Defense of Internal Combustion Engines

Introduction to this Post

This post is from a blog entry by “Laughing Eagle” comparing electric cars to existing vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE).  Laughing Eagle argues persuasively that internal combustion is still ahead and not out of date at all.

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Blog Post

From:   Laughing Eagle

Oct 2, 2018 at 7:54 pm

The fad may be electric cars but the internal combustion engine (ICE) has been reworked, because today a 4 cylinder engine is more efficient and powerful than the old 6 cylinder engines. With direct cylinder injection, 4 to 6 valves per cylinder instead of the old two, turbo-charging, multi-valve timing, combustion ratio variation, and even supercharging, the ICE has eliminated the old inefficiencies on mpg and power.

I believe it will be years until the electric cars can overtake the ICE with the new tech in the ICE. Tesla’s model S 0-60 in 2.8 seconds is behind Porsche 911GT2 at 2.7 seconds. And that Porsche engine will last beyond that electric engine. But many facets besides engine power translate to speed like the transmission and the rear end gear ratios and one cannot forget the suspension setup.

Todays big V-8’s can have over 700 hp with 500 lb-ft of torque via being normal aspirated or with a supercharger.

I know what a supercharger can do as I put one in a 1964 VW Bug which had governor on the transmission limiting you to a max of 72mph. Without the supercharger you had to be going down big hill to hit 72mph, but with the supercharger you could do 72 anytime you wanted.

Now I drive a 2015 Honda Accord 4 cylinder non turbo charged which can overtake all 4 cylinders of most cars, and it gets 40 mpg on the interstate and 30 mpg around town. Nobody builds a better small engine than Honda. I know I still have a 1987 Honda mower than runs fine and I live in Florida where you mow and mow.

If you think you can go 7500 miles between oil changes and keep that engine clean think again because even with these new synthetic oils, the engine fails, not because of oil breakdown, but because of carbon deposits caused by every combustion.

Changing oil every 5000 miles is the max unless most of your driving is on the interstate. I also use 6 months which ever comes first. Changing oil will prolong the life of engines and it is the cheapest in the long run unless you’re leasing, then let the next owner have the problems with all the computer sensors being lined with deposits making them ineffective or less sensitive. Remember the Fram commercial, pay me now or pay me later.

https://wolfstreet.com/2018/10/02/september-auto-sales-carmageddon-ford-gm/