Well the new Chevy Blazer is comming out. And guess what? They have reverted back to the I-6 engine. Why? Because they said it gives better torque at lower rpm and is a much better engine.

Glad I got my F-150 with I-6 engine.

 

The new engine is a 4.2L DOHC design. I don't know the power specs for it. I don't know how they get 2 cams for a inline engine except maybe the cam is cut in two?

A inline 6 is better than a v6 in a number of ways. Low end power is WAY better. Durability is better. I don't know about keeping the engine cool though. I wonder about that.

I suspect Ford will turn in that direction soon.

 

Well, I guess they could put two long cams in the same head, sort of like one cylinder head of a DOHC V8, but longer. If its still going to be a S10-like sized Blazer, I wonder where they are going to get the room for a long inline block.

 

Yes Yes, I know all about the new 4.2L engine GM is making, since I work there. It is going to be an aluminum block. Well, Our plant is preparing to aquire an aluminum operation, so several new blocks are in the making. Including, this may surprise you, a FIVE cylinder engine. The 4.2 makes about 260 HP at 6000 RPM, and I forget the exact torgue number(it's been awhile since I was around this block) but I think it is in the ballpark of 230@2500.

 

You know I can't figure that out, inline six' really don't make high horsepower, or at least the 300 didn't and the Jeep 4.0 doesn't. They ARE Torque engines. You would think Gm would make the 4.2L have as much torque as the old 4.3L did.

 

Well, if their "new generation" Vortec engines tell you anything, it would be that horespower is a higher priority than torque. At least peak. The Vortec 4.8 liter V8 makes a hefty 270 hp, 10 more than the Triton 5.4 liter. But when it comes to torque, it only makes 285 lbs/ft., less than the Triton 4.6 liter. Even the big Vortec 6.0 liter engine, with a whopping 300 hp only makes 355 lb./ft. of torque, only 5 more than the 5.4 liter. If I'm not mistaken, Chevy has pretty much always had higher hp engines, while Ford has always had higher torque engines. I know hp and torque are related, so I guess that just means that the peak hp for Ford engines just comes at a lower rpm than Chevy, thereby increasing the torque to hp ratio, making it larger than Chevy. I'm not an expert on this, so correct me if I'm wrong. And then again, these are all just brochure specs.

 

My buddy the grumpy old biker says:

"Chevy = Fast, flexible, and wimpy"
"Ford = Slow, stiff, and powerful"

...which can be condensed a bit...

"Chevy = Cheetah"
"Ford = Elephant"



------------------
Tom Kenney
WORK: tomk@bearcomp.com
PLAY: tom@fluxtech.com

My truck, Sparky, is a 1992 F-150 XLT SuperCab shortbed 4x4, 302, 3.55 LS, 31"x10.5" Dunlop Radial Rovers, silver-on-black two-tone paint. MODS: K&N Filter, Rancho Steering Damper, Duraliner

Sparky's Page

 

i know ford has an i-5 for the ranger in the making....one would assume it will go in the explorer line too....