Sorry, but the Buick 320-cid straight eight never quite made it 180-bhp.
The horsepower listings for the 320, by year
1936 - 120 @ 3200
1937 - 130 @ 3400
1938 - 141 @ 3600
1939 - 141 @ 3600
1940 - 141 @ 3600
1941 - 165 @ 3800
1942 - 165 @ 3800
1946 - 144 @ 3600
1947 - 144 @ 3600
1948 - 144 @ 3600
1949 - 150 @ 3600
1950 - 152 @ 3600
1951 - 152 @ 3600
1952 - 170 @ 3800
And that was the end of the 320-cid straight eight.
The dome on the piston was off-set to the side opposite the spark plug.
This created a wedge-shaped cumbustion chamber as without it the
cumbustion
chamber was a small cylinder. Unlike later V8 engines with the valves on
one side of the cylinder and the spark plug on the other, the Buick
straight
8 had the spark plugs on one side and the valves vertical in the head.
This
actually left a fair amount of the combustion chamber away from both the
spark plugs and the valves. The piston crown, introduced for 1938 and
the
engines marketed as Dynaflash, helped rectify that problem.
The 327-cid Packard flat-head straight eight of 1954 put out 185 bhp @
4000
while the 9 main beaing 359 put out 212 bhp @ 4000 - both with a 4-bbl
carb.. For 1940 and 1941 the Packard 356 stright 8 had 160 bhp,. which
was
bumped up to 165 for 1942 to 1947, then dropped back to 160 for 1948 to
1950
The Packard straight eights hold the power record for that style of block.
The most Chrysler ever got out of their flathead straight eight was 143
bhp,
which was the optional 323-cid engine for the 1940 Crown Imperial
(standard
was 137 bhp @ 3400). For 1941-42 the engine put out 140 bhp but was rated
at 135 bhp for its final years, 1946-50. (The Custom Imperial Airflow,
model CW, used a 385-cid straight eight that put out 150 bhp)
Bill
Vancouver, BC
--- Original Message -----
From: Dave
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 8:16 AM
Subject: Re: IML: Trivia Question - super prize for first correct answer
Just a little OT toot here...The 320 CID Buick straight Eight had 180 HP
for
years, and was the most powerful standard American engine, until the Hemi
came out. While it didn't have the Hemi combustion chambers, it did have a
raised piston top and a rather sophisticated combustion pattern.
David C Wilker Jr.
USAF (RET)
"The Bush administration's priorities are "a little bit different now
and veterans aren't a priority,"
That 1st Chrysler Firepower engine had 331 cu. ins. and was rated 180 hp
at
4000 rpm with a 2 bbl carb. and 7.5:1 compression ratio. THIS WAS 20 HP
MORE
THAN THE EQUIVALENT CADILLAC MODEL."
Sorry I yelled at the end.
Jim Brown
'60 Crown S.H. (Alaskan White)
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