Engine..or Motor?
 

I will put the question to the Forum members.
Is the correct word for the powerplant in a car, truck, or motorcycle called an engine, or a motor?
I say..'Engine'

Engine refers to a machine that gets its power from external means (steam, gas, coal, turbine) whereas a motor is electric. If you delve into R/C world, this is generally the accepted term. Gas = engine, electric = motor.

Thank you for the clarification. It would seem that some people are confused, and raise the argument..'Why is it called FORD MOTOR COMPANY'.
Automobile, Motorcycle, Truck assembly companys have these names as it represents the entire vehicle.
Each car company has a number of divisions, such as 'Detroit Deisel Allison-Engine Facility'...Ford-'Trenton Engine Plant'. etc..

Are there any mechanics here,or Automobile manufactureing people here who would like to substantiate whether the proper term is 'Engine, or Motor', when referring to a vehicles power-plant?

An engine converts one form of energy to another. A motor is an engine that imparts motion. That's the dictionary definition. The 2 words have come to mean just about anything that provides mechanical power.

Mr Chilcutt didnt like some of the following in another thread, hence this thread.

I think I would be asking a few English teachers for their opinion of what is the appropriate use of "engine" & "motor" before I would take the view of a Singapore night club disk jock !!
We seldom hear of an electric engine, that dosent make a petrol motor an incorrect expression.

Are you saying that General Motors only makes electric motors ?
Interestingly Detroit Engine & Turbine Company have made electric motors. I dont know if they still do.
Toyota Motor Company ?
Ford Motor Company?
Yamaha Motor Company?
Motor bikes?
National Motor Museum?
Motor shows?
Motor Homes?

The words "motor" & "engine" are generic terms and in most cases are interchangeable.

To ask the question;
"Is the correct word for the powerplant in a car, truck, or motorcycle called an engine, or a motor?"
Is nothing more than an attempt to generate a division. Depending where you are, where you grew up & where you were educated both could be correct. It is very divisive to try and call one correct & the other not.
There are plenty of other words that one could do the same thing with.
For example "Sister" or "Nun".
For those with a strong chemistry background ; Is Manganese a metal?

Its interesting to see what parts of modern society have a need for strict right & wrong as destinct from shades of gray.

Aint it hard when you discover that...you really arent 'where its at':D

My understanding of the two terms is, any device which creates power on its own is an engine. A motor converts an external power source.

A turbo charger is a motor and a turbine is an engine.

The one which always confused me was, "What do you call a rocket?"

They are not really an engine because they have no moving parts and any force created is not really power.

They are not a motor because their power is self created.

And yet we have heard them called both "rocket engines" and "motors"

I believe the "Motor" in both the Ford and GM names come from when the products they made were referred to as, "Motorized carriages" and the mis-nomer simply carried over.

The terms "motor" and "engine" became intermingled and both are used. "Motor" is commonly used to describe any power plant whereas "engine" is a specific type of device. So, as much as it makes me cringe, it is indeed proper to install "motor mounts" to support your internal combustion engine in the frame.

Why do we call some people "politicians" when "self-serving, power-seeking, lying pond scum" is available?

The dictionary gives a distinction to the two words but in common use they are interchangible for the powerplant of an internal combustion device for powering automobiles.;)

Nicely put Tom !! :D

Next up: "rims" vs "wheels".

:D:P:D:P:D:P:D:P

wheel rims maybe. :confused:

Rims dont include the tires or is that just the school I went to? :rolleyes:

But then down here we have boots on the back of our cars, not trunks. At the front its the bonnet not the hood.;)

But then you guys drive on the wrong side of the road. :P

And you guys have jelly on your toast, we have jam. Very few of you like a mans spread (Vegemite) on your toast.:cool:

If you change the oil & filter in your Mercedes engine do you use Motor oil?

If you engine has a vibration & the rubber mounts are worn, do you replace the motor mounts?

Engines are motors, but are motors engines?

If corn oil comes from corn, then does motor oil come from motors? And what about baby oil?

And how long is a piece of string ? :confused:

When my motor had a vibration I replaced the engine mounts.
I have never heard of a jet motor though. :confused:
A motor for a jet boat, I have heard of.

Maybe I just come from the wrong side of town !!

I am with Chillcut on this. Gas engines/ electric motors.
I do understand that in common useage, they are more or less interchangeable. However, being a somewhat (?) anal, old cuss, I decry the degradation of langauge.
I will accept, w/o comment the common useage, but endeavor to use the terms correctly as I see it.

I notice you left diesels out of it. In DD I think you will find motor is used predominantly. Then, we are very proper in there !!;)

For the most part when referencing the motive force in transporation conveyances the two words are interchangeable in the english language. And especially on a Mercedes forum where the german word for engine is motor...

- Peter.

Etymology of motor:

mid-15c., from L. motor, lit. "mover," from movere "to move" (see move). From 15c. as "controller, prime mover" (in reference to God); sense of "agent or force that produces mechanical motion" is first recorded 1660s; that of "machine that supplies motive power" is from 1856. With explosive use 20c. as a comb. form of motor-car (1895). Motor-boat is from 1902. First record of slang motor-mouth "fast-talking person" is from 1971.

So if God is a motor, then I don't think the word has much to do with either electricity or gasoline. It's basic idea strikes me as 'the cause of motion'. Used in the strict Thomist sense, our vehicles are propelled by both an internal combustion engine and God.

Ahhh! That explains why God's name (along with a couple of other words) is used when either the car doesn't start or is broken.:D

Actually, we have both. All of the major brands produce each flavor in both jelly and jam. Don't ask me to tell you the difference. I don't eat either.

And no Vegemite either. Once was enough for that stuff.

Also, I'll take motor or engine for the diesel-burning thing in my car.

All engines are motors, but not all motors are engines. "Engine" seems to have taken the meaning of a motor that uses the chemical reaction of oxidation.

If I made an Australian response to this I would get an infraction for sure!!
:eek:

I think Steppenwolf said it best: "get your motor running, head out on the highway" :D

though this might be technically incorrect, substitute engine for motor here: it just doesn't flow........;)

oh yeah, vegemite rocks, so does nutella

At least I tried it. More than you can say for most Americans. But sad to say, it's not for me.

IIRC, according to Ma Benz, an injection pump is a motor, i.e., einspritzmotor and diesel models are designated OM, i.e., oelmotor.

I always say engine.

The word motor is defined as a device that moves something, but the formal rule in English is that an engine creates its own power; a motor receives power from an outside source (i.e., electricity). Based on the origin of the words, an engine is a form of a motor, but in engineering and writing (English and journalistic) styles the engine is that big internal combustion device under the hood; motors lift/lower your windows, move your wipers, open your sunroof, etc. Don't ask me why. Language is quirky. "Motor" is a very common colloquialism for engines, in the same way people refer to Chimpanzees as "monkeys" (they're apes) ... so a "motor company" probably named itself as such based on the fact that so many people said "motorcar," "motorboat, "motoring." I.e., it's meant to resonate with the public, not follow strict grammar.

Now that's a nice swag of in-distinction.

Proletarian lingo makes a lot of things happen.

Precisely. I believe I will stick with engine to describe a vehicles power-plant. And motor to describe the thingy that moves the wipers.
Following strict grammar is very important in a fast-paced riseing nation like Singapore. Probly not needed in areas that are not as advanced.

So far..'Engine' seems to be the favorite.

Motor vs engine
 

In the 1960's when I was taught physics the distinction was: an engine is a device that converts chemical energy into mechanical energy and a motor was a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy . Who knows what the English department taught , they probably didn't care.
Dan

Trust me, grammarians care.

The correct term is engine, most americans cannot speak English.

if it has 300HP or less its a motor, if its more than 300HP, now thats an engine :)

I'd say this but the truth is I say motor just as much.;)

If I was bored out of my brains & looking for something to do. I would go back over past posts by all who claim motor to be correct & quote them saying engine. I could do the same for all the engine supporters & show them calling it a motor.

As opposed to spending your time reading the third page of a thread trying to determine whether the term "engine" is more grammatically correct than "motor"?:D

If you actually want to pick the nits:

"engine" comes from the Late Middle French 'engin' which means ' a man-mademechanical device' i.e. which was invented and not found in Nature.

' Motor' is the third person singular passive present tense of the verb ' to move" and means "it is being moved"

Take your pick in this case: invention or result?

I'm guessing it's still too cold in Michigan to go out and play.:D

Is the part under the hood an "engine" compartment, or bay, or a Motor" Compartment or bay?

I say we blame it on the Brits, they can't even get "hood" right!

I am currently watching modern marvels "engines" episode and there is an entire segment devoted to this very topic. Their conclusion was that there was no cear answer :)

The answer is clear to me.:)

I don't have the motor skills to operate a search engine. Can anyone help?

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbomachines http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...s/viewpost.gif
I am currently watching modern marvels "engines" episode and there is an entire segment devoted to this very topic. Their conclusion was that there was no cear answer :)
Hmmmmm, I am sure others know what I am thinking !! :rolleyes:

I saw a show on "assembly lines" that chronicled the new MB SLS. I found it very difficult to watch. for example: in the segment where AMG is building the engines they showed how the main bearings are installed--that they are special split bearings. Well there may be something special about them, but the video showed the installation of the very common shell bearings that everyone has been using for over 50 years. If there was anything special, they sure didn't explain what.
They also used "hand built" about 100 times too many.
Great car, but this show was terrible.

While the fuel = engine and electricity = motor definitions are probably correct, in common usage I don't think it matters and may be a regional thing like much of the language. I rarely say engine, nor do I hear it used much in conversation. Around here " his timing belt busted and fried that motor" is much more common.

To nearly quote the Queen of Hearts, " ...and that just PROVES you are wrong!"

Can we break 100 posts?

What is the 'Queen of Hearts' thingy? Serious question.

Humpty Dumpty might disagree.

It's from the Alice in Wonderland series, chilcutt.

I see.
I have an idea, lets hi-jack this thread, the debate has been settled after all.:D