How Much Does a Car Engine Weigh? (I Was Surprised)

If you are in the market to replace your engine or if you simply want to know how heavy this piece of machinery is, the weight of your car’s engine might be on your mind.

Quick Answer

A car’s engine is largely dependent on the size of your car. A smaller V6 vehicle will have an engine that weighs no more than 450 pounds, while a larger V8 engine will range from 400 to 700 pounds. Additionally, the type of fuel your vehicle takes will affect the weight of the engine as well. Diesel engines will weigh more, on the 700-pound end of the scale.

Your car has a “heart” and that is its engine. Wanting to know more about engines is something for mechanics and car enthusiasts alike. Keep reading to find out more.

How Heavy Is a Car Engine?

A larger car needs a larger engine. The horsepower of your car’s engine, as well as the materials used in the assembly, will also be a determinate in the weight of your engine.

How Much Does A V8 Engine Weigh?

Supercharged with a V8 engine, your vehicle is ready to tow and haul, or maybe, just give you that extra performance to show the road what you’re made of.  With these engines, you’re looking at weights that range from 400 – 700 pounds.

One major factor in the weight of your vehicle is the material that was used to build it. Cast iron is much heavier than aluminum and therefore the overall weight of your engine will vary.

Take a Chevrolet engine for example. Having a weight difference of over 100 pounds the Chevy 7.4L V8 with cast iron build is 656 pounds while the Chevy 427 ZL-1 aluminum engine is 550 pounds.

How Much Does A V6 Engine Weigh?

A vehicle with a V6 engine will have fewer cylinders, two fewer to be exact. For this reason, the engine will weigh less than that of a V8 engine. Again, with the range of vehicles available on the market, a weight comparison of engines is still dependent on the size of the vehicle and materials used in the engine.

If you’re looking at some common vehicles on the street today, a Honda aluminum 1.5L V6 engine weighs approximately 286 pounds while a Toyota V6 engine made of iron is around 469 pounds.

Don’t be misled, however. Even a small, lightweight engine can pack a punch. Take a Formula 1 race car for example. These vehicles have very lightweight engines that pack a ton of power.

Is A Diesel Engine Heavier Than A Gasoline Engine?

The answer is yes. The significance of a diesel engine is its ability to produce more torque. Torque is important when you need to pull or haul and the ability to do this is directly related to a larger, heavier engine.

A diesel engine has a hard time standing up to its gasoline counterpart if you’re looking for a good, maybe even great car that will take you from A to B. Diesel engines are usually meant for a specific purpose.

Gasoline-powered cars have the option of cast iron or aluminum engines, as well as engines with a combination of the two. These vehicles are made with high horsepower and fast acceleration capabilities in mind.

How Much Does a Pick-Up Engine Weigh?

For those of you who need a heavy-duty vehicle that can tow, haul and transport large items, you’re probably in the market for a pickup.

Let’s take a look at one of the best selling pick-ups on the market, the Ford F-150. The vehicle itself weighs between 4021 to 5014 pounds. The difference is so much because the features you choose, including the engine, will have a significant impact on the weight.

As mentioned earlier, the engine you choose will be a factor in the overall weight of the car. And with engines, you have quite a few options. That being said, the engine weight of a standard pick up truck will be somewhere between 400 to 700 pounds.

How Does Engine Weight Affect My Car?

The engine weight affects your car’s ability to perform certain tasks. Depending on the use of your vehicle you will find the difference in weight to be an important thing to consider.

Smaller engines that weigh less are suited to smaller sized vehicles. Imagine a giant hat on a small head it simply doesn’t make sense. If you want a car that is built for speed and performance for a good ol’ drive, you probably want a lightweight engine that packs a lot of power. A heavy engine will weigh your small vehicle down and not be practical for your purposes.

Larger engines for heavy-duty work. If you want a vehicle for more than just speeding around with the top down, a vehicle that supports a heavier engine might be right for you. Heavier engines are suited for larger vehicles that have towing and hauling capabilities. These engines, made to “work up a sweat” when it comes to pulling loads, are heavier for just that reason.

What Types of Engines Are There?

The type of engine you choose for your vehicle is crucial to getting what you want out of your vehicle. Here are some engine options:

Straight Engine: Most often the case in V4 engines, the body of this part has cylinders that sit in a straight line, one after another. Because they are lightweight and smaller than other types of engines, these are ideal engines for front-wheel drive vehicles. If your goal is to make an engine from scratch, these types are affordable and easier to build as well.

V-type Engine: Typically seen in V6, V8, V10, and V12 configured vehicles, your V-type engine is a series of cylinders arranged in two rows along your engine block. The attractiveness of this engine is one of its appealing features. Its short length gives it a simple, short profile. If you are into motorsports and are looking for an engine that performs with power and stability, this type of engine is an ideal choice.

Diesel: Diesel engines, made to support cars that do the heavy lifting, were the brainchild of German inventor Rudolph Diesel. Similar in design to the petrol intake engine, the difference is in the way the fuel and air intake is injected into the combustion chamber, through compression as opposed to spark plugs. These vehicle engines are typically larger and heavier because of the materials and parts used to make them.

So how heavy is a car engine? If you’ve been following along, you now know that the weight of a car’s engine is directly related to the type of engine you choose. Heavier is not always better, it just depends on how you want to use it.

Does A Large Engine Last Longer? Do Larger Engines Perform Better?

The size of your engine does not directly relate to the performance or how long it will last. The way you plan on using your vehicle will determine the lifespan and performance of your engine.

Size: The weight range of a vehicle’s engine spans hundreds of pounds. If you are thinking a larger engine would last longer, you are not wrong. But you are also not right. A larger engine doesn’t work quite as hard as a smaller, lightweight engine. It does, however, consume more fuel and uses more power.

Lifespan: When you have an engine that is larger and heavier, it could be more prone to wear and tear. Parts of a car, and its engine, work in sync with one another to give the driver the ideal circumstances according to need. If your car has a small, lightweight engine that is being asked to carry heavy loads or tow more than it was meant to handle, the lifespan of your car’s engine will decrease because of all the extra work it’s doing.

Performance: Engine performance is a major factor in what makes a car great. A large size engine will perform perfectly if you need to tow something that’s upwards of 5000 pounds, maybe even up to 13,000 pounds. But a small engine can also perform exceptionally. Smaller, lightweight engines are the chosen ones for F1 race cars and the like.

Wrap up

If you are playing around with the idea of something fast and furious, a smaller, gasoline engine will be ideal. But if it’s power and some heavy lifting you are into, a heavy diesel engine might just do the trick.