page_title: Oldsmobile V8 engine
section_title: 303
hierarchical_section_title: Oldsmobile V8 engine / Generation I / 303
caption_attribution_description: English: Oldsmobile Rocket V-8 303 c.i (5L) gasoline engine on display at the REO Museum in Lansing, MI
context_page_description: The Oldsmobile V8, also referred to as the Rocket, is series of engines that was produced by Oldsmobile beginning in 1949. The Rocket, along with the 1949 Cadillac V8, were the first post-war OHV V8 engines produced by General Motors. Like all other GM divisions, Olds continued building its own V8 engine family for decades, adopting the corporate Chevrolet 350 small-block and Cadillac Northstar engine only in the 1990s. All Oldsmobile V8s were manufactured at plants in Lansing, Michigan.
  All Oldsmobile V8s use a 90° bank angle, and most share a common stroke dimension: 3.4375 in for early Rockets, 3.6875 in for later Generation 1 engines, and 3.385 in for Generation 2 starting in 1964. The 260 cu in, 307 cu in, 330 cu in, 350 cu in and 403 cu in engines are commonly called small-blocks. 400 cu in, 425 cu in, and 455 cu in V8s have a higher deck height to accommodate a 4.25 in stroke crank to increase displacement. These taller-deck models are commonly called "big-blocks", and are 1 in taller and 1.5 in wider than their "small-block" counterparts.
  The Rocket V8 was the subject of many first and lasts in the automotive industry. It was the first mass-produced OHV V8, in 1949.
context_section_description: The 303-cubic-inch (5.0 L) engine had hydraulic lifters, an oversquare bore:stroke ratio, a counterweighted forged crankshaft, aluminum pistons, floating wristpins, and a dual-plane intake manifold. The 303 was produced from 1949-1953. Bore was 3.75 in (95 mm) and stroke was 3.4375 in (87.31 mm). Cadillac used a distantly related engine which appeared in three different sizes through to the 1962 model year; though the Oldsmobile and Cadillac motors were not physically related, many lessons learned by one division were incorporated into the others design, and the result were two engines known for their excellent power-to-weight ratio, fuel economy, and smooth, strong, reliable running.
  The original Oldsmobile V8 was to have been marketed as "Kettering Power" after chief engineer Charles Kettering, but company policy prohibited the use of his name. Instead, the legendary Rocket was born, available in Oldsmobile's 88, Super 88, and 98 models.  The engine proved so popular, the division's 88 models were popularly called Rocket 88s.
  The 303 was available from 1949 through 1953. In 1949 through 1951 the 2-barrel carburetor 303 produced 135 hp (101 kW) and 253 lb⋅ft (343 N⋅m), over 33% more power than the extremely popular and widely produced 100 hp (75 kW) 1949 Ford Flathead V8. 1952 88 and Super 88 V8s used a 4-barrel carburetor for 160 hp (120 kW) and 265 lb⋅ft (359 N⋅m), while 4-barrel 1953 versions upped the compression from 7.5:1 to 8.0:1 for 165 hp (123 kW) and 275 lb⋅ft (373 N⋅m).
  Applications:
  1949–1953 Oldsmobile 88
  1949–1953 Oldsmobile 98
  1952–1953 Oldsmobile Super 88
caption: An Oldsmobile Rocket V8 303 c.i. (5L) gasoline engine
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