GM built 100 million V8 engines
General Motors will build its 100 millionth small-block V8 today — 56 years after the first mass-produced small-block engine…
Despite decades of pressure on large engines as emissions and fuel economy legislation tightens, they are still being produced.
General Motors will build its 100 millionth small-block V8 engine today — 56 years after the first production small-block engine — in an engineering challenge to the global downsizing trend.
Chevrolet introduced the compact block in 1955, and the production milestone came the same month that the brand celebrated its 100th anniversary.
The small block engine has been used in GM vehicles worldwide and is currently used in Holden/HSV, Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac models.
“The small block is the engine that brought high performance to people,” said David Cole, founder and chairman emeritus of the Automotive Research Center. Cole's father, the late Ed Cole, was Chevrolet's chief engineer and led the development of the original small-block engine.
“There is an elegant simplicity to its design that immediately made it great when it was new and allowed it to flourish nearly six decades later.”
The milestone engine in production today is the 475 kW (638 hp) supercharged small block LS9—the power behind the Corvette ZR1—that is hand-assembled at the GM Assembly Center, northwest of Detroit. It represents the fourth generation of small blocks and is the most powerful engine ever built by GM for a production vehicle. GM will keep the engine as part of its historic collection.
The small block has been adapted throughout the automotive industry and beyond. Newer versions of the original Gen I engine are still being produced for marine and industrial use, while "boxed" versions of the engines available from Chevrolet Performance are used by thousands of hot rod enthusiasts.
The 4.3-liter V6 used in some Chevrolet and GMC vehicles is based on a small block, only without two cylinders. All of these versions contribute to the 100 millionth small block production milestone.
“This epic achievement marks an engineering triumph that has spread around the world and created an industrial icon,” said Sam Weingarden, chief executive and global functional head of the Engine Engineering group.
“And while the robust compact unit design has proven its ability to adapt to performance, emissions and cleanup requirements over the years, more importantly, it delivered them with greater efficiency.”
Engines now feature aluminum cylinder blocks and heads in cars and many trucks, helping to reduce weight and improve fuel economy.
Many applications use fuel-saving technologies such as Active Fuel Management, which shuts off the four cylinders under certain light-load driving conditions, and Variable Valve Timing. And despite the years, they are still powerful and relatively economical.
A 430-horsepower (320 kW) version of the Gen-IV LS3 small-block engine is used in the 2012 Corvette and accelerates it from rest to 100 km/h in about four seconds, covers the quarter mile in just over 12 seconds and reaches top speed. over 288 km/h, with an EPA-rated highway fuel economy of 9.1 l/100 km.
“The small engine block ensures flawless performance,” says Weingarden. "This is the quintessence of the V8 engine and a living legend more relevant than ever."
This week, GM also announced that the fifth-generation subcompact engine under development will feature a new direct-injection combustion system that will help improve efficiency over the current generation engine.
“Small block architecture continues to prove its relevance in a rapidly evolving industry, and the fifth generation engine will build on legacy performance with significant efficiency gains,” says Weingarden.
GM is investing more than $1 billion in new small-block engine manufacturing capacity, resulting in 1711 jobs created or saved.
The Gen-V engine is expected in the near future and is guaranteed to have 110mm hole centers, which has been part of the small block architecture since the beginning.
GM began V8 development after World War II, after chief engineer Ed Cole moved to Chevrolet from Cadillac, where he led the development of the premium V8 engine.
Cole's team retained the basic overhead valve design that was the basis of Chevrolet's inline-six engine, affectionately called the Stovebolt.
It was considered one of the strengths of the Chevrolet vehicle line, reinforcing the idea of simplicity and reliability. Cole challenged his engineers to strengthen the new engine to make it more compact, less expensive and easier to manufacture.
After its debut in the Chevy lineup in 1955, the new V8 engine was physically smaller, 23 kg lighter and more powerful than the six-cylinder Stovebolt engine. Not only was it the best engine for Chevrolet, it was the best way to build minimalist engines that took advantage of optimized manufacturing techniques.
After only two years on the market, small block engines have begun to grow steadily in terms of displacement, power and technological advancement.
In 1957, a mechanical fuel injection version was introduced, called the Ramjet. The only major manufacturer offering fuel injection at the time was Mercedes-Benz.
Mechanical fuel injection was phased out in the mid-1960s, but electronically controlled fuel injection debuted in small blocks in the 1980s, and Tuned Port Injection was launched in 1985, setting the benchmark.
This electronically controlled fuel injection system has been improved over time and its basic design is still in use on most cars and light trucks over 25 years later.
The 110mm hole centers of the small block would be emblematic of the small block's compact and balanced performance.
This was the size around which the generation III small block was designed in 1997. For 2011, the small block is in its fourth generation, powering Chevrolet full-size trucks, SUVs and vans, mid-size trucks, and high performance Camaro and Corvette vehicles. .
The first 4.3-litre (265 cu in) engine in 1955 produced up to 145 kW (195 hp) with an optional four-barrel carburetor.
Today, the 9-litre (6.2 cu. in.) supercharged small block LS376 in the Corvette ZR1 has 638 horsepower.
