Okay new survey: Engine or Motor Person

[JoeM 7,874]

This came up in another thread and seems to have been asked over the years. So....after you read this info, tell us, are you an "engine" or "motor" person.

We may need to start a new category on RS "information you may never use"  but is still interesting.

For me, I pretty much lean toward motor. (lack of mental powers)

For those who want the full story. This comes from MIT School of Engineering "Ask an Engineer" The link is at the end of this insert.

 

“Motor” is rooted in the Classical Latin movere, “to move.” It first referred to propulsive force, and later, to the person or device that moved something or caused movement. “As the word came through French into English, it was used in the sense of ‘initiator,’” says Fuller. “A person could be the motor of a plot or a political organization.” By the end of the 19th century, the Second Industrial Revolution had dotted the landscape with steel mills and factories, steamships and railways, and a new word was needed for the mechanisms that powered them. Rooted in the concept of motion, “motor” was the logical choice, and by 1899, it had entered the vernacular as the word for Duryea and Olds’ newfangled horseless carriages.

“Engine” is from the Latin ingenium: character, mental powers, talent, intellect, or cleverness. In its journey through French and into English, the word came to mean ingenuity, contrivance, and trick or malice. “In the 15th century, it also referred to a physical device: an instrument of torture, an apparatus for catching game, a net, trap, or decoy,” says Fuller.

In the early 19th century, the meanings of motor and engine had already begun to converge, both referring to a mechanism providing propulsive force.

 

https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/whats-the-difference-between-a-motor-and-an-engine/

 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,580]

Either works for me…

 

Call it what you want.

 

Just don’t call me late for dinner…

 

 

Edit: 
 

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by SylvanLakeWH

[WHX?? 48,821]

Old EB sure did put this in yer craw Joe! 

I'm a motor guy as in.....

If it likes jewelry or has a motor ..... it's gonna give ya problems! 

Not really the way the joke goes but we have younguns here ya know.... 

Edited March 19, 2022 by WHX??
speeling

[wallfish 17,000]

I use both. Mostly it's a motor when it's running like $@!t, an engine when it's nice or powerful

[roadapples 6,983]

Motors are electric. In the army during WVMS, if you called an engine a motor you were doing pushups....

[OutdoorEnvy 1,522]

I don’t mind either but I do refer to boats having motors and anything else an engine 

[WHX?? 48,821]

Ok 'Apples now you made me  WVMS and all I could come up with is Willamette Valley Mushroom Society. Please tell me there is more and you haven't pinned your hopes on a fungus. I stole that from Jack Nicolson and a few good men movie.   

I didn't know you was in the Army?

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Electric motor.

Combustion engine.

[c-series don 8,708]

I’m with Craig on this one but @OutdoorEnvy through a curve ball with the boat motor thing! Everyone calls it an outboard motor not an outboard engine. Now I’m confused and don’t know what to think other than most of them will give you problems at some point!! 

[WHX?? 48,821]

Well now that's just enlightening Madge considering the RE-67 you sold me leaked gas and combusted in my shop and caused a major blaze.... nawww just kidding .. got it running today and runs good. 

Edited March 20, 2022 by WHX??

[c-series don 8,708]

@WHX?? RE-67= Rear Engine 6 HP and the 7 is for 1967, sorry if I got off track here just wanted to share some info! 

[WHX?? 48,821]

Yes I know that Don .... thanks for the refresher tho. Do you not know I am a '67 freak? 

This one familiar with @dclarke

You don't sell me that tractor Don I gonna a kick yer @$$

Skatin I know Joe but it's fun! 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by WHX??

[SPINJIM 1,981]

When it's mounted on any kind of vehicle, it's a motor.   When it's on the work bench, it's an engine.   

[Pullstart 62,903]

I can tell you one thing for sure.  Race cars have motors.  “My motor builder”, “broke a motor”, “that guy’s got a lot of motor” “too much motor for that track” “not enough motor to get the job done” and many more are things you hear about every Friday or Saturday night in small town USA.

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

They replaced my Motor AND Transmission... WHO DOES THAT?

 

 

Uhhhhhh... MECHANICS DO THAT DUDE!

 

 

I'm with the GASOLINE = ENGINE, ELECTRICITY = MOTOR folks!

 

But, I do sometimes slip and call it a motor.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[roadapples 6,983]

4 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Ok 'Apples now you made me  WVMS and all I could come up with is Willamette Valley Mushroom Society. Please tell me there is more and you haven't pinned your hopes on a fungus. I stole that from Jack Nicolson and a few good men movie.   

I didn't know you was in the Army?

Wheeled vehicle mechanic school...

[Maxwell-8 4,276]

In dutch we have no translation for engine. we use motor for both and a motorbike is also called a motor

[ebinmaine 67,540]

11 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Old EB sure did put this in yer craw Joe!

 

Glad to help as always.  

 

11 hours ago, roadapples said:

Motors are electric.

 

10 hours ago, AMC RULES said:

Electric motor.

Combustion engine.

 

That's what I was always taught. 

 

10 hours ago, c-series don said:

I’m with Craig on this one but @OutdoorEnvy through a curve ball with the boat motor thing! Everyone calls it an outboard motor not an outboard engine

Agreed. 

Damn boats.....

 

9 hours ago, Pullstart said:

I can tell you one thing for sure.  Race cars have motors.  “My motor builder”, “broke a motor”, “that guy’s got a lot of motor” “too much motor for that track” “not enough motor to get the job done” and many more are things you hear about every Friday or Saturday night in small town USA.

 

Ain't so out east here. Local vernacular is different. 

 

Race cars have ENGINES.  “My ENGINE builder”,

Out here - “broke a motor” is translated to "blew an/the ENGINE"

“that guy’s got a lot of ENGINE”

“too much ENGINE for that track”

“not enough ENGINE (or "power") to get the job done”

 

 

6 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

But, I do sometimes slip and call it a motor

Me too. Then try to remember to correct my horrific mistake. 

😀😀😀

 

[JoeM 7,874]

21 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

That's what I was always taught.

EB you forgot why they call it "motor oil"? 

[ebinmaine 67,540]

10 minutes ago, JoeM said:

EB you forgot why they call it "motor oil"? 

Ya killin' me Man. 

 

 

[squonk 41,129]

9 hours ago, Pullstart said:

I can tell you one thing for sure.  Race cars have motors.  “My motor builder”, “broke a motor”, “that guy’s got a lot of motor” “too much motor for that track” “not enough motor to get the job done” and many more are things you hear about every Friday or Saturday night in small town USA.

Sir Jackie Stewart always called it "Motor Racing" and "Motor Car" "Junior Johnson said "We worked on that motor for a week" Good enough for me

 

6 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

They replaced my Motor AND Transmission... WHO DOES THAT?

 

 

Uhhhhhh... MECHANICS DO THAT DUDE!

 

 

I'm with the GASOLINE = ENGINE, ELECTRICITY = MOTOR folks!

 

But, I do sometimes slip and call it a motor.

 

 

That commercial always cracked me up. Sorry you bought a piece of junk mister! 

[rmaynard 15,485]

Back in 1959 I went to a birthday party. Part of the party involved a trip to a factory. My friend's grandfather had a big ole 1957 Buick. When it came time to take the trip, Grandfather said "I'll take all the boys in my motor". Well, I was confused. I only knew a motor as something that ran off electricity. 

 

So, some of the terms that have caused confusion are:

MOTORway

MOTORboat

MOTORcycle

MOTORist

MOTORmouth

RocketMOTOR

 

One of the definitions of MOTOR is "to move", so I guess that anything that propels something could be referred to as a motor. 

 

I personally will say that the internal combustion thing that moves my tractor an ENGINE.

[Ed Kennell 38,185]

                                                                  Motors                   

 

 

                                                                     Engines     

 

 

 

[squonk 41,129]

 

Now for confusion. Electric motor driving the car But cars use Engines! 

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by squonk

[pacer 3,173]

Someone? many yrs ago 'splained it to me this way --- short & sweet!

 

Motor - derives it power from an external source (lectrics, etc)

 

Engine - creates its power by converting .. something (gas/steam/etc)

 

Obviously that still doesnt  completely cover it, but narrows it down a good bit