red seal 164?

[brian.b]

hey did they put these motors in cars ,,it came in a miller welder,,,and does anyone need any parts....

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Continental Engines made dozens of different size/configuration engines for a variety of industrial uses.  The 164 cubic inch engine you  have (and from your description I assume it has a Continental Engines tag on it) was never used on a K-F or Willys product.  Willys built their own engines (but did sell them, properly tagged for industrial uses) and Kaiser-Frazer only used the 226 in the Kaiser & Frazer cars, the great majority of them made at K-F's Detroit Engine Division plant (first leased later purchased from Continental).

[joefrazer]

To answer your question as to whether the 164 was installed in ANY car in the configuration you have, the answer would be no. Stationary engines like those used in welders, generators, and pumps use a different cam and torque curve that don't work well in vehicle applications due to the differing loads placed on them.

Here's a link to its maintenance manual - http://www.wisconsinmotors.com:8080/wm/images/catalogs/continental/TM_Operator_Repair_manual.pdf

[JoeKeys2010]

That's interesting. I'm in the Railcar repair business and we have some mobile welding machines with Continental engines.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Continental Engines went into all kinds of things from larger generators (back up for hospitals, etc) to water pumps for farms and went back well before 1925 for different makes of cars.  Continental and Lycoming were the biggest providers of vehicle engines in the 1920's outside of captive plants for GM, Studebaker, Ford & the other major vehicle makers.

[JoeKeys2010]

I did not know that.  I knew they were on welders and forklifts and had my first experience with them in those applications.  I did not realize those motors were differed from the ones used in KF, but then again I never had a KF until recently.  I know they are hard motors to kill.  If KF had a V8 do you think they would have survived?

[joefrazer]

A V8 certainly would have helped since most all of the other manufacturers were rolling them out or were nearly ready to do so. Much has been debated about the fate of KF...the lack of a V8, the ill fated HJ project, and Henry's decision to step away from day to day management of the car concern, are just a few among many reasons the company left the passenger car business.

[Mac_Frazer]

Just to add my 2 cents if I may, I have Case Model B tractor that has the Continental 157 (I think is the size), but it's a diesel motor.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The US Government, through iits Recovery Finance Corporation fronted the money for production of the HJ as part of the 1949 re-capitalization package.  The K-F V-8 engine project was, according to two lead engineers on the thing, "a blind alley" meaning the design concept would not work. 

Check the 1949, 1950 & 1951 Annual Reports and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) paper on the Nash/AMC V-8 in its UNABRIDGED form.

[JoeKeys2010]

I started driving mine a little.  Drove it to work today.  I live about 15 minutes from the plant and drive about 45-55 mph most of the way.  First time I have stretched it out at that speed, most of my rides have been at 30 to 40 mph.  On a smooth asphalt roads with radial tires it rides very smooth but definitely lacks power (I have a 64 Ford with a 427).  We have brick roads in downtown and I have a garage I keep it most of the time when I am working on it.  The ride from the garage to the house is about 15 minutes but I'm lucky if I have the chance to get up to 40 because of the neighborhood I drive through.  It does not handle as good on a brick road as it does a asphalt.  Either way though it is a smooth ride.  I probably could use new shocks though.

[brian.b]

im goingad  weathers h to try and get mine out today and drive it a little i just put a set of used radials on it but between the weather and working i havent had a chance to try them out,,,i havent got the headlights in yet but im still gonna ride it around a mile or so.....

[JoeKeys2010]

Here's a Continental motor in one of our welders

[retired wrench]

 Local fire dept has a truck with the biggest cont. engine I ever saw.