Buick Straight-8 engine
Encyclopedia
The Buick Straight-8 engine (Fireball 8) was produced from 1931 to 1953 and sold in Buick
automobiles. Like many American automobile
makers, Buick adopted the straight-8
engine in 1931 as a more powerful alternative to the previous inline-6 engines. However, unlike most other car makers at the time, Buick had been using a valve-in-head OHV overhead valve
design or I-head since its inception and continued this practice in their inline-8 designs. The engine was sold in different displacements
depending on the model of car and the year and was constructed upon two distinct ( possibly more ) block castings. The smaller displacement versions internally resembled the inline Chevrolet straight six, with additional cylinders. The large block version (used in large chassis models such as the Roadmaster
) was considerably heavier and this weight adversely affected vehicle performance and handling. As with other General Motors
products the engines used cast-in-place bearings that were then machined, which made engine rebuilding an expensive procedure. The last year for Buick's straight-8 was 1953, a year in which the 263ci coexisted with its successor, the new V8 322ci Nailhead
in the same basic chassis.
1952 Production Engines and Ratings
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
automobiles. Like many American automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
makers, Buick adopted the straight-8
Straight-8
The straight-eight engine or inline-eight engine is an eight-cylinder internal combustion engine with all eight cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
engine in 1931 as a more powerful alternative to the previous inline-6 engines. However, unlike most other car makers at the time, Buick had been using a valve-in-head OHV overhead valve
Overhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
design or I-head since its inception and continued this practice in their inline-8 designs. The engine was sold in different displacements
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
depending on the model of car and the year and was constructed upon two distinct ( possibly more ) block castings. The smaller displacement versions internally resembled the inline Chevrolet straight six, with additional cylinders. The large block version (used in large chassis models such as the Roadmaster
Buick Roadmaster
The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with senior Oldsmobiles. Between 1946 and 1957 the Roadmaster was Buick's top of the line...
) was considerably heavier and this weight adversely affected vehicle performance and handling. As with other General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
products the engines used cast-in-place bearings that were then machined, which made engine rebuilding an expensive procedure. The last year for Buick's straight-8 was 1953, a year in which the 263ci coexisted with its successor, the new V8 322ci Nailhead
Buick V8 engine
Like its sister General Motors divisions, Buick produced its own family of V8 engines to replace its straight-8 engines. These engines came in many of the same displacements as those from other divisions, but were entirely different.-Buick "Nailhead V8":...
in the same basic chassis.
| Production | Engine | Displacement | Bore x Stroke |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 221 | 220.7 CID | 2.8750" X 4.2500" ( 72.1625 x 106.6750 mm ) |
| 1931–1933 | 273 | 272.6 CID | 3.0625" X 4.6250" ( 76.8688 x 116.0875 mm ) |
| 1931–1935 | 345 | 344.7 CID | 3.3125" X 5.0000" ( 83.1438 x 125.5000 mm ) |
| 1932–1933 | 230 | 230.4 CID | 2.9375" X 4.2500" ( 73.7313 x 106.6750 mm ) |
| 1934–1935 | 235 | 235.4 CID | 2.9688" X 4.2500" ( 74.5156 x 106.6750 mm ) |
| 1934–1935 | 278 | 278.1 CID | 3.0938" X 4.6250" ( 77.6531 x 116.0875 mm ) |
| 1934–1936 | 233 | 233 CID | 3.0938" X 3.8750" ( 77.6531 x 97.2625 mm ) |
| 1936–1952 | 320 | 320.2 CID | 3.4375" X 4.3125" ( 86.2813 x 108.2438 mm ) |
| 1937–1950 | 248 | 248.1 CID | 3.0938" X 4.1250" ( 77.6544 x 103.5375 mm ) |
| 1950–1953 | 263 | 263.3 CID | 3.1875" X 4.1250" ( 80.0063 x 103.5375 mm ) |
| source: Carnut.com | |||
1952 Production Engines and Ratings
| Series | Engine | Displacement | Bore x Stroke | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 263 | 260.3 CID | 3 " X 4 " (80.9625 x 104.775 mm) |
120 hp@3600 rpm |
| 50 | 263 | 260.3 CID | 3 " X 4 " (80.9625 x 104.775 mm) |
124 hp@3600 rpm |
| 70 | 320 | 320.2 CID | 3 "X 4 " (87.3125 x 109.5375 mm) |
168 hp@3800 rpm |
| Note: The 320 has a head length of 34 " while the smaller engines are 31 " long. | ||||
| source: 1952 Buick service manual | ||||