Flint Engine Operations
{{distinguish|Flint Truck Assembly}}
{{Infobox factory
| name = Flint Engine Operations
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| location_map =
| location_map_size =
| location_map_caption =
| location_map_alt =
| coordinates = {{Coord|42.9325|N|83.6450|W|format=dms|region:US-MI_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| built =
| operated = 2002–present
| location = Flint, Michigan
| industry = Automotive
| products = Engines
| architect =
| style =
| buildings =
| area =
| volume = {{cvt|1,165,212|sqft|m2|-1}}
| address = 2100 Bristol Road [https://www.gm.com/company/facilities/flint-engine-operations Flint Engine Op] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911105104/https://www.gm.com/company/facilities/flint-engine-operations |date=2022-09-11 }} at GM.com
| owner = General Motors
| defunct =
| website = {{URL|https://www.gm.com/company/facilities/flint-engine-operations|gm.com/flint-engine}}
}}
Flint Engine Operations (previously, Flint Engine South) is a General Motors automobile engine factory in Flint, Michigan. The plant opened in 2002 and is named to replace the Flint North engine plant. The plant currently produces the small four-cylinder SGE and Duramax I6 engines. The factory receives cast engine blocks from Defiance Foundry in Defiance, Ohio and Saginaw Metal Casting Operations in Saginaw, Michigan. It replaced Flint North.
History
Flint Engine South began operations in 2002. It produced inline five and six cylinder versions of the GM Atlas engine{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/10/automobiles/a-straight-approach-to-a-new-engine.html |title=A Straight Approach to a New Engine |author=Cobb, James G. |date=June 10, 2001 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=20 October 2023 |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610010536/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/10/automobiles/a-straight-approach-to-a-new-engine.html |url-status=live }} until that engine line was discontinued in 2009 alongside the GMT360 platform.{{cite news |url=https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/the-forgotten-inline-engine-gm-s-4-2-liter-atlas-i-6/ |title=The Forgotten Inline Engine: GM's 4.2-liter Atlas I-6 |author=McNabb, Mark |date=October 21, 2016 |work=Top Speed |access-date=23 October 2023}} Shortly after Flint Engine South was completed, Powertrain Flint (aka Flint North) was closed and demolished.{{cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/01/gm-to-make-positive-plant-manufacturing-announcement-at-flint-engine.html |title=GM to make 'positive plant manufacturing announcement' at Flint Engine |author=Fonger, Ron |date=January 19, 2023 |work=Michigan Live |access-date=20 October 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326063414/https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/01/gm-to-make-positive-plant-manufacturing-announcement-at-flint-engine.html |url-status=live }}
Flint Engine South also produced 3.6L High Feature DOHC V6 engines (HFV6) for the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, and GMC Acadia crossover utility vehicles and Cadillac CTS and STS sedans.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/retire-us-gm-flint/gm-to-invest-163-million-at-three-plants-idINTRE6AN3YD20101124 |title=GM to invest $163 million at three plants |author=Bailey, David |date=November 24, 2010 |work=Reuters |access-date=23 October 2023}} High Feature engines were produced in the northern half of the plant.{{cite news |url=https://midmichigannow.com/news/local/gm-breaks-ground-on-new-additions-at-flint-engine-facility |title=GM breaks ground on new additions at Flint Engine facility |date=December 5, 2012 |work=NBC25 Mid-Michigan Now |access-date=23 October 2023}}
On September 25, 2008, GM announced a $370 million investment to build another engine plant at the Flint South complex. The new plant was designed to produce the 1.4L GM Family 0 engine ("FamZero") for the Chevrolet Cruze and Volt models beginning in 2010.{{cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2008/09/gm_expected_to_announce_new_en.html |title=GM expected to announce new engine plant for Flint |author=Fonger, Ron |date=September 25, 2008 |work=Michigan Live |access-date=20 October 2023 |archive-date=22 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022142615/https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2008/09/gm_expected_to_announce_new_en.html |url-status=live }} However, major work was suspended that December as the automotive industry crisis worsened,{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/retire-us-gm-plant-idUSTRE4BG6L820081217 |title=GM suspends major work on Flint engine plant |author=Krolicki, Kevin |date=December 17, 2008 |work=Reuters |access-date=23 October 2023}} eventually resulting in the General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization of 2009. By February 2009, GM announced that rather than a new plant, the existing plant would be retooled for FamZero.{{cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/business/mid-michigan/2009/02/chevrolet_volt_engine_to_be_bu.html |title=Chevrolet Volt engine to be built at Flint Engine South |author=Fonger, Ron |date=February 24, 2009 |work=MLive |access-date=23 October 2023}} That October, GM announced it was investing $200 million to complete the retooling, with production scheduled to start in late 2010.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/retire-us-gm-volt-idUKTRE59C42P20091013 |title=Key GM engine plant to be running by late 2010 |author=Woodall, Bernie |date=October 13, 2009 |work=Reuters |access-date=23 October 2023}} In November 2010, GM announced additional investments in Flint to increase production to a planned 1,200 FamZero engines per day by the end of 2012.
File:Buick City and Flint Engine in Flint, Michigan by Sentinel-2 2022-06-28 (cropped).jpg (top center) and Flint Engine Operations (bottom center)]]
The plant was renamed to Flint Engine Operations in approximately 2011.{{cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2011/02/general_motors_cancels_second.html |title=General Motors cancels part of second shift at Flint Engine Operations |author=Fonger, Ron |date=February 2, 2011 |work=MLive |access-date=23 October 2023}} GM announced a $215 million investment in 2013 for the Flint plant, which included plans to retool and upgrade the plant to accommodate production of the new GM small gasoline engine (SGE) and updated HFV6 engines;{{cite news |url=https://www.autoweek.com/news/a1933556/gm-preps-new-engines-8-speed-transmission/ |title=GM Preps For New Engines, 8-Speed Transmission |author=Jewett, Dale |date=April 3, 2013 |work=Autoweek |access-date=23 October 2023}} the SGE was scheduled to replace the FamZero.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-gm-engines-idUSBREA2I1HS20140319 |title=GM to build 2.5 million new 'Ecotec' small engines by 2017 |author=Woodall, Bernie |date=March 19, 2014 |work=Reuters |access-date=23 October 2023}} When the second-generation Chevrolet Colorado was unveiled for North America that November, GM announced the optional 3.6L HFV6 engine would be built at Flint.{{cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/business/mid-michigan/2013/11/general_motors_unveils_flint-b.html |title=General Motors unveils Flint-built V6 engine for new Chevrolet Colorado trucks at Flint Engine plant |author=Allen, Jeremy |date=November 20, 2013 |work=MLive |access-date=23 October 2023}} By 2015, Flint Engine Operations had built one million FamZero engines, shortly before shifting production to the 1.5L SGE I4 "Ecotec".{{cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2015/08/gm_builds_1_millionth_14l_engi.html |title=GM builds milionth 1.4-liter engine, will shift production to Ecotec |author=Adams, Dominic |date=August 27, 2015 |work=The Flint Journal |access-date=23 October 2023}}
In January 2018, GM announced it would assemble the Duramax I6 engine at Flint Engine Operations.{{cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2018/01/gm_confirms_flint_engine_opera.html |title=GM's Flint Engine Operations will build Chevy Silverado turbo-diesel engine |author=Fonger, Ron |date=January 17, 2018 |work=Michigan Live |access-date=20 October 2023 |archive-date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123233931/https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2018/01/gm_confirms_flint_engine_opera.html |url-status=live }} Five years later, in January 2023, GM announced it would invest $579 million to add an assembly line at Flint for the sixth-generation small-block V8 gasoline engines.{{cite news |url=https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2023/01/20/gm-plant-investment-flint-bay-city/69823370007/ |title=GM to invest close to $1B in 4 US factories, 2 in Michigan |author=LaReau, Jamie L. |date=January 20, 2023 |work=Detroit Free Press |access-date=20 October 2023 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210095328/https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2023/01/20/gm-plant-investment-flint-bay-city/69823370007/ |url-status=live }}
Products
- 1.5L SGE Turbo I4 "Ecotec"{{cite web |url=https://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gm-engines/lfv/ |title=GM 1.5-Liter Turbo I4 Ecotec LFV Engine |website=GM Authority |access-date=23 October 2023}}
- 3.0L Turbodiesel I6 LM2 & LZ0 "Baby Duramax"{{cite web |url=https://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gm-engines/lm2/ |title=GM Duramax 3.0-Liter I-6 LM2 Turbo Diesel Engine |website=GM Authority |access-date=23 October 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gm-engines/lz0/ |title=GM Duramax 3.0-Liter I-6 LZ0 Turbo Diesel Engine |website=GM Authority |access-date=23 October 2023}}
=Former products=
- 1.4L I4 LUU "Voltec"{{cite web |url=https://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gm-engines/luu/ |title=GM 1.4 Liter I4 LUU Engine |website=GM Authority |access-date=23 October 2023}}
- 1.4L Turbo I4 LUJ / LUV "FamZero"{{cite web |url=https://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gm-engines/luv/ |title=GM 1.4 Liter Turbo I4 Ecotec LUJ/LUV Engine |website=GM Authority |access-date=23 October 2023}}
- 3.6L DI V6 LY7 & LFX "High Feature"
- 3.7L I5 LLR "Vortec 3700"
- 4.2L I6 LL8 "Vortec 4200"
=Product applications=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
{{General Motors factories}}
Category:General Motors factories
Category:Industrial buildings and structures in Flint, Michigan