Engine identification

[Honky Kong jr]

There's something else that's unique about them that's different to any other V8.

The lack of a combustion chamber in the head maybe?

 

[74 Shortbed]

The lack of a combustion chamber in the head maybe?

Yeah, but I think everyone knows that.

 

[QBuff02]

The "W" engine appeared..

409 came out in 60-ish..?

 

[Honky Kong jr]

You wouldn’t want that powerglide the heavy cast iron bitch.

 

[QBuff02]

409 came out in 60-ish..?

Duh.. I was like now i'm curious.. aaaaand a simple 2 second google search shows that it's predecessor, the 348 came out in '58.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Yeah, but I think everyone knows that.

Maybe not everyone

 

[RustyPile]

Who cares it’s a sexy bitch no matter why it’s called that.

The "W" wasn't an official designation.. It's a nick name that got applied to it because of the valve cover shape.. It originally appeared in the Chevrolet large (one ton and up) trucks in late '57.. The valves don't run in a straight line.. the exhausts are near the bottom edge, two in the middle and one at each end.. the valve covers have that "W" shape in order to wrap around the valves..

Something else that's unique to the "W" engine.. The combustion chambers aren't in the heads.. The heads are flat similar to the heads on the funky "diesel conversion" Oldsmobile engine of the '80s.. The deck on the "W" engine is cast and milled at a distinct angle.. This forms a wedge shaped hollow area above the piston.. The "W" was also the first angle plug engine produced by Chevrolet..

The displacement was 348 cu. in. during the first few years. In 1961, the displacement was upped to 409.. For a couple years, Chevrolet "special built" a very few "W" engines for their factory backed race teams.. It was dubbed "mystery engine" because of all the secrecy surrounding it.. Oh --- the displacement was ..........(drum roll please).............. 396.......

 

[Honky Kong jr]

The "W" wasn't an official designation.. It's a nick name that got applied to it because of the valve cover shape.. It originally appeared in the Chevrolet large (one ton and up) trucks in late '57.. The valves don't run in a straight line.. the exhausts are near the bottom edge, two in the middle and one at each end.. the valve covers have that "W" shape in order to wrap around the valves..

Something else that's unique to the "W" engine.. The combustion chambers aren't in the heads.. The heads are flat similar to the heads on the funky "diesel conversion" Oldsmobile engine of the '80s.. The deck on the "W" engine is cast and milled at a distinct angle.. This forms a wedge shaped hollow area above the piston.. The "W" was also the first angle plug engine produced by Chevrolet..

The displacement was 348 cu. in. during the first few years. In 1961, the displacement was upped to 409.. For a couple years, Chevrolet "special built" a very few "W" engines for their factory backed race teams.. It was dubbed "mystery engine" because of all the secrecy surrounding it.. Oh --- the displacement was ..........(drum roll please).............. 396.......

Don’t forget the limited run of 427 for racing then ther was the predisessor to the 396 the 427 Mystery engine used in nascar which was where the porcupine valve arrangement first appeared and into the 396 production engine

 

[RustyPile]

Who cares it’s a sexy bitch no matter why it’s called that.

That's a 1961 heater delete Biscayne. 62 was the first year for alternators.. It's either a tribute race car or possibly the real deal.. Being as it's white, it could very well be Hayden Profitt's Super Stock car.. He was The Man in Super Stock during those days.

 

[RustyPile]

Don’t forget the limited run of 427 for racing then ther was the predisessor to the 396 the 427 Mystery engine used in nascar which was where the porcupine valve arrangement first appeared and into the 396 production engine

The ORIGINAL mystery engine was the "W" 396. It appeared only one full season, and was available to factory backed teams only. In 1964, NASCAR changed the engine rules and stated no more "limited to race only engines" would be allowed.. Factories must produce at least 500 copies and make them available to the general public. They also changed the engine displacement from 400 cu. in. with allowances for "bore clean up" to the international metric designation 7 litre.. Thus -- the 427 in it's present form was born.... Because of all the secrecy surrounding racing programs in those days (especially NASCAR), the "mystery" tag carried over to the 427..

 

[RustyPile]

In 1962, I put a 327 in my '55 Chevy 150 2dr sedan.. Although I did some drag racing with it, the car wasn't a full blown race car.. But it was one wicked drag slick wearing, no mufflers and bumpers, street car.. One of my co-workers, in an attempt to "unseat" me as the top dog, bought a new 1962 348 engined Biscayne.. Try as he might, he never was able to out run my little '55..

The 348 was a good engine that responded well to performance mods, but it's bigger brother the 409 was a BEAST for it's day... During their production runs, there were no midsized cars and only a smattering of compacts.. These engines were only put in the full sized yard barges. The Biscaynes, Bel Airs, and Impalas were full sized 4,000 lb behemoths.. All the same platforms, the only difference was the trim level.. With a "w" under the hood, those cars were nothing short of sumbitch...And like Donkey **** said -- dressed out, they were bitchin' to look at...

 

[Honky Kong jr]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.hotr...427-mystery-motor-built-by-smokey-yunick/amp/

 

[RustyPile]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.hotr...427-mystery-motor-built-by-smokey-yunick/amp/

A cut and paste from that article--- "Chevy built both a 409 Mark II, and a 427 Mark IIs, with the “S” standing for stroked. Among its many test bed purposes was evaluating the use of screw in rocker studs."

That article is a Hot Rod Magazine article.. HRM is worse than CNN about ****** up facts. The big three car manufacturers were heavily involved with many forms of racing.. Their "creations" were often placed into the hands of big time racers for evaluation.. Many of those "creations" never saw a racetrack, much less a race car. In those days, Mickey Thompson and Smokey Yunick were just 2 of those racers...

The "W" 409 didn't lend itself very well to large increases in displacement.. For reference, we'll refer to it as the "MKI.. At that time, Ford was kicking Chevy's butt.. Chevrolet HAD to do something.. A new block and heads were cast and the 409 MKII was born.. "OH!! Another mystery engine from Chevrolet!!" was the new rumor.. Enter NASCAR's new engine displacement rule and the 409 MKII was stroked to 427.. As I stated - the original mystery engine was the "W" 396.. I looked up to Smokey back in those days, but something everybody needs to know about the man.. He was famous for stretching the rules.. he would figure out what areas the NASCAR tech crews were checking, and then he'd do his "rules stretching" in other areas. . Today, that's known as cheating.. The 427s weren't legal until after the rules change I spoke of in a previous post. I said 1964, but it could very well have been in 1963. Because of all the secrecy, a new rumor was started at every race.. A lot of those rumors were started by Smokey himself just to throw off the competition and draw scrutiny away from himself..

While we're on the subject of Smokey, read about the Chevelle he built for the Daytona 500..

 

[twinturbo427]

Its all just wall decoration unless you have something to put it on.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Its all just wall decoration unless you have something to put it on.

You must be registered for see images attach

Pretty decorations tho