Owen Nacker
Encyclopedia
Owen Nacker was an American
automotive engineer.
, makers of light car, the Runabout. As such he worked on the V-16
project at the Marmon Motor Car Company with Howard Marmon. This project was newly begun before Nacker left Marmon.
general manager Lawrence P. Fisher (October 19, 1888 in Norwalk, Ohio
– September 3, 1961 in Detroit, Michigan
) to work at the Cadillac Division of General Motors Corporation (GM). Nacker became head of engine development. He designed a 45 degree Overhead valve
V-8 with an aluminum crankcase
, five main bearing
s, counterweighted crankshaft
with a front vibration damper and timing chain
driving the generator. Cylinder blocks included cast nickel
-iron
liners extending into the crankcase with cast iron heads. This was the engine for Cadillac Division's new 1927 LaSalle companion model.
Nacker was lead development engineer of the Cadillac V-16 engine project. This was probably the first car engine to be styled for aesthetics
as well as function. Finned aluminum valve covers were used and wiring and piping were hidden under covers and panels and enamel was used on some engine surfaces. Nacker also developed Cadillac's V-12
that shared tooling and many components with the V-16.
Nacker also was the leader of the 1936 Cadillac monobloc
V-8 development with John E "Jack" Gordon also in the later stages. This new V-8 was so smooth and powerful it rendered the V-12 obsolete. Therefore the V-12 was dropped from production after the 1937 model year.
Hydramatic
automatic transmission.
Both the Cadillac V-8 and Hydramatic transmission were used in the M5 version of the Stuart tank
during World War II
.
– November 17, 1913 in Milford, Michigan
) and Dora Law (June 24, 1864 – Jun 28, 1918 in Highland, Michigan). They were married on November 22, 1882. Owen married Pearl Leonard (March 18, 1887 in Novi, Michigan
– January 29, 1979) on November 23, 1904 in Highland, Michigan.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automotive engineer.
Early Automotive Career
Nacker was a consultant to Alanson Partridge Brush (February 10, 1878 – March 6, 1952 in Michigan) of the Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Motor Car Company
This article is about a USA auto-maker. For the British rail-locomotive company, see Brush TractionBrush Motor Company, or the "Brush Runabout Company," based in Detroit, Michigan, was founded by Alanson Partridge Brush , who designed a light car with a wooden chassis This article is about a USA...
, makers of light car, the Runabout. As such he worked on the V-16
V16 engine
A V16 engine is a V engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.A V16 engine is perfectly balanced regardless of the V angle without requiring counter-rotating balancing shafts which are necessary to balance Straight-4 and odd number of cylinder...
project at the Marmon Motor Car Company with Howard Marmon. This project was newly begun before Nacker left Marmon.
Cadillac engine development
He was recruited in 1926 by CadillacCadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
general manager Lawrence P. Fisher (October 19, 1888 in Norwalk, Ohio
Norwalk, Ohio
At the 2000 census, there were 16,238 people, 6,377 households and 4,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,950.3 per square mile . There were 6,687 housing units at an average density of 803.1 per square mile...
– September 3, 1961 in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) to work at the Cadillac Division of General Motors Corporation (GM). Nacker became head of engine development. He designed a 45 degree 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...
V-8 with an aluminum crankcase
Crankcase
In an internal combustion engine of the reciprocating type, the crankcase is the housing for the crankshaft. The enclosure forms the largest cavity in the engine and is located below the cylinder, which in a multicylinder engine are usually integrated into one or several cylinder blocks...
, five main bearing
Main bearing
In a piston engine, the main bearings are the bearings on which the crankshaft rotates, usually plain or journal bearings.All engines have a minimum of two main bearings, one at each end of the crankshaft, and they may have as many as one more than the number of crank pins...
s, counterweighted crankshaft
Crankshaft
The crankshaft, sometimes casually abbreviated to crank, is the part of an engine which translates reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation...
with a front vibration damper and timing chain
Timing belt
A timing belt, or cam belt , is a part of an internal combustion engine that controls the timing of the engine's valves. Some engines, such as the flat-4 Volkswagen air-cooled engine, and the straight-6 Toyota F engine use timing gears...
driving the generator. Cylinder blocks included cast nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
-iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
liners extending into the crankcase with cast iron heads. This was the engine for Cadillac Division's new 1927 LaSalle companion model.
Nacker was lead development engineer of the Cadillac V-16 engine project. This was probably the first car engine to be styled for aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
as well as function. Finned aluminum valve covers were used and wiring and piping were hidden under covers and panels and enamel was used on some engine surfaces. Nacker also developed Cadillac's V-12
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
that shared tooling and many components with the V-16.
Nacker also was the leader of the 1936 Cadillac monobloc
Monobloc engine
A monobloc or en bloc engine is an internal-combustion piston engine where some of the major components: cylinder head, cylinder block, or crankcase are formed, usually by casting, as a single integral unit, rather than being assembled later...
V-8 development with John E "Jack" Gordon also in the later stages. This new V-8 was so smooth and powerful it rendered the V-12 obsolete. Therefore the V-12 was dropped from production after the 1937 model year.
Hydramatic transmission
Nacker was also part of the team of engineers that developed the General MotorsGeneral 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...
Hydramatic
Hydramatic
Hydramatic was an automatic transmission developed by both General Motors' Cadillac and Oldsmobile divisions. Introduced in 1939 for the 1940 model year vehicles, the Hydramatic was the first fully automatic mass-produced transmission developed for passenger automobile use.-History:During the...
automatic transmission.
Both the Cadillac V-8 and Hydramatic transmission were used in the M5 version of the Stuart tank
Stuart tank
The M3 Stuart, formally Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II and supplied to British and Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war—and used thereafter by U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Family
Owen Milton Nacker was the son of Harmon Nacker (September 30, 1857 in Dearborn, MichiganDearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
– November 17, 1913 in Milford, Michigan
Milford, Michigan
Milford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,175 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Milford Township.- Geography :...
) and Dora Law (June 24, 1864 – Jun 28, 1918 in Highland, Michigan). They were married on November 22, 1882. Owen married Pearl Leonard (March 18, 1887 in Novi, Michigan
Novi, Michigan
Novi is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,224, an increase over the 2000 census count of 47,386. The city is located approximately northwest of the center of Detroit, and northeast of the center of Ann Arbor. The city is located...
– January 29, 1979) on November 23, 1904 in Highland, Michigan.