NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Buick V8 engine

Like its sister General Motors divisions, Buick produced its own family of V8 engines to replace its straight-8 engines. These engines came in many of the same displacements as those from other divisions, but were entirely different. General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, and China by General Motors Corporation. ... Like most American automobile makers, Buick adopted the straight-8 engine configuration in the 1930s as a more-powerful alternative to the then-ubiquitous straight-4. ...

Buick "Nailhead V8"

Buick first generation of V8 lasted from 1953 through 1956. It was an OHV/pushrod engine like the then new Oldsmobile "Rocket V8" engine. This engine became known as the "Nailhead" for its unusual vertical position of its small sized valves -that looked like nails... The Nailhead V8 family employed a camshaft with higher lift and longer duration to offset the smaller sized valves and arguably restrictive intake and exhaust port areas. Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In automotive engineering, an overhead valve internal combustion engine is one in which the entry and exit valves and ports are contained in the cylinder head. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cam-in-block. ... The 1967 Toronados 425 V8, the first front-wheel drive V8 application. ...

264

The 264 in³ (4.3 L) 264 was a direct replacement for the 263 straight-8 in Buick's large cars. It was produced in 1954 and 1955. Like most American automobile makers, Buick adopted the straight-8 engine configuration in the 1930s as a more-powerful alternative to the then-ubiquitous straight-4. ...

322

The larger 322 in³ (5.3 L) 322 was used by Buick from 1953 through 1956, primarily in 'senior' series cars.

Nailhead V8

Buick's second variation of this V8 was also named Nailhead. It was produced from 1957 through 1966. Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

264

Apparently the smallest displacement Nailhead, the 264, was dropped when Buick introduced its new small displacement V8. Buick, like most of its competitors, continued to expand their durable V8 engine to larger displacements such as the 364 in³ (4.125in bore)x(3.40in stroke)=(6.0 L) 364.

400

The next member of the family was the 401 in³ (6.6 L) 400. This was actually a 401 that had been redesignated a "400" in order to meet GM directives for maximum displacement engines in mid-size cars.

Another Buick "400" engine was a member of the 400/430/455 family and was produced from 1967 to 1969.

401

The 401 in³ (6.6 L) 401 was Buick's muscle car powerplant of choice, and was found in the company's Skylark Gran Sport and Buick Wildcat, among others. As unlikely as it seems, the air cleaner for the engine is annotated with "Wildcat 375" "Wildcat 410" "Wildcat 445" these inscriptions indicated not the in³ but the ft·lbf. of torque produced by the engine. The "Wildcat 410" was the 2-barrel carburated engine that was standard on the 1962-63 LeSabre. The "Wildcat 375" was a no cost option on the 62-63 LeSabre that had lower compression to run on regular fuel (another Buick V8 had "Wildcat 375" written on its air cleaner but it wasn't a "Nailhead", it was the 4 barrel version of the 66-67 small block Buick 340). The "Wildcat 445" had a single 4 barrel carb. It was the standard engine on the Invicta, 1959-66 Electra, 1962-66 Buick Wildcat, 1963 Riviera and 1965 Riviera (the 64 and 66 Riviera models had a 425 in³ engine with a single 4 barrel carb. named "Wildcat 465" as standard equipment). The Pontiac GTO is a classic example of the muscle car. ... Image:1971GranSport. ... The Buick Wildcat was an full-size automobile produced by the Buick Division of General Motors from 1962 to 1970. ... The Buick LeSabre was a full-size car made by the Buick division of General Motors from 1959-2005. ... The Buick Invicta was a full-sized automobile produced by General Motorsâ€™ Buick Motors Division from 1959 to 1964. ... The Buick Electra and the Buick Electra 225 were full-size premium automobiles built by the Buick division of General Motors. ... The Buick Wildcat was an full-size automobile produced by the Buick Division of General Motors from 1962 to 1970. ... The Buick Riviera was an automobile produced by Buick in the United States from the 1963 to 1999 model years. ...

In an effort to overcome the "restrictive" exhaust port design, Buick enthusiast drag racers in the sixties adapted superchargers with a custom camshaft to feed intake air in through the exhaust ports and used the larger intake ports for exhaust outlets. Perhaps this feat of ingenuity, and the unusual appearance of the engine modified in this manner, also intimidated rival racers and added to the Nailhead V8 legend that lives upon this page of US auto history.

425

425 in³ (7.0 L) 425 This was the largest version of the "nailhead". It began as an option in 1963 on the Riviera and it was later available on the Wildcat and Electra models too. The 1964 and 1966 Riviera had the 425 engine as standard equipment. 4 barrel carburetion was standard on all 425 "Nailheads" that were called "Wildcat 465" and it was possible to order 2 4 barrel carbs on it too. This version was called "Super Wildcat" and it was standard on the 1965 Riviera Gran Sport.

Buick "Small-Block"

In 1961 Buick unveiled an entirely new small V8 engine with aluminum cylinder heads and cylinder block. Lightweight and powerful, the aluminum V8 also spawned a turbocharged version, (only in the 1962-63 Oldsmobile Cutlass version), the first ever offered in a passenger car. It became the basis of a highly successful cast iron V6 engine, the Fireball. The all-aluminum engine was dropped after the 1963 model year, but was replaced with a very similar cast-iron engine. 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... The cylinder head from a GMC van. ... The cylinder block of a Ford I4 DOHC engine The cylinder block or engine block is a machined casting (or sometimes an assembly of modules) containing cylindrically bored holes for the pistons of a multi-cylinder reciprocating internal combustion engine, or for a similarly constructed device such as a pump. ... Air foil bearing-supported turbocharger cutaway made by Mohawk Innovative Technology Inc. ... Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron-based alloys containing more than 2% carbon (alloys with less carbon are carbon steel by definition). ... The Ford Essex V6 engine V6 and V-6 redirect here. ... The Buick V6 engine family, sometimes called the Fireball, is a large V6 engine used by General Motors. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

215

See also Rover V8 engine

GM experimented with aluminum engines starting in the early 1950s, and work on a production unit commenced in 1956. Originally intended for 180 in³ (2.9 L) displacement, Buick was designated by GM as the engine design leader, and decided to begin with a larger, 215 in³ (3.5 L) size, which was deemed ideal for the new "senior compact cars" introduced for the 1961 model year. This group of cars was commonly called the BOP group or A-bodies. Rover V8 in a Sunbeam Tiger The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminum cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of GM platforms. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ...

The 215 had a 4.24 in (107.7 mm) bore spacing, a bore of 3.5 in (88.9 mm), and a stroke of 2.8 in (71.1 mm), for an actual displacement of 3533 cc. The engine was the lightest mass-production V8 in the world, with a dry weight of only 318 lb (144 kg). It was standard equipment in the 1961 Buick Special. 1940 Buick CoupÃ© Straight 8 Special 4. ...

Oldsmobile and Pontiac also used the all-aluminum 215 on its mid-sized cars, the Oldsmobile F-85 and Pontiac Tempest. However the Oldsmobile version of this engine, although sharing the same basic architecture, had cylinder heads designed by Oldsmobile engineers, and was produced on a separate assembly line. Among the differences between the Oldsmobile and Buick versions, it was somewhat heavier, at 350 lb (159 kg). The design differences were in the cylinder heads: Buick used a 5-bolt pattern around each cylinder where Oldsmobile went to a 6-bolt pattern. The 6th bolt was added to the intake manifold side of the head, one extra bolt for each cylinder. This was supposed to alleviate the head-warping problems that came about on the higher compression ratio versions. Later Rover versions of the aluminum block and subsequent Buick iron small blocks (300, 340 and 350) went to a 4 bolt per cylinder pattern. The Oldsmobile Cutlass is a type of automobile made by General Motors. ... The Pontiac Tempest was an entry-level compact automobile produced by the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors, introduced in September 1960 for the 1961 model year. ...

At introduction, Buick's 215 was rated 150 hp (112 kW) at 4400 rpm. This was raised soon after introduction to 155 hp (116 kW) at 4600 rpm. 220 ft·lbf (298 N·m) of torque was produced at 2400 rpm with a Rochester 2GC two-barrel carburetor and 8.8:1 compression ratio. A mid-year introduction was the Buick Special Skylark version, which had 10.25:1 compression and a four-barrel carburetor, raising output to 185 hp (138 kW) at 4800 rpm and 230 ft·lbf (312 N·m) at 2800 rpm. Torque applied via an adjustable end wrench Relationship between force, torque, and momentum vectors in a rotating system In physics, torque (or often called a moment) can informally be thought of as rotational force or angular force which causes a change in rotational motion. ... Bendix-Technico (Stromberg) 1-barrel downdraft carburetor model BXUV-3, with nomenclature The carburetor, carburettor, or carburetter (see spelling differences), also called carb (in North America) or carbie (chiefly in Australia) for short, is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. ... Bold text The compression ratio is a single number that can be used to predict the performance of any engine (such as an internal-combustion engine or a Stirling Engine). ...

For 1962, the four-barrel engine increased compression ratio to 11.0:1, raising it to 190 hp (142 kW) at 4800 rpm and 235 ft·lbf (319 N·m) at 3000 rpm. The two-barrel engine was unchanged. For 1963 the four-barrel was bumped to an even 200 hp (149 kW) at 5000 rpm and 240 ft·lbf (325 N·m) at 3200 rpm, a respectable 0.93 hp/in³ (56.6 hp/liter). Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Unfortunately, the great expense of the aluminum engine led to its cancellation after the 1963 model year. The engine had an abnormally high scrap ratio due to hidden block-casting porosity problems, which caused serious oil leaks. Another problem was clogged radiators from antifreeze mixtures incompatible with aluminum. It was said that one of the major problems was because they had to make extensive use of air gaging to check for casting leaks during the manufacturing process, and not being able to detect leaks on blocks that were as much as 95% complete. This raised the cost of complete engines to more than that of a comparable all cast-iron engine. Casting sealing technology was not advanced enough at that time to prevent the high scrap rates. Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Buick 215's very high power to weight ratio made it immediately interesting for automotive and marine racing. Mickey Thompson entered a stock-block Buick 215-powered car in the 1962 Indianapolis_500. From 1946 to 1962 there hadn't been a single stock-block car in this famous race. In 1962 the Buick 215 was the only non-Offenhauser powered entry in the field of 33 cars. Rookie driver Dan_Gurney qualified eighth and raced well for 92 laps before retiring with transmission problems. Mickey Thompson, born December 7, 1928 - died March 16, 1988, was an American racing legend. ... â€œIndy 500â€ redirects here. ... Offenhauser was a Formula One engine manufacturer from 1950 through 1960 for the Indianapolis 500. ... Daniel Sexton Gurney (born April 13, 1931) is one of the most important figures in the history of American auto racing. ...

Surplus engine blocks of the Oldsmobile (6 bolt per cylinder) version of this engine formed the basis of the Formula One Repco V8 used by Brabham to win the 1966 and 1967 Formula One championship. No other American stock-block engine has won a Formula One championship. Formula One - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Repco was a Formula One engine manufacturer from 1966 through 1969. ... Brabham - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Buick 215s have been engine swapped into countless sports cars including especially Chevrolet Vegas and MG sports cars. The engine remains well supported by enthusiast clubs, specialist parts suppliers, and by shops that specialize in these conversions. An engine swap is the process of removing a cars engine and replacing it with another; this is done either because of failure, or to install a different engine - more powerful, maybe more up to date and maintainable. ... The then-innovative Chevrolet Vega was a subcompact car sold from 1971 through 1977. ... The MGB was Britains best-selling sports car. ...

The Buick 215 was used in a small sports car known as the Apollo from 1962 to 1963, and also in the Asardo 3500 GM-S show car. The Apollo was a well-engineered United States sports car/personal automobile manufactured from 1962 to 1964. ...

Although dropped by GM in 1963, in January 1965 the tooling for the aluminum engine was sold to Britain's Rover Group to become the Rover V8 engine, which would remain in use for more than 35 years. GM tried to buy it back later on, but Rover declined, instead offering to sell engines back to GM. GM refused this offer. Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Rover Group plc was the name that was given by the British government, in 1986, to the state-owned vehicle manufacturer British Leyland or BL. After divesting of its commercial vehicle and bus manufacturing divisions the company by then consisting of the car manufacturing arm Austin Rover Group and the... Rover V8 in a Sunbeam Tiger The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminum cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom. ...

300

In 1964 Buick replaced the 215 with an iron-block engine of very similar architecture. The new engine had a bore of 3.75 in (95.5 mm) and a stroke of 3.40 in (86.4 mm) for a displacement of 300.4 cu. in. (4.9 L). It retained the aluminum cylinder heads, intake manifold, and accessories of the 215 for a dry weight of 405 lb (184 kg). The 300 was offered in two-barrel form, with 9.0:1 compression, making 210 hp @ 4600 rpm and 310 ft·lbf @ 2400 rpm, and four-barrel form, with 11.0:1 compression, making 250 hp @ 4800 rpm and 335 ft·lbf @ 3000 rpm. 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

For 1965 the 300 switched to a cast-iron heads, raising dry weight to 467 lb (212 kg), still quite light for a V8 engine of its era. The four-barrel option was cancelled for 1966, and the 300 was replaced entirely by the 350 in 1968. 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ...

The Apollo sports car, also known as the Vetta Ventura, used this engine. The Apollo was a well-engineered United States sports car/personal automobile manufactured from 1962 to 1964. ...

340

The 340 in³ (5.6 L) 340 was a stroked (to 3.85 in/97.8 mm) version of the 300. It had a two-barrel or four-barrel carburetor, the two barrel with 220 hp, and the four barrel with 11.0:1 compression, rated at 260 hp @ 4200 rpm and 365 ft·lbf @ 2800 rpm. It replaced the four-barrel 300 for 1966. It was produced only in 1966 and 1967, with the new Buick 350 taking its place after that. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

350

Buick adopted the popular 350 in³ (5.7 L) size with their final family of V8s. Although sharing the displacement of the Chevrolet Small-Block engine family, the Buicks were substantially different. // Chevrolets small-block V8 is a famous automobile engine. ...

The Buick 350 V8 had a 3.80 in bore (like the 231) and retained the 3.85 in stroke of the 340. It was introduced in 1968 and produced through 1980. The Buick V6 engine family, sometimes called the Fireball, is a large V6 engine used by General Motors. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

The major differences of the Buick 350 when compared to other GM V8's are deep skirt block construction, higher nickel-content cast iron, external oil pump, under square bore sizing, 3.0" crank main journals, and 6.5" connecting rods. It is an extremely rugged and durable engine, and some of the design characteristics of the Buick 350 are found in modern GM engines such as the 231 V6, and Series I, II, and III 3800 V6's.

Of all the GM 350-inch engines, the Buick 350 has the longest stroke, which lends to making significantly more torque than any of the others. It also made the Buick 350 significantly wider - essentially the same width as the Buick big-blocks, which have the shortest stroke of the GM big-blocks. In fact, at a glance the Buick 350 is commonly mistaken for the 455 engine due to the oversized intake manifold atop the engine. The Buick 350 also shares an integrated aluminum timing cover as do most of the Buick small & big blocks which incorporates the oil pump mechanisms as well, leaving the oil filter exposed to oncoming air for added cooling.

The Buick 350 was used in the Jeep Gladiator and Wagoneer from 1968 to 1971. A Jeep Gladiator equipped with a camper shell. ... Jeep Wagoneer (XJ model) The Jeep Wagoneer was the first mainstream SUV, produced under varying marques from 1963 to 1991. ...

Buick "Big-Block"

The company introduced a larger engine family to replace the "Nailhead" in 1967 and was produced through 1976. 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the 1976 Gregorian calendar. ...

400

The 399.95 in³ (6.6 L) 400 was produced from 1967 to 1969. This engine had a bore of 4.04 in (102.6 mm) and a stroke of 3.90 in (99.1 mm). It was the only large V8 engine available for the A-body Buicks due to the GM cubic inch limit restriction prior to 1970. Most parts except the pistons interchange with the 430 and 455. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of GM platforms. ...

430

The 429.69 in³ (7.0 L) 430 was produced from 1967 to 1969. This engine had a bore of 4.1875 in (106.4 mm) and a stroke of 3.90 in (99.1 mm). This engine was used in B-, C- and E-body (large body) Buicks. Most parts except the pistons interchange with the 400 and 455. The B platform, or B-body, was General Motors full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform. ... The General Motors C platform (commonly called C-Body) was a fullsize car automobile platform produced until 1996. ... The General Motors E platform (commonly called the E-body) was a personal luxury car automobile platform produced from 1966 to 2002. ...

455

Buick 455 V8

The 455.72 in³ (7.5 L) 455 Buick V8 used a 4.312 in bore and 3.90 in stroke. It was produced from 1970 to 1976 and was based on the 400/430 V8. The regular Buick 455 was conservatively rated at 350 hp (261 kW) while the 455 Stage 1 was underrated at 360 hp (269 kW). The regular 455 could produce 410 to 420 hp (306 to 313 kW) while the Stage 1 produced 415 to 425 hp (310 to 317 kW). The regular 455 produced a rated 510 ft·lbf of torque, more than any other muscle car engine. The hp was somewhat reduced in 1971, mainly due to the reduction in cylinder compression ratio in order to cope with the introduction new federal laws requiring new cars to use unleaded gasoline in an effort to reduce exhaust emissions, then, on paper, considerably reduced to approximately 250 hp starting in 1972, due to the new measurement of horsepower as SAE Net horsepower rather than a gross horsepower rating. Tightening emissions controls caused the engine to drop in power, a little at a time, through 1976. Most parts except the pistons interchange with the 400 and 430. The 455 was one of the first "thin-wall casting" engine blocks, and weighs significantly less than other engines of comparable size (for example, 150 lb less than a Chevrolet 454). Image File history File linksMetadata Buick_455_V8. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Buick_455_V8. ... The Pontiac GTO is a classic example of the muscle car. ... Gasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting mostly of hydrocarbons and enhanced with benzene or iso-octane to increase octane ratings, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... The Society of Automotive Engineers is a professional organisation and standards body for the engineering of powered vehicles of all kinds - cars, trucks, boats, aircraft and more. ... Big block is the term used to describe the large displacement V8 engines that were developed in the USA during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

Non-Buick V8s powering Buick Vehicles

In the mid-1970s, GM was using powerplants sourced from various GM divisions where the Buick V8 was considered a factory option with the Buick 350 as the sole survivor, or in the worst case, for Buick vehicles where the 400/430/455 big blocks were phased out because of fuel economy/emission requirements.

260

The 260 in³ (4.3 L) 260 was actually an Oldsmobile V8 engine. The 1967 Toronados 425 V8, the first front-wheel drive V8 application. ... The 1967 Toronados 425 V8, the first front-wheel drive V8 application. ...

301

The 301 in³ (4.9 L) 301 was actually a Pontiac V8 engine. Pontiac V8 engine with Tripower carb setup From 1954 to 1981 the Pontiac Division of General Motors manufactured its own, unique V8 engines. ... Pontiac V8 engine with Tripower carb setup From 1954 to 1981 the Pontiac Division of General Motors manufactured its own, unique V8 engines. ...

305

The 305 in³ (5.0 L) was actually a Chevrolet V8 engine. // Chevrolets small-block V8 is a famous automobile engine. ... // Chevrolets small-block V8 is a famous automobile engine. ...

307

The 307 in3 (5.0L) was actually an Oldsmobile V8 engine. The 1967 Toronados 425 V8, the first front-wheel drive V8 application. ... The 1967 Toronados 425 V8, the first front-wheel drive V8 application. ...

403

The 403 in³ engine used in Buicks was actually an Oldsmobile V8 engine. The 1967 Toronados 425 V8, the first front-wheel drive V8 application. ... The 1967 Toronados 425 V8, the first front-wheel drive V8 application. ...

References

Peter C Sessler (1999). Ultimate American V8 Engine Data Book. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7603-0489-0.

Contents

Buick "Nailhead V8" GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

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