Scribd
Upload
20K views

Modifying Alum V8's

Uploaded by

Clint Cooper
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
20K views

Modifying Alum V8's

Uploaded by

Clint Cooper
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8
Anz. s ai 4 MODIFYING agave S The 215-inch Olds F-85 and Buick Special éngines need just a little help to make them real competitors in the small engine classes. ‘Here's how to get better than-one, horsepower perpinch by charging a few parts: Mor mop MAGAZINE — | 1 orton wise of So0k the Oles cmd Buick appear the sume veth cast nodular tron cramlshaft and steel main cups, Cat gast directly imo the bloak, otharwise mo inaerts are weed. ap bnts the alumi Tip views of the Books i a oles atthe top of eack cinder hore are two mam oil gallons, sack insraecting i row of lifer be while supplying bearings by Ray Block (re-edited by Oliver Pruaticeh) he second year of the "Compact A ge” is in full swing now and at Kast two of the engines in the latest crop, show qualities which should make them extremely popu= lar among those with an outlook for performance, The te engines referted to are the new aluminum V8's used in the F.85 Oldanobile and the Buick Special. Pontiac Tempest also offers an optional V8 but it ix purchased from Buick anu is identical in all ways to the Special engine. So, every> thing that applies to the Special engine in our story is Ait for the Termpest VB ‘Gur first look atthe al num V8"s came shen the small ntodhaced Kt fall but or ticted to whut we could see by lifting ‘Our second look came last December. ‘when we saw a pair of the engines being unerated at the Edelbrock Equipment Company in Los Anges whare th were planning to make a series of dynamometer tests, We \Wete ited o participate in these tests to develop speed equipment for the engines. In so doing, we were able to teally get a thorough pictue of the litle engines as we withemsed and even helped tear the engines down, sap parts around, pu then back together and then chock reomilts ofthe experiments on the dyno ‘Olds Fe85 and Buick Spesial V8's are quite similar, Bath use 1 3.50-ineh bote and .8-ineh stroke for 215 cubic inches Both are raed at 155 horsepower for their standard engines although the Olds rating i at 4800 rpm while Buik’s pea power rafing is at 4600 rpm. Ih the advertised torque des partment, the Olds is rated at 210 poundséfeet at 3200 rpm ‘while the Buick is tated 220 Thiet at 2400 rpm. A 10 pound difference in torque ix easy to understand but the big ditteronce in maximum torque rpm doesn't make sense especially when engines ave s0 neatly identical. A power and torque curve We found in an Olas marwual leads us to believe that the Clds rating at 3200 is conrect while the Buick maximum torque speed of 2400 rpm is probably. a typographical error. Tests made on Edelbrock's dyno showed Buick maximum torque to be between 3100 and 3200 pan ‘Comparing the two engines pat for part, we found almost everything below the cylinder heads interchangeable Cylinder blocks are alumina with ridged iron liners cast into the, Mock, Everything ebe about the Blocks iv akan ian ‘with no insets for cap stews, ete. Past numbers ae lt ferent forthe Buick and Os blocks but except for a minor difecence in the exterior surfice around the teat of the bhlocks, they appoaced identical, A interior ms were the same. Olds blocks use a sischole pattern around each bore for cylinder head eap serews while Bucks wwe only five but the Buick block had the esta tapped holes required by the Olds even though they weren't used, Stoel ng caps were fittest the "-type Dlock wh has the bottom rite well below the centerline of thetank- shaft foe added main beating support Crarkishatts for the Olds and Buick engines shace the saune GM part mikes so ass obviously identioal, They are cast of Pealitie malleable ion with 2.3-inch main Beating joumals (les cleauatces) and 2-inch vod journals, Main, treazing inserts are stel-backed Moraine with a babbit overlay; number thee main is fitted with trust suxtac Suggested main clearance is 015.,0021 with crankshaft end play 004.008 inch, Connecting tods for the two engines shate the same GM part stumber so ane identical, Automobile Manufacturers ‘Association specifications indicated a diferenoe of one-third ounce (17.89 02 for Olis versus 17.55 o2 fr Buick) in rod ‘weielt but when the two engines were balanced by Bul- torock daring the tet program, they checked out within 1 ounce between engines. Red bearings are also Motaine 100-A teel-backed babbitt with recommended clearances of 000 £9022 ingh and 006-014 inkl splay fortwo tod il you ge up tothe piston department of the engines that you see a visible difference between the small V8's, Olds uses a flat-op piston while Buick’s piston ia dishect-top variety, Piston weights vary somewt too with the Olds piston almost 3/4.ounce heavier ten the Buick Paton prs for the two engines are another common iteen au they have the same GM part number and axe a peers fit into unbushed upper tod ends Cylinder Heads for the engines are complet ‘both Olds and Buick used a variation of their larger V8 chambers. The lithe Olds head has a definite wedge chamber ‘while the Bick head uses ant oblong hemispherical chame bet. Old intake and exhaust valves ate side-by-side actors (Continued on following page) Cylinder haads forthe Olds and Buick engines shere the 2ame zpacing for Intake ports, eles the for enews, 30 ter intake and eckzuat manifolds are interchangable Olds head irom) is flaed wich 1sper.wound valve springs, Buick uses straight wound but prasuree for Both are close MODIFYING GM's ALUMINUM V8 the center of the eylinder bore while the Buick walves, also sidesbysside, are crowded over mote toward the upper side of the bores, Buick’ spark plug location ix almost in the center of the eylinder while Olds ix in the top of the wedge, nearer the bottom edge of the eylinder bore, The larger capacity of the Olds chamber teams with the fattop piston to give a compression ratio of &.7S:1 while the small Buick chamber and extra volume of the dished-top piston add up to give a 8.8: ratio, Both evlinder hes use the same pattern and spac {or intake and exhaust port openings. Intake ports are close in devign for the two engines bot the Buick: exhaust is typically Buick in design with a small, restricted poet troneath the valve, flaring out as it reaches the manifoll Os" exhnust port appears few restricted, Exhaust mani folds forthe two engines are almost the same in appearance bat have slighily different flange designs where they enter the extsaust pipes so use different part numbers, Eysept forthe Mange difference, they are interchangeable Valve tains for the two engines stant out the sume nt the camshaft but change as they teach the head region. Both engines tse the samme camshaft and hydeauli lifes Although tim ing figates on the AMA specification sheets released by Buick and Olds do not jibe, part mambers were the same on, the camsfufts in the two test chines as well «in the parts books, Evidenily, one mantfactaer listed total timing including clearance ram ps while the other listed effective timing atthe valve. Using thir hear, we will choose the lesiet timing figures as effective and they are: Intake opens.22" BTC, closes 580 ABC for 2600 dueation; exhaust opens 6010 BBC, closes 200 ATC for 2600 and 42 overlap, Total lift for both intake and exhaust valves is 384-inch Puutrods, although of the same solid forged design with upset radinsed ends, are slightly different in length, This is doe to valve fength and rocker arm design, Okis uses steel rocker arms with a ratio of 1.640 1 anda slight offset between pashrod and valve ends, The, aluminum stands which support the rocker shaft are held in plrce by four Cranks wall supported n dewp block Drive pear for the

You might also like