GM, Dodge and Ford engine sizing in the past

[Garandman]

Here is one I bet most people don't remember. How about the GM 5.7 diesel? It didn't last long. We had a caprice with one when I was a kid. Likely one of the biggest POS diesel engines ever released by the big 3.

It is the main reason why Chevrolet has tread so lightly with the Cruze turbodiesel. We have two, so far, so good.

 

[JESSE1]

One of my brothers had one of the 5.7L diesels in a Cadillac and was happy with it, one of my wife's brothers had one in an Olds that he put way over 100k miles on and was happy with it. And before we became full time RVers, I bought a book on full time RVing that was written by a full time couple who towed a conventional travel trailer behind a Chevy pickup with the 5.7L diesel.

A friend of ours pulled his jet boat with a '79 GMC with the 5.7 Olds. I think they only had 120 hp. Great fuel mileage. I can't imagine pulling a travel trailer with one.

 

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The current Formula1 engine is a V6 turbo combined with an electric motor assist. Click Here for additional details. They also limit the fuel flow as well as the total fuel on board since they eliminated refueling during pit stops several years ago. The superb sounds of a V8, V10 or the scream of a V12 is long gone, replaced by a sound like a muffled jake brake.

"From 2014 onwards, a Formula One car's power is provided by a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine which produces around 600bhp, though this represents just one component of an F1 car's power unit. An additional 160bhp or so comes from an advanced Energy Recovery System (ERS) which utilises two clever motor generator units (MGU) that convert mechanical and heat energy to electrical energy and vice versa."

They just changed this year to the 1.6 6 cyl. My "current" is not so current. Imagine 15 -18,000 rpm. Must sound like a KitchenAid blender. Thanks for the heads up.

 

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I remember people either loving or hating those cars (Chevys/Olds/Buicks) with the 5.7 "diesel". If you got a good one they were pretty good, slow but very good mileage, plus the big GM ride quality. If you got a bad one they could be really bad. Saw quite a few practically given away and repowered with a 305/307/350 gas engines. Turned Americans off of diesel for quite a few years, may still have some lingering effects. GM should have spent a few more $$$$$$$ and went with a proper diesel foundation, I think they would have sold a lot of those cars.

Q

I always thought they did this on purpose just to discourage people off of diesels to thwart the then influx of them from Europe. I mean engineers weren't stupid. Take a gas engine, put more bolts in the head for the extra compression, yeah it'll work. Wasn't diesel cheaper than gasoline then? Big oil must of liked it too.

 

[jejeosborne]

A friend of ours pulled his jet boat with a '79 GMC with the 5.7 Olds. I think they only had 120 hp. Great fuel mileage. I can't imagine pulling a travel trailer with one.

My parents had on olds Delta 88 with the 5.7 diesel back while I was in high school. It was the later version with only 105 HP. I had to back it down a friends driveway because it literally didn't have enough power in the higher reverse gear to back up the hill. Hard to believe it was optional and added about 16% to the overall cost of the vehicle. To this date, this is the slowest vehicle I have ever driven. My dad installed a switch to override the overdrive or torque converter to give it a "passing gear". It did get pretty good MPG as I was told but man was it an embarrassing car for a teenager to take on a date. I don't care even if it did have a big back seat.

The Cars That Killed GM: The Oldsmobile Diesel - Autosavant | Autosavant

 

[buickanddeere]

It is the main reason why Chevrolet has tread so lightly with the Cruze turbodiesel. We have two, so far, so good.

It's not a GM engine . It's a Fiat diesel engine

 

[buickanddeere]

I always thought they did this on purpose just to discourage people off of diesels to thwart the then influx of them from Europe. I mean engineers weren't stupid. Take a gas engine, put more bolts in the head for the extra compression, yeah it'll work. Wasn't diesel cheaper than gasoline then? Big oil must of liked it too.

The bean counters ruined the 350 olds diesel. They cheapened the block, eliminated the roller cam followers and fuel filtration from what the engineers wanted. The engine was ok after being updated at the end of production but by that time the damage was done to it's reputation.

 

[DT86]

The funny thing was Dodge was waay ahead of Chevy and Ford at that time with the Cummins diesel but for some reason people kept buying the Chevy's and Fords.

Dodge didn't have the Cummins until 1989.

 

[TomSeller]

It did get pretty good MPG as I was told but man was it an embarrassing car for a teenager to take on a date. I don't care even if it did have a big back seat.

LMAO. Very funny.

 

[MossRoad]

I learned to drive on my Dad's 1964 Chev Belair.but it did not have any 454 (I wish) my Dad went with the straight 6 I think it was 230 Cubic inch but could be wrong.

We had a 230 in our '70 Nova. Great little engine. I had some work done to it after I got ahold of it. It would turn 7200rpm and chirp the tires in all 4 gears.