Flint Engine Operations Explained

Flint Engine Operations should not be confused with Flint Truck Assembly.

Flint Engine Operations
Operated:2002–present
Location:Flint, Michigan
Industry:Automotive
Products:Engines
Employees:706 (2022)
Address:2100 Bristol Road [1]
Owner:General Motors

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[2] until that engine line was discontinued in 2009 alongside the GMT360 platform.[3] Shortly after Flint Engine South was completed, Powertrain Flint (aka Flint North) was closed and demolished.[4]

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.[5] High Feature engines were produced in the northern half of the plant.[6]

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.[7] However, major work was suspended that December as the automotive industry crisis worsened,[8] 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.[9] That October, GM announced it was investing $200 million to complete the retooling, with production scheduled to start in late 2010.[10] 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.[5]

The plant was renamed to Flint Engine Operations in approximately 2011.[11] 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;[12] the SGE was scheduled to replace the FamZero.[13] 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.[14] By 2015, Flint Engine Operations had built one million FamZero engines, shortly before shifting production to the 1.5L SGE I4 "Ecotec".[15]

In January 2018, GM announced it would assemble the Duramax I6 engine at Flint Engine Operations.[16] 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.[17]

Products

Former products

Product applications

As of September 2022:[1]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.gm.com/company/facilities/flint-engine-operations Flint Engine Op
  2. News: A Straight Approach to a New Engine . Cobb, James G. . June 10, 2001 . The New York Times . 20 October 2023 . 10 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210610010536/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/10/automobiles/a-straight-approach-to-a-new-engine.html . live .
  3. News: The Forgotten Inline Engine: GM's 4.2-liter Atlas I-6 . McNabb, Mark . October 21, 2016 . Top Speed . 23 October 2023.
  4. News: GM to make 'positive plant manufacturing announcement' at Flint Engine . Fonger, Ron . January 19, 2023 . Michigan Live . 20 October 2023 . 26 March 2023 . 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 . live .
  5. News: GM to invest $163 million at three plants . Bailey, David . November 24, 2010 . Reuters . 23 October 2023.
  6. News: GM breaks ground on new additions at Flint Engine facility . December 5, 2012 . NBC25 Mid-Michigan Now . 23 October 2023.
  7. News: GM expected to announce new engine plant for Flint . Fonger, Ron . September 25, 2008 . Michigan Live . 20 October 2023 . 22 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231022142615/https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2008/09/gm_expected_to_announce_new_en.html . live .
  8. News: GM suspends major work on Flint engine plant . Krolicki, Kevin . December 17, 2008 . Reuters . 23 October 2023.
  9. News: Chevrolet Volt engine to be built at Flint Engine South . Fonger, Ron . February 24, 2009 . MLive . 23 October 2023.
  10. News: Key GM engine plant to be running by late 2010 . Woodall, Bernie . October 13, 2009 . Reuters . 23 October 2023.
  11. News: General Motors cancels part of second shift at Flint Engine Operations . Fonger, Ron . February 2, 2011 . MLive . 23 October 2023.
  12. News: GM Preps For New Engines, 8-Speed Transmission . Jewett, Dale . April 3, 2013 . Autoweek . 23 October 2023.
  13. News: GM to build 2.5 million new 'Ecotec' small engines by 2017 . Woodall, Bernie . March 19, 2014 . Reuters . 23 October 2023.
  14. News: General Motors unveils Flint-built V6 engine for new Chevrolet Colorado trucks at Flint Engine plant . Allen, Jeremy . November 20, 2013 . MLive . 23 October 2023.
  15. News: GM builds milionth 1.4-liter engine, will shift production to Ecotec . Adams, Dominic . August 27, 2015 . The Flint Journal . 23 October 2023.
  16. News: GM's Flint Engine Operations will build Chevy Silverado turbo-diesel engine . Fonger, Ron . January 17, 2018 . Michigan Live . 20 October 2023 . 23 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230123233931/https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2018/01/gm_confirms_flint_engine_opera.html . live .
  17. News: GM to invest close to $1B in 4 US factories, 2 in Michigan . LaReau, Jamie L. . January 20, 2023 . Detroit Free Press . 20 October 2023 . 10 February 2023 . 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/ . live .
  18. Web site: GM 1.5-Liter Turbo I4 Ecotec LFV Engine . GM Authority . 23 October 2023.
  19. Web site: GM Duramax 3.0-Liter I-6 LM2 Turbo Diesel Engine . GM Authority . 23 October 2023.
  20. Web site: GM Duramax 3.0-Liter I-6 LZ0 Turbo Diesel Engine . GM Authority . 23 October 2023.
  21. Web site: GM 1.4 Liter I4 LUU Engine . GM Authority . 23 October 2023.
  22. Web site: GM 1.4 Liter Turbo I4 Ecotec LUJ/LUV Engine . GM Authority . 23 October 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Flint Engine Operations".

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