Recent Straight-6 Gassers and Diesels?

[Mike Ellis]

OK car enthusiasts, what relatively modern vintage vehicles used a straight six engine? If I remember correctly the Ford pickups were still using one into the 80s, and I understand that they may have been used in some BMWs and Mercedes diesels.



Which brands have straight sixes lurking under the hood, and which of them are notable for performance or longevity?

 

[JApol]

My 89 F-150 had the 4. 9L I-6. very good motor and was hard to stall with a manual. I put about 50K on it in 9 years. When I sold it there was very little paint left on it but the engine and drive train had no issues. The dual fuel tanks were nice.

 

[p-Bar]

Toyota Celica and the Lexus SC300 same engine for both . The SC was hard on rear tires due to the torque of the engine.

 

[JHedman]

Jeep had the 4. 0L I-6 in their vehicles as well.

 

[MAX A/C]

Jeep had the 4. 0L I-6 in their vehicles as well.

Yes-- probably the last of the Mohicans. Used all the way thru 2006.

 

[Bob V]

Wen I was in school for auto tec, one of the instructors clamed to only reason for the "V" type engine was so the designers could have a shorter and lower hood on the cars

 

[DodgeWarlock]

If I recall correctly the high end company Tuscan made several high performance i-6's in it's model line. If the soundtrack for GT4 was any indicator they not only ran well, but sounded evil. Nissan Skylines(see 2Fast2Furious) ran really hot i-6's and were never openly imported to US market.



As I recall, inlines generally produce more torque due to a single plane of force. The high profile was considered by many to be a problem because it limited the stylists, hence the slant six with it's lower profile. By the late 80's the short hood was becoming stylish and sounded the final deathbell for long inlines except in trucks and high performance. The perception of inlines as weaker by the general public killed off most perfomance versions for the US(would you rather have a 6cyl or an 8cyl in a hi-po car?).

 

[BimmerAgent]

Bmw

BMW uses straight sixes extensively in the US. They are major part if their product line, and are using cutting edge technology like twin turbos and variable valve timing. I have 2 of them, and they are silky smooth, responsive, powerful and efficient. Bruce

 

[Mike Ellis]

Thanks guys, I knew the TDR would have folks knowledgeable in this area.



Bruce, how durable are the BMW sixes? Have you had any issues with maintenance etc?

 

[Mike Ellis]

I like the Jeep 4. 0 engine. I had a Cherokee for several years with the small V-6, it was a dog. My buddy had one with the 4. 0 and it was a very efficient setup indeed - lots of power.



What I would like to have is a modern version of the old Mustang or Dodge Dart with the six cylinder engine - roomy, efficient, and easy to work on. Something like one of the smaller Cadillacs with Jeep 4. 0 engine would be awesome :-laf. Perhaps the BMW or the Lexus would be good choices...

 

[EBolgiano]

#ad


2006 Mercedes Benz E320 CDI. 3. 2L straight 6 turbo diesel

 

[Dieselnut59]

BMW uses inline 6's for all of its 6-cylinder engines. They have a 3. 0L and 3. 5L inline 6 diesel slated for USA later this year. They have 2. 5 and 2. 8L gasser inline 6's also. Mercedes recently went "V" for their 6-cylinder gas and diesel engines. I think GM has an inline 6 in their Trail Blazer. The Jeep 4. 0L is a tough engine. Much better than the wimpy 3. 9 V-6 they use to under power the Wrangler and Commander now.

 

[JasonCzerak]

The 4. 0 i-6 in my 93 xj seen 177,000 miles before rebuilt. The only "technical problem" was a leaky rear main, week valve springs, and the timing chain was stretched. motor popped like crazy of throttle. I had that radiator blown up twice,. ran 5000rpm racing alot. pulled the family boat for years. bolt on parts. one clutch. few dana 35's in the back. Trans lasted 176,000 before 5th gear synco broke such that if you un-loaded the transmission it would pop outa gear. I drove it like this for a bit prior to rebuild.







When I pulled it I put in the 4. 7 hesco strorker kit. the barrings, pistons, cylinder walls, cam. anything shinny. has ZERO WARE. When measured, it was in perfect factory spec!!!! after 177,000 miles! this was a family owned jeep, Was my dad's then mine, so the history was known.



Could of just got new seals, chain and springs and put it back in operation.



I used synthetic oil after I got it at 65,000 miles and always warmed up and cooled down. until the prior week of rebuilding it.



completely amazed at the condition of the parts.





BTW, I'm going to part out the jeep. the drive train is good except for the rear axle. . any takers? make me and offer. Jeep's in Detroit area. the body, not so much anymore.

 

[GCroyle]

Other Inlines

Volvo ran I-6's from 1969-1975 and 1980-2007.

Saab used them in 2005-2007.



Source is from an industry cataloging file that we use.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Yes GM ditched the V6 and has been using a 4. 2L inline-6 in their rear-drive Trailblazers the last 6 model years, rated at 291 HP. Don't know how they are doing though. GM Vortec Six: CanadianDriver: Auto Tech - GM's Vortec 4200 inline 6-cylinder engine

Looks like the '96 model was the last year for the venerable Ford 300 Six.

Toyota made a killer inline 6 capable of crazy HP. They've had at least 2-3 generations going back to the early 80s, not sure if Toyota still uses a six in anything now or not.

You guys want to see something rad? Behold. . . the Chrysler Hemi Six.
This particular one sits in a '62 Valiant (not here in the US!)

#ad



Chrysler Hemi-6 Engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[MA2LA]

I can't say enough about the jeep 4. 0 its is too gas motors what the 5. 9 cummins is the oil burners. they take a hell of a beating and keep running and have great power and economy what set up right. my 96 has 240k on it right now and still is very very strong.

 

[BimmerAgent]

No Issues

Mike- Knock on wood, I've had no issues with either engine. I change the oil about every 5k, now using Mobile 1. When they were under warranty, I used BMW's Castrol blend. Those 6I really sing, and are happiest above 3k rpm. My MPG actually goes UP when I can average 90mph, but that's rarely achievable. Lots of folks think BMW is a snobby thing, which I did too, for a while, but after you've owned one for a few years, other cars become appliances. My 330I is a blast on the track, on a mountain road, or around town (it's stock). I love my Ram, too , though. Bruce

 

[JLEONARD]

No one mentioned Chevy/GM's 230/250 and the 292 straight sixes.

I had a couple of 250s, they were on the weak side, but I had one awsum, strong running 292 that towed better than any Chevy smallblock could.

 

[JGoss]

I've got a 83' W-150 with a slant six which are good motors. I think they quit using them in the mid 80's.

 

[JLEONARD]

Had a couple of cars with slant 6s. . 225s. Yes I agree, great engines. Wish I still had mine.