Mitsubishi Motors engines

This is a list ofenginesproduced byMitsubishi Motorssince 1964, and its predecessors prior to this.

Explanation of codes

The Mitsubishizaibatsuhad been broken up into three companies by the US occupying forces. Automobile and truck engines were mainly built by three branches of one of these companies, Central Heavy Industries (Shin-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries from 1952). These three branches (Mizushima, Nagoya, and Kyoto Engineering Works) were established as clusters of the many small aircraft factories built during the war.Thus, Mizushima developments gained theMEcode, followed by a numerical, while engines developed in Nagoya became theNE-series and Kyoto-developments were namedKE.The numbers do not in any way relate to each other or across letter codes and were purely issued in order of development. In 1964 the three companies were merged intoMitsubishi Heavy Industriesand eventually a new naming system emerged.

Since the introduction of the2G10 enginein October 1968, Mitsubishi engines use a four-digit naming convention:

• The first (digit) signifies the number ofcylinders;"2" =straight-2,"3" =straight-3,"4" =straight-4,"6" =V6,"8" =V8.
• The second (letter) formerly referred to the fuel type; "D" =diesel,"G" =gasoline.However, since the 1980s, this has changed. Two engine families were introduced using the letter "A" to denote that all the engines in the family had analloycylinder head.Their latest engines, however, do not follow any previous conventions (e.g.4M4,3B2,etc.).
• The third (digit) previously denoted the engine family. Five of the "4G" straight-four engine families had distinct names; "4G1" =Orion,"4G3" =Saturn,"4G4" =Neptune,"4G5" =Astron,and "4G6" =Sirius.
• The fourth (digit) is the specific engine model within the family, issued in order of development. It is not a guide to its placewithinthat family, nor is it a guide to the capacity of the engine.

There may also be supplementary letters after the initial four characters. "T" can indicate that the engine is turbocharged (e.g.4G63T), "B" that this is the second version of the engine (e.g.4G63B). Where engine codes are used which include the supplemental letters, the first digit denoting the number of cylinders may be omitted, so4G63Tmay be seen asG63T.

Configurations

Single-cylinder

These were used in Mitsubishi's very first vehicles,motor scootersand three-wheelers.

• A-series — A 744 cc air-cooled OHV engine installed as the 3A in the 1947 Mitsubishi TM3A three-wheeled truck. The TM6 three-wheeler of 1955 was equipped with an improved6Aengine.
• 1952-196? —ME10/12— A development of the A family engine ( "Mizushima Engine" ). ThesidevalveME10displaces 886 cc (TM4 and TM5 three-wheeled trucks), while the later,OHVME12is of 851 cc.

As fitted to the 1.25-tonne (2,760 lb)Mitsubishi "Mizushima" TM14Gthree-wheeled truck, the ME12 developed 27 PS (20 kW) at 3600 rpm.

• NE/NE1— "Nagoya Engine," First introduced as the 112 ccside-valve,air-cooled1.5 hpNE10for the famousSilver Pigeonscooter. Later iterations included theNE7,the enlarged 192 ccNE9,and theOHV125 ccNE8and 175 ccNE13.
• ME20— This 309 air-cooledOHVengine served in the three-wheeledLeo.

Two-cylinder/inline 2

Mitsubishi's smallest powerplants, most commonly found in their earliest models in the 1960s:

• 1955-1962 —ME7/15/18— This was Mitsubishi's first air-cooled OHV engine over one liter's displacement. In 1955, the 1276 ccME7was developed for the 1.5-tonne (3,310 lb)Mitsubishi TM7.The 1145 ccME15and the 1489 ccME18were premiered in 1958 for the TM15/16 and TM17/18 trucks; production of this engine series ended when Mitsubishi discontinued heavier three-wheeled trucks.
• 1960-1962 —NE19A— 0.5 L — The air-cooled 493 ccOHVtwin-cylinder engine in theMitsubishi 500,the first passenger car built by the company after theSecond World War.Bore and stroke were 70.0 x 64.0 mm
• 1961-1965 —NE35A— 0.6 L — a 594 cc iteration of the NE series, 72.0 x 73.0 mm. This engine was used in theMitsubishi 500Super DeLuxe andMitsubishi Colt 600.
• 1961-1976 —ME21/24— 0.36 L — Thisair-cooledtwo-strokefirst served in theMitsubishi 360but was used in variousMinicasuntil 1972 and inMinicabsuntil 1976.
• 1968-1976 —2G1— 0.36 L — First introduced in late first generationMinicasin October 1968 to gradually replace theair-cooledME24powerplant. The water-cooled2G10was atwo-stroke enginelike its predecessor.
• 1972-1988 —2G2 "Vulcan"— 0.36-0.8 L — a newfour-strokeOHCdesign introduced in 1972 to succeed the 2G1, fitted to Minicas andMinicabs.359 cc, 471 cc, 546 cc, 644 cc and 783 cc versions were produced. It also equipped theMazda Porter Cab.

Three cylinder/inline-3

• 1987–present —3G8— 0.55-0.8 L
• 2005-? —3B2— 0.66-1.0 L
• 2003–present —3A9— 1.0-1.2 L

Four-cylinder/inline-4

Gasoline:

• 1963-1975 —KE4— 1.0-2.0 L

• KE42,1962 (Canter 1st generation 66kW, 2nd gen 66kW @ 4800 rpm, 3rd gen 1995cc, 70kW) or earlier til???, on Canter replaced in January 1975
• KE47,1968 (Canter 2nd gen 70kW @ 4500 rpm, 172Nm @ 2800 rpm, 3rd gen 2315cc, 74kW) or later til January 1975 (Canter) or later

• 1969-1999 —4G3— 1.2-1.8 L — nick name"Saturn"
• 1971-1979 —4G4— 1.2-1.4 L — nick name"Neptune"
• 1972-? —4G5— 1.8-2.6 L — nick name"Astron"
• 1978-present —4G1— 1.2-1.6 L — nick name"Orion"
• 1980-present —4G6— 1.6-2.4 L — nick name"Sirius"
• late 1980s —4G8— 1.1 L
• 1991-2007 —4G9— 1.5-2.0 L
• 1993-? —4A3— 0.66-1.1 L
• 2003–present —4A9— 1.3- 1.5 and 1.6 (2010–present) L
• 2007–present —4B1— 1.8-2.4 L — nick name"GEMA engine"
• 2013–present —4J1— 1.8-2.4 L
• 2017–present —4B4— 1.5 L
• 2014–present —4K1— 1.8-2.4 L - Based on 4G6 block
• 2017–present —4K2— 1.8-2.4 L - Based on 4G6 block

Diesels:

• 1963-? —KE4— 2.0 L
• 1970-? —4DR— 2,7 L

Two 2659 ccstraight-4normally aspirated andturbodiesels,4DR5and4DR6,fitted to some Canter light trucks, and also fitted to the company'sJeepwhich it built under licence fromWillysbetween 1953 and 1998. Also used in some larger forklift trucks.

• 4DR5:Bore x stroke 92.0mm x 100.0mm. Capacity 2659cc. Compression ratio 20.0:1. Naturally aspirated power output 80PS @ 3,800rpm. Torque output 18.0 kg/m @ 2,200rpm. The indirect injected 4DR5 produced from naturally aspirated 75 to 80 PS (55 to 59 kW), while the turbocharged and intercooled versions produced a torque of 22.5 kg/m (220.65 Nm) at 2000 RPM and had a compression ratio of 21.5:1, with a maximum power of 100 PS (74 kW) at 3,300 rpm.
  
• 4DR6with direct injection has a lower compression ratio of 17.5 producing a torque of 21.0 kgm (205.94 Nm) at 2000 rpm with a maximum power of 94 PS (69 kW) at 3,500 rpm[1]

• 1980–present —4D5— 2.3-2.5 L — diesel versions of the"Astron"engine
• 1983-2008 —4D6— 1.8-2.0 L — diesel versions of the"Sirius"engine
• 1991-2019 —4M4— 2.8-3.2 L
• 2010–present —4N1— 1.8-2.4 L

Six-cylinder/inline-6/V6

Mitsubishi has three families ofV6engines, which have seen use in its midsize lines, coupés and compacts.

• 1963-1970 —KE6— 2.0-3.5 L — Astraight-6as gasoline or diesel engines.
• 1970-1976 —6G3— 2.0 L —"Saturn 6"straight-6
• 1986-2021 —6G7— 2.0-3.8 L —"Cyclone V6"
• 1992-2009 —6A1— 1.6-2.5 L
• 2005–2021 —6B3— 3.0 L

Eight-cylinder/V8

• 1999-2008 —8A8— 4.5 L — For its Japan-onlyProudiaandDignitymodels, Mitsubishi built an alloy-headed 4.5 LV8withGDI.The vehicles proved unsuccessful, and were quickly discontinued. However, the range had been developed in conjunction with theHyundai Motor Company,whoseHyundai Equusfared much better.

See also

• List of Mitsubishi Fuso engines

References

• "Engine Epic Part 8 - Mitsubishi Engines",Michael Knowling,Autospeed,issue 48, 21 September 1999