All time greatest engine?

I have a SBC in my 62 C-10, but my favorite motors would have to be the Nailhead and the Hemi.

 

When all else fails, hit it with a bigger hammer.......
427SOHC
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I am not misunderstanding anything. It is just a difference of option and likely a difference in criteria. I don't consider an SBC to be even close to the greatest engine of all time. Maybe most popular and universal and pretty decent for what it is and how much it costs. As others have mentioned, there are far better engines out there and the list is quite long. But others generally tend to be better at fairly specific things and applications and therefore generally limited production and costly.

Just like most things, it takes special effort to get truly the best of anything. You don't get the best just dropped in your lap for $500. Name any one aspect that a SBC is really good at and you can probably name several engines that are better at that aspect, but likely not as a whole. SBC's are really good compromises all around, but not really that great at anything in particular expect cheap, easy and reliable. All very good traits, but not that exciting, which makes it hard for me to call the greatest.

Just like a McDonald's burger, I would rather have a few really good burgers every once in a while than settle for having a McDonald's burger every day just because I know I can always get one pretty much whenever I want and for dirt cheap. Sure, I might get a bad burger once in a while at a Mom and Pop joint, but usually they are well worth the extra effort. And a few here and there I would call greatest.

I like hot rods and cheap, easy and reliable just aren't my goals and I don't consider anything great when those are the salient features.

I eat McDonald's every once in a while and I don't hate SBC's. SBC's can be pretty cool it done well. I just don't consider SBC's the greatest just like I don't consider McDonald's burgers the greatest. Most popular, maybe, but not greatest, sorry.

 

Buick/Rover Alloy V8 only 3.5 litres when you guys gave it up and sold it to the brits in '64. We used it from then until 2 years ago. Now capable of being punched out to 5.2 litres and capable of 500hp. All this from a motor that two men can easily lift into a car.

 

I could of used a 400 pontiac 401 nail head 396 chev 394 olds fe ford small block ford , and or crysler engines in my 55. I have a few of each but it has a 283. Im really leaning towards putting a 69 400 pontiac in it. Even if you wont admit it and have convinced yourself other wise.We all know the small block chev wins. However you can think what you want you are the one that has to live with your thought,s Oldwolf

 

Mine favorites in this order

Hemi because it makes a stupid amount of power
sbc because of reliability and easy to get parts for
nailhed because they make good power an sound awseome
fltties are just plain cool and were the first ho rod engine.

 

I remember an old flattie racer telling me that 'If he'd knew Chevy was gonna do that he would have waited!'

I think you have all forgotten that we would not only be overgrown with grass but never had go karts and mini bikes without Briggs and Stratton

Yes just like jumping of the roof with a bed sheet to see if we could fly B&S
got so many of us started in motors...... in business mowin' lawns and hoppin up!

So For all the Boomers I gotta vote for those little POS one lung'rs

What was the first motor you tried to run on 'FUEL'? Remember Francisco's?

 

Notsp much the koolest OR the greatest....just the engines I feel made significant changes hot rodding in the vinatge style.....

i. SBC - affordable, plentiful, successful
ii. Flathead/Ardun - unique, the "originator"
iii. Dodge/DeSoto/Chrysler Hemis - no need to justify this one !
iv. Olds Rocket - kool,powerful vintage engine
v. Buick Nailheads - even more kool,powerful vintage engine
vi. Ford Cammers - rarity and powerful = unique
vii. Chrysler Wedge - Tuff, hi TQ motors most useful on the street

 

of all the cool ass engines you have you've gotta come on here pushing the briggs lawnmower engine. yer killing me man


all time greatest engine wouldn't fit in a car very well. I would pick an aircraft engine. the allison V12, the rolls royce merlin, the rolls royce griffin, the turbo compound radials pushing over 1hp per cube for hours upon hours. The sleeve valve bristol radials.

so many you just can't choose

 

Bluto, dude! Your kidding! But your right, I stripped that little B&S, re-built it and started to learn how to hot up a motor with those things. My lawn mowing career bought me my first project car!

Frank, the Nailhead. It was a choice between the Cammer and that for me. I have a 401 for my gasser. Cant wait to get this project really rolling!

RevKev, Bristol Hercules. WHAT A MOTOR! I worked on some of those when I was a member of the Moorabbin Air Museum in Victoria Australia. The sound of those things running is sooooo awesome. We ran our DAP Mk21 Beaufighter every now and then, the 'whispering death' was well named. Contrary to common belief it was the US servicemen in the SWPA that named the Aussy Beaufighters 'whispering Death' not the japs.

PS, Bluto, you don't have a Beaufighter tucked away in the collection anywhere? Maybe a stormbird? FW TA-152 maybe?

 

The question was for classic-rodders . . . so my take is this (and I'm moving the dates around a bit!)

1) Pre WWII -- the Ford 4 Bangers
2) Post WWII till mid-50's or so -- the Flathead Ford
3) Mid-50's till today - SBC

I think there are vastly different answers for different types of racing -- depending on application, speed, $$$, etc..

Examples:

Top-Fuel: has been dominated by the V8 Hemi since the late 50's . . . or some aftermarket derivitive thereof. In this class the Hemi is as lopsided (sheer numbers) as the SBC is for sprint cars.

Sprint Cars: SBC hands-down for the last 50 years.

Weekend Warriors: SBC for the last 50 years

Bonneville: Damn nice they have all those classes . . . or it would probably be the SBC by sheer numbers.

Indy: Offy and Offy derivatives (30's to mid 60's). Cosworth, and in recent years . . . Honda, Toyota @#%@#$

HAMB: All sorts of cool engines from the 20's through the 60's . . . and some much newer. Lots of diversity here -- which is the way it has always been with rodders!

 

From a guy (Ford nut) who has hated sbc's since 1955 and hemi's for almost as long, there is no contest. It is the sbc. $#%$^*&^$%@%^....Damn that tasted bad, but it's true

 

I have to laugh at all the SBC haters..especially when one blows their doors off...over and over and over again..

I think thats why its hated by some and loved by others..the ones who hate it have been smacked by it way too many times..

Ive been watching pass time and that other drag racing program..(cant think of the name right now) on Speed channel alot lately..90% or more of the drag racers on this program are running SBC's..and 98% of the winners are doing it with SBC's..(or at least a chevy engine)..

One guy was quoted..He had a Ford with an SBC in it..The host asked him why a chevy in a ford...the owner said.."Because I want to go fast"

look at how many different hot rodded cars have the SBC in it..call it a belly button..so what, its obviously made its mark in this Rodding life we all enjoy so much.

I love my SBC..
but the sound of a BBM..now thats another story all on its own.

 

I have to agree with you on this one. With the BBC you get the power, parts are easily found and you get the 10lbs shit in a 5 lb bag look. I also enjoy the Pontiac's and Olds Rockets.

 

It's so much fun listening to all of the sbc haters grudgingly admit that it's probably the best engine ever made.

I hope this one goes ten pages.

 

SEE no one really HATES Briggs & Stratton !!

Unless you had to mow the f'n lawn for free. AND that wasn't the motors fault!


You Ford and Chevy guys are a bunch-0-sheep and the Hemi guys .... well
psssssssssssss.....

B&S is king shit! You think about it. Lemmings

 

Weren't Briggs & Stratton just money guys that bought the engine from Smith of Smith Motor Wheel fame?

 

Bluto!!! the Briggs &Stratton is like a 1 cylinder flathead. I agree if you want a challenge put a grown man on a race cart powered by a 5hp briggs and try to make it go fast. The motor builder contest begins now!!!! >>>>.

 

Yes!
NO other engine......EVER, has been used in SO many different applications than the flat four V Dub. Versatility.
Cars, planes, log splitters, water pumps, 1/2 engine 1/2 air compressor.....you name it, the VW has powered it at some point.......even hotrods!

 

This morning it was the 6hp vertical shaft B&S on a Craftsman deck with mulch.

All time? SBC duh

 

They stole the plans for ALL those applications from Model T Ford powered projects, only change was the lack of watercooling.

 

+1 I like the way you think

 

Who's "they"? VW?
The hillbillies in the back woods making shit outta VW engines? Model T engines in airplanes? Model T air compressors?
So who did Ford STEAL plans from to build cars?
What a dumb comment.

 

I have and always will say MaryAnne... she was hotter.

 

OT, but ive seen Flathead air compressors, One bank was for compressing and one for running, it was cool as hell.

 

Completely agree with you on this one.

 

Big Block Mopar all time greatest: here's why

Long Cross Rams, Short Cross Rams, Inline dual quads, Six Pack (or Six Barrel), The coolest exhaust Manifolds ever cast in iron (Max Wedge), Max Wedge heads (ports big enough to suck a small block chevy down), beefy bottom ends, tons of torque, millions made (383's especially), lightweight stamped steel rockers that will last and handle high spring pressures,





Blocks have been recast, lots of old blocks left, tons of aftermarket parts, great heads available and in stock form, did I mention torque?



Not going on a sbc rant here, I just kind of ignore them now.

 

Pure statment of fact, nothing dumb about it, there were Model T Ford powered airplanes built in the late 1920's, air compressors, engines cut in half to make two cylinder power plants, if it needed powere someone put a T motor to the task. Hitler's wagen wasn't anything new, in fact his ass was kicked by kids who grew up driving Model T Fords.

 

For the all-time "affordable hot rod motor", it would have to be SBC. But tell me this. I know the flathead was and is great. But Chevy still faught it with the sixes. You KNOW a GMC six is that kid that you look at and think, "Why is he soo mean?" Really, when it comes down to it, it matters on who knows the engine. Average Joe can get a SBC and beat Flathead Guy (if he isn't Barney Navarro). Flathead Guy can beat Chevy Six Guy unless Chevy Six Guy really knows his stuff. Everybody can have fun until Money Bags walks up with his Hemi, kicks sand in your face, and steals your chick!!

 

VW's???...........>>>> the cliff is that way>>>>>>

Who said anything 'bout grown men..... put your gran'son all in karts:

A 6 hour enduro! You have to drink as much beer as fuel the cart uses and 1 extra for each lap your kids down at the hour mark....... OH Taasarace..........
I don't have any kids I go rent 1