Aluminum 215
From 1961-1963, Oldsmobile manufactured its own version of the Buick-designed, all-aluminum 215 engine for the F-85 compact. Known variously as the Rockette, Cutlass, and Turbo-Rocket by Oldsmobile (and as Fireball and Skylark by Buick), it was a compact, lightweight engine measuring 28 in (71 cm) long, 26 in (66 cm) wide, and 27 in (69 cm) high (same as the small-block Chevy), with a dry weight of only 320 lb (150 kg). The Oldsmobile engine was very similar to the Buick engine, but not identical: it had larger wedge(rather than hemispherical)-shaped combustion chambers with flat-topped (rather than domed) pistons, six bolts rather than five per cylinder head, and slightly larger intake valves; the valves were actuated by shaft-mounted rocker arms like the Buick and Pontiac versions, but the shafts and rockers were unique to Oldsmobile. With an 8.75:1 compression ratio and a 2-barrel carburetor, the Olds 215 had the same rated hp, 155 hp (116 kW) at 4800 rpm, as the Buick 215, with 220 ft·lbf (300 N·m) of torque at 2400 rpm. With a 4-barrel carburetor and 10.25:1 compression, the Olds 215 made 185 hp (138 kW) at 4800 rpm and 230 lb·ft (310 N·m) at 3200 rpm with a manual transmission. With a 4-barrel carburetor and 10.75:1 compression, the Olds 215 made 195 hp (145 kW) at 4800 rpm and 235 lb·ft (319 N·m) at 3200 rpm with an automatic. The Buick version was rated at 200 hp with an 11:1 compression ratio.
The basic Buick/Olds 215 V8 went on to become the well known Rover V8, which still remains in limited production. The Range Rover V8 utilized the Buick-style pistons, heads, and valve train gear.
The Oldsmobile engine block formed the basis of the Repco 3-liter engine used by Brabham to win the 1966 and 1967 Formula One world championships. The early Repco engines produced up to 300 bhp (220 kW), and featured new SOHC cylinder heads and iron cylinder liners. The 1967 and later versions of the Repco engine had proprietary engine blocks.
In the mid-1980s, hot rodders discovered the 215 could be stretched to as much as 305 cu in (5 l), using the Buick 300 crankshaft, new cylinder sleeves, and an assortment of non-GM parts. It could also be fitted with high-compression cylinder heads from the Morgan +8. Using the 5 liter Rover block and crankshaft, a maximum displacement of 317.8 cu in (5,208 cc) is theoretically possible.
Read more about this topic: Oldsmobile V8 Engine
Famous quotes containing the word aluminum:
“With two sons born eighteen months apart, I operated mainly on automatic pilot through the ceaseless activity of their early childhood. I remember opening the refrigerator late one night and finding a roll of aluminum foil next to a pair of small red tennies. Certain that I was responsible for the refrigerated shoes, I quickly closed the door and ran upstairs to make sure I had put the babies in their cribs instead of the linen closet.”
—Mary Kay Blakely (20th century)