• The 258 engine was used in Jeeps and other AMC vehicles.small jeep on grate mountains background image by Roman Barelko from Fotolia.com
  
  The 258 engine was introduced by AMC in 1971 and was initially used in Jeep pickups, Wagoneers and CJs, as well as a number of AMC cars. The 258 was reliable and affordable, and it became a popular engine across the manufacturer's product lines. The engine was used in a variety of AMC vehicles through 1990. The 258 used in the 1973 model year is close in specifications to the original engine.
  
  

Configuration

• The 258 is an inline 6-cylinder engine with a bore of 3.75 inches, a stroke of 3.9 inches and a compression ratio of 8.0 to one. It featured overhead valves and a single-barrel carbeurator
  
  

Displacement

• As its name suggests, the 258 displaces 258 cubic inches, the equivalent of 4.2 liters. The 258 was a modification of the 232 engine, which was introduced in 1964. Beginning in the 1971 model year, the manufacturer raised the deck height of the 232, and the resulting larger engine became the 258. A larger six-cylinder engine, with a displacement of 282 cubic inches, was also introduced in 1971 but was used only in vehicles produced for the Mexican market.
  
  

Horsepower and Torque

• The 258 used in 1973 model year vehicles produced 110 horsepower at 3,500 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 195 pounds of torque at 2,000 rpm. This solid performance contributed to the engine's popularity through the years.
  
  

Other Details

• The 258 was constructed with a cast-iron block and cylinder head, hydraulic lifters, loop-flow combustion chambers and seven main bearings.