First look: GM’s new Modular Ecotec engines

[Rat407]

Looks like they got rid of the cartridge oil filter and are going back to a spin-on filter.

Here is some more info on the engine line and a cool animation.

More info here.

Cool animation click here.

 

[Rand]

GM is making new engines in china? hopefully for chinese market only.

 

[eljefino]

MIL's hybrid Lacrosse ecotec has bunches of tacked-on expensive looking hoses and wires within snagging distance of the oil filter cover. Not elegant like the first ones that appeared in saturns 15 years ago.

 

[sasha]

for the S&G make an all titanium block

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Rand
GM is making new engines in china? hopefully for chinese market only.


The article says, "Total global production for the new modular family will take place in five GM Powertrain plants including the all-new facility in Shenyang, China." I imagine that production will be regional in nature, and engines produced in China will be used in the Asian market.

 

[Win]

Wasn't the 3.4 pushrod V6 made in China and used in vehicles sold here?

My GTO used a U.S. built LS1. My G8 has an Australian built HF V6, but many of them got U.S. built V6's. The HF V6 in the Torrent was sourced from Japan (Suzuki?).

I think their engines can be made anywhere and used anywhere. This diversity can be a good thing, really; I've never received any service notes on the timing chains in my HF V6's, likely because they were built in places that did not receive the marginal parts other engine plants received.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: Rat407
Looks like they got rid of the cartridge oil filter and are going back to a spin-on filter.....

That's interesting. Actually engine cost per unit is less with spin-on than cartridge with housing.

 

[Pontual]

Gm still using adapted Opel (J-body) engines from the 80's here. Shame.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Nice. GM will save costs for sure. BMW has rolled out the same and I expect many more manufacturers to follow.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: Win
Wasn't the 3.4 pushrod V6 made in China and used in vehicles sold here?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_60%C2%B0_V6_engine

Production of the 60° family began in China with the success of the Buick marque there. Importation of Chinese-built engines to the United States began in 2004 with the LNJ found in the Chevrolet Equinox.

I could have sworn that the engine in my V6 1999 Alero was made in Brazil, but I should check the window sticker.

 

[Andy636]

They do look a lot like the engines FIAT is using for about a year or so...

 

[ExMachina]

Originally Posted By: Rand
GM is making new engines in china? hopefully for chinese market only.


Occasionally, GM has shipped engines from China, like the old 3.4L Chevy V6 engine they put in Equinoxes a few years ago. Shanghai-made Chevy V6s! Kind of a low-tech pushrod engine, very suitable for use in China in their popular Buicks there, and with spare capacity and cheap labor, they put tens of thousands of these things on container ships headed for the U.S. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/business/worldbusiness/26chevy.html?_r=0

 

[ExMachina]

Originally Posted By: sayjac
Originally Posted By: Rat407
Looks like they got rid of the cartridge oil filter and are going back to a spin-on filter.....

That's interesting. Actually engine cost per unit is less with spin-on than cartridge with housing.

The U.S. EPA is considering legislation to require engines to use cartridge oil filters to reduce metal usage and waste, along with laws influencing oil change intervals, similar to the push now in California for longer oil change intervals.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: sayjac
Originally Posted By: Rat407
Looks like they got rid of the cartridge oil filter and are going back to a spin-on filter.....

That's interesting. Actually engine cost per unit is less with spin-on than cartridge with housing.
I hear they're going to thicker oil, too.

 

[Rat407]

Originally Posted By: ExMachina
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Originally Posted By: Rat407
Looks like they got rid of the cartridge oil filter and are going back to a spin-on filter.....

That's interesting. Actually engine cost per unit is less with spin-on than cartridge with housing.

The U.S. EPA is considering legislation to require engines to use cartridge oil filters to reduce metal usage and waste, along with laws influencing oil change intervals, similar to the push now in California for longer oil change intervals.


Initial cost of cartridge filters is higher, but after it becomes more mainstream among other manufactures the cost would come down I would think.

 

[ExMachina]

Originally Posted By: sayjac
Originally Posted By: Rat407
Looks like they got rid of the cartridge oil filter and are going back to a spin-on filter.....

That's interesting. Actually engine cost per unit is less with spin-on than cartridge with housing.


I can see how the parts count on an engine goes down, probably saves $30 per engine or so, using a canister oil filter instead of an element cartridge which requires:

 

[Sayjac]

Just to clarify, I wasn't referring to the cost of cartridge filters themselves. I was referring to the added cost per unit to include an engine cartridge filter housing, as opposed to using a spin filter application. That information came directly from some knowledgeable folks at Fram filtration.

They also said that some manufacturers were considering going back to spin on filters for that reason. If the new ecotec information and pics are correct, this 'could be' an example. But yes cartridges because of economies of scale I would assume, do tend to be more expensive than spin on.

Edit. Didn't see pic above when initially posted, but yes the housing (and similar) shown is the extra cost initially incurred.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: ExMachina
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Originally Posted By: Rat407
Looks like they got rid of the cartridge oil filter and are going back to a spin-on filter.....

That's interesting. Actually engine cost per unit is less with spin-on than cartridge with housing.


I can see how the parts count on an engine goes down, probably saves $30 per engine or so, using a canister oil filter instead of an element cartridge which requires:

Chrysler had some problems with oil leaking in the valley of the Pentastar 3.6L engine with a very similar cartridge housing. I wonder if that unit in the picture is a better design.

 

[stchman]

Originally Posted By: Rat407
Looks like they got rid of the cartridge oil filter and are going back to a spin-on filter.

Here is some more info on the engine line and a cool animation.

More info here.

Cool animation click here.



My girlfriend has the 2014 Malibu with the 2.5L Ecotec engine and it uses a spin on oil filter(PF64 IIRC). The 2.5L and 2.0LT both use spin on oil filters. She had a Cobalt that used that cartridge oil filter.

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: Rand
GM is making new engines in china? hopefully for chinese market only.



This, after being bailed out by the American taxpayers.....no more GM's for me ....

Has GM figured out how to keep the coolant in their engines yet?