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56-401: In the mid to late 1920s a number of luxury car manufacturers began work developing extravagant V-configuration engines, with more cylinders delivering more and smoother power than the then upper-end straight-8 and V-8 engines being produced. Not to be outdone, Cadillac began work on an engine to top all others, a V-16 , and a V-12 derived from it to place the company on equal footing with

112-429: A Vee engine , is a common configuration for internal combustion engines . It consists of two cylinder banks —usually with the same number of cylinders in each bank—connected to a common crankshaft . These cylinder banks are arranged at an angle to each other, so that the banks form a "V" shape when viewed from the front of the engine. V engines typically have a shorter length than equivalent inline engines , however

168-438: A V-angle of 180 degrees (the same angle as a flat engine ), such as several Ferrari V12 engines. At the other end of the scale, the 1922-1976 Lancia V4 engine and the 1991–present Volkswagen VR6 engine use V-angles as small as 10 degrees, along with a single cylinder head used by both banks of cylinders. The engine balance of a V12 engine is that of perfect primary and secondary balance. For V engines with fewer cylinders,

224-748: A laundry list of items to be included in the Allanté and updated Eldorado and Seville STS , including sophisticated steering, braking, and suspension technologies, and an engine exclusive to "Cadillac" the Division's dealers were clamoring for. This group of features became known as the Northstar System . Central to it was a high-tech V8 with the performance and sophistication to compete with an ever-expanding list of imported challengers. Capable of producing 300 hp (224 kW) out of its 4.6 L; 278.6 cu in (4,565 cc) displacement,

280-591: A mere 363 for the V-16. The appearance of the 1932 Series 370B benefited from a radiator shell that flared on the top, more flaring fenders and curved running boards. Mechanical changes included a stiffer frame, and a Cuno self-cleaning oil filter mounted at the right hand side of the clutch housing. Dual Detroit Lubricator carburetors were used in place of the Cadillac/Johnson carburetors that had been standard equipment on Cadillacs for 20 years. Largely thanks to

336-668: A tuned intake system. Most LD8 Northstars are rated at 275 hp (205 kW) and 300 lb⋅ft (407 N⋅m). The 4.6 L; 278.6 cu in (4,565 cc) Northstar was designed originally for transverse front-wheel drive applications. It was modified substantially in 2004 for longitudinal rear- and all-wheel drive use in the STS , SRX , and XLR , as well as receiving continuously variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust sides. The RWD ( LH2 ) Northstar produces 320 hp (239 kW) and 315 lb⋅ft (427 N⋅m). The addition of variable valve timing enables most of

392-479: A waste spark setup. The powertrain control module (PCM) controlled spark and fuel injection timing as well as the shift points for the new four-speed, transverse GM 4T80 transmission . All engines of this family share the same Northstar bellhousing pattern . One notable feature advertised at the time was the "limp home" fail-safe mode, which allowed the engine to continue running for a limited time without any coolant. Supplying fuel to only one cylinder bank in turn,

448-480: Is 89.5 mm × 92 mm (3.52 in × 3.62 in). It was also one of GM's first engines to use coil-on-plug ignition. Compression ratio is 9.3:1. The cost of building this engine was high, and it was not used in many vehicles. It was said at the time that a family of premium V6s would follow, with displacements ranging from 3.3 L to 3.7 L, but only the LX5 was ever produced before GM discontinued

504-488: Is a transverse V8 for front-wheel drive cars. Introduced in 1994, it is designed to provide more torque than the high-revving L37 . The LD8 code had been used on all torque-tuned transverse Northstars, even as the exact engine specifications evolved. Compression ratio is 10.3:1 for engines built prior to model year 2000, and 10.0:1 for those built afterwards. The 1998 revision is quieter than previous Northstar engines, due to hydraulic engine mounts, and performs better due to

560-426: Is a liquid-cooled alternator. Although this was intended to prolong alternator life, GM reverted to a traditional air-cooled setup for 2001 to eliminate potential leak points and extraneous tubing. Later developments included direct coil-on-plug ignition, roller lifters, and variable valve timing , which can vary intake by up to 40° and the exhaust by up to 50°. VVT was devised for the longitudinal LH2 version, and

616-534: The Aurora L47 V8 and "Shortstar" LX5 V6 ), as well as in several top-end 2000s Pontiacs and Buicks . The related Northstar System was Cadillac's trademarked name for a package of performance features introduced in mid-1992 that coupled the 4T80E transmission, a 100,000 mile service interval, road sensing suspension, variable power steering, and 4-wheel disc brakes to the Division's high-output and high-torque Northstar engines. GM ceased production of

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672-547: The Escalade , but economics and new CAFE standards killed the idea. Most Northstar engines produce 275 to 300 hp (205 to 224 kW), with power reaching as high as 469 hp (350 kW) in the supercharged LC3 . The engines were revised for 2000 with coil-on-plug ignition and roller follower valvegear for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. Though power output did not change, this update made premium fuel merely recommended, rather than required. All but

728-471: The Lancia V6 engine . This V6 engine used a 60-degree V angle and separate crankpins for each cylinder, to reduce the vibration issues experienced by earlier attempts at production V6 engines. Compared with an equivalent inline engine (the most common configuration for engines with less than six cylinders), a V engine has a shorter length but is wider. This effect increases with the number of cylinders in

784-667: The Shortstar . Although it has a 90° V-angle like the Northstar, the engine block was engineered from scratch, so bore centers are different. It has chain-driven dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, but is an even-firing design with a split-pin crankshaft similar to the Buick 3800 engine . The LX5 displaced 3.5 L; 211.9 cu in (3,473 cc) and produced 215 hp (160 kW) at 5,600 rpm and 234 lb⋅ft (317 N⋅m) at 4,400 rpm. Bore and stroke

840-449: The 1935 Daimler-Benz DB 601 V12 engines. It is common practice for V engines to be described with "V # " notation, where # represents the number of cylinders. Configurations of V engines which have reached production are as follows: Northstar engine series The Northstar engine is a family of high-performance 90° V engines produced by General Motors between 1993 and 2011. Regarded as GM's most technically complex engine,

896-628: The 4.0 L; 243.8 cu in (3,995 cc) L47 V8 Northstar variant was used in the Oldsmobile Aurora the 3.5L LX5 V6 in the Oldsmobile Intrigue and Oldsmobile Shelby Series 1. The LH2 engine variant received a forged steel crankshaft in October 2003. The LD8 and L37 variants received a forged crankshaft for the 2006 model year. Cadillac had planned to introduce a V12 Northstar this decade, likely for use in

952-471: The Cadillac V-16, but it joined a select group of 1930s cars with multicylinder engines, namely those manufactured by Auburn , Franklin , Hispano-Suiza , Horch , Lagonda , Maybach , Packard , Pierce-Arrow , Rolls-Royce , Tatra , Voisin , Walter , Marmon and Lincoln . Moreover, thanks to its lower price, it immediately outsold the Cadillac V-16 with 5,733 sold in the 1931 model year, versus

1008-523: The Deville DTS, were fitted with the 300 hp (224 kW) version. The original Northstar Allanté also introduced the Northstar System which included traction control , adaptive suspension , and antilock brakes . Early Northstar required premium grade gasoline to run safely. The Northstar was sold exclusively by that name by Cadillac for over a decade before being introduced in the 2004-2005 Pontiac Bonneville and 2006 Buick Lucerne . However,

1064-554: The Northstar engine included the 4.6L 320 hp (239 kW) and 315 lb⋅ft (427 N⋅m) LH2 which began in 2004, and supercharged 4.4L {{cvt|469|hp|kW|0} LC3 created for the STS-V which are detailed below. The 4.6 L; 278.6 cu in (4,565 cc) L37 ( VIN "9") was the original Northstar. It is tuned for responsiveness and power, while the later LD8 is designed for more sedate use. The L37 code had been used on all high-output transverse Northstars, even as

1120-473: The Northstar featured a cast aluminum 90° V8 block with 4 in (101.6 mm) bore spacing split into unitary upper and lower halves. The lower crankcase assembly supported the crankshaft without conventional main bearing caps. An oil manifold plate with an integrated silicone gasket forms the oil gallery under this. A typical oil change used 7.5–8 US qt (7.1–7.6 L; 6.2–6.7 imp qt) of oil. GM specified cast-iron cylinder liners and

1176-573: The Northstar in 2011. The final cars to receive it, the Cadillac DTS , Buick Lucerne , and Cadillac STS , rolled off the line in 2011. It was replaced by the GM LS small-block OHV engine , used in newer Cadillac V8 models like the CTS-V , marking a step back to a simpler, more reliable pushrod engine design. These LS V8 engines were the only V8 engines used by Cadillac for the next eight years, until

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1232-655: The Shortstar in favor of their current flagship V6, the High Feature engine , in 2004. The LX5 was entirely different from any other V6 in the GM inventory - the only other DOHC V6 engines ever offered by GM included the Chevrolet Twin Dual Cam produced from 1991-1997, which was made by modifying the traditional Chevy 60-degree OHV block V6 for the dual overhead cams rather than building a DOHC engine from

1288-599: The V-16's 148 in (3,759 mm), but it offered a similar choice of Fisher and Fleetwood semi-custom bodies. It was difficult to tell a Cadillac V-12 from a Cadillac V-16 unless you were close enough to read the figure "12" mounted on the headlight tie bar, but the hood was four inches (102 mm) shorter, and the headlights and horns smaller than a V-16's. More significantly, the V-12 cost about $ 2,000 less for each bodystyle, starting at $ 3,795 ($ 76,033 in 2023 dollars ). The Cadillac V-12 might have been lower in prestige than

1344-509: The XLR-V engine produces 443 hp (330 kW) at 6400 rpm and 414 lb⋅ft (561 N⋅m) at 3900 rpm. The L47 Aurora engine was a special V8 designed for the Oldsmobile Aurora , based on the Northstar engine, used during the 1995-1999 and 2001-2003 model years. It is a DOHC 4.0 L; 243.8 cu in (3,995 cc) V8 which produced 250 hp (186 kW) and 260 lb⋅ft (353 N⋅m) of torque. The bore and stroke

1400-423: The cast aluminum pistons included valve clearance. Northstar is an interference engine : the valves will strike the pistons if they lose timing. It has bronze piston pin bushings and free-floating piston pins. GM used cast aluminum cylinder heads featuring 4 valves per cylinder. The heads used dual overhead cams driven through the "maintenance-free" cam-drive chain case. The cams act directly on hydraulic lifters on

1456-425: The clean sheet Blackwing V8 was introduced in 2018 in the 2019 Cadillac CT6-V . A Cadillac-exclusive, it was discontinued after just two years in early 2020. GM initiated what ultimately became the Northstar's design at Oldsmobile R&D some time in 1984 in anticipation of the advanced dual overhead cam V8 engines to be introduced by European and Japanese competitors later in the decade. At that time, Cadillac

1512-420: The deepening Great Depression sales plunged to 1740 units. Styling changes to the 1933 Series 370C included a V-shaped grill that blended into the painted radiator shell, a radiator cap hidden under the hood, and skirts on the front and rear fenders for a more streamlined look. Fisher no-draft individually controlled vent windows were a new standard feature. Sales fell further to 953 cars. The 1934 Series 370D

1568-414: The ends of the valves and are fed with a lubrication passage drilled through the cylinder head lengthwise. The intake valves are inclined at 25°, while the exhaust valves are canted to 7° with center-mounted platinum-tipped spark plugs. The cam covers are magnesium for light weight and sound damping. Sequential fuel injection was delivered via eight thermoplastic tubes. Ignition was distributorless , with

1624-412: The engine balance will depend on factors such as the firing interval, crankshaft counterweights and whether balance shafts are present. The crankpins on a V engine are usually shared by two cylinders from opposing banks, with an offset between the two cylinders. Alternative configurations are separate crankpins per cylinder (such as several V-twin engines) or articulated connecting rods (for example,

1680-477: The engine would "air cool" the inactive bank. This technique, combined with its all-aluminum construction and large oil capacity, allows the engine to maintain safe temperatures, allowing a Northstar-equipped car to be driven with no coolant for about 100 mi (161 km) without damage. Another unusual feature of some heavily electronic-laden Northstar-equipped cars such as the Seville , DeVille , and Eldorado

1736-430: The engine would eventually cause these bolts to weaken and loosen in their threads, rupturing the seal and in turn blowing the head gasket. The Northstar System was Cadillac 's trademarked name for a package of automobile performance features introduced in mid-1992 on the 1993 Cadillac Allanté and later on the 1993 Seville and Eldorado . The Northstar System included the following components: Later versions of

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1792-416: The engine; the length difference between V-twin and straight-twin engines might be insignificant, however V8 engines have a significantly smaller length than straight engines. Compared with the less common flat engine , a V engine is narrower, taller and has a higher center of mass . The "V-angle" (or "included angle") between the cylinder banks varies significantly between engines. Some engines have used

1848-455: The exact engine specifications evolved. The compression ratio for the L37 is 10.3:1 for engines built prior to 2000, and 10.0:1 afterwards. The original L37 was specified at 290 hp (216 kW), but 1993 production examples were rated at 295 hp (220 kW). The engine topped out at 300 hp (224 kW) from 1996 through 2004 on the STS , DTS and ETC models, making these some of

1904-478: The few manufacturers producing one. Larry Fisher, Cadillac General Manager, leaked to the press information about the V-12, hoping to keep the V-16 a secret. Owen Nacker , who designed the 45-degree overhead valve Cadillac V-16 engine , also designed the V-12 derived from it. The latter was essentially a truncated V-16, which retained the V-16's 4" stroke but was bored out to 3.125" from 3". The 45-degree bank angle

1960-462: The fully working Cadillac Solitaire concept in 1989, equipped with a Lotus-designed 6.6 liter DOHC 48-valve V-12 with multiport fuel injection. A Northstar -based V-12 was featured in the Cadillac Cien concept car of 2001, and tested by Cadillac engineers as an engine for a Cadillac Escalade with somewhat improved performance. An AutoWeek report in 2007 claimed a V-12 in the design phase

2016-602: The ground up, and the Cadillac/Holden HFV6 available from 2004 to the present day. These three designs are completely unrelated and leave two gaps in 1998 and 2003 where no DOHC V6 was available from GM (except for the 54 degree Opel V6 used most notably in the first generation Cadillac CTS at launch as well as the Saturn L Series and Catera). This contrasts starkly with competitors practices of evolving engineering over multiple, continuously improving designs. As with

2072-488: The increase in power from the L37 and LD8 Northstars. A 4.4 L; 266.7 cu in (4,371 cc) supercharged Northstar was used in the 2006 Cadillac STS-V and Cadillac XLR-V . The bore was reduced for increased strength and improved head gasket sealing. Variable valve timing is used on both the intake and exhaust sides. The STS-V engine produces 469 hp (350 kW) at 6400 rpm and 439 lb⋅ft (595 N⋅m) at 3900 rpm with 9.0:1 compression and

2128-427: The most powerful domestic front wheel drive cars ever built. For 2005 the high output Northstar became Northstar NHP, and was downrated to 290 hp (216 kW) under the new SAE certified horsepower rating system. In 2006, the updated DTS "Performance Package" model got a slight bump to 292 hp (218 kW). Vehicles using the L37 include: The 4.6 L; 278.6 cu in (4,565 cc) LD8 (VIN "Y")

2184-455: The original double overhead cam , four valve per cylinder, aluminum block/aluminum head V8 design was developed by Oldsmobile R&D, but is most associated with Cadillac 's Northstar series. Displacing 4.6 L; 278.6 cu in (4,565 cc) in its basic form, the direct family line transitioned to longitudinal and 4.4 L; 266.7 cu in (4,371 cc) supercharged versions. Variants were used at Oldsmobile (as

2240-710: The retirement of Oldsmobile in 2004. The LX5 is a DOHC V6 from Oldsmobile , introduced in 1999 with the Intrigue . It was produced by the Premium engine group at GM and was thus called the Premium V6, or PV6, while it was being developed. It is based on the L47 Aurora V8, which is itself based on the Northstar engine, so engineers called it the Short North, though Oldsmobile fans have taken to calling it

2296-452: The starter from engaging if the quiet L47 was already running. An early version or prototype of this engine was used in the 2nd generation Oldsmobile Aerotech . A highly modified 650 hp (485 kW) version of this engine was used by General Motors racing division initially for IMSA sports car competition in an Oldsmobile Aurora GTS-1 and Riley&Scott LMP prototypes in 1995, Indy Racing League competition starting in 1997, then

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2352-486: The such as the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero engine). Some airplanes of the 1920s and 1930s used inverted engines , whereby the crankshaft is located at the top of the engine and the cylinder heads are at the bottom. Advantages include better visibility in a single-engined airplane, a higher thrust line, and resultant increased ground clearance for the propeller. Examples include the 1928 Argus As 10 V8 engine and

2408-494: The supercharged Northstars displaced 4.6 L; 278.6 cu in (4,565 cc) with a 93 mm × 84 mm (3.66 in × 3.31 in) bore and stroke. For better head gasket sealing between cylinders, the supercharged version is de-bored to 91 mm (3.58 in) for a total displacement of 4.4 L; 266.7 cu in (4,371 cc). The block is believed to be capable of expansion up to 5.4 L, though no such engine has been produced. The Northstar

2464-523: The trade-off is a larger width. V6 , V8 and V12 engines are the most common layout for automobile engines with 6, 8 or 12 cylinders respectively. The first V engine, a two-cylinder V-twin, was designed by Wilhelm Maybach and used in the 1889 Daimler Stahlradwagen automobile. The first V8 engine was produced in 1903, in the form of the Antoinette engine designed by Léon Levavasseur for racing boats and airplanes . The first V12 engine

2520-510: The whole car sat approximately 2 inches (51 mm) lower. Significant mechanical advancements included dual X-frame chassis construction, " Knee-Action " front coil spring suspension that greatly reduced unsprung weight and Hotchkiss steering. The 1935 Series 370E saw the addition of the Fisher Turret Top on Fisher bodied cars and an increase in horsepower to 150. Sales over the two years combined totaled only 1098. The Cadillac V-12

2576-558: Was 87 mm × 84 mm (3.43 in × 3.31 in). The L47 had a 10.3:1 compression ratio and used premium fuel. Although most of the Northstar's features, including the coolant loss system, remained intact, the decreased bore increased weight unacceptably. To reduce it, Oldsmobile used a one-piece glass-filled thermoplastic intake manifold and simplified AC Rochester sequential fuel injection. A new die-cast structural aluminum oil pan incorporated baffling to reduce oil starvation in hard driving. A starter interlock prevented

2632-564: Was discontinued at the end of 1937. As part of the General Motors V-Future program, Cadillac had an overhead cam V-12 slated for production in the late 1960s. The program led to a fiberglass mockup of a V-12 powered Eldorado coupe that remained hidden from public view until an article appeared in Special Interest Autos in 1984. Reports of new V-12 developments reappeared in the late 1980s. Cadillac showed

2688-680: Was later used in the Cadillac Northstar LMP program in 2000. Both engines retained the 4.0 L displacement, but the Northstar LMP version was twin-turbocharged. The Aurora was also used in the Shelby Series 1 car. In the inaugural DTM season , Opel would debut their Astra with a V8 derived from the L47. The Aurora engine was introduced in 1994 for the 1995 model year, and General Motors has not used this engine since

2744-589: Was less ideal than a 60 degree design. The V-12 was less powerful than the V-16, generating 135 versus 175 horsepower. Both engines featured overhead valves in the first generation. The 1931 Model 370A V-12 was introduced in October 1930. A V-12 roadster was used as the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 . The Cadillac V-12 had a shorter wheelbase than the Cadillac V-16 , with a choice of 140 in (3,556 mm) or 143 in (3,632 mm), compared to

2800-580: Was not used on the transverse front wheel drive engines due to packaging considerations. The engine was introduced in mid-1992 in the 1993 Cadillac Allanté ; in 1996 the Northstar became the standard engine on all Cadillacs except the Fleetwood, but is now phased out of all Cadillac models. The 275 hp (205 kW) Northstar engine was used on all Northstar equipped Cadillacs while the Deville Concours, Eldorado ETC, Seville STS, and in 2000

2856-475: Was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 1995, 1996, and 1997. The 4.6L V8 engine found in models from 1995-2005 were notorious for failure due to a design flaw involving the use of torque-to-yield bolts in the head gasket . Essentially, these type of bolts are stretched beyond their elasticity upon installation, ultimately increasing wear and fatigue on the bolt and decreasing its service life. The high load of

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2912-631: Was produced the following year by Putney Motor Works in London , again for use in racing boats. The first V6 engine to reach production appeared soon after in 1908, by the Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik in Germany for use as a generator for gasoline-electric railway engines . However, it was not until 1950 that the V6 engine was used in series production automobiles, with the first example being

2968-498: Was renamed the Series 80 and 85 in 1936. The Series 80 and 85 featured a 131-inch and 138-inch wheelbase respectively. All V-12s were then Fleetwood bodied and had Turret Tops. A total of 901 V-12s were sold in 1936. In 1937 the Series 80 was dropped leaving only the long wheelbase Series 85. The only significant mechanical changes were the adoption of an oil-bath air cleaner and a pressure radiator cap. Sales were only 478. The Series 85

3024-414: Was restyled yet again but this time was mounted on a completely new chassis. The radiator grill slanted rearward with a central bar and five horizontal sections, the windshield sloped even more rearward, headlights were enclosed in new teardrop housings mounted on streamlined supports, the horns joined the radiator cap under the hood, the spare tire was concealed under a new beaver tail deck on most models and

3080-480: Was to be based on the High Feature V6 . The Cadillac Sixteen concept utilized an all-aluminium pushrod V-16 engine based on the same architecture as GM's then-current small-block V-8 developments. A production version with a base V-8 and the option of the V-12 engine was planned, but was never approved for production and was ultimately shelved around 2008. V engine A V engine , sometimes called

3136-508: Was using the aluminum HT Overhead Valve (OHV) V8 which GM pushed hastily into production because the CAFE standards for 1982 would preempt using 1981's V8-6-4 . At the time it was GM's corporate policy not to pass the gas guzzler tax on to the consumer. Cadillac was developing new models which they hoped would compete against the best luxury cars from BMW , Mercedes-Benz , and Asian rivals like Lexus , Acura , and Infiniti . GM developed

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