Why Modern Engines Don't Last Like Old Japanese Engines

What happened to the legendary Japanese engines that seemed almost impossible to kill?

For decades, engines like the Toyota 22R-E and 2JZ became famous for their incredible durability, huge engineering margins, and ability to survive hundreds of thousands of miles. Then modern engines arrived with turbochargers, direct injection, thinner oils, low-tension piston rings, start-stop systems, wet timing belts and incredibly tight manufacturing tolerances.

And here's the uncomfortable part: modern engines didn't become complicated because engineers suddenly forgot how to build reliable engines.

They became complicated because the rules changed.

Fuel economy regulations, emissions targets, customer demand for more power, heavier vehicles and increasingly strict efficiency requirements forced engineers to squeeze more performance from smaller engines.

In this documentary, we examine exactly what changed.

We'll look at the legendary Toyota 22R-E and 2JZ, engine downsizing, turbocharging, direct injection, low-viscosity engine oil, low-tension piston rings, wet timing belts, start-stop systems and the razor-thin reliability margins of modern powertrains.

We'll also examine real-world failures involving Hyundai and Kia Theta II engines, GM 6.2L V8 engines and Toyota's modern twin-turbo V6.

But this isn't simply a story about "old engines good, new engines bad."

Modern engines are technological marvels. They can produce incredible power while achieving levels of fuel economy and thermal efficiency that older engines could never approach.

The real question is different:

Did the automotive industry trade away the huge reliability margins that made older Japanese engines so legendary?

And if it did, what can you do as a modern car owner to protect your engine?

Watch until the end, because the final answer changes the way you should think about engine reliability, maintenance and modern cars.

#machine #Equipment #Engine