I saw that video a few days ago and it did make me think of you, SteveU, and your admiration for in-line engines. I had that engine in a 76 3/4 ton Chevy van. Mostly a drive back and forth to work vehicle so other than having the thing loaded with firewood occasionally it never got a good work out. I do know it had plenty of low end torque. I once mentioned when I met my wife she had a 1976 Plymouth Volare slant six that never had an oil change in 40 thousand miles. God knows how but it still ran. I pulled the rocker cover off it and the sludge was so thick it had to be scraped off with a bunch of different sized chisels. I got as much as I could and ran a gallon of diesel fuel through the crankcase a few times. It didn’t really run that bad. Actually got a decent price on a trade in.
Hi All,
Another Sting rainy day . . . another confirmation video.
BruceJ. your slant six is first up:
The AI voice-guy (who cannot say “Vee’s” properly) last telling-the-story words,
“It isn’t Magic; it was Engineering.”
Enjoy
Steve unruh
that reminds me kind of of the video I saw about the fully restored john Deere 8020, that went for 300k in a recent auction. however, they only made like 80 of them to begin with back in like '61-'64 with a powerful 210hp engine.
Steve,
Hmmm, thanks for video. It was a horrible production if produced by humans. It’s amazing if done by machine. That much AI progress in such a short time is earth shaking.
Let’s do this…how about your top 10, go ahead list yours.
Here are a few of mine:
- Continental Red Seal. That engine is in everything. Remember getting milk delivered by a Divco? 1938 to 1986, the model U went about quietly taking care of business.
- GMC 302 CID six cylinder. Hundreds of thousands of these are scattered over the world, still running. WWII era deuce and a half.
- Ford TT model. T model engines and parts are still available.
- Type 2 Volkswagen
I drove one of these around Germany, for a repair shop. Economical, reliable, easy to service, surefooted in the mountains. - Datsun SD22 diesel four cylinder.
- 235 Chevy six
- Dodge flathead six
- Ford FE 390
- Chevy 454
- Chrysler 440
My top 10 engines??
Hmm. It has to do more with the “fit and suitability for the application”. Read that somewhere.
For the first couple of decades of my wrenching life it was about the challenges of completely tearing down and jack-leg restoring with just rings, bearing inserts and a valve grind and an internal cleaning de-sludging, de-carbonizing.
Then since about the late 80’s beginning with a Suzuki Samurai bought new, it was about how with oil changing over-maintenance’s I would never have to work on my engine at all. I did learn I had to other fluids change-outs too. Later first with platinum spark plugs and now iridiums with the best engines selections I get pretty damn close to never have working on them for repairs.
Ha! Accessory belts! And on the Samurai a dry T-belt.
My favorite engines list would have to include yard&garden; AG tractors; and even outboard marines.
I have used and even owned over my lifetime flatheads/valve-in-block engines. Absolutely hated adjusting valves on any of these. Nessary because many had poor metals treating Cam and tappets wear; and for valve face wear recessions. Came to hate the incomplete combustions eyes watering exhausts on flatheads. Really came to hate they’re always needing 20-30% more fuel versus an equivalent overhead valve engine. Washington State aways higher taxed gasoline, and poor boy incomes.
So my favorite 4 stroke will be pushrod valved easy valve cover off’ed&on engines. Not any overhead cam driven. Unnecessary. Wether a belt drive or chain driven overhead cam: age and wear will force teardown’s needed. The set aside 2007 Hyundai DOHC V-6 is far overdue for its second timing belt change. Set aside now as one of the smooth pulley belt guides has seized up it’s bearing. Six hour job; plus $$$ in parts. The now relegated to a spare, back-up vehicle 2014 Ford Edge DOHC is a three chains driven V-6. It is now driven as little as possible because its internal timing chain driven water pump is now pressure seeping coolant down into the crankcase oil. A 10-12 hour job needing $$$$ in parts. Sure both have gone over 200K. The simple 60 degree pushrod 3.3L V-6 in the 99 Plymouth mini-van was at 330K when sold still running fine on all of it’s original components. Only sparks plugs & wires and accessory belt changes. Yeah some crank seal leakages. No big deal. oils the under chassis for rust prevention.
Anyhow to answer you directly:
Yard&garden favorites it is four-stroke; either a single cylinder slant cylinder, or a horizontal shaft V-twin. Air cooled of course.
Horizontal cylinders in anything always seem to suffer sooner from thier poor oil draining back characteristics and become smoky oil burners sooner. Always more oil leaks from crankcase seams. And vertical seamed valve covers. Specific brands and models from B&S; Honda; Kawasaki; Kohler. All of these have a short list of to be avoided specific models.
Hand held and outboard marine it is for-sure 2-strokes for me. Air cooled Stihl with some exceptions like their no-no Four-mix types. Honda; Yamaha; Suzuki; Evinrudes on the marine. I’d have to in-depth research the to-be-avoided no-no models.
Gasoline on-road vehicles I do like best the second generation evolved EFI’s just before OBDII. Systems later backwards tagged as OBD1’s.
Fords. Chrysler/Dodges. Some Toyotas. Not that era of GM’s,VW/Audis. Not that era of Nissans or M&M’s (Mitsubishi and Mazdas). Subaru’s . . . not for me any year. Any model. Horizontal cylinder oil leakers. I am not sold on boxer engine so-called advantages. Only makes sense to me in light aircraft.
Anything diesel . . . only the earlier 60-80’s all mechanical fuel injection types. Electronify-me-not on diesels. Diesel engine power charaterics for me have always been for specialized usages. Never road use for me. Decades now here Washington State and diesel is carbon taxed UP by 25-30% over pump gasoline. The deep pulling grunt torque of a diesel the need. No operating costs saving here. Older now John Deere’s for me. All diesel parts are expensive.
Picky bastard ain’t I.
And now mechanically lazy too.
It’s the old hands and once detail oriented brain; just not able to juggle layered details anymore.
I can still do fluids changes. Still do spark plugs changes too. Even the upper plenum manifold remover types. Grrr.
Steve unruh
Here is a guy I like to watch for expanding out my fine detailed small engines knowledge: Craig Kirkman. Especially his videos on diaphragm carburetors.
A year ago he made up or acquired this cut-a-way demonstration engine.
Shows well the overhead valve train. The cylinder/piston/combustion chamber relationships on a poppet valve four stroke overhead valve engine.
Comparing this to a flathead valve-in-block cut-a-way and the wide heat losing too large to gasses to surfaces contact area in that cheaper to manufacture limited design will be pretty obvious. Why the Chevrolet 1920’s inline six went to overhead valves so early. Others too. Cummins! ALL aircraft. The amazing to me is how long some like Ford; Chrysler; Rambler and others stuck with flathead designs. Only really fuel costs practical back in age and place of really, really cheap pump gasolines.
Some; not GM and Ford engine guys may never have seen a stud type bucket and ball rocker arm set up. It works well. Needing less oiling with less wear. Much cheaper to individual parts change out, restore when worn.
Regards
Steve unruh
I really like this video, and the companion one posted by Tom H.
Automotive philosophy seems to belong here. 
Edit: Thanks, Bruce J., Steve U., Tom H, and all the other contributors!
No. Thanks Bruce Jackson for setting up this topic and tolerating gabby me . . . I think. ?
S.U.
Well it’s good to know something about engines if you want to make wood gassing sensible and it’s good to know something about old designs for when China cuts off all your electronics. I agree about the flat heads.
Yeah, yeah MikeR. on Uncle Tony’s observations and now opinions.
I watch the I Do Cars channel and AMD’s The Car Care Nut’s Toyota/Lexus shop channel and what smacks you in the face is just how much will be going to heats age, wiring harness’s newer and newer engines have evolved to be wrapped around with. Kind sorta’ OK when pulled loose and played back, set aside in its first 10 years of life for engine core repairs. 10 year plus and it and engine harnesses gives scary snapping cracking crinkling noises when manipulated. You often then will be chasing electrical gremlins after an engine repair or swap out.
Why for me it has become great engine fine . . . but what the rest of the vehicle delivery systems will demand of a fellow.
All new production every 10-15 years is just so nice for upholstery and all plastics soft parts including wiring insulation an harness plugs.
New, simple, repairable, maintainable is still being made across the world. Just NOT available into North America or Western Europe:
Shame. Many of the once simple durable Brands no longer made. Or have no models made new simple: IHC’s; Checker; actual Ramblers; Volvo 122’s 144’s 145’s; and so many others.
Here, BruceJ. one of my very favorite forever engines, in forever chassis’s . . . Volvo B-18’s. Cast iron all. With OHV with cam-in-block and pushrods.
Steve unruh
This is the only decoration I have in this house. No pictures of kids, no paintings, posters, no memorabilia, knickknacks, nothing. Just this brand new electric start engine…yep I started a thread about engines and chat. No reason other than I like it. There are a lot of stories and things to learn about, out there yet.
I have a potted plum tree too.
That Lada Niva looks like a very nice car. That kind of thing do very well bucking snow drifts in winter.
Apparently those were sold in Canada from 1980 to 1997. Even so they a very rare to find on this continent.
That may be a worthy woodgas candidate if the engine was a little bigger. Maybe I should try and track one down and see what it would do with a nice little gasifier.
Well, at least there’s a couple of Baofeng HT’s. Maybe they’re for use, not decoration 
One Baofeng is trialing my new AIOC (all in one cable) with an RPI Zero 2 W running direwolf reading aprs packets. The other Baofeng is letting me listen to them. The HTs are not for show.
KE8DCJ
Google wasn’t able to translate that post. 
If you had searched Google, you would have got Gemini to give you this response. It really blows me away, how we have access to free AI learning now. I know the peripheral stuff is important to learn, but it takes so much time. Whereas now, you can ask a specific question and get a detailed answer in seconds.
In this chassis as a four door sedan. Or the five door station wagon:
S.U.
I agree with you SteveU, the Volvo b18 is a sturdy engine, all the fun i had with these, and the b20.
Almost indestructible… i once had an old volvo 140 with b20, once on my way home late at night i lost all coolant becaus of a shot radiator hose, i drove it the 20 km home without water (the car was heading to the junkyard because of rust) next day it started just fine, i replaced the hose but i had blown the head gasket, so, it wouldnt hold water.
I used that car 2 month’s more (until inspection ran out) without ever trying to fill up any coolant , some longer trips it seized, but after cooling down it started just fine again, even tried to mix in some diesel in the fuel, sounded terrible but wouldnt kill it.
Im not proud of abusing an poor old engine that way, but could always blame youthful stupidity.
My first car was a 1965 B18 Volvo Amazon 2 door sedan. Bought it for $70 at the time. 10 years later I had a 1973 B20 Volvo 145 waggon. Both excellent cars. Wonders of simplicity. You were able sit next to the engine in the bay.
I never could understand why Volvo didn’t believe there would be a market for at least small pick up trucks in Europe. Most Asian manufacturers built them at one time and in the US there is a truck in the drive way of a huge percentage of people even if they live urban and have no real need.