Kaiser aluminum head engine-proposal that did not happen?

[ben-tex]

Here is an item I found among the tons of papers I am going through. I think the late Ken Mericle sent this to me some years ago. As far as I am aware the option suggested never became available. I also have no idea what "method 1" and "method 2" are.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

I knew that Edmonds had worked up aluminum heads for the 226 and that K-F was talking to the company about the experimental engines for the Kaiser-Darrin, but this is the first I've seen of offering the 226 aluminum head as a production option.  Best guess that this would have put the engine bhp at around 122-125 (theoretically only).

[blackcat429cj]

I have a Kaiser Aluminum Head - It looks like a standard 53 head but without the finish machining - i.e. spark plugs, head bolts etc.   could this have been a test casting?

[Jim B PEI]

Forgive my ignorance on the subject, but what was involved with the aluminum head that would have had an increase in (theoretical) horsepower? Slightly higher compression with the aluminum head to dissipate heat better? If so, what was the compression going to be?

[Fid]

Good question Jim. I was wondering the same thing.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

From what little I know of the project (and I am hoping what I know is correct), Edmunds Engineering was approached to develop the aluminum head that Brooks Stevens used in the Excalibur J sports car with the 161 cubic inch L-head HJ motor.  It would allow for higher compression and, as a result, more horsepower.  As an alternative to the supercharger project (separate development-read the Experimental Engineering report with photos at the 2010 Midwest Division Meet), the engineers were looking for cheaper ways to boost 226 horsepower (this was before Oldsmobile re-offered Rocket 88's). 

From prevailing HP information (and taking into account the weight of a Kaiser compared to say, Hudson or Chrysler), the flathead 6 might still be somewhat potent if HP could be raised about 12-15 hp, or about the difference between the 1bbl version and the dual-manifold configuration in 1948 and later.  Test castings were made (I would guess that the one with no spark plug holes, etc was one of them) and bored for different plugs by Experimental Engineering for test stand run-outs.  The higher compression and hotter spark could produce more "bang" at detonation for more piston force (and as such more HP). 

As I was writing this, an "Option 3" hit me regarding the ultimate fate of the project.  Just how reliable in the long run would these aluminum alloy heads actually be in a daily driver, given the metalurgy and technology of the process at the time (as well as the dismal effort at Buick in the early 1960's to do their aluminum V-6 engine for the Buick Special compact)?  If Edmunds sold the head as an aftermarket add on rather than K-F putting it into an Accessory Group, there would be no issues with warranty as the head was not a K-F part;  also, if there was any kind of other issue where damages might result, again Kaiser-Frazer would be in the clear.   

Perhaps at some point in the future, a response memo from John Hallett on the memo pictured here would settle the question. 

[Jim B PEI]

There have been enough problems with 'modern' engineering. Vis: the Ford truck engines, etc. Several things that must be strictly adhered to with aluminum heads is to always put an anti-seize compound on the threads of sparkplugs, for example, change them on a regular basis, and never attempt it unless the engine is dead cold.

About the attempt to increase HP--there has been a lot of amateur work on the Studebaker flatheads. i.e., the 169.6 before 1955, the 55-58 185 (just a 3/8 inch longer stroke, with also a higher deck height) and the retrograde 170 in 59-60 before the changeover to the OHV version of the 170. Turbochargers, and other types of work have been done, including splitting the exhaust manifold and having duals, working on the exhaust itself to improve the flow and reduce turbulence, and the usual 1950s approach, relieving metal in the combustion area and also around the valves to get both better breathing/combustion flow and increased interior cooling due to the better and less restricted path of the combustion. A company in CT, (Bill) Cathcart Studebaker   (  http://www.cathcartsstudebaker.com/  ) does all this work on 39-60 flathead engines and it is worth taking a look at the site just to see what can be done. This is taking 80-85-and 90 hp engines and putting them in the 140 hp range.  Has anyone done similar sort of work that anyone knows of on the Continental 226?

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

As I understand it from the print for the block, evolving this engine by the means listed for Studebakers had great peril.  If you tried to open up the bore and work the cast iron head for more displacement and horsepower, the engine would overheat something fierce.  K-F engineers also noted hair line cracks in the block around the valve seat areas.  This became an item of note during the supercharger tests (with pictures), but the note was tempered with a comment about seeing the same condition from time to time at Detroit Engine Division and in field failures.

[Jim B PEI]

Ah! I was afraid so. It seems that H J bet on the wrong horse--it should have remained a faithful draft horse rather than attempt the track. The Continental was/is quite a good engine, and I have testimonials from old time mechanics that attended to their needs, 4 cyl and 6 cyl, in tractors, compressors, irrigation equipment, and mobile generators, as well as forklifts etc. In fact, I have seen TWO Continental mobile setups, a compressor and an irrigator , still in use here within the last 10 days or so, besides several old-time tractors. (Here, someone will restore a Massey, or ******shutt, but they then use them for 'retired gentleman farming' : ie, baling some little square bales on the old baler for some lightly used horses, or as a fellow up the road was doing, mowing his bungalow's lawn with a small hay cutter!!!) A pretty good car engine for the 30s and 40s, but as soon as the Eisenhower Interstate system started to take shape, quite outclassed.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Two things are worth noting here:

1.  Before the war when Graham-Paige built cars, they did not have a real "engine" engineering department; they bought motors from Continental and suggested improvements to keep the 213 (later 219 later 226) engine up to snuff.  In early 1945, the postwar G-P team felt that 100bhp would be adequate based on power to weight and what most other cars in the planned price class were offering.  the hope was to work with Kaiser-Frazer and, by say 1948, roll out something modern.

2.  Kaiser-Frazer had planned on trumping the marketplace with an overhead valve v-8 that was well into development in 1948.  Unfortunately, the design was based on a number of false assumptions that led to unfixable problems as development moved on.  If you want to find out a bit more about the engine, check out the UNABRIDGED Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) paper published around 1955 by the lead K-F engineers.  The paper deals with development of the "Typhoon" V-8 that Nash/AMC rolled out.  The two lead men hoped to take their K-F work to Nash, wrap the project up and get it into cars around 1952-53 but that never happened.

[HJ-ETEX]

Say Jim B: When I was young, speed shops used to sell aluminum heads for (primarily) 59A Ford Flathead V8s. I remember Edmunds and Weiand products, but they were about $30-35 a pair. I also remember 'Canadian' heads which appeared to be aluminum duplicates of the cast iron heads (a very plain looking casting) that sold for only $16 a pair. Were Canadian Ford V8s commonly equipped with aluminum heads? 

[Jim B PEI]

I can't answer that question directly, but I know several people who might know it. One thing: the Canadian market was quite small and in the days before Autopact, and when the British Commonwealth still was a valid trading block, we had fairly high tariffs on a lot of goods coming into the country, even from the US, and preferential tariffs on Commonwealth goods. That explains the Canadian institution of the 'branch plant' where it made sense to build Chevrolets and Fords and Plymouths here, but not the regular Pontiacs, Mercurys, and Dodges. So, we had P, M and D as C F and P bodied cars, with the P M and D styling cues and badges, and their own line names. Usually, this meant the shorter wheelbase cars. So, for example, the Pontiac Chieftain was never sold here with its eight--all Pontiacs until late in the 50s were Chev 6s. Another thing--we had the Ford Flathead V8 for one full year after it was phased out in the US (its a trivia trick question) Pontiacs, Mercurys, and Dodges were very popular here as the 'slightly upscale' in name if not reality brands, and sold for a hundred or so more than their down scale stable mates.

Mercury was VERY popular here--much more so than it ever was in the US, and since Ford had been in Canada from early on, there were a LOT of flathead V8s running around, all running the more or less same engines. So, I can imagine that it was a popular engine to hop up and lots of parts were made specifically for it.

[boatingbill]

I remember a friend of mine buying a solid metal head gasket sold by JC Whitney I believe. This allowed the head to sit closer to the block and thereby raised the compression. The problem was now the engine pinged and therefore needed premium gas and was prone to leaks. If I remember  right, he removed it after a short time. It ran good and was "peppy".

[Kaiser Ranchero]

Along with the aluminum head are the dual intake manifolds and split ( or dual ) exhaust manifolds out there any where?

[Jim B PEI]

There are lots of Studebaker versions, and anyone with a few metal working and welding clues (obviously, not me) could likely do up something similar. I have several pictures of what people have made for the 170 & 185 CID flathead sixes, besides what is on the www.cathcartsstudebaker.com site.

HOWEVER--PLEASE CHIME IN WITH AN ANSWER--Isn't it rather more difficult to put in a *real* dual exhausts and keeping the 226 in both a 47-50/1 and and 51-55 due to frame and other issues? I could swear I read something to that effect.