Do you say motor, or engine?

[Xander Wildeisen]

Looking at motors/engines for sale. And I have seen  that the use of the words engine and motor. Depends on how you describe the motor, or engine. Would you say “it has a Hemi engine” or “it has a Hemi motor”? That car has a 350 motor in it. Or the engine is a 350. Searching parts do you use the word motor, or engine? 

[Gunsmoke]

I've always referred to internal combustion engines as engines, and electric motors as motors. No doubt google search will offer a multiple of viewpoints, but this is my practice. Back in the day, so many dealerships, garages and service stations were named "Bay Motors", "Highland Motors", "Island Motors", even though they only sold cars with engines! 

[Curti]

There are electric motors and gasoline engines.  I guess GM couldn't call them selves GE because General Electric already existed . I do NOT know that as being a fact.

[alsancle]

Steam Engine,  Electric Motor,   Gasoline Engine,  Diesel Engine.

[1912Staver]

However in Marine practice, ships with I.C. power are refered to as Motor Vessels. The alternative to this would be a Steam Ship. No one answer is right in all cases. Google ship names, most of them are the M.V. whatever. Pre 1960's many were the S.S. Whatever  { Steam Ship }.

Edited May 30, 2022 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[kar3516]

In the industrial world of stationary rotating equipment we are very specific with electric motors referred to as motors and gasoline or natural gas powered internal combustion engines classified as engines.  But it doesn’t keep me from occasionally calling a car’s engine a motor.  A carryover from my youth I guess...

[1937hd45]

Ford Motor Company

[joe_padavano]

4 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Ford Motor Company

Yeah? And Mercedes calls a four door a "coupe", so there's no lock on misusing terminology. 😉

[Xander Wildeisen]

You go and buy new motor mounts at the auto parts store. Not new engine mounts.

[Grimy]

Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company, Packard Motor Car Company....

 

In the first part of the last century, "motor" was used as a verb where we would today use the verb "drive", e.g., We motored from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and the gerund "motoring" was used to denote an activity.

 

Today, I agree that common usage indicates that "motors" are electric, and ICE devices are "engines," but 'twas not always so....

[John_S_in_Penna]

As everyone may recall, this topic was discussed

recently.  Good points were made.  Can anyone

find that other thread?

[joe_padavano]

43 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

You go and buy new motor mounts at the auto parts store. Not new engine mounts.

Not if you use the factory parts book...

 

 

[dictator27]

1 hour ago, 1912Staver said:

However in Marine practice, ships with I.C. power are refered to as Motor Vessels. The alternative to this would be a Steam Ship. No one answer is right in all cases. Google ship names, most of them are the M.V. whatever. Pre 1960's many were the S.S. Whatever  { Steam Ship }.

  Canadian Pacific's first diesel powered ship designed as a  west coast car ferry was actually named the MV Motor Princess.  She kept that name for 32 years 1923-55.

[Xander Wildeisen]

16 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

Not if you use the factory parts book...

 

 

You got me.😆

[Bloo]

Do you say motor, or engine?

 

Yes.

[avgwarhawk]

Electric is motor. Combustion is engine. 

[Ronnie]

Happy Engineing!

 

[Layden B]

The definition of a MOTOR is a device that changes some source of energy into motion. That could be hydraulic fluid under pressure turning a shaft using an hydraulic motor or even the stroke of a cylinder. A windmill using the power of moving air is a motor ( hence the AEROMOTOR brand of windmills). A water wheel driving a gristmill or electric generator is a motor. Cars whether electric steam or gasoline have a motor. 

A special subset of motors that use heat as their source of energy are called "heat engines", whether external combustion steam or internal combustion gasoline or diesel. Now an archaic term that has been shortened in common practice to "engine". 

Thus steam and gasoline cars can be said to have either a motor or an engine but electric cars only have a motor!

Enter semantics, the English language is full of exceptions to the rule caused by common usage. A railroad engine seems to be always an engine because it pulls the train down the tracks regardless of whether it is steam, diesel or electric powered!

Yes clear as mud!!

[Alex D.]

As I recall watching Thunder Road.  "What kind of Mill are you running under the hood", or something like that?

 

"Each time they thought they had him, his engine would explode"

Edited May 30, 2022 by Alex D. (see edit history)

[John348]

I use both terms when it comes to automobiles and nobody is ever confused,  but it is always a motor when it is electrical! 

Edited May 30, 2022 by John348 (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

Power window engine?

[Bloo]

I always find it curious people get so hung up on this. Having worked on cars from all over the world, one thing that stands out is that most if not all of the countries who got into the automotive game early call it a motor or something similar. We English speakers are all by ourselves in insisting on calling it an "engine", and we don't even do it consistently. We have motoring, motorboat, motorcar, motorway (UK), Mopar (it's a contraction of Motor Parts), motel (a contraction of motor and hotel) and the list goes on.

 

Italian -- motore

French -- moteur

German -- motor

Swedish -- motor

Czech -- motor

.....ad infinitum

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Grimy said:

 

In the first part of the last century, "motor" was used as a verb where we would today use the verb "drive", e.g., We motored from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and the gerund "motoring" was used to denote an activity.

This is the correct answer to the confusion that exists today.

[paulrhd29nz]

I grew up using and hearing the term 

Power Plant , as in “what kind of power plant do you have under there?”

[Xander Wildeisen]

Engine hoist. Motor oil.

[John_S_in_Penna]

34 minutes ago, Layden B said:

The definition of a MOTOR is a device that changes some source of energy into motion. That could be hydraulic fluid under pressure turning a shaft using an hydraulic motor or even the stroke of a cylinder. A windmill using the power of moving air is a motor ( hence the AEROMOTOR brand of windmills). A water wheel driving a gristmill or electric generator is a motor. Cars whether electric steam or gasoline have a motor. 

A special subset of motors that use heat as their source of energy are called "heat engines", whether external combustion steam or internal combustion gasoline or diesel. Now an archaic term that has been shortened in common practice to "engine". 

Thus steam and gasoline cars can be said to have either a motor or an engine but electric cars only have a motor!

 

I think Layden has answered the question.

Save his answer for the next time this question 

comes up on the forum.  Thank you, Layden!

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Ronnie]

58 minutes ago, Layden B said:

the English language is full of exceptions to the rule caused by common usage.

So true.

 

[pkhammer]

I have nothing to contribute so I'm going to go take a ride on my enginecycle.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Engine bay, engine stand, engine block.

[John_S_in_Penna]

The question is already answered!

[Ronnie]

12 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

The question is already answered!

Yep, now we're discussing the answers in the "General Discussion" forum.

[Pfeil]

3 hours ago, alsancle said:

Steam Engine,  Electric Motor,   Gasoline Engine,  Diesel Engine.

You left out a few, steam turbine, gas turbine are engines as well as jet engines and turbojets. We never call a piston engine a piston motor.

  I know what's wrong---it's not a motor!

 

start your.....Rubber Band!

 

[Xander Wildeisen]

This topic sure has peoples motor running.🤨

[dictator27]

10 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

You left out a few, steam turbine, gas turbine are engines as well as jet engines and turbojets. We never call a piston engine a piston motor.

  I know what's wrong---it's not a motor!

 

start your.....Rubber Band!

 

It is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, not the Indianapolis Engine Speedway.  That being the case, shouldn't the starter say "Gentlemen, start your motors?"

[JFranklin]

9 hours ago, dictator27 said:

It is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, not the Indianapolis Engine Speedway.  That being the case, shouldn't the starter say "Gentlemen, start your motors?"

When racing there started back then, the vehicles were known as motors. Hence the motor speedway name. Maybe in the olden days they did say "start your motors".

Edited May 31, 2022 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[dictator27]

2 hours ago, Bloo said:

I always find it curious people get so hung up on this. Having worked on cars from all over the world, one thing that stands out is that most if not all of the countries who got into the automotive game early call it a motor or something similar. We English speakers are all by ourselves in insisting on calling it an "engine", and we don't even do it consistently. We have motoring, motorboat, motorcar, motorway (UK), Mopar (it's a contraction of Motor Parts), motel (a contraction of motor and hotel) and the list goes on.

 

Italian -- motore

French -- moteur

German -- motor

Swedish -- motor

Czech -- motor

.....ad infinitum

 

Exactly!!  And as Layden B also pointed out, the English language is littered with too many words that mean the same thing.  Ask for the Italian word for engine  and you get motore.  In French you will get two words - moteur (masculine) and motrice (feminine). Engine in German, Swedish and Czech will give you motor.  

I think I'm going to engine over to the liquor store and by me a case of beer. 😁

 

[Paul Dobbin]

On 5/30/2022 at 10:44 AM, Xander Wildeisen said:

You go and buy new motor mounts at the auto parts store. Not new engine mounts.

   I couldn't locate motor mounts for my 57 Ranchero on Rock Auto's   

   I called Rock Auto and asked the young lady if there was another term

   for motor mounts?   She replied:   "We're not mechanics".   

   The local parts house had the correct motor mounts.

   Here is a boring fact:  the Ford 390 V8 is a over bored 352.

Edited May 31, 2022 by Paul Dobbin
re-position text again (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

Those flat heads use a biscuit style motor mount to support the engine. 

[JamesR]

I don't fret over it one way or the other, but I know that I wouldn't want to tell these guys that they're riding "enginecycles" or "enginebikes." 🤐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gunsmoke]

You guys are turning into enginemouths.. or is it motormouths!