Early chevy V8 motor

I heard Chevrolet made a early V8 motor, but never saw one. Looking on the internet, I finally saw one. Chevrolet was the first to make a overhead V8 engine, around 1917-18 Wonder why they stopped producing it? Stan

Stan not a lot of knowledge on my end but a racing buddy knows about it!!! I think the car it was in crashed some article "miller surf special" Probably the cost of production and getting the kinks out of it (oiling and wear) was the reason.

(quoted from post at 17:08:18 04/06/15) I heard Chevrolet made a early V8 motor, but never saw one. Looking on the internet, I finally saw one. Chevrolet was the first to make a overhead V8 engine, around 1917-18 Wonder why they stopped producing it? Stan

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eighed more, cost more and made less horsepower than Chevy's four cylinder of the day. Made the car uncompetitive price wise with other brands.

Yes, I have heard the same thing.

Found a Youtube video where someone found a rare survivor, restored it and was driving it. The reason they only made them 2 years or so was oil leaks and mechanical failures. The block was cast in 2 halves, machined and bolted together. It was about another 15 years before the technology to cast a one piece V design block. Thinking Ford figured it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5unH0BaCe0

Other Chevy trivia... Word was that in 1954 the 265 had been developed and tested, ready for production. The factory put a few into '54 Bell Air's, drove them around stopping at gas stations, asking to have the oil checked! What a surprise for those in the know!

(quoted from post at 17:08:18 04/06/15) I heard Chevrolet made a early V8 motor, but never saw one. Looking on the internet, I finally saw one. Chevrolet was the first to make a overhead V8 engine, around 1917-18 Wonder why they stopped producing it? Stan

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Generation IV small-block and its Generation V small-block derivative.
Oldsmobile Rocket V8 engine
GM LS V8 engine

1914-1935 Cadillac Type 51 V8 (also used in LaSalle models)
1915-1917 Oakland Model 50 V8
1915-1923 Oldsmobile Model 40 V8
1917-1918 Chevrolet Series D V8 (acquired as part of Chevrolet's and merger into GM)
1929-1931 Viking V8
1930-1932 Oakland V8 (used in Pontiac models during the final year)
1930-1936 Buick straight-8
1932-1948 Oldsmobile straight-8
Pontiac Silver Streak eight engine
1932-1954 Pontiac Silver Streak straight-8
1934-1936 LaSalle straight-8
1935-1948 Cadillac Series 60 V8 (also used in LaSalle models)
1936-1953 Buick Fireball straight-8
1948-1967 Cadillac OHV V8
1948-1990 Oldsmobile Rocket V8
1952-1980 Buick Fireball V8

a liquid-cooled, 288 cu in (4.7 L) capacity, designed and built by Chevrolet in 1917 and subsequently by General Motors Company's new Chevrolet Division (acquired as part of Chevrolet's 1917 takeover of, and merger into, GM) in 1917 and 1918.

It is capable of producing 36 hp (27 kW; 36 PS) @ 2700 rpm.[2] This was Chevrolet's first V8 and the first overhead-valve V8.[citation needed] Chevrolet wouldn't make another V8 until the debut of the small-block in 1955. This design had an exposed valvetrain (you could see the pushrods and lifters from the top) with nickel-plated rocker cover, an aluminum water-cooled intake manifold; the starter is in the valley, as is the gear driven generator with the fan clutch coming off of it. The gear driven generator runs the distributor as well. The belt in the front only drove the water pump. It had a 50 lb (23 kg) flywheel and a counterbalanced crankshaft.

The 1917 Chevrolet Series D V8 Touring, with a 120 in (3.05 m) wheelbase, did not sell well.[3][dead link]

In 2011, the 1917 Series D was listed 11th in the Worst Cars of All Time.[4]

References

Models

All 490s were only offered with the Overhead Valve 171-cubic-inch (2.8 L) four cylinder, producing 26 hp (19 kW). This would be Chevrolet's main engine until the "Stovebolt" straight six replaced it for 1929.

I was on the Volunteer Fire Dept (Concord Twp, Ohio) and I know Chevy was supposed to be the first with the OHV V-8, BUT...

We had a 1952 FORD Pumper that had an OHV V-8 and always bettered to 500 GPM rating of the Main Pump..

Looked like a 292/312 but may have had more Cu. In.

Always hated that 5 speed NON-Synchro Trans with the strange shift pattern..!!

Did FORD Trucks get OHV engines early..??

Ron..

(quoted from post at 17:38:04 04/06/15) Yes, I have heard the same thing.

Found a Youtube video where someone found a rare survivor, restored it and was driving it. The reason they only made them 2 years or so was oil leaks and mechanical failures. The block was cast in 2 halves, machined and bolted together. It was about another 15 years before the technology to cast a one piece V design block. Thinking Ford figured it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5unH0BaCe0

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aybe, but since that was WW I years, I expect that cost was the big factor. Many car companies didn't make it thru the war.

Maybe a GAA?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_GAA_engine

Saw one when I was 16. Open valve train and a cone clutch. 1917 Chevy touring car.
A fellow I knew in Lavonia GA had it.
Richard in NW SC

(quoted from post at 18:18:45 04/06/15)
I was on the Volunteer Fire Dept (Concord Twp, Ohio) and I know Chevy was supposed to be the first with the OHV V-8, BUT...

We had a 1952 FORD Pumper that had an OHV V-8 and always bettered to 500 GPM rating of the Main Pump..

Looked like a 292/312 but may have had more Cu. In.

Always hated that 5 speed NON-Synchro Trans with the strange shift pattern..!!

Did FORD Trucks get OHV engines early..??

Ron..

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ord trucks used flathead motors at least thru 1953

I have a book called "Sixty Years of Chevrolet" by George H. Dammann. (An excellent book, BTW)
The book talks about the V8 engine that Chevy produced in late 1917 and a few in 1918. It was 288 cubic inches. The book claims that you could order it in 1919, Chevy didn't sell any in that year. The engine was so bad that Chevy did a recall on all of them, although a couple of them survived and are museum pieces.

I believe there is one at the Pioneer Auto Museum in Murdo, SD.

(quoted from post at 00:39:27 04/07/15) I believe there is one at the Pioneer Auto Museum in Murdo, SD.

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es, There is one in Murdo.

!952 F8s had a overhead valve V8 based on the Lincoln engine.

You are correct. 52 Ford "Big Job" trucks used the ohv 279-317 Lincoln engine.
48-51 used the 337 cu in flathead Lincoln engine. Ford used the Lincoln engine thru 55 at least.
Flathead V8 were used in pickups and Ford cars thru 53.

I had seen one decades ago somewhere but don't recall where, so I simply googled for pictures of one, and here are several. This most certainly is one. I will never forget the early bellhousing that really was more of a tripod than a bellhousing.

Mark
Several photos 1917 Chevy V8

Here's a youtube of Corky Coker dragging one out of an old dealership.
Corky Corker

Interesting how Chevy had the "Blue Flame Six" ,which was an L engine, with OHVs while Ford had the flat head V8 in the 50s. Course Henry had a problem in realizing technology advancements.....read "Wheels for the World" and you can get a heads up on that. If he had his way we'd all still be driving his Model T, or was it his A? The flathead did have problems with heat with the valves adjacent to the cylinders and cracks between the exhaust valve and cylinder put many away......mom's for one.........course being a teen at the time I obviously helped that process.

Growing up we had the flathead in mom's car but dad got the OHV V8 in his 56 station wagon. I always like the way a V8 sounded but some guys split the exhaust manifold on the sixes and with glass packs and "4 on the tree" they sounded pretty good, especially winding out in second gear.......course the little Chevy 265 V8 with that setup was unbeatable.........girls thought it was neat too!

Mark

(quoted from post at 08:36:55 04/07/15) Interesting how Chevy had the "Blue Flame Six" ,which was an L engine, with OHVs while Ford had the flat head V8 in the 50s. Course Henry had a problem in realizing technology advancements.....read "Wheels for the World" and you can get a heads up on that. If he had his way we'd all still be driving his Model T, or was it his A? The flathead did have problems with heat with the valves adjacent to the cylinders and cracks between the exhaust valve and cylinder put many away......mom's for one.........course being a teen at the time I obviously helped that process.

Growing up we had the flathead in mom's car but dad got the OHV V8 in his 56 station wagon. I always like the way a V8 sounded but some guys split the exhaust manifold on the sixes and with glass packs and "4 on the tree" they sounded pretty good, especially winding out in second gear.......course the little Chevy 265 V8 with that setup was unbeatable.........girls thought it was neat too!

Mark

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inda made me think, in terms of Ford first/Chevy first sort of thing. This year Ford's hottest Mustang variant has a 'flat' crankshaft, which means each bank of the V8 fires as though it were a 4 cylinder, very unlike virtually all 90 degree V8s of the world (excepting a few specially built racing engines & a few Ferraris). Supposed to be lighter/faster reving and be more ideal for dual turbochargers since the exhaust pulses per bank are evenly spaced, whereas the conventional V8 pulses per bank are uneven. The interesting part: Looking at the 1917 links that someone posted above, that old Chevy V8 appears to be a "flat" crank design, since the per bank firing is evenly spaced at 180 intervals. 2015-1917 = 98 years before the new flat crank Mustang! Actually not exactly a technology leap, but more likely some thinking along the lines of building a V8 by putting two four's together. Interesting to think about anyway.