The development of automobile technology has enabled cars to have more advanced equipment, including various active and passive safety technologies and entertainment systems. Even pickups are no longer just machines for heavy work. More and more consumers choose pickups. It is for home use. But no matter how the technology advances, pickups still give people the impression of being simple, reliable, and powerful. In the past few decades, there have been many classic pickup truck models, and some engines that have been used or are still in use on them are also considered classics. Today, let’s take stock of the classics among these pickup truck engines.
1929-1936 Chevrolet I6
Going back to more than 80 years ago, the inline six-cylinder engine used by Chevrolet on the pickup truck model in 1929 was more classic than Chevrolet’s current engine at that time. The six-cylinder engine has begun to use the overhead camshaft structure. The inline six-cylinder engine originally had a displacement of 3.2 liters and a power output of only 50 horsepower, and then Chevrolet upgraded it to 80 horsepower, and then Chevrolet introduced a larger displacement 3.4-liter model widely. Applied to commercial vehicles. Although this engine does not seem to have an extraordinary advantage today, in the United States before World War II at that time, the reliability of this engine was well known.
1969-1998 Chevrolet 350 V8
One of Chevrolet’s more famous engines is this 5.7-liter V8 model. In fact, this V8 engine was born in 1955, but the displacement was only 4.3 liters at that time. After Chevrolet made a series of cylinder expansion upgrades, it became widely used, such as boats, off-road vehicles, school buses, and trucks. But it wasn’t until 1969 that this engine officially began to be used in GM’s pickup trucks, with a power output of 255 horsepower. It wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that Chevrolet launched the third-generation LS series engine to replace this V8 engine. In any case, this 5.7-liter V8 engine is very important to Chevrolet, and its service period of nearly half a century has made history unforgettable.
1989-1998 Cummins B59
Cummins introduced the B59 commercial engine in 1985, but the engine didn’t start to equip the Dodge Ram pickup until 1989. At that time, Ford and GM’s models had been recognized by consumers in terms of appearance and performance, which also put pressure on Chrysler. They had to think of a way to grab some customers from their competitors. At this time, the emergence of the Cummins B59 engine is really a timely help for Chrysler. The torque output of this engine exceeds 500N·m, which exceeds the performance of all Chrysler models. Even Chrysler engineers had to redesign the transmission system. Match the high torque of this engine. To this day, the Ram HD line of pickups still offers the Cummins inline-six engine.
2001-2006 Duramax 6.6L V8
The addition of the Cummins B59 diesel engine brought a turnaround for Dodge pickups but also stimulated competitors. Arriving at the optional LB7 Duramax engine. The launch of the first-generation Duramax diesel engine did eclipse the Ford Power Stroke and Dodge Cummins engines. The GM engine has a power output of 300 horsepower and 704N m, completely surpassing the opponent, and the noise is also significantly reduced. During this period, the most popular engine was the LBZ series Duranmax engine, but after the diesel emission standard was raised in 2007, this engine was retired.
1965-1996 Ford 300 I6
The 5.0-liter inline-six wasn’t Ford’s best engine, but it was the longest-serving one. Since its introduction in 1965, this engine has been mainly used in F-series pickup trucks. The service period of more than 30 years has proved the excellent reliability, economy and performance of this engine, even in some higher-level pickup trucks. This engine can also be seen on the screen. It was not until 1996 that this single-point injection inline six-cylinder engine with a power output of 145 horsepower and 360N m was officially retired.
1972-1978 Dodge 440 V8
As Chrysler’s queen tuner, Mopar’s upgraded version of the V8 engine is believed to be familiar to everyone, especially the 426 Hemi engine. But in fact, it is the original V8 engine that is more popular and popular. At that time, this engine was divided into two models: B series and RB series (expanded cylinder), and the pickup truck model used the RB model. In the 1970s, the implementation of emission standards in the United States forced many V8 engines to be improved or retired, but Chrysler was still able to continue to use this 7.2-liter engine on the D series until the end of the 1970s.
1991-1994 Chevrolet 454
The 7.4-liter V8 dates back to 1970, but its use in Chevrolet pickups began with the 1991 Chevrolet 454 SS. Engines compete with rivals. Indeed, for a pickup truck of less than one ton, the torque output of this engine is quite good at 550 horsepower. Even the maximum power of 255 horsepower is still a very good figure today. Arguably in the early ’90s, this engine was the most touted model on the market until the GMC Syclone got a turbocharged engine.
1994-2002 Dodge Ram 8.0L Magnum V10
The competition in the 1990s was fierce, and Dodge introduced an 8.0-liter Magnum V10 engine for use in 1-ton pickups. The 300 horsepower and 610N m power output of this engine made the opponents unable to parry for a while. Although GM later launched the 8.1-liter V8 engine, Chrysler used the 8.3-liter V10 engine on the SRT-10 model to suppress the opponent.
2011-2015 Ford 6.7L Power Stroke V8
Ford’s previous 6.4-liter Power Stroke V8 engine has performed very well, and its reliability has also been recognized by consumers. But Ford was not satisfied with this, so it launched this 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 engine. This engine has been redesigned in many details, and a twin-scroll single turbocharger has been added to finally obtain a power output of 390 horsepower and 1000N m. Then Ford upgraded its software, so the power output was increased to 400 horsepower and 1084N m. In 2015, Ford replaced it with a larger turbine and other accessories, further pushing its power output to 440 horsepower and 1165N m.
1964-1987 Dodge 225 Slant Six
Dodge’s tilt-six isn’t the most powerful engine, but it’s one of the more unique ones, and it’s a solid performer in terms of reliability. Although the maximum power of this engine is not large, the low-speed torque output is very good, and the single carburetor provided by the original factory can be replaced by double carburetors in the market to obtain more power output. This engine remained in service until 1987, when it was replaced by a 3.9-liter Magnum V6.
1985-1995 Toyota 22RE
This Toyota engine is the only non-American model on this list. The prototype of the Toyota 22RE engine can be traced back to 1953, but the 22RE, which was launched in 1981, was really known to car fans. In 1985, Toyota carried out a major facelift, including redesigned cylinder block and cylinder head and even pistons. Over the years, the only major problem with this engine was that the timing belt would wear out after a long run, so Toyota upgraded it to a chain drive. This model also has a turbocharged version for some Toyota pickups and 4Runner models.
1999-2003 Ford 5.4L Supercharged V8
The Ford F-150 Lightning pickup was a hit at the time, mainly because of the engine it used. That V8 engine was launched in 1999 and has a power output of 360 horsepower and 600N m. In 2001, Ford upgraded it to obtain a power output of 380 horsepower and 610N m. The 550 horsepower supercharged V8 engine used in the famous Ford GT sports car is also related to this engine.
