Bhigdog Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 (edited) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cite as many examples of usage or definitions as you please but, in general, if one refers to an IC engine as a motor I reflexively think a bit less of their knowledge............Bob Edited May 30, 2022 by Bhigdog (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 18 minutes ago, Bhigdog said: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cite as many examples of usage or definitions as you please but, in general, if one refers to an IC engine as a motor I reflexively think a bit less of their knowledge............Bob This is a good idea for a thread Bob! For example, when somebody refers to a 1965 mustang, as a “Classic“ I’ve turned my brain off. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 7 minutes ago, alsancle said: This is a good idea for a thread Bob! For example, when somebody refers to a 1965 mustang, as a “Classic“ I’ve turned off. Same as refering to fuel as gas but i know that argument is going nowhere.....bob 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 I stop paying attention when someone says Camero. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted May 31, 2022 Author Share Posted May 31, 2022 Get your engine running Head out on the highway looking for adventure in whatever comes our way 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 (edited) As always, context is everything and poetic license excepted.......bob Edited May 31, 2022 by Bhigdog (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 General Motors - GM Here in the USA I vary from engine to motor but in Europe always use the word motor or I would sound like a Yank........................ Most of the pre WWI era car magazines used the word motor : Motor Age, Motor Life 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 43 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said: Get your engine running Head out on the highway looking for adventure in whatever comes our way About 30 years ago I saw John kay and he gave the history behind that song and ironically that song was written about a MOTORCYCLE 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfeil Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 8 hours ago, dictator27 said: 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. 😁 Now you know why English was chosen for the international language of the cockpit and air traffic control. I'll fix that engine now and after that I'll get to that motor in that APU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfeil Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 11 hours ago, John348 said: I use both terms when it comes to automobiles and nobody is ever confused, but it is always a motor when it is electrical! Another potential pilot. Good man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lump Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 When I was a young teenager in love with antique cars, hot rods, auto racing, etc, I BEGGED my dad to teach auto mechanics to me. He had little patience for a kid who didn't even know what the "valve covers" were on our family car (ask me how I know!) 😒 Dad was a widely-respected mechanically-minded person, who could figure out and repair just about anything he attempted. But he had little patience for a silly, ignorant kid who just loved cars. Eventually Mom nagged him enough to allow me to go with him to the garage and learn about cars, but he demanded that I first read and study some VERY old automotive books, such as DYKE'S MANUALS, the AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING series, KUNS AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE, THE GAS ENGINE by Hutton, etc, etc. He refused to allow me into his shop before I would at least learn the BASICS on my own. So I poured through his personal library and tried to learn enough that he would accept me as an "apprentice" of automotive repairs. I used to stand before him in our living room, and recite facts which I had learned from all that reading. Then he would correct me and send me back upstairs to my room to learn more. There are many other related stories, but to stay on topic I'll relate this fact: One question he hit me with was something about the difference between a "motor" and an "engine." Dad rejected my answer, because he firmly believed that an electric powerplant was a "motor," and an internal combustion powerplant was an "engine." But I dared to disagree, and he angrily ordered me to my room to find the books from his library and show him the info I had based my answer upon. I came back downstairs timidly, carrying one or more books in hand. And in more than one of my Dad's ancient automotive books that day I was able to show him definitions which read something to the effect of: "A device which generates power is an "ENGINE." Whenever an engine is installed in any sort of vehicle which provides motion, it then becomes a 'MOTOR.'" Dad was stunned. And soon after, he began taking me with him to the garage, and allowed me to help him work on our antique car, and to help with maintenance on family cars. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 I am away from home with only a cellphone and find searching for answers from reputable web sources on a phone tedious, so this is from memory. In the very old days of catapults the devices that could hurl heavy rocks were considered ingenious devices. From that they were called engines of war and the people who could design them were called engineers. May well be a fable, but the word engine predates the internal combustion engine (ICE) by quite a bit and can be used to describe more than an ICE. I suspect that motor comes from the same root word as motive as in locomotive or automotive as something that moves or can move itself. If only I was at home with my trusty microprint copy of the Oxford English Dictionary to look up the history and roots of those words. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
76 Caddy Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 Department of Motor Vehicles?? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintage1 Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 I agree that combustion is engine and electric is motor, but I use both terms when talking to someone about their car, ex: what motor do you you have in your car or is that a 350 engine. Mercedes uses the term motor for their cars ex: a gas car 300E would have a 103M (103 motor) , a diesel car 300D would have a 617OM (617 oil motor) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1912Staver Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 (edited) 22 hours ago, ply33 said: I am away from home with only a cellphone and find searching for answers from reputable web sources on a phone tedious, so this is from memory. In the very old days of catapults the devices that could hurl heavy rocks were considered ingenious devices. From that they were called engines of war and the people who could design them were called engineers. May well be a fable, but the word engine predates the internal combustion engine (ICE) by quite a bit and can be used to describe more than an ICE. I suspect that motor comes from the same root word as motive as in locomotive or automotive as something that moves or can move itself. If only I was at home with my trusty microprint copy of the Oxford English Dictionary to look up the history and roots of those words. Also often called siege engines. Edited June 1, 2022 by 1912Staver (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithb7 Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 (edited) I work in an industry where a piece of mobile equipment contains an engine, pump, and a motor. All three have different specific jobs. So we are all pretty clear and in agreement on what we are referring to when we talk about a motor. It does not use combustion to propel. A propel motor is driven by a hydraulic pump, that is driven by an engine. The automotive industry is different. Yes a motor could be a fan motor. An air conditioning blower motor. Walk up to me and say you have a 1953 Chrysler and you are looking for a motor I'll ask a couple more questions. So for me an engine is always an engine. It uses fuel and compression to create combustion. Could be a diesel or gas engine. But for me, never a motor. Edited June 1, 2022 by keithb7 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dictator27 Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 From what I can see, English is the only language which makes the distinction between engine and motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1912Staver Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, keithb7 said: I work in an industry where a piece of mobile equipment contains an engine, pump, and a motor. All three have different specific jobs. So we are all pretty clear and in agreement on what we are referring to when we talk about a motor. It does not use combustion to propel. A propel motor is driven by a hydraulic pump, that is driven by an engine. The automotive industry is different. Yes a motor could be a fan motor. An air conditioning blower motor. Walk up to me and say you have a 1953 Chrysler and you are looking for a motor I'll ask a couple more questions. So for me an engine is always an engine. It uses fuel and compression to create combustion. Could be a diesel or gas engine. But for me, never a motor. Keith, close to but not quite the same as your industry is Oilfield Drilling. The Motorman is an important part of a rig crew. Normally in charge of the I.C. power machinery. My Transport Canada, Marine Engineers qualifications clearly state that I am licensed as an Engineer on Motor Vessels. We have lots of different pieces of equipment on board. But the ship is propelled by an I.C. heat engine, not a electric device. Here is what wiki has to say about the old girl I sailed on for most of a decade. Notice it is the M.V. Spirit of British Columbia. { Motor Vessel } https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Spirit_of_British_Columbia Edited June 1, 2022 by 1912Staver (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfeil Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 Sounds like no one is going to win this argument....again. So case closed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 You're all wrong! The Brits commonly refer to it as "the lump " Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 Now if it is a Hybrid everyone is correct? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfeil Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 18 minutes ago, Terry Bond said: You're all wrong! The Brits commonly refer to it as "the lump " Terry That was Fred Rutherford! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted June 1, 2022 Author Share Posted June 1, 2022 Good topic, fun reading responses. Nobody is trying to win the engine motor debate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 On 5/30/2022 at 6:16 PM, Bhigdog said: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cite as many examples of usage or definitions as you please but, in general, if one refers to an IC engine as a motor I reflexively think a bit less of their knowledge............Bob Ever hear of an enginecycle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfeil Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 8 minutes ago, Buick35 said: Ever hear of an enginecycle? No but I've heard of an engine IN a motorcycle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 34 minutes ago, Buick35 said: Ever hear of an enginecycle? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cite as many examples of usage or definitions as you please but, in general, if one refers to an IC engine as a motor I reflexively think a bit less of their knowledge............Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithb7 Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 Hmm.. A motor can be a couple of things. Electric motor. Starting motor. Hydraulic propel motor. Many automobiles, ships and trains etc, have a motor under the hood. A few examples of quite different devices. Yet an engine is really just one thing. I am not aware of it being anything else other than an internal combustion controlled HP/torque producing device. Steam engine. Diesel engine. Gasoline engine. 2 stroke engine. 4 stroke engine. Rotary engine. You know exactly what I am talking about. The word engine is pretty specific. On a ship is the engine in the motor room? Or in the engine room? Is the engine being rebuilt in the engine bay of the shop or the motor room? Lots inconsistencies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30DodgePanel Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 HP ratings for both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 (edited) A common tool that goes back many centuries (1300 BC in Egypt at least) is an Engine Lathe. You need one to make motors and engines alike. Think about that. 🤓 Dandy Dave! Edited June 2, 2022 by Dandy Dave (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcapra Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 The answer to this is easy. Motor is a wide generic term. Engine is a more specific term. Both words are correct when referring to an internal combustion engine. Otherwise, we would not have a book called Motor Manual. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted June 5, 2022 Share Posted June 5, 2022 Where I was brought up there were and still are gear heads in my boyhood neighborhood. I was set straight early an engine was powered by fossil fuels and a motor was driven by electricity. Sure, I know the words are interchangeable, but I know when a person refers to an engine as a motor they just don’t know any better. I will not correct anyone. Turbinator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted June 5, 2022 Share Posted June 5, 2022 Like what came first? The chicken or the Egg? Folks have pondered and philosophized over this for years without an answer. I tell you all here and now that the Rooster came first. The creator saw he was lonely and gave him hens, then came eggs. 😉 That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfeil Posted June 5, 2022 Share Posted June 5, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, Dandy Dave said: Like what came first? The chicken or the Egg? Folks have pondered and philosophized over this for years without an answer. I tell you all here and now that the Rooster came first. The creator saw he was lonely and gave him hens, then came eggs. 😉 That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 😊 I see, the creator created the engine out of need and when he put that engine in a carriage it became a motorcar. The creator got a little confused when he created an engine to go in a sailing ship so he just called the ship a steam ship with a steam engine, but just to satisfy all, the little baby boats (life boats) were named motorboats, unless they didn't have a engine they were just row boats. The creator got his senses back when he created piston and jet engines for his airplane but did name all the auxiliary electrical devises motors so as to not confuse anyone especially air traffic controllers who had adopted the most expressive language in the world (English) concerning the human condition so as not to confuse anyone in the air or on the ground. However, the guys at the fire department were confused because one of them forgot to bring the firemotor to the fire even though a fire engine was available right next to them. Nobody gets it! Edited June 5, 2022 by Pfeil (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted June 5, 2022 Author Share Posted June 5, 2022 A boat has a outboard motor. Or is it outboard engine? What is the inboard power plant/drivetrain of a Amphicar called? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 23 hours ago, Xander Wildeisen said: What is the inboard power plant/drivetrain of a Amphicar called? Triumph 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter J.Heizmann Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 (edited) One thing for sure there is no way I am going to start calling “motels” engine-tels or power plant-tels. Edited June 6, 2022 by Peter J.Heizmann (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 (edited) Power plant. Edited June 6, 2022 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1935Packard Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 As I understand it, motor and engine are now used interchangeably, but they used to mean slightly different things. "Motor" was originally a thing that caused a moving item to move, and "engine" was a broader term that meant any machine that produced an output. But yeah. today the same thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 On 5/30/2022 at 12:13 PM, 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 really appreciate the answer above, given a week ago. Thus endeth the question, and, instead of talking about our antique cars, we all get to go out and enjoy them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flivverking Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 O.k... Lets put this lame thing to rest. Since the begining.. MOTORCARS...not ENGINECARS! What does that say. Explosion motors / cars or engines has been used in the days of early steam and electric car comparisons. Car pistons where sometimes refered to as motors as an 8 motor engine and vise versa. Even in electric books way back ,can call a motor and engine... A power source is what I get out of it...but I'm stupid! . .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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