[60sstuff]

We are talking automobiles here.

I’m just curious.

Why do the vast majority of people describing their car use the word “drivetrain”.
What about the engine?

The term “Powertrain” includes everything (engine/motor, transmission, driveline and rear axle.

Wouldn’t this ^^^^^ be the correct terminology when describing a classic car.

Opinions.

Chris.

[242177P]

People say "blew the motor" all the time. It's minor, but it's an engine. But even though it
kinda bugs me, it just isn't enough to stop me from doing the same. I expect most people
know what a powertrain is, but probably don't give it a second thought??

[Sirrotica]

Drivetrain is every thing from the engine flywheel rearward in a longitudinal chassis. Powertrain is everything from the fan blade rearward in a longitudinal chassis. The terminology for each includes different components.

Really, it's splitting hairs.

FWIW, engine, and motor are two different things, but I fully understand when someone says they "blew their motor".

[72projectbird]

I've gotten to the point where I just don't care anymore. People use different words to describe the same thing. Sometimes it's a regional thing, sometimes it's just a simple mistake, and other times plain stupidity.

As long as I can understand what's trying to be explained, I'm good. Powertrain/drivetrain, engine/motor, its whatever.

[Keith Seymore]

Do you say "prop shaft"? Because technically it is a propeller shaft (not a drive shaft).

Front of dash?

Rear gear differential carrier?

Spiral bevel hypoid gearset?

In for a penny, in for a pound...

K

[JimFB400HO]

I had a teacher in the 1960s that didn't like having an internal combustion engine called a motor. He would say a motor is device that converts electrical energy into mechanical. To this day I use his definitions.

[carbking]

Anyone ride a Harley enginecycle?

Does your carburetor, carburater, carburetter, etc. have a power valve or economizer valve?

I'm with 72bird; if I can understand the question, an incorrect word usage doesn't bother me.

What does bother me (and emails to this effect to our shop are cheerfully ignored ) is the ridiculous lazy abbreviations with no caps (or all caps) and no punctuation common with some of the folks that grew up with cell phones.

The letter "u" is not a substitute (at least to me) for the word "you". Not going to attempt to decipher what is worse (to me) than Kanji.

ハーレーエンジンサイクルに乗る人はいますか？

キャブレター、キャブレター、キャブレターなどにパワーバルブやエコノマイザーバルブはありま すか？

私は72birdです。 質問が理解できれば、単語の使い方が間違っていても問題ありません。

私を悩ませているのは（そして、この効果についての電子メールは陽気に無視されています）は、携帯電話で育 った一部の人に共通する、大文字（またはすべて大文字）や句読点のない、とんでもない怠惰な省 略形です。

「u」という文字は（少なくとも私にとって）「あなた」という言葉の代わりにはなりません。 漢字よりも（私にとって）悪いことを解読しようとはしません。

ジョン。

Jon.

[66sprint6]

Two songs...

"Get your engine runnin', head out on the highway"

or

" She was a fast machine, she kept her engine clean, "

Doesn't quite work, does it? The word motor (for the engine) is a colloquialism of North America and our dialect is the most influential in the English speaking world.

[JimFB400HO]

Originally Posted by carbking

Anyone ride a Harley enginecycle?

Jon.

Yet Harley calls the machines that power their motorcycles engines not motors.

[JimFB400HO]

Originally Posted by 66sprint6

"Get your engine runnin', head out on the highway"

Love that song even if they do say motor. Can't say I use some words in "The Pusher" either.

I agree on motor as a common colloquialism as you mention. I just always hear that teacher decades ago in the back of my head saying "engine".

"Yeah, my fuel-injected Stingray and a four-thirteen
Were revvin' up our engines and it sounds real mean"

[Chris65LeMans]

I don't think I've ever heard someone use the word "drivetrain."

As for engine vs. motor; someone on here pointed out a while back that it is called "General Motors."

[hgerhardt]

We are so lucky that English is one of the few languages which even has the two words 'engine' and 'motor'. In German, there's only 'motor' which covers both.

[Andre]

A better collective all encompassing phrase to describe cars, parts, assemblies and maybe some owners would be "fugitives from the junk yard" or is it salvage yard, or bone yard, or scrap yard? :-)

[RocktimusPryme]

I think for the most part you are just driving yourself crazy. Im all for knowing the motor vs engine type distinctions, but there is no point sweating what other people say.

I used to work in the poker industry in Vegas. Those little round plastic pieces are correctly called "cheques" Obviously everyone calls them chips. I used to correct people all the time, but then realized I was only irritating myself and let it go.

I still cringe when I hear people say "pair of twos" or "pair of threes". Harder to let that one go.

[72projectbird]

What about motor oil? Virtually every brand refers to it as such.

[Stuart]

I don't know why this argument keeps coming up over and over again. In general usage, an internal combustion engine can be called a motor, while an electric motor is not an engine.

The definition of Motor from the dictionary:

motor
mo·​tor | \ ˈmō-tər \
1 : one that imparts motion
specifically : PRIME MOVER
2 : any of various power units that develop energy or impart motion: such as
a : a small compact engine
b : INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
especially : a gasoline engine
c : a rotating machine that transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy

[Sirrotica]

Motor oil can be used as a lubricant for internal combustion engines..........

It can also be used as a lubricant for the bearings in an electric motor..........

Evidently the person, or entity, that coined the motor oil nomenclature, wasn't as anal about it as some of the wordsmiths participating in this thread...........

[hobbygto65]

As far as General Motors, I believe they started out building wash machines an refrigerators.

[Chris65LeMans]

Originally Posted by hobbygto65

As far as General Motors, I believe they started out building wash machines an refrigerators.

C’mon now...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_General_Motors

[JimFB400HO]

It was all fun banter for a while....