All things being equal, will an 8 cylinder engine last longer than a 4 cylinder engine?

Question

My co-worker and I are having a debate, you guys give us the answer!

Answer 1

all things being equal--they will last the same length of time. one revolution is one revolution. It all has to do with maintenance and how a driver uses the engine. all things being equal most will last to between 165,000-205,000 miiles or 10 years if taken care of. Now if you go back 20 years the 8 cylinder would last longer by 30% but the use of 4 cylinders over the last many years has greatly improved the quality and moved it from the cheapest of cars to the prime mover of many cars

Answer 2

Certain engines have a built-in safety margin , and straight 6 cylinders have that - due to the design, there's no unnecessary vibrations that need to be compensated for, unlike V-6 and 4 cylinder designs. If you meant between a V-6 and 4 cylinder, neither will last extremely long, whereas several straight 6's have been known to go 250,000 miles or longer in some old Chevies. All depends on make, model, and maintenance. As to bigger vs. smaller engine, yes, a bigger one won't have as much stress that a small one has in producing power, so unless the bigger 4-cylinder was over-burdened in a MUCH bigger vehicle, it should be a better choice than a smaller one. Again, the 3 M's - Make, Model, and Maintenance, make all the difference in what makes them last. Make and Model being more quality and design related than anything. - The Gremlin Guy -

Answer 3

I have heard before that an 8 cylinder will outlast a 4. But, I think this was decided way back in the day before Americans figured out how to make a decent 4. People were comparing a Chevy Vega to an LTD. But, this is not true nowadays. A Honda Civic can get between 2 and 3 hundred thousand without a rebuild. This will not happen with an 8 cyl. most of the time.

Answer 4

IMHO, that depends on engine configuration. An In-line engine as a longer stroke and seems to last much longer than a comparable V style engine, which most 8 cylinder engines are today. I would say if both engines were the same configuration, and run under the same conditions that they would last equally as long, be it a 4, 8, 10, 12 cylinder. So in my experiences an In-line engine will last longer than a V-style engine. But, how about those opposed 4 cylinders in the old VWs they seemed to run forever too.

just my nickles worth

Answer 5

It really depends. If they were in a Honda Civic, the 4 cylinder would last longer, because the 8 would become a strain on the car and be over reved quite a bit because of the power that it can put out and the transmission wouldn't be able to handle it (assuming it was a transversally mounted, and if not then finding a transmission to fit...problems). If they were in a Ford F550 then the 8 would last longer, the 4 wouldn't even be able to move the thing. It all depends on the application, driver, and maintance.

Answer 6

If driven regularly and not pushed too hard then they will last the same. Problem is that it's easier to overwork a 4 cylinder. If they are both maintained well then I would go with the 8 banger as lasting longer because carrying 4 people in a 4 banger up a steep hill will wear it out much faster than the same in the 8. And so forth

Answer 7

Most people believe that the lower reving RPMs of an eight cylinder engine will make it last longer, I disagree. Properly maintained, synthetic oiled four cylinder engines seem to have an edge.

It may just be that four cylinder engines are better built (ie Japan).

Answer 8

All things being equal and the engines operating only under loads and conditions for which the vehicles are designed then there will be no considerable difference between expected service lives of either engine.
Preventative maintenance and vigilence with daily checks and using quality oils and replacement components are the keys to prolonging engine life.

Answer 9

Both will die out at the same time.See,The only difference is the number of cylinders,while the number of oscillations of the pistons are actually the same.Its just that you would wear out more pistons if you are using a 8 cylinder engine.

Answer 10

depends on vehicle weight. you put a four cylinder into a vehicle that weighs so much the engine has to work really hard to move it than no it won't last as long. but comparing engine displacement to vehicle weight then they each will last just as long, providing that you maintain them well. the more cylinders you have usually makes for a smoother running engine but it also makes for more moving parts sans more parts to wear out