The W43: Oldsmobile's DOHC 455 V8 that never was

[Stéphane Dumas]

I spotted an article about the aborted Oldsmobile 455 DOHC V8
http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/th...hat-never-was/

[asrapid1]

I spotted an article about the aborted Oldsmobile 455 DOHC V8
http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/th...hat-never-was/

Nice
It seems GM experimented a lot with some kind of SOHC/DOHC v8 in those days..
There was also a Pontiac OHC v8
http://www.wallaceracing.com/ohc-v8-cover.html
There was even a sohc, and a DOHC v12 in cards (from mid 60's up to last XV12).
But after 2008 and cancelation of ultra v8 i think there is little or no hope of seeing any engine bigger than v6 carrying DOHC/SOHC heads from GM.

[MrCritical]

"emissions concerns ensured that the W43 would not see fruition."

4 valve heads wouldn't have been cleaner burning?

[MCGARRETT]

NASCAR too, which has held back technology on purpose. They outlawed anything but pushrods in the early 70's.

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

oh my god, it would be like the Iron Duke times a hundred

[F14CRAZY]

oh my god, it would be like the Iron Duke times a hundred

I don't think these gears were plastic

[nota]

Nice
It seems GM experimented a lot with some kind of SOHC/DOHC v8 in those days..

There was also a Pontiac SOHC v8
http://www.wallaceracing.com/ohc-v8-cover.html

There was even a sohc, and a DOHC v12 in cards (from mid 60's up to last XV12).
But after 2008 and cancelation of ultra v8 i think there is little or no hope of seeing any engine bigger than v6 carrying DOHC/SOHC heads from GM.

Here's the Brabham-Pontiac OHC Trans-Am engine (2 made)
http://www.wallaceracing.com/303-mystery-engine-1.html

Btw from ex-Repco engineers involved, a figure of 450 hp on their dyno, but not mentioned in this article.

[prowlerjc]

"emissions concerns ensured that the W43 would not see fruition."

4 valve heads wouldn't have been cleaner burning?

The problem was the engineers could really only afford to put time towards getting stuff already in production emissions legal. They couldn't justify the expense of emissions certifying such a niche engine.

[skylark68]

The problem was the engineers could really only afford to put time towards getting stuff already in production emissions legal. They couldn't justify the expense of emissions certifying such a niche engine.

It seems to me that instead of trying to just detune all the current V8s that GM was building they should have really explored other options like a DOHC Olds or just have developed a clean slate V8 with a mind to cleaner burning instead of all out power. A more mild version could have easily gone into the 98's and maybe we wouldn't have lost big V8s as fast as we did in the '70s.

[prowlerjc]

It seems to me that instead of trying to just detune all the current V8s that GM was building they should have really explored other options like a DOHC Olds or just have developed a clean slate V8 with a mind to cleaner burning instead of all out power. A more mild version could have easily gone into the 98's and maybe we wouldn't have lost big V8s as fast as we did in the '70s.

They didn't have the money and the luxury of time. Remeber that there wass a triple whammy of safety regs, emissions regs, and mileage regs that hit about the same time. And the emissions requirements (can't remember, maybe the CAFE, too) changed yearly.

[germeezy1]

One of my sayings is " I want it all big cubes, high revs, and multiple power adders " , and this engine fettled a bit would also match the other saying in my signature. GM had amazing engine programs from the Buick 215 aluminum that later became the Rover V8 to the Pontiac Sprint OHC six to the Corvair's flat six.