The worst engine ever made?

[JohnD]

Just found this video.    I'm no Stag exponent, so maybe this trenchant view needs discussion?

 

[Nick Jones]

I decided that I wasn’t going boost his viewing figures…… and I’ve not changed my mind.

Clearly it isn’t as VAG and BMW have been playing catch-up in recent years on the self-destruction front, and that’s before you even think about the early GM V8 diesels….

[JohnD]

The author mentioned several points that were opinions, the size of the radiator, the location of the water pump, the size of the main bearings etc.   The only point that I thought was real, and backed up by previous experience, was the lack of advice to dealers on anti-corrosion antifreeze, in an iron and aluminium engine.       That fits with the attitude of Triumph to their introduction of Pi,  where was no training for dealers' staff for the the first production fuel injection car.     They fiddled with it like a carb, lost their way and so PI became "unreliable", when in fact it is more so than a carb.

 

[Nick Jones]

The water pump design is unwisely complex and the angled head studs are uniquely moronic. Both traits shared with the slant 4s.  Yet they can all be made to work and work reliably. Crappy manufacturing, inadequate quality control and poor/absent maintenance* are huge contributors to the myth.

Personally, having owned an 1850 and a Sprint, both of which I quite liked,  (and the latter didn’t even actually cause me any engine problems) and worked on several belonging to others, I wouldn’t go out of my way to acquire any car with one of this engine family in it. But there are plenty far worse out there, including a range of preposterously over-complex and under-reliable offerings from “respected” German stables.

 

*on absent maintenance I’m reminded of a Spitfire 1500 brought in by low loader to the backstreet Triumph specialist I worked for part time as a student. It had “failed to proceed” on the M3.

It was accompanied by its owner of two years. An early middle-aged lady (possibly American). She was incensed that her unreliable British car had left her stranded. It was unloaded and we opened the bonnet to inspect the remains. She was amazed to see the front of her car flip up. She hadn’t had the bonnet open in 2 years, nor had it serviced. The engine was ruined. No coolant and very little oil…… Poor thing……

[Escadrille Ecosse]

On 11/22/2021 at 8:38 PM, Nick Jones said:

The water pump design is unwisely complex and the angled head studs are uniquely moronic. Both traits shared with the slant 4s.  Yet they can all be made to work and work reliably. Crappy manufacturing, inadequate quality control and poor/absent maintenance* are huge contributors to the myth.

Yes to all of this. And the points about the support to the dealers from the factory.

Not sure the main bearings are really an issue and I'm pretty sure the last time I looked that the radiator isn't actually part of the engine. Like Nick I didn't actually watch the rant but did he not mention timing chains? Or more particularly the tensioners. Tsk, tsk.

But like everything else on the engine if looked after and changed as required they are no more troublesome than any other 'transition' engine of that era. Think about the Ford Pinto cam for instance.

[Nick Jones]

1 hour ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

Ford Pinto cam for instance

Or cams /followers on the Vauxhall "family 2" 1300 & 1600 engines. They were even worse than the pinto for dying young.  The "good" old RV8 likes to chomp a cam lobe too...

[Escadrille Ecosse]

12 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Or cams /followers on the Vauxhall "family 2" 1300 & 1600 engines. They were even worse than the pinto for dying young.  The "good" old RV8 likes to chomp a cam lobe too...

And the infamous Porsche nicasil cylinder wear....

[Nick Jones]

 

25 minutes ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

And the infamous Porsche nicasil cylinder wear....

And BMW…… and Jaguar…… and Jaguar timing chains…. There are many from the 2000s - from manufactures who used to be able to build reliable engines….

[Mark]

Remember seeing Hart Racing Stag back in the day. Well sorted Triumph V8 went very well. I think the Stag engine had lots of potential let down by lack of basic maintenance, corrosion inhibitors for example, a lack of which contrbuted to the furing up of the cooling system leading to overheating and warped heads. Trying to find a good set of unskimmed heads in the early 80's, was like looking for hens teeth. I got lucky after advertising for a pair in my local paper. A retired fireman had a perfect set in his loft, which he delivered. The stag was to refined for me, so bought a Mk3 Spitfire to replace it.