Who has motors and who has engines???

SandMan*

Seaman
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
59
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

Motor

1. a comparatively small and powerful engine, esp. an internal-combustion engine in an automobile, motorboat, or the like.
2. any self-powered vehicle.
3. a person or thing that imparts motion, esp. a contrivance, as a steam engine, that receives and modifies energy from some natural source in order to utilize it in driving machinery.

Engine

1. a machine for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy or power to produce force and motion.

Different words, basically same meaning...

Some say an engine is just the powerhead, and the motor is the complete unit... who knows
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
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Jan 19, 2007
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Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

Technically, anything that burns a fuel to make power is an engine Thus: Gasoline Engines, Steam Engines, Diesel Engines.

A motor does not burn fuel. Thus: Electric Motor, Hydraulic Motor.

It is possible to have hybrids: Diesel electric locomotive or tugboat where a diesel engine runs a generator to supply power to an electric motor. The advantage to this set-up is that the engine can be run at its best rpm for power and torque and the electric motor can be designed to deliver maximum power or torque at stall or 0 rpm. Thus a locomotive which must start long lines of freight cars moving has maximum power right at the start. Once moving, the motor can be electrically switched from shunt wound to series wound which gives better speed control and higher top speed.

Old Cub Cadet lawn tractors were gasoline engines driving a hydraulic pump which in turn drove a hydraulic motor in the rear.

A little wordy, but your I/O is an engine.
 

Missxena

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
32
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

Is this a trick question? ;)

Well, when I go to the dealer for parts they never
ask "what outboard engine do you have".
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
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Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

A lot of the "Good ol' Boys use the terms interchangeably. Like at the tractor pulls, you will hear the announcer say "He has four Chev Ro Let motors running alcohol in that thing" I guess it's regional. Like here in Philly, they say "I tug it up" instead of the gramatically correct I tagged it. Well, "Chevrolay" makes engines.

BUT: If someone is talking about a car motor or engine we all understand that he is talking about that thing under the hood that makes it go. Same thing with boats--its the thing that makes it go. I don't correct him. It's no biggie.
 

Scaaty

Vice Admiral
Joined
May 31, 2004
Messages
5,180
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

Technically, anything that burns a fuel to make power is an engine Thus: Gasoline Engines, Steam Engines, Diesel Engines.

A motor does not burn fuel. Thus: Electric Motor, Hydraulic Motor.

.

Yep...(did I agree?.....yep again..if ya didn't get it..)
 

Ezrider_92356

Chief Petty Officer
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Jul 14, 2007
Messages
426
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

iv always said burns fuel= engine / electric=motor
 

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Messages
45,907
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

Unless you are taking a fizix exam it is like tomahtoe or tomayto.
 

Barnacle_Bill

Admiral
Joined
Feb 8, 2004
Messages
6,469
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

Like others here I was taught motors were like electric and engines were others. And I know they words are used interchangeably. But the english language has changed so much that sometimes I don't know what people are saying. Is that "bad" ? Or what? Bad meaning good nowaday. I think. You get my drift.
 

Drowned Rat

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Jan 20, 2004
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3,070
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

According to Websters, and although each term has other meanings especially engine, the verbiage is basically this for both; "a machine for converting any of various forms of energy into mechanical force". It would appear the terms are completely interchangable by their definition.
 

Bondo

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Staff member
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Messages
71,079
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

Ayuh,........

While I've been wrenching on Engines for over 40 years,......

My Love is tinkering on boat Motors.....................;)
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

Anybody wanna see a picture of my outboard engine? :D

As long as everyone understands what you are talking about, who cares!!!
 

Jerico

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
254
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

The way I was taught 30-something years ago, engines can run on their own. motors require a power source...
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
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Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

I have a motor on my engine.
 

puddle jumper

Captain
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Jul 5, 2006
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Re: Who has motors and who has engines???

The way I was taught 30-something years ago, engines can run on their own. motors require a power source...

I know what your saying but just to throw a kink in you thought petroleum is a power source "energy" and with out it a engine cant run.
My take on this age old debate is a motor is a generic name for a device that takes energy and turns it into mechanical movement. A engine is a term used to classify a particular type of motor.
just my two cents
 
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