| Manufacturer | Buick |
|---|---|
| Production | 1931–1953 |
| Predecessor | Buick Straight-6 engine |
| Successor | Buick Nailhead V8 |
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.
| Production | Engine | Displacement | Bore x Stroke |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 221 | 220.7 cu in (3,617 cc) | 2.8750" X 4.2500" ( 72.1625 x 106.6750 mm ) |
| 1931–1933 | 273 | 272.6 cu in (4,467 cc) | 3.0625" X 4.6250" ( 76.8688 x 116.0875 mm ) |
| 1931–1935 | 345 | 344.7 cu in (5,649 cc) | 3.3125" X 5.0000" ( 83.1438 x 125.5000 mm ) |
| 1932–1933 | 230 | 230.4 cu in (3,776 cc) | 2.9375" X 4.2500" ( 73.7313 x 106.6750 mm ) |
| 1934–1935 | 235 | 235.4 cu in (3,858 cc) | 2.9688" X 4.2500" ( 74.5156 x 106.6750 mm ) |
| 1934–1935 | 278 | 278.1 cu in (4,557 cc) | 3.0938" X 4.6250" ( 77.6531 x 116.0875 mm ) |
| 1934–1936 | 233 | 233.0 cu in (3,818 cc) | 3.0938" X 3.8750" ( 77.6531 x 97.2625 mm ) |
| 1936–1952 | 320 | 320.2 cu in (5,247 cc) | 3.4375" X 4.3125" ( 86.2813 x 108.2438 mm ) |
| 1937–1950 | 248 | 248.1 cu in (4,066 cc) | 3.0938" X 4.1250" ( 77.6544 x 103.5375 mm ) |
| 1950–1953 | 263 | 263.3 cu in (4,315 cc) | 3.1875" X 4.1250" ( 80.0063 x 103.5375 mm ) |
| source: Carnut.com[1] | |||
1952 Production Engines and Ratings
| Series | Engine | Displacement | Bore x Stroke | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 263 | 260.3 cu in (4,266 cc) | 3 3⁄16" X 4 1⁄8" (80.9625 x 104.775 mm) |
120 hp (89 kW)@3600 rpm |
| 50 | 263 | 260.3 cu in (4,266 cc) | 3 3⁄16" X 4 1⁄8" (80.9625 x 104.775 mm) |
124 hp (92 kW)@3600 rpm |
| 70 | 320 | 320.2 cu in (5,247 cc) | 3 7⁄16"X 4 5⁄16" (87.3125 x 109.5375 mm) |
168 hp (125 kW)@3800 rpm |
| Note: The 320 has a head length of 34 1⁄2" while the smaller engines are 31 1⁄4" long. | ||||
| source: 1952 Buick service manual[2] | ||||