Engine vs Motor

god i HATE the "bobber pickup" crap!!!

 

Technically an engine's fuel driven (gas, steam, kerosene or...), and a motor is electrical. HOWEVER, I usually refer to a gasoline engine as a motor. Hell, why not? They call motorcycles, motorcyles. Not enginecycles.

 

Now here's a guy that needs a hobby

 

That's what happens when people have too much time on their hands.

 

It is my understanding that a motor consumes power and converts it to motion. An engine is a motor that supplies it's own power. The motor in a car is an engine, a steam locomotive is an engine, because they are self contained. A hydraulic motor or an electric motor are never engines because they use an external power source. So the term motor can be used to describe the engine in your car but the electric motor on your drill press can never be described as a engine. .

I hope that is clear.
Alden

 

I can't believe I'm reading this instead of out working in the garage.

 

Sounds like i'm back in freshman trade school shop class! Shop instructors speel one of the first days was the "motor verses engine "debate .All the MOTOR VEHICLES we would be working on contain ENGINES not MOTORS but we will need MOTORS Manuals to fix them?And don't go asking for a 3/8ths drive Drill either !there are drill bits or drill motors.

 

Pass me that pair of plowers so I can unwrench the plug to pour some oral in my motor. Nuf said...................

 

Yeah ,it's stupid. Everyone knows that motors are in rockets. .......Just kidding.

 

engines run on gas, motors are electric

 

Only if they're solid fuel.

 

Oh yea, what do I call the thingus that makes mycargo?

Lesse here, plant, mill, lump, bullet, motor, engine, thingus, damnit, boat anchor, doorstop, ballast, rubber band, motorvation, squirrel farm, noise maker, expensive, POS, core, trading stock and whatever else may come to mind at the time.

 

What would Night Ranger do? "Your engineing" just does not sound as euphonous.

 

Back from the garage (my kids are taking naps which means I can't pound on body panels for awhile)

I think in the replies so far you have beat my 20 year pet peeve out of me.

 

Exactly.

 

Heres what wikipedia has to say (much the same as above).

An engine whose purpose is to produce kinetic energy output from a
fuel source is called a prime mover; alternatively, a motor is a device
which produces kinetic energy from a preprocessed "fuel" (such as
electricity, a flow of hydraulic fluid or compressed air).

An automobile has a starter motor, a windscreen wiper motor, a
windscreen washer motor, a fuel pump motor and motors to adjust
the wing mirrors from within the car and a (motorised) radio antenna
but -TaaDaa - the power plant that propels the car is an engine.

However, as has also been said - who really cares as long as all in
the conversation understand each other??

Ill buy any of the 'names' nexxusian had to offer ;-) Works for Me.

 

Does anyone really care?

You say potato.......I say french fry.

 

These kind of posts are the best and very useful information, thanks. Without this kind of thing, I am not sure I would ever make any progress on my projects or have anything else better to do.

 

I'm soooo confused! I'm going out to the garage to work on my motor, er engine, uh thingamajig.

 

who gives a shit.. go work on sumthn

 

My search engine found this,..... Yawning involves opening the mouth involuntarily while taking a long, deep breath of air. This is usually done as a result of drowsiness or weariness . Excessive yawning is yawning that happens more often than would be expected, even if drowsiness or weariness is present

 

Tamla Who? Isn't that the record lable that the Engineheads recorded on?
Exactly what I’m saying, Who cares, everybody knows what is meant. I used gas as an example, gas is a vapor but everybody knows what is meant when we say that we are putting gas in our car. Well everybody except my old Chemistry prof. That would upset him to no end, he’s have to explain how gas is a vapor like steam and gasoline in a liquid, and nobody cared.

 

Ah jeez, here in germany a car has a motor....and it´s called motor since it was invented. Can´t believe I´m really writing this crap right now
Actually when I talk to american friends here in germany I use both words motor and engine....
Sorry folks but that´s a dumb discussion- I´m outta here.

 

My motor is a rocket....an Oldsmobile Rocket...hahahaha.....

This brings up a new idea for a post....Windshield or Windscreen.

 

I like 'em alll.....including "stove".......I like motor to describe a race motor......probably engine to describe a stock engine.....but "stove", that's universal.

 

A "hybrid" has a motor and an engine......
I can't believe I read all the way down to here. Time might have been better spent thinking about old grudges.

 

How about wheel turner?

 

And if we say it's a motor in the south then by-god it's a motor!

 

We also park in the driveway and drive on the parkway. Who cares.

 

the lumper