AMC V-8s

The first AMC V8 engine became widely known as 'Rambler V8', and was also labeled by AMC as 'Ambassador V8' (327cid) in those models. The second all new design AMC V8 debuted in 1966 with 290 cid, then a 343 cid version in 1967 and a 390 cid version in 1968. AMC raised the deck height of their second V8 engine design in 1970, stroking the 290 to 304 cid, the 343 to 360 cid and made a new connecting rod for the 390 version. Along with the raised deck, AMC increased the head bolt size from 1/2" to 7/16" and redesigned the rectangular exhaust ports to have a raised port floor with an enlargement of the outlet beside the port floor underneath one of the exhaust flange bolts (called the 'dog leg' exhaust port to differentiate it from the rectangular port heads). The second design V8 engine has good interchangeability due to sharing the same basic architecture. The first AMC V8 engine also has near total interchangeability between the 250, 287 and 327 cid versions; only the pistons do not because cid differences were made with bore size change only.

At first glance, the Rambler V8 (also renamed 'Gen 1') looks much like the Studebaker V8; they both have similar sized rounded top large valve covers attached to the block with two large wing-nuts, a rear mounted distributor, a dual plane free standing intake manifold, a tin valley cover and a front-of-block 'free standing' water outlet manifold having the thermostat and outlet for the upper radiator hose going to the radiator. The Rambler V8 looks physically big primarily because of the large valve covers, and that the exhaust ports continue out to the edge of the block before they terminate to the exhaust manifolds. (Pontiac V8 and Ford 'FE' V8 exhaust ports have a similar design).