From: hotrod@dixie.com (The Hotrod List)
Subject: Re: Engines of Yore #5
Date: Fri, 08 Jan 93 21:30:54 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.
To: hotrod@dixie.com
Reply-To: hotrod@dixie.com
Posted-Date: Friday, Jan 08 16:30:51
X-Sequence: 3290
X-Gifs-To: met@sunset.cse.nau.edu
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> 
> note:  I did some of these early last year and posted them in
>        rec.motorcycles, as they pertained to motorcycle engines.
>        If our esteemed moderator wishes I can repost them here.
> 
> [Absolutely!  JGD]

I second that!  It seams that you can always get info (and parts)
for rodding a more recent V-8 but getting stuff on this type of
equipment is indeed rare these days.

>  Flipping through my 1943 Edition of Dykes' Automotive Encyclopedia,
> we find a set of photos and some text on the Buick 8-80 and 8-90 of
> late 1930s design.  This is an overhead valve straight-eight engine
> of moderate displacement.  The block and crankcase are cast in one
> piece of iron, and the cylinder head is another piece of iron.  This
> was by no means a given in the 1930s, where some engines used multiple
> cylinder heads or barrels.

Music to my ears....  This is the engine I've been working with for
awhile now.  Its just too cool of an engine to swap it out for a modern
V-8.  Unfortunatly, I've had to learn to accept lower HP potential but
its still worth doing.

Since finding parts is difficult (and I don't want to give my second
mortgage to a machine shop) I have to stick to carburation, intake
and exhaust modifications to try and boost power.  I also am replacing
the points with a high energy electronic ignition.

>  Buick used a crankshaft of 8 throws spaced 90 degrees apart, rather
> than the 45 degrees you might expect.  Five very wide main bearings
> support the shaft, which has a front bearing, cylinders 1 and 2,
> another bearing, cylinders 3 and 4, etc.  Thrust appears to be on the
> center bearing.  Several throws have bolt-on counterweights, another
> feature often seen on very old motors.  This allowed simpler casting
> and machining and posed no particular durability problem given the
> low RPMs typically used.  Of particular interest is the harmonic
> balancer, an unusual piece for the 1930s.  It consists of a two piece
> cast iron ring bolted around the rear crank cheek of #1 throw, well
> inside the cylinder block.  The origin of the flexible material is
> not given in my sources, but I expect either oilproof rubber or
> leather.

I didn't get a chance to check this last night but there seems to be
some improvements in this engine over my '36.  I don't think my '36
has this many main bearings.  I'll have to look for a balancer; I've
 never noticed one before but I have'nt split it either.  The engine
is incredibly smooth running (kind of reminds me of an airplane engine)
so I am a little surprised that it would need a balancer.

>  The water pump, generator, and distributor are gear-driven from the
> front of the engine.  The fan belt turns only the fan.  The flange
> between the water pump and generator contains an oil drilling to provide
> full pressure lubrication to the front generator bearing.  This
> arrangement was undoubtedly more reliable than a forest of V-belts,
> particularly considering the state of the art for V-belts in the 1930s.

The '36 uses a belt to drive the generator.  I kind of appreciate this
since it will be load easier to replace it with a modern alternator.

> Carburetion
> was a two barrel updraft device, nowadays seen only on stationary or
> farm engines.  Though thoroughly obsolete by modern standards, the
> updraft carburetor ensured only vaporized fuel entered the intake
> manifold; any cold droplets would fall back into the carb.  Updraft
> carbs were particularly famed for smooth idling and low RPM operation.

Must be another improvement or perhaps something for the larger sedans.
My special had a standard 2 barrel with an oil bath air filter.  It does
sit on top of a heat riser that preheats the fuel but certainly no updraft
going on there.  I know there were different intake/exhaust manifolds
for the different series cars.  Perhaps there was a super high-perf one
available and I haven't located it yet.  Thats why I'm having fun
learning all the details of intake/exhaust manifold design and also
why I purchased a MIG.

Anyway, thanks for the post!  If anyone out there knows of hop up tricks
for these old motors I'd certainly be glad to hear them.

Jeff

-- 
Jeff Miller                 Network Systems Corporation
Advanced Development        7625 Boone Avenue North
jmiller@network.com         Minneapolis MN 55428   (612)424-1724

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Posted by: emory!anubis.network.com!jmiller (Jeff J. Miller)
Newsgroups: alt.hotrod,wiz.hotrod