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| | ==Overview== | | ==Overview== |
| − | Read about the pros and cons of both AMC V8 engines. This article will touch on the highlights. Enjoy!
| + | The AMC V8 has a storied history. This article will touch on the highlights. Enjoy! |
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| | ==In the beginning== | | ==In the beginning== |
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| | Needless to say, this incensed AMC management. George Mason, head of AMC, ordered his engineers to get him a V-8 as soon as possible. Just 18 months after receiving the order, AMC introduced a 250 cid V-8 in mid 1956. It was only used in the Nash Ambassador Special and Hudson Hornet Special. The Specials were really two door Statesman/Wasp models with Ambassador/Hornet trim. The Statesman/Wasp bodies were built on a shorter wheelbase and lighter than the bigger cars. Using that platform helped the little 250 out. | | Needless to say, this incensed AMC management. George Mason, head of AMC, ordered his engineers to get him a V-8 as soon as possible. Just 18 months after receiving the order, AMC introduced a 250 cid V-8 in mid 1956. It was only used in the Nash Ambassador Special and Hudson Hornet Special. The Specials were really two door Statesman/Wasp models with Ambassador/Hornet trim. The Statesman/Wasp bodies were built on a shorter wheelbase and lighter than the bigger cars. Using that platform helped the little 250 out. |
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| − | 18 months from drawing board to production doesn't sound all that short today, but in the era of slide rules and drafting boards (no computer modeling or even calculators!) it was phenomenal. One of the ways the AMC Engineering Department worked this miracle was to hire David Potter from Kaiser-Frazer. He had previously worked with Continental Engines (owned by Kaiser Industries) on a V-8 intended for the Kaiser-Frazer line, however Kaiser had since purchased Willys-Overland resulting in a change of it's priorities; from making cars, to making the more popular Jeeps. AMC literature reports that "The entire program was under the direction of Meade F. Moore, Vice-President of Automotive Research and Engineering, and through his efforts the project was carried on cooperatively by our Kenosha and Detroit Engineering Departments. Obviously, such a division of both design and development required the utmost in teamwork by F. F. Kishline, Chief Engineer, and his assistants, E. L. Monson and J. S. Voigt in Kenosha, and by R. H. Isbrandt, Chief Design Engineer, and W. S. Berry, Chief Mechanical Engineer, in Detroit." AMC concluded in their announcement of the new engine saying "In short, our objective was an engine with maximum flexibility with regard to future displacement requirements without sacrificing any of the performance features of the power-plant. Economy of operation and manufacturing processes, along with excellent weight and durability characteristics, were all part of our aims. We think that we have succeeded in reaching these objectives, and have produced an engine that is second to none. It is an engine of which we are justly proud." | + | 18 months from drawing board to production doesn't sound all that short today, but in the era of slide rules and drafting boards (no computer modeling or even calculators!) it was phenomenal. One way the AMC Engineering Department worked this miracle was to hire David Potter from Kaiser-Frazer. He had worked with Continental Engines (owned by Kaiser Industries) on a V-8 intended for the Kaiser-Frazer line, but those weren't doing well enough to justify the cost. Prototypes had already been made though. So AMC "bought" an engineer who already had intimate V-8 design knowledge. The engine design was rather heavy. It wasn't state-of-the-art for the time, just typical. Not time enough to design a "dream engine", the idea was to get a basic, reliable V-8 into production ASAP. |
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| − | The new for '56 640 lb. Rambler V8 (fully assembled 'long block') was lighter at that time than all other US V8 engines, except for the '55 Chevrolet 'small block'. And when speaking about their intake and exhaust port designs, AMC reported that "the theoretical gas velocity through the valve is lower than that of any automotive engine on the market today." & "Exceptionally close liaison was maintained with our manufacturing personnel during the design and development stages of the engine. As a result, many economies in fabricating and tooling processes were built into the original design and have since been carried through into production.
| + | This 250 cid V8 is the "Gen-1" AMC V-8, also referred to as the "Nash V-8" or "Rambler V-8". AMC was formed in 1954 by the merger of Nash and Hudson, so anything designed from scratch after '54 is technically an AMC design. |
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| − | Tooling facilities for the V-8 are completely new, and are based on what we call "segmented automation." In this type of manufacturing, each basic section of tooling, although completely automatic, is not fully integrated with other sections. For our purposes, this type of tooling means increased flexibility as each portion of the line can be utilized independently of other operations.
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| − | Of particular interest is the cylinder-block boring equipment, which has been designed to finish simultaneously blocks of two different bore dimensions. It contains two sets of roughing, finishing, and chamfering tools, and blocks of either bore size can enter the equipment in any mixed sequence. Each station is set to tool one size bore, and when a block enters that station, a probe automatically determines whether or not to cycle the cutting heads."...
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| − | Wherefore it may be said that not only was the Rambler V8 'state-of-the-art', AMC set a new standard of excellence for the US industry.
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| − | The Rambler V8 design features a visually identical 'Hudson X' crankcase gallery, having the main bearing webbing form an 'X' around the main bearings transferring load from the the crankshaft into the block with extreme stiffness and minimized vibration for maximum durability. The Rambler V8 shaft mounted rocker arm assemblies are visually identical to the the former Nash inline six cylinder engines. The engine features an excellent oil system, which is perhaps the best oil system of any US V8 ever made and serves as a model of oil system design theory for it's attributes.
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| | There were three sizes of AMC Gen-1 V-8s: | | There were three sizes of AMC Gen-1 V-8s: |
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| | *1957-'66 327 | | *1957-'66 327 |
| | *1963-'66 287 | | *1963-'66 287 |
| | + | All shared the same external dimensions, forged crank (all having the same 3.25" stroke) and rods. The main difference was in the bore diameter. The 250 used a 3.50" bore, the 287 a 3.75" bore and the 327 a 4.00" bore (identical to the SBC 327). There were three different block castings. It is rumored that early 287 blocks can be bored out to 4.00", but the best advice is to have the block sonic checked '''''before''''' boring. All three of these heavy cast blocks are thick and will easily take an 0.125" over bore, but beyond that is pushing the limit. |
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| − | -All having the same internally balanced forged steel crankshaft leveraging a 3.25" stroke with 6.375" forged steel connecting rods to the 'divorced skirt' . The '63-up AMC (non-Kaiser Jeep corp.) versions all came equipped with revised/improved high-flow exhaust manifolds, though AMC did not change their advertised rating of 4bbl 327 from it's former rating of 270hp. From the factory, the main difference were in the bore diameter; The 250 used a 3.50" bore, the 287 a 3.75" bore and the 327 a 4.00" bore. There were three different block castings. It is rumored that early 287 blocks can be bored out to 4.00", but the best advice is to have the block sonic checked '''''before''''' boring. All three of these will easily take an 0.125" over bore, but beyond that is pushing the limit. 327 Rambler V8 engines have been successfully bored and stroked to 418 cid, with no known durability issues.
| + | All three engines share the same components except for pistons. All 250 models use solid lifters, the 287/327 are hydraulic. These engines were used by Grey Marine for boats in the late '50's and early to mid '60's. All the marine engines used solid lifters regardless of size. |
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| − | All 250 models use solid lifters, the 287/327s are hydraulic. These engines were also used by Grey Marine for boats in the late '50's and early to mid '60's. All the marine engines used solid lifters regardless of size. | + | |
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| − | The AMC Rambler V8 is only recently been labeled 'Gen 1' by newer AMC enthusiasts (Chevy converts) to supposedly help reduce confusion, nevertheless adding additional non-descript jargon into discussion. The 'Gen-1', 'Gen-2/3" labeling ideas were first used by Chevrolet small block V8 enthusiasts to distinguish the differences among that group of very similar engines.
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| | ==The Gen 2 V8== | | ==The Gen 2 V8== |
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