskets) Then put another 100,000,000 and sold it In the late 90's a Towing Co. Called saying they found my Vega abandoned in the woods It's Not Mine - "I have a Bill Of Sale" (I could see them trying to squeeze towing fees out of me)
Where I worked in the early 1970’s, we had a 1971 Ford F-250 with the 300 cu. in. 6 and 3 speed manual. That engine was bullet proof, ask me how I know. I dogged the heck out of it every time I drove it. My 1965 Falcon 170 wasgreat too.
One of the engines you missed is the Dodge Plymouth Chrysler inline flat head 6 cylinder. One of the first engines to run full oil pressure to all componants inside the engine. Built in various sizes from 1938 to 1959 for cars and on up to 1972 in trucks and industrial applications. They were not powerful but they were torque monsters of their day do to their long stroke and slow running longevity. I have one of these engines in a 1951 dodge mayfair 2 door hard top 218 cid Exclusive to Canada It fired right up after a 25 year sleep and had 40 psi of oil pressure. It now is ready to be on the road this coming summer in its restored original car. This engine did not need to be opened up, it does not burn oil and runs smooth.
My vehicle has the AMC 242ci I6. It has 721.000 kilometers (448,009) miles and has never been rebuilt. I bought the vehicle in mid 1996, new. There has been an oil change every 5000 kilometers, done by myself. No mechanic has ever touched my dear, "Stargazer." I am the only one to have ever serviced, repaired, modified, updated, my dear mechanical best friend. The RMS Stargazer has been through a lot with me. No human can be as loyal and devoted my Stargazer.
Inline 6 engines originated as tractor engines, and they lasted forever. We've got tractors from the 40's and 50's that are still going strong today, and they aren't that difficult to work on when something does go wrong. My dad has an old Co-Op E5 that he loves. It blew a piston a few years ago, and we were able to drop the oil pan, remove the head, and disconnect the connecting rod and pulled the piston out in just a couple hours while leaving the engine in the tractor. He pulled another piston out of another engine he had, re-ringed it and we put it back in a few days later, reinstalled the pan and head, and it fired up.There was a slight antifreeze seepage in the head gasket, so we pulled the head back off and replaced the head gasket. It has been running strong since. It's one of the farm's loader tractors, so it sees it's share of work every year, though not as much now since dad retired and rented the farm out. But it's still his favorite loader tractor. My personal favorite is our Oliver 880, also an inline 6. That's been my go-to loader tractor for years.
The common item mentioned in this video, the one that is key to longevity, is a cast iron block. They are the closed deck design. Open deck aluminum blocks are the bane of modern, high efficiency engines. No one has mastered the art of making an ICE out of aluminum and making it live for a long, long time. Aluminum has a high coefficient of expansion and that has always and forever will be the #1 enemy of longevity......IMO. Engines that use cast iron blocks and aluminum heads require a lot of attention to the cooling system as well as frequent oil changes. I ran Nissan/Datsun SOHC L-series engines for decades but I had to torque the heads and lash the valves every year (10k to 12K miles). Bulletproof. Transmissions were as well. Nissans became relatively unreliable pieces of sh*t when the engine designs were changed to open deck aluminum blocks....IMO.
I am an Aussie with a Barra engine but powered by LPG, yes BBQ gas. I change oils twice a year. With the gas powered engine the oil drains out almost as clean as when it went in.
One of my good friends owns a 3.6 Ecotec-powered WH Holden Caprice. It's got 565,000 on the clock, and, sadly, is now beginning to overheat. The car is mint. Probably going to have the heads off, and all the thermos replaced. You could have included the Holden red six - they are super reliable, and can be modified to insane heights without sacrificing reliability
Ford 4.9 is the best. I beat the snot out of it in my cargo van, overheated it 6 times to the point it stalled out and still ran like a top. When i scraped the van i kept the engine and put it in another econoline and ran it to 627,000 kms.
I've had many straight six engine over the last 40 years. Jeep 230, chevy 250, and my all time favorite the ford 300. These 3 will live longer than the driver.
Had several slant 6s over the years. Just keep water & oil in them and they were practically indestructible. Got mid-20's mpg using good gas. Would buy one again if could find a good one!
The Australian Holden 202, simplicity and will keep on going, can mod these engines with so many go fast bits available still. Bullet proof and a great all round engine, the Holden red engine were available from 1965 though to 1978, then the blues and the short lived blacks saw these engines retired from service
Ive got a 3FE in an 88 landcruiser runs good and it had a nap from 1988 till Jan of this year. Ive had multiple W200 sweptlines with the slant 6 another great truck. Currently working on a Toyota 2H (in a 79 FJ45 that has a turbo on it from Austrailia should last me till I die.
Hey! If you're into motorcycles, we've got good news for you: we launched a motorcycle channel! 🏍
www.youtube.com/@Bike_Zone_official
If you're feeling kind, please do subscribe, it'd mean a lot! ❤
Have a great day!
You have to be an idiot to destroy a 6-71 Detroit. That was one hell of an engine.
I have a 1979 F150 with a 300 CI 6 cylinder with 245,000 miles. I bought the truck in October of 1978, 46 years ago. The motor runs great to this day.
My uncle had one it had one million kms on it no joke seriously. Ford wanted to give him a new truck for free and take back his old one because they wanted to see how it was possible to last so long. It was a 1980 Ford F-150 he bought it new he died in 2010 the truck is still around.. I should add the truck is the six cylinder engine.
350,000 from 1986 F150.
My Dad's was a '87..300, 5sp.
297,000 RAN PERFECT, I sold it a month after He passed.
The Local Guy that bought it, says it's STILL RUNNING STRONG.
HELLAV MOTOR.!
I have a 1995 F150 with the 4.9L, and are almost at 300,000. Doesn't burn oil, but have only replaced gaskets.
I had a 1986 full size Ford Bronco with the 300 HD 6 cylinder . The engine outlasted the body and frame.
We had a 71 dodge dart, w/225 slant 6. My sister drove it over 100 miles without most of the oil as the oil pan had a leak in it. We replaced the oil pan and gasket and it ran for almost 200,000 miles more before my dad sold it. Unbelievable durable and reliable engine. Super simple design and super easy to maintain. I miss that in today's engine compartments.
So true Robert, they were GREAT engines!!!
That slant 6 225 was a good engine,
So you had a reliable one - So what?
I used to fix them for a living and they have no right being on this list.
As a qualified mechanic you don't see what we do. I really don't understand where the rumors of legendary Slant reliability come from? It must be an urban myth or something.
They are in there with the most unreliable inline six engines, not the most reliable.
A reliable I6 that was omitted was the Toyota 2F so this list is anecdotal opinions compiled and presented as fact in my view.
Some of the engines in this vid are very reliable, just not the Slant. I would never ever trust one of those engines and I'm a Mopar nut. I know it's not an inline 6 but a 318 is so vastly more reliable than a Slant it's ridiculous.
The Ford i6 300 was so long lasting Ford had to stop making it.
Indeed, and they replaced it with the 4.2 Essex engine, what a terrible decision.
@@thomaskelley1718 That's just like with General Motors stopping production of the 3800 V-6 right after getting Motor Trends award of "Best push-rod engine in the world."
@@Inquisitor6321both were victims of emissions and cafe standards.
Yeah a friend had af150 throw a rod though the block still made it home25 miles
@@Inquisitor6321 it seems with all products, if they win an award, or score high in a test, the company will cease production and replace it with something no good. I recall a charger for AAA and other batteries had great reviews. When I tried to buy it, none to be found. I learned the company had replaced it with another model. The new one had TERRIBLE reviews! A woodworking magazine did a review of an adjustable support to be used with table saws and such. I went Home Depot to get one, and they did not have it, and had me order it from the company that made it. HD could have used that article to make a lot of sales, but instead chose not to stock the product.
I own a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sports with the 4.0 inline 6 with 353800 miles and still going strong . And it's only 2 wheel drive, and I'm always out in the mountains camping
😊😋😀😂😃😎💕💕
343k on my 97 XJ. Owned it since new, too.
‘02 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 here with a little over 250,000 on it and it’s never missed a beat…4.0L High Output I6.
Earlier this year, 2024, an acquaintance had a 2001 Cherokee with the 6. The body was toast but the engine was fine with only 124,000 miles on it. I told him to advertise it and someone would eagerly grab it. He sold it to the junk yard for $225. Some people shouldn't live.
'05 Wrangler LJ, 4.0 with 336K and counting. Also had a '99 XJ that I sold with 275K, was still running great but the frame rotted.
Literally any Aussie built straight 6. Our 6 cylinders are absolutely bulletproof
Holden greys and reds were mini copies of chevy motors- and were garbage. Holden sixes are why yella terra heads made so much money. Never heard of yella terra making any parts for Hemi sixes- they were built to breathe, you literally cannot put bigger valves in a 265 they are so big from standard.
@rossbrumby1957 nah the red motors had better cooling than Chevys (they still overheated though) and you can get them to move pretty good. I'm putting a either a 202 or 179 in my HD with a 2 bbl carb and it'll be a pretty good motor once it's finished, also I've seen blue motors with shattered pistons still running so they are definitely tough things. But hemi 6s are unmatched, have one in my CL
My father had a 1966 Ford Falcon with an inline 6 and three on the tree back in the 80s that he used to commute to work. He could get mid 20s mpg. Super easy to work on.
that would be the Ford 200 cu in 6 !!!
I still see 1960's Aussie cars being driven on the Gold Coast Highway. My family had a 1964 Holden with the 149. ...Wish we still had it.....
Yep probably a 200. Could be a 177 or a 250.... All the same block.
Literally bought a 1966 XP ford Falcon with a 170ci 3speed auto column, a couple weeks ago
170 slant was just as good as the 225. Best 6 ever
Yeah, a real neat engine. We only got them until 1969 here in NZ. They were replaced with an upright 'hemi' 6. The joke used to be 'those slopers were so good, the had to stand them up to wear them out' 🙂
Chevrolet 350,4.1engine much more durable in its rime
Yes, it was just as tough. It just didn't have much power
The only deference between the 170 and the 225 was the stroke length.
you had to adjust the valve tappets on occasion. they where mechanical
I sold my 77 f150 with a 300 cid with 545000 miles on it. The guy i sold it to put engine in a newer truck and still drives it. It was running on points ignition with the 1 lunger carb.
Big 3. The slant six, the 300 ford and chevy 250👍 as far as im concerned, nothing else counts. Everything else is too expensive to fix IMO
Love straight 6s, they are simple super well balanced and easily cooled. And have room either side usually. And they last
I had a Wrangler Jeep with this 6 cil legendary 4.0 lt engine, I bought the car new 1.4.1996 at Emil Frei in Zürich Switzerland, have done 350`000 km with cero issue, I still love this Jeep, best car I ever had, swapped the Wrangler Jeep 4.0 for a G wagon 300 GSE SWB ( uncommon luxury version only 2 diff locks ( middle & rear no front lock ) with the M103 125 kW power, 6 cylinder 3 liter petrol engine, on the G wagon M103 ( also legendary engine ) until now 270`000 km with no issue, soft like a cat 🚙🪕⛑🧸🚁🛩 pilot greatings Erik
Best friend in high school had a 1967 Pontiac Firebird with the 230 OHC Sprint 6. It ran pretty strong.
Pontiac never should have dropped it. Developed from the Chevy inline Six.
I once owned a '67 Chevy C-10 panel wagon that had the L6 250 w/manual 3 speed. Bought it for $500 in 1979 at a small used car lot. Was in great condition with a Green Rust-Oleum paint job and the entire rear compartment covered with a quality indoor-outdoor nylon carpeting. Had 34,000 on the OD so was assumed it had 134K. Got it cheap because nobody could shift it into any gear. I looked at the 3 on the tree linkage inside the engine compartment to to find wear had worn slots into the shift rods due to a lack of lubrication. I bought it then returned with a tub of axle grease. I slathered that onto the linkage and learned how to finesse it into the gears before driving it home. Met the original owner a few months later to be told that the engine had 234,000 miles of use, a new clutch assembly and u-joints. It was a heavy 1/2 ton with 8 lug wheels. It would get 24 mpg loaded down when doing 55 to 65 mph. I put another 65,000 on the OD before it got totaled in a head-on collision. I currently drive an '88 Chevy G30 work van with 300,000 miles on the original 5.7L and TH400. I wouldn't mind setting a rebuilt 292 L6 with a rebuilt 700R4 and different ring & pinion in it to get better gas mileage and easier access to the engine. Been driving the van since 1994 so have become attached to it.
170 and 225 Dodge was one of best engine built. I worked for Chrysler for 19 years and only rebuilt 2 of them
.
I have to agree those 225 " side hill badgers" were tough.
@@brianclark2119they were understressed is why they lasted. 4 main bearings do not make for a strong engine. The introduction of the Hemi six in Aussie Valiants showed the slant up to look heavy, thirsty, low powered and hard to work on.
Both great! Still driving one of each. Actually, The 225 is too powerful to operate a peak efficiency in an ordinary car, but boy will it haul when loaded. The 170 is just right for two people in a convertible.
I always thought my 225 sounded like a sewing machine. $100 ...69 dart. I clipped a huge electric pole clean off with it. Absolutely mangled it. The auto tranny was broken free from the block. I was in pieces too.
Early 2000s and I worked at an engine rebuild shop where we did anything in size from lawnmower to locomotive engines.
Can't say I ever saw any slants come in the door except for one that the guy wanted all pretty for a car he was restoring.
maybe a cylinder head rebuild or 2 but that's about it besides that one, it got the usual rebuild but was in really good shape at the teardown.
I owned an early Falcon 170 cubic inch, it always burnt a little bit of oil but it never got worse. I treated it well and it responded in kind, the best run I've ever had from a non-Japanese engine.
i have an 82 f150 with the 300 and its probably the best inline 6 ever. you can’t tear them up.
NASCAR Outlawed the straight 6 355, bored and stroked 300 claimed unfair advantage as the v8 guys running 355s
Chevrolet 292 straight 6 was an excellent engine.
Funny, they never mentioned the 235/250/292 family. Simple, over built engines that can and are maintained by people in their garages at home.
@@ffarmchicken I agree completely: I own a straight six 63 Belair. Swiss assembled. The car never let us down in nearly sixty years of ownership. The only thing we had to replace were the fuel pumps and the carb.: Original water pump, radiator and the engine was never opened. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I just came home from the States: I used a 63 Impala for the second time in eight years to tour the country. From deserts to mountains and everything in between. Those engines will run forever and ever.
Bad news for you 292 was not in Chevy,,,,,they only came in G.M.C. trucks
@@dennischeslock7782 Sir, you're incorrect.
I put a Frantz oil cleaner in the bosses Chevy Suburban with the 292 straight 6. Early 60s. It had over 350.000 miles on it when I left the job. He pulled a dragster.
The AMC six in older variants, 199, 232 and 258 cid engines along with the chrysler slant 6 were used in taxis in the sixties and racked up over 1,000,000 miles without a major engine component failure. We are not talking about water pumps and things like alternators and starters. The major cause of failure in cause back then was not engines, but bodies, transmissions and frames. Most engines back then long outlived the cars they were installed in.
My "old man" had a 1971 AMC Hornet. Its 232 inline 6 engine ran like a sewing machine. Indeed, those AMC sixes outlasted their respective car bodies especially in northern climates with snow and road salt.
The GM 4.1L 250 inline 6 didn't make the list, and it came out in 1966 in the GMC pickup line. It lasted up to the 1990's. I have a 66 GMC I1000 2 wheel drive with the old 420 SM 4 speed manual. It's dead reliable and torque will throw you back into the seat if you get on the throttle.
Aussie Hemi 265 inline 6, I've heard stories of them being driven from Adelaide to Melbourne with no water in the radiator. Performance models were 302bhp from factory.
No water in the radiator is a bit over the top. She won't make it past the driveway.🐞
I’ve seen ford 300 -6 run for hours with no water in radiator. Also saw a guy who built a dragster with ford 300 and Chevy crank and concrete water jackets. He’d run that car all summer at different drag strips.
All these engines have iron blocks and are over engineered. Not like the crap nowadays.
The Hemi 6 engines made good power but they were not as reliable as the slant 6 they replaced. They were also quite harsh, noisy, and the weak link which killed many was distributor and oil pump drive.
Yeah, fantastic powerhouse
I HAD A JEEP 4 LITER.
A FORD. 300
A PLYMOUTH 225
ALL GREAT LONG MILERS NO PROBLEM WITH THOSE THAT IS WHY THE CAR COMPANIES STOPPED THEM
So true you can't sell new cars if the engines last too long. i drive a 1994 dodge cumins diesel currently has 320000 kms on it. going strong Up in Canada its the rust that kills our older vehicles. i do a yearly rust inspection and spot repair on our vehicles. Fortunatly I'm retired so my truck is now semi retired and will likely last me the rest of my life.
That's not why they stopped them though. I know it feels edgy to blame manufacturers for ending reliable engines for the sake of making sales, but it just isn't true. No engine you listed would pass cafe standards today, just like none of them would be capable of power numbers to keep them competitive in today's market. The modifications needed to accomplish this would be less cost efficient than a complete clean sheet design, which is what happened and why it happened. It's a shame too, because those old straight sixes are cool as hell.
@@crewdawg2008 You have to ask yourself why do we need car engines with 500 + hp. answer: we don't, we want them. I find it interesting that we all managed to get around just fine with 200 hp engines and even 300 hp truck engines. What is more important is torque, In line 6 engines had long strokes that devloped lots of torque at low RPM's When they were carberated they were dirty. but with port injestion or even direct injection they could have been cleaned up and even could have been made more powerful. These changes coupled to an overdrive trans would have made them winners. What killed them was the sylist wanted lower hood hieghts and sleeker lines. To bad though look at the shoes boxes coming out these days. Also cast iron engines that run slower just last longer , and god knows we can't have that. I'm retired now but my 40 years as a certifed mechanic tells me that what is being offered up are glorified rolling smart phones that are as close as you can get to being disposable S.H.I.T.E. heeps JMHO
I bought a 1965 Valiant with a 225 for 50 dollars 25 years ago. The crankshaft was good so only new bearings and seals were needed for the bottom. I got exhaust headers and an intake manifold with 3 twin choke Weber carburettors from Australia. It took a while to find an affordable Hurst 4 speed transmission but it had really good performance and left many V8s in the dust. I had no problem selling it for a reasonable profit.
Drove an '83 F150 with 300ci I6 engine over 255k miles, sold it to friend who drove it well to over 400k total miles without overhaul. Each of us pulled loaded utility trailers many miles with that F150.
Never appreciated the Inline sixes until I bought a 97 Volvo 960. It came with a 2.9 Liter DOHC I6. Change the oil at 5K miles and the timing chain every 65K miles and it'll easily run past 300K miles with proper maintenance. The only engine problem I've had, was a leaking oil pan gasket. One nice thing, if I ever have to replace the engine, I can get a re-manufactured unit for only $3400, even less if I ship them my original engine. 27 years old and it still runs like new. It's my dedicated long distance highway car.
I’ve had several of the old straight 6’s from the 50’s and 60’s not much on the top end but for sheer torque they are unbeatable! Plus they are simple to work on. I’ve also had the slant 6 just as good!
I have both Mercedes M103 3.0 and M104 3.6 AMG in my garage right now. Bullet proof for sure. M103 lacks power and M104 has plenty of power. However, M103 isn't bad at all, it's a lot lighter than M104 and it produces less heat than M104. The car equipped with M103 is easier to corner and the air conditioner tends to be cooler in the summer time.
My father had the 300 6 cylinder. Ran over 300,000 miles before selling the vehicle. Last time I've contacted the person that purchased the vehicle, it was over 460,000 miles on the engine. Good engines when maintained properly.
Growing up I remember the slant six in the Valiants being bulletproof.
I'm surprised the Chevy 250 was not mentioned.
I only work on ford falcons and territories in australia, all of which use the barra i6 so i see an awful lot of them. I have seen several Barra engines with 2 million kilometers on them. And a ton with over 1 million. They were the choice for all taxis running on lpg and baaically ran 24/7 because taxi licenses were super expensive so they all had multiple drivers. Change the oil at 10k and they don't die.
There is a barra that won horsepower heros at the summernats for several years. Over 2200HP from a factory block and head barra.
The barra is literally an evolved version of what started life as an old school american i6. Barra was the first version with double overhead cam VCT and 4 big valves her cyl. The heads flow huge from the factory.
A couple more motors you can add to the list , inline Chevy six 235 , 250 , 292 , gear to gear no timing chain and the 4 cylinder Volkswagen Rabbit diesel , strong little power plant.
Toyota 1HZ and Nissan TD42 come to mind as engines with extreme longevity
Yup! (2) 225 slant sixes in a 1979 ex-phone company short bed Dodge pickup and a 1982 long bed as well. Best inline 6 on earth! The 1979 had legit 500,000 miles on it and it ran great! Also had a 1976 Chevy square body with a 250 inline 6, fantastic engine as well!! I love inline 6’s. Another excellent inline 6 is the 6-71 2 stroke Detroit diesel, probably the best engine in world history along with ALL Detroits, Cleveland diesels, and EMD’s regardless of layout! These engines built built this country and won WW2. We had Fords with 300 sixes too. Good motors, and I ain’t even a “Ferd” guy!
I learned to drive on my parents' 1968 AMC Rebel with the smooth 232 c.i. six and automatic. The car passed through the family and eventually disintegrated many years later, but that engine was still going strong. As a side note, I was seriously disappointed when they passed on the 290 V8 for the six, but history proved it to be a wise move. Funny how so many of your parents decisions and actions become better over time. 🤔😅
ah I had the machine the souped up rebel
I’ve got the 6.9 Cummins in my 94 3500 Dodge Ram. With 223,000 miles it will outlast me, several paint jobs, and future owners after I’m gone.
Having grown up in this era, it was expected that you bought a straight 6 above all else. V-8's were for the ones that wanted to fool around on the road, but for pure reliability, the 6 was it. Some of us wouldn't even think of having anything else. You bought it, maintained it and there was never a thought of it wearing out. Then front drive came along and fear gripped us because we saw the straight 6 on the road to disappear. To say we were depressed would be an understatement. I despise everything new that's out there and SO wish the straight 6 was back for common use.
My Jeep Cherokee 6 in line had 400 thousand miles, when I lose it…
I keep that auto for 16 years…
In 1977, I remembered driving these GMC step Vans on the flight line that were built in 1947-49 with straight 6 engine. These vans would run all day long for at least 16 hrs around the runways with tools to go to fix airplanes.
Back in the 60s & 70s those Inline 6 Engines seemed indestructible!! They could take massive abuse and keep going!!😊. GM, Chrysler. Ford and AMC all had some excellent I6 and Small Block V8s!!
I had a 240 cid that ran for 27 yrs. Not one ounce of trouble. It went 169,000 miles. I was very careful to filter & oil change b4 the 3,000 mile limit...every time. The motor was blowing oil out the exhaust. I had the valve stems changed, hoping that was why.
I had the $, so I had a 300 put in my '65 F100. Real strong. I should mention...I put a set of efi exh, mnflds on the 240 one yr b4 I retired it. WOW ! the two mufflers and short runs that turned b4 the pass rear tire...it was a whole new motor.
The 300 has the efi's on it too. Don't need a V8 with this set up.
I am using Shell Rotella 15W40 T4 oil now in the 300. I was advised to use this by a west coast nitro drag racer. The motor does well with it.
The chevy stovebolt inline 6s the 250 230 and 199
My '88 Jeep Cherokeee had the 4.0-liter six. Great engine!
I've got two Barra's. Ones got over 440,000k on it and it's still smooth as.
Chrysler Australia plonked the 225 slant in our local Valiants. Always were extremely tough.
Only 'bug' seemed to be that they were known to crack exhaust manifolds.
I had a 1964 Chevy Bel-air with a 283 V8. It had over 100,000 miles when I traded it off. Still running great.
Blessed to have both a 1998 Dodge 2500 Cummins 12-valve, 4x4 as well as a 2000 Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0 liter in-line 6 both around the quarter million mile mark running smooth and always reliable.
I made a mistke that I bought a 96 Grand Cherokee. The only good thing of this car was the legendary straight six. That engine was so great as it was not made by Chrysler.
Let me watch on and see if there is the legendary Chevy sixbanger of the Sixties on this list. I think those engines will run forever.
I’m 1981 I bought f150 ford 300 that lasted until 1997 when l. bought a. 5.4. v 8’ over head cam.
VW ALH 4 cylinder diesel at 1:57, great engine. My 25-year-old Jetta just rolled over 435k miles. Still love a good 6 cylinder, four BMWs in the '80s all with great six cylinders, even that fantastic diesel, wish I'd never gotten rid of it.
Great vid, really enjoyed!!! 👍👍
Gosh.. I thought I was only one who remembers the 235 Chevy straight 6. I wished America would reintroduce a basic 1/2 ton pickup based on 1965 design.
It would have to be an extremely modernized rendition, so much so, you'd be hard pressed to even identify it was based on that at all.
When I lived in Thailand, we had a Toyota 1G straight 6 without turbo put in our 1977 Toyota Cornoa, It took the stock 70hp engine up tp almost 200HP that was a nice engine. Never had trouble. We bought the engine on a dock whare house outskirts of Bangkok and tested it where it sat.. Very nice!
I have a 2004 Ram2500 5.9 Cummins with only 123K miles. It’s almost broken in now. My dad bought it new and now I drive it every day. I’ll pass it to my kids in another 30 years.
Love my 94Ford F150 XL 4x4 300 inline six runs great doesn’t burn or like oil 200000miles on it going strong. Never going to sell it.👍
Jeep 4litre and 4.2litre are my favs.
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
The 3.7 slant six it’s incredibly reliable, we just bought a 1966 valiant which has been stored for minimum 3 decades, we just restore the total electric wire harness, carburetor, and distributor, and ran at the first start smoothly
I've had several Ford pickups and full size Broncos with the 300 inline six. My '86 Bronco had 623,000 miles on it when I did an overhaul. I changed out the timing gears ( not belt, not chain ) with both crank and cam gears in metal, A little noisy at first but she quieted down after a few thousand miles. I recently bought a '79 F-150 4x4 with a 300 inline six.
‘79 F100 w/300 straight 6 and 3 on the tree. Best truck I ever owned. Torque forever 👍
6:40 Pocket Protector Pat is in da house
My first car was a 1964 dodge dart 225 slant 6 with 3 speed manual transmission. Drove it all thru the 70s 80s sold it when I got married my wife said it was ugly and won't ride in it
Had a 72 Duster 225 Slant six one of the best engines I ever had had car six years 250 k ran like new when I sold it
The Chrysler slant-six was. and still is, a very good engine.
I've never seen one with catastrophic damage.
2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 with a little over 250,000 on the 4.0L High Output I6…has never missed a beat. Have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD with 120,000 original miles on it with same 4.0L High Output I6…it’s never missed a beat either.
Inline ohv 6's were one of the best engines ever made,had one with 200 thousand miles that used no oil from oil chang to oil change(Ford)the majority of inline 6"s were very reliable and easy to work on.
Love the slant six. Learned to drive in a 64 Dart, 225, 4 on the floor. Thought I was hot s..t.
I asked a friend about a knock I was concerned about in my Ford 300. He told me "DON'T TOUCH IT!". He said he had a 300, that outlasted 3 cars, and was still running well, but he got tired of moving it into new cars!
I really miss my 300! 😢
There was 3 sizes of the slant 6 Chrysler. 170,194 and 225. Chrysler's mistake was, not making a300!
Their mistake in the U.S. was to not replace it with the Hemi six they designed but passed off to Chrysler Australia. From 1970 we dropped the 225 for the 245 Hemi, followed by a 215 and 265ci in 1971. 7 main bearings, 12 port, huge valves. More power, more economy and at the same time. Easier to work on than the slant to boot.
Best motor on the list Barra 4ltr not only for its longevity but the ease of tunabilty can easily turn it into 8 second car yet still drive it home and do so for the next 20 years nice and tourquy too.
The Aussie Ford Territory was another 'legend' !!
cause it had a barra 4.0 l in it
Pretty much ALL inline 6 run forever and always smooth, except the bigger (Truck) Engines!! Depends on the Engine Size!
Have owned Several AMC 258 and one 232 as well As The Reliable AMC 343 and AMC, 360 V-8s plus I had A1990 Ford 300 Six 3/4 Ton Pick Me Up, 12 MPG, loaded or Empty, but was Reliable and Tough as Nails.
Just bought a 520i E39 with 140.000 miles, drives like an angel and won't be doing more than 1000 miles per year from now on as it's not the main car. Probably has more that 50% of it's life left
79 ford 300, f150 long wheelbase hang on air conditioning, 3 spd on column, best truck ever , would still own, but ran hot, found another 300 engine, rebuilt it sold it to my brother 150000 miles kept it nearly 20 years
I can vouch for the M103, 225 Slant six and the ford 300.
Here's a Surprise For Ya
I bought a New 76 Chevy Vega
Afterwards, I heard all the bad things about them, Mine had the new bigger radiator in it, so No over heating issues
I used it as my everyday driver for many years, around 200,000,000 + miles later I sold it to my Brother
I never had a issue with worn out parts, "If is not broke, don't fix it"
(He had to replace clutch n plate, all the brakes & leaking gaskets)
Then put another 100,000,000 and sold it
In the late 90's a Towing Co. Called saying they found my Vega abandoned in the woods
It's Not Mine - "I have a Bill Of Sale"
(I could see them trying to squeeze towing fees out of me)
Where I worked in the early 1970’s, we had a 1971 Ford F-250 with the 300 cu. in. 6 and 3 speed manual. That engine was bullet proof, ask me how I know. I dogged the heck out of it every time I drove it. My 1965 Falcon 170 wasgreat too.
One of the engines you missed is the Dodge Plymouth Chrysler inline flat head 6 cylinder. One of the first engines to run full oil pressure to all componants inside the engine. Built in various sizes from 1938 to 1959 for cars and on up to 1972 in trucks and industrial applications. They were not powerful but they were torque monsters of their day do to their long stroke and slow running longevity. I have one of these engines in a 1951 dodge mayfair 2 door hard top 218 cid Exclusive to Canada It fired right up after a 25 year sleep and had 40 psi of oil pressure. It now is ready to be on the road this coming summer in its restored original car. This engine did not need to be opened up, it does not burn oil and runs smooth.
My vehicle has the AMC 242ci I6. It has 721.000 kilometers (448,009) miles and has never been rebuilt. I bought the vehicle in mid 1996, new. There has been an oil change every 5000 kilometers, done by myself. No mechanic has ever touched my dear, "Stargazer." I am the only one to have ever serviced, repaired, modified, updated, my dear mechanical best friend. The RMS Stargazer has been through a lot with me. No human can be as loyal and devoted my Stargazer.
Thank you for the video, I had 2 vehicles with slant 6 225 engines.
Inline 6 engines originated as tractor engines, and they lasted forever. We've got tractors from the 40's and 50's that are still going strong today, and they aren't that difficult to work on when something does go wrong.
My dad has an old Co-Op E5 that he loves. It blew a piston a few years ago, and we were able to drop the oil pan, remove the head, and disconnect the connecting rod and pulled the piston out in just a couple hours while leaving the engine in the tractor. He pulled another piston out of another engine he had, re-ringed it and we put it back in a few days later, reinstalled the pan and head, and it fired up.There was a slight antifreeze seepage in the head gasket, so we pulled the head back off and replaced the head gasket. It has been running strong since. It's one of the farm's loader tractors, so it sees it's share of work every year, though not as much now since dad retired and rented the farm out. But it's still his favorite loader tractor. My personal favorite is our Oliver 880, also an inline 6. That's been my go-to loader tractor for years.
The common item mentioned in this video, the one that is key to longevity, is a cast iron block. They are the closed deck design. Open deck aluminum blocks are the bane of modern, high efficiency engines. No one has mastered the art of making an ICE out of aluminum and making it live for a long, long time. Aluminum has a high coefficient of expansion and that has always and forever will be the #1 enemy of longevity......IMO. Engines that use cast iron blocks and aluminum heads require a lot of attention to the cooling system as well as frequent oil changes. I ran Nissan/Datsun SOHC L-series engines for decades but I had to torque the heads and lash the valves every year (10k to 12K miles). Bulletproof. Transmissions were as well. Nissans became relatively unreliable pieces of sh*t when the engine designs were changed to open deck aluminum blocks....IMO.
My Jeep 4 liter threw a rod at 70,000 miles. It was well maintained.
I am an Aussie with a Barra engine but powered by LPG, yes BBQ gas. I change oils twice a year. With the gas powered engine the oil drains out almost as clean as when it went in.
I have an f6 Bf, i had a fg ute on gas for a few months this year (written off, not my fault). The barra gas was great.
One of my good friends owns a 3.6 Ecotec-powered WH Holden Caprice.
It's got 565,000 on the clock, and, sadly, is now beginning to overheat.
The car is mint.
Probably going to have the heads off, and all the thermos replaced.
You could have included the Holden red six - they are super reliable, and can be modified to insane heights without sacrificing reliability
The Barra is defo the one to beat. In LPG and unleaded fuels. Some taxis are known to travel over 700k
Glad you have the cummins 5.9 on here; I would be shocked if you didn't
I had six slant 6 work vans in my little fleet. Everyone still ran fine at 500k with fleet maintenance.
The Ford 300 is the basis of the famous barra that you opened with. Cheers 🍻 from Australia
How about the Toyota 2F?
The gas engine that thinks it's a diesel?
I had a 1981 Ford half ton with the 4.9 and a 4 speed with granny gear. I still regret letting it go 17 years ago.
Ford 4.9 is the best. I beat the snot out of it in my cargo van, overheated it 6 times to the point it stalled out and still ran like a top. When i scraped the van i kept the engine and put it in another econoline and ran it to 627,000 kms.
I've had many straight six engine over the last 40 years. Jeep 230, chevy 250, and my all time favorite the ford 300. These 3 will live longer than the driver.
A diesel Toyota Land Cruiser is the only vehicle to have in Australia's outback, they are legend.
Had several slant 6s over the years. Just keep water & oil in them and they were practically indestructible. Got mid-20's mpg using good gas. Would buy one again if could find a good one!
Chrysler 215 , 245 and 265 Hemi Sixes from down under
And the Ford 221 (3.6 litre), 200 and 250 sixes. Also the 1988 on sohc/dohc ones. They’d more often than not outlast the car they were in
The Australian Holden 202, simplicity and will keep on going, can mod these engines with so many go fast bits available still. Bullet proof and a great all round engine, the Holden red engine were available from 1965 though to 1978, then the blues and the short lived blacks saw these engines retired from service
lol. holden got nothing, they imported their engines for the last 20 years
Ive got a 3FE in an 88 landcruiser runs good and it had a nap from 1988 till Jan of this year. Ive had multiple W200 sweptlines with the slant 6 another great truck. Currently working on a Toyota 2H (in a 79 FJ45 that has a turbo on it from Austrailia should last me till I die.
I had an XP Falcon that had done a logged 600000 miles and still on the original motor, had no been rebuilt.
Chevy 235/250. The 1965 235, with points and condenser, and the 1970 250 with solid state ignition module are interchangeable.
I had a 1964 dodge D-100 truck with a 225 slant 6. extremely durable and reliable. It was stolen.
chevys gear driven camshaft made them last long with few worries!