I was wondering if any company has ever put a 2 stroke engine in a production car or truck. I am suprised there are not some type of race cars with them. It would seem they would do good because they are high reving, can stay at high rpms for long periods of time, and produce tons of power off the line. This would be especially good for mud bogging.  I wonder how hard it would be to turn a 350 chevy into a 2 stroke if it is even possible.  

The only place that you will find a two stroke in a 'modern' auto is in a diesel. Companies still to this day produce two-stroke diesel engines. I'm not sure how ever if one was ever used in a 'consumer' vehicle, most of them are/were medium duty and military.

Converting a 4-stroke engine really wouldn't be an option just by their design architecture alone. I suppose with a redesigned intake manifold, exhaust manifold, induction system, and all new heads it may be possible... but the R&D to do something like that would be so costly that by that point you could just build a 1000hp race engine and have it not be an issue...  

saw an sae web page talking bout that but its 1098 ages long,dang! thoght mini cooper had one ???  

Actually there was a two stroke used in at least one car I new of. It was in a entry level Saab in the 50's and 60's. (and maybe even earlier too) Emission requirements in US in 70's killed its use here but it may have been used longer still overseas. Two stroke gas motors are dirty emission wise and are being phased out of even snowmobiles. On the diesel side, they are still in use today in MD and HD trucks and most diesel/electric locomotives have 2 stroke diesels even today. (A locomotive has a big 3000 to 6000 HP engine driving generators that powers big electric traction motors)Many commercail garbage trucks are power by two stroke diesel too. (the one that picks up my trash is) Fuel injected engines (like diesels) are easier to adapt to two stoke operation and one that are are usually super charged too.  

So a powerstroke ,cummins and isuzu would make a very expensive,very impractical 2 stroke if run on jp4? hehe...maybe...  

I know they are being phased out because of pollution, and in some places they dont even want you to ride 2 stroke dirt bikes, but it seems that you can get more power per cubic inch from them (except in the top end unless the are super charged), i mean my  kx 250 with only a aftermarket exhaust will be almost dead even with the yz 450 four strokes. I know it isnt real feasible to convert to one but I thought it would make a sick engine for a sand or mud truck not really good for a crawler since 2 strokes like the higher rpm.  

Actually a 2 stroke engine big enough (it is were made) would make a awesome sand or mud motor because for same or less engine weight it could have a LOT of HP. Also long as final drive ratio and transmission was adjusted to take advantage of the different power curve you would not find it lacking at all.  

SnoMan:
Actually there was a two stroke used in at least one car I new of. It was in a entry level Saab in the 50's and 60's. (and maybe even earlier too) Emission requirements in US in 70's killed its use here but it may have been used longer still overseas. Two stroke gas motors are dirty emission wise and are being phased out of even snowmobiles. On the diesel side, they are still in use today in MD and HD trucks and most diesel/electric locomotives have 2 stroke diesels even today. (A locomotive has a big 3000 to 6000 HP engine driving generators that powers big electric traction motors)Many commercail garbage trucks are power by two stroke diesel too. (the one that picks up my trash is) Fuel injected engines (like diesels) are easier to adapt to two stoke operation and one that are are usually super charged too.

I need to set the record straight on 2 stroke motors and the statment that they are being phased out.

Carbureted 2 strokes are considered "EPA dirty motors", but 2 strokes will not disappear.  There are four outboard manufactures building direct fuel injected outboards (Evinrude, Mercury, Yamaha, and Tohatsu).  The Evinrude E-Tec won the "Clean Air Excellence Award" from the EPA a couple years ago.  No four stroke has ever made that.  Two strokes will not disappear, only the best, cleanest emission two strokes will remain.
To see for yourself, go to evinrude.com

As far as snowmobiles, Ski-Doo has their SDI (semi-direct injection) that shoots the fuel in at the transfer ports.  Ski-Doo is owned by BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products), and BRP also owns Evinrude and Johnson so it may happen some time that they put the E-Tec direct injection system on the Ski-Doo snowmobiles and possibly their personal water craft.  Yamaha chose to go all 4-stroke in their snowmobiles (basically an altered version of their crotch rocket motor cycle engines).  Arctic Cat and Polaris still have a mix of 2-stroke and 4-stroke offered.  

Fuel injected 2 strokes is nothing new and they are trying to breath more life into them but they are only getting a extension of their eventual death. Even with their greater weight and reduced output they are finding a lot of favor with masses in snowmobile usage because engines run smother and a wider torque range and a big improvement in economy too. One more mod that possible could extend its useful life with but supercharging with direct injection. This would eliminate crank case contamination of mixture and provide positive venting and purging of cylinder and preping it for a new injection and expansion cycle. (2 stroke diesels work this way) One reason why old carbed 2 stroke alway ran so good in cold weather and seem to thrive on cold is because when mixture is drawn into crank case befor being forced up into cylinder, it heats and mixes mixture more so it lights and burns better in extreme cold. I have run carbed snowmobiles in 30 to 40 below zero temps and the problem is not getting them to start and run well but getting you to start and run well and stay warm too. As a side note I discovered about 30 years ago that a few oz's of dry gas per gallon of fuel will keep a 2 stroke running even in the most severe conditions and in blowing snow too. I have a few commercail type snowblowers with 2 stroke motors by choice (easier to start than 4 strokes in extreme cold) and they have not air cleaners to prevent them from plugging with snow only a few baffles. They never miss a beat or loose power in the worst of conditions.  

New 2-strokes will not disappear.  Like I stated, the Evinrude E-Tec won the clean air excellence award from the EPA.  The Evinrude E-Tec outboard has cleaner emissions, overall better fuel economy, better power to weight ratio, less maintanance, and just as quiet as a 4-stroke outboard.  In very small displacement engines, the 4-stroke will take over and in other applications the 4 stroke will be more prevailant.  But in outboard motor applications, the Evinrude E-Tec (direct fuel injected 2-stroke) has proven to be better than an EFI 4-stroke.  

Sure they are clean today but the standard today will not be the standard 5 or 10 years from now. (it would be interesting to read marine emission standards for 2 stroke engines vs other uses too) This class of engines has come under emission control in recent years and it standards will tighten. Right now they are making a big deal how clean new diesel are with new fuel and this is true but it because they were so dirty in some areas before and as clean as they are they are still a lot "dirtier" the gas motors in a lot of ways and a diesel that meets 2008 standards is not going to meet 2013 ones. Please remember that I like 2 strokes but I do not look for them to be around much longer, even hitech ones.  

I need to correct another statement you made snoman, "One reason why old carbed 2 stroke always ran so good in cold weather and seem to thrive on cold is because when mixture is drawn into crankcase before being forced up into cylinder, it heats and mixes mixture more so it lights and burns better in extreme cold."

2-stroke snowmobile engines do not run better in the cold because the air/fuel mix is heated in the crankcase, the mixture is heated in the crankcase regardless of air temperature.  Snowmobile manufactures jet carbureted 2-strokes on the rich side so they don't burn down at -30*F.  The colder the air, the more dense it is and the more oxygen is present per cubic foot, so the more fuel you can burn; that is why 2-stoke snowmobiles run with more crisp throttle response and more power when the temperature is so cold.  When the temp. is warmer you can jet leaner; so when the temp. is at 0*F to slightly warmer you can safely lean the main jet one - two sizes depending on year, make, and model of snowmobile.  To stay at peak performance, you should change jetting every 20*F, and that is just basing it off air temp. for the performance trail rider for simple tuning.  For the average trail rider, that is more than most want to do or are even capable of doing.  For those of us that actually race snowmobiles, barametric pressure and relative humidity are also factors in determining correct jetting.

The base line of outboard emissions was set back in 1993 and was effective on 1998 model year and newer, and progressivly had to get cleaner (the engines were broke down into family groups and the manufactures earned points for EPA clean engines and lost points for EPA dirty engines, it just had to average out)(just like EPA did to the auto industry).  By law you can not change the emissions output of a 1998 or newer outboard.  When you want to see what could come for the rest of the USA, just look at what the CARB (California Air Resourse Board) regulations are.  California star rated their lakes and the outboard motors.  All the Evirude E-Tec outboards meet the 3-star (2008 Emissions standard), and Evinrude is prepaired for the next increase in emissions standard.  How far CARB and EPA will go on emissions is yet to be seen and the technology needed for both 2-stroke and 4-stroke is also yet to be seen.  Both direct fuel injected 2-strokes and EFI 4-strokes are capable of cleaner emissions than current 2008 production.  I will save any further talk on this for a possible future post.  

No you are not quite on task with the reason they run so well. If you get real scientific with a old carbed snowmobile you have a selection of jets because as altitude and temp range changes, so does optimum jetting. You can enrichen fuel sure but you still have to vaporize it more when it is cold and that takes heat because air cools as the fuel vaporizes and the cooler the air the slower the vaporazation and the less fuel it can support in a vapor state (this is why you "choke" a cold engine) With a 2 stroke once it is lite the mixture is drawn into crankcase and mixed and compressed heating it some aiding vaporization. It is then discharged into cylinder and recompressed and mixed again and burned. (all this turbulence in mixture from this aids vaporization and mixing of fuel and air) As engine warms up it preheats incoming mixture in crankcase even more and the result is fuel is well vaporized and mixed. It usually just takes but a minute or two to warm engine enough to require no choke anymore. This is not the case with a carbed 4 stroke in cold weather and mixture needs to be kept richer longer and sometimes never fully gets of choke in extreme cold. As far as the melt down he mentions, the only time I have ever seen it is in a hot engine on a warm day that is either too lean or has too hot of plug or from detonation. (two strokes are really best run on 89 octane or better)  

The cummins diesels, and i'm sure the other are 4 strokes. For example when you run the overhead on the cummins you have to rotate the motor two full turns to set intake and exhaust valves. A two stroke doesn't use valves like a four stroke, and i pretty sure there are no two strokes that use a cam shaft. If you tried to turn a four stroke into a two stroke (if ever possible) your intake valves would open on stroke 1 and your exhaust would open on stroke 2 completely skipping the compression stroke and the power stroke. Just remember suck(intake), push(compression),bang(power), blow(exhaust), it might clear up the confusion. I'm not a mechanic, but im a welder/fabricator at a diesel shop so i see almost every kind of engine torn down.  

"Detroit" 2 stroke diesels have a camshaft and valves and I had read about a few concept 2 strokes with at least one valve and SkiDoo snomobiles have long been know for rotary valves geared to crankshaft in place of reed valves on some engines.