The term Cadillac V8 may refer to any of a number of V8 engines produced by the Cadillac division of General Motors since it pioneered the first such mass-produced engine in 1914.
99-415: Most commonly, such a reference is to one of the manufacturer's most successful, best known, or longest-lived 90° V8 engine series. These include the pioneering overhead valve 331 cu in (5.4 L) cu in introduced in 1949, made in three displacements up to 390 cu in (6.4 L); a 390 cu in (6.4 L) introduced in 1963 that grew to 429 cu in (7.0 L) ; and
198-468: A 472 cu in (7.7 L) introduced in 1968 and enlarged to 500 cu in (8.2 L). Also notable was the Northstar , which debuted in 1992 as a 4.6 litre, and was also produced in 4.4 L and 4.2 L versions. When the Northstar engine series ended production in 2010, it became the last General Motors division to retain its own proprietary V8 design. This changed when Cadillac created
297-547: A die-cast aluminum housing at the front of the engine for improved accessibility. An alternator replaced the former generator . The crankshaft was cored out to make it both lighter and stronger. The revised engine was 52 lb (24 kg) lighter than its predecessor, for a total dry weight of 595 lb (270 kg). The revised engine shared the same 4 in × 3.875 in (101.6 mm × 98.4 mm) bore and stroke of its predecessor, for an unchanged displacement of 390 cu in (6.4 L). Power
396-485: A LaSalle driven by Willard Rader, along with Gus Bell, on the track at the Milford Proving Grounds , achieved 952 miles (1,532 km), averaging 95.2 mph (153.2 km/h), with only seven minutes given over to refueling and tire changes. In comparison, the average speed at that year's Indianapolis 500 was 97.5 mph (156.9 km/h). The test at Milford would have continued, but a problem in
495-465: A camshaft, but were located in the engine block as with side-valve engines. The 1894 prototype Diesel engine used overhead poppet valves actuated by a camshaft , pushrods and rocker arms , therefore becoming the first OHV engines. In 1896, U.S. patent 563,140 was taken out by William F. Davis for an OHV engine with liquid coolant used to cool the cylinder head, but no working model was built. In 1898, bicycle manufacturer Walter Lorenzo Marr in
594-475: A comeback some 20 years later with modern computing power (and using oil pressure to deactivate the valves by collapsing the lifters), Cadillac's 1981 V8-6-4 proved to have insurmountable engineering problems. The main issue was that the Engine Control Module simply lacked the robustness, programming and processing speed to efficiently manage the cylinder-deactivation under all load conditions. In
693-559: A committee of three to supervise the development of the V12 Liberty aircraft motor , that later contributed to cross town rival Lincoln Motor Company introducing the Lincoln L series much later in 1917. The engine was refined for 1923 with a crossplane crankshaft that introduced the (now standard) 90° offset for each pair of cylinders which improved balance and smoothness. Power was up to 83.5 hp (62.3 kW). The L-head
792-577: A full array of semi-custom body styles, as it had in its first year, including a convertible sedan. Earl oversaw this redesign. The LaSalle emerged with a smooth-flowing design, its thin radiator flanked by a series of thin chrome slots. In its final year, sales of the LaSalle reached the second-highest level ever at 24,133. In addition to the Series 40-50, there was also the lower, wider Series 40-52 Special using General Motors' new "Torpedo"-style body . By
891-406: A junior Cadillac, but as something more agile and stylish. Influenced by the rakish Hispano-Suiza roadsters of the time, Earl's LaSalle emerged as a shorter, yet elegant, counterpoint to Cadillac's larger cars, unlike anything else built by an American automotive manufacturer. Built by Cadillac to its high standards but at a dedicated factory at Wyoming Road Assembly , the LaSalle soon emerged as
990-503: A loophole in the rules, the pushrod engine was allowed to use a larger displacement and higher boost pressure, significantly increasing its power output compared to the OHC engines used by other teams. Team Penske qualified in pole position and won the race by a large margin. In the early 21st century, several pushrod V8 engines from General Motors and Chrysler used cylinder deactivation to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. In 2008,
1089-642: A new 425 cu in (7.0 L) V8, based on the architecture of the 472, but with a smaller, 4.082 in (103.7 mm) bore and the same 4.06 in (103.1 mm) stroke. The new engine was also 100 lb (45 kg) lighter. The 425 was offered in L33 form, with a four-barrel carburetor, producing 180 hp (134 kW) at 4000 rpm and 320 lb⋅ft (434 N⋅m) of torque at 2000 rpm, and L35 with electronic multi-port fuel injection for 195 hp (145 kW) and 320 lb⋅ft (434 N⋅m) of torque, but peaked at 2400 rpm. The 425
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#17327755033481188-465: A set pattern, with design changes driven principally by engineering needs. For example, the Ford Model T evolved only slightly over its production run; A 1927 Model T was almost identical to a 1910 Model T, while GM made yearly appearance and model name changes across all brands starting in 1908. Earl, who had been hired by Cadillac's General Manager, Lawrence P. Fisher, conceived the LaSalle not as
1287-480: A subordinate model under the Cadillac brand, thus, to call them "Cadillac LaSalle" is improper. Eddie Murphy’s character bails out of a 1939 coupe during a car chase in the movie Harlem Nights. In the 1967 film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre , gangster Mike Heitler (played by Leo Gordon ) buys a used LaSalle for $ 750 (equivalent to about $ 12,000 in 2021), to be disguised as a Chicago police car for use in
1386-434: A trend-setting automobile. Earl was then placed in charge of overseeing the design of all of General Motors' vehicles. Earl's design even included a nod to the inspirational Hispano-Suiza H6 , with the marque's circled trademark "LaS" cast into the horizontal tie bar between the front lights. There were two wheelbase choices where Fisher offered eight selections while Fleetwood Metal Body offered four coachwork choices on
1485-481: A version with an increased displacement of 353 cu in (5.8 L). This used a 3.38 in × 4.94 in (85.9 mm × 125.5 mm) bore and stroke. This engine was used in the Cadillac Series 353 and Series 355 . A 322 cu in (5.3 L) " monobloc engine " was used in the 1936 Series 60 . It was designed to be the company's next-generation powerplant at reduced cost from
1584-401: Is carried by the rear bearing on the two GM engines. It has the lighter "skirtless" block where the oil pan flange does not descend appreciably below the crankshaft centerline and they both have a partial integral cast iron clutch housing that compares to the early Chrysler Hemi V8 design. 1955 331 engines went to a lighter "flat back" that bolted to a clutch and flywheel housing at the front of
1683-754: The Buick Lucerne CXS and a 292 hp (218 kW) NHP (Northstar High Output) version in the Buick Lucerne Super, produced from 2006 through 2011. The Lucerne shared its platform and the Detroit/Hamtramck assembly plant with the final generation of the Cadillac DTS. The 4.4 L; 266.7 cu in (4,371 cc) versions were all supercharged, exclusive to Cadillac's V-series. The STS-V engine, produces 469 hp (350 kW) and 439 lb⋅ft (595 N⋅m) under
1782-671: The Cadillac Series 61 , the Buick Century and Special , the Oldsmobile 70 , and the Pontiac Streamliner Torpedo . A third was a modified notchback design, derived from the fastback B-body, but described as " A-body -like", that was finally used by the Cadillac Series 63 . Any or all of these could have ended up being part of the next LaSalle line. However, it is widely believed that of the three,
1881-474: The Ford V8 was introduced with a standard equipment V8 displacing 221 cu in (3.6 L). Body style selections and a wide arrange of Duco automotive lacquer paint color selections, introduced by DuPont , was beginning to become commonplace. The 1932 LaSalle Series 345-B and 1933 Series 345-C followed the same pattern of appearance, engineering upgrades and ever growing options list. Beginning with
1980-550: The LaSalle straight-8 of 1934–1936 that originated from Oldsmobile actually was replaced with the 1936 smaller 322 cu in (5.3 L) version at 125 hp (93 kW). In 1941, the LaSalle nameplate was phased out along with the 322 cu in (5.3 L), and Cadillacs, all 346 cu in (5.7 L) powered, were available with the new Hydramatic automatic transmission which debuted in Oldsmobile
2079-500: The Marr ; however, use of this design was mostly limited to high-performance cars for many decades. OHC engines slowly became more common from the 1950s to the 1990s, and by the start of the 21st century, the majority of automotive engines (except for some North American V8 engines) used an OHC design. At the 1994 Indianapolis 500 motor race, Team Penske entered a car powered by the custom-built Mercedes-Benz 500I pushrod engine. Due to
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#17327755033482178-540: The Marr Auto-Car , with one of the first known engines to use an overhead camshaft design), the same year that Buick received a patent for an overhead valve engine design. In 1904, the world's first production OHV engine was released in the Buick Model B . The engine was a flat-twin design with two valves per cylinder. The engine was very successful for Buick, with the company selling 750 such cars in 1905, and
2277-921: The Seville SLS and Eldorado ESC . The Allanté , the Seville STS, and the Eldorado ETC had the 300 hp (224 kW) version of the Northstar. In 1994, the DeVille Concours received the 270 hp (201 kW) version of this engine. By 1996, the Northstar engine became standard equipment in the front-wheel-drive Cadillac line. The 275 hp (205 kW) engine was in the Seville SLS 1993–2004, Eldorado ESC 1993–2002, Standard Deville 1996–2005, Devile d'elegance 1997–1999, and Deville DHS 2000–2005. The 300 hp (224 kW) version
2376-610: The St. Valentine's Day Massacre . In the 1970s television show All in the Family , Archie and Edith Bunker sing, "Gee, our old LaSalle ran great" in the program's opening theme song, "Those Were the Days." Many could not understand the now-obscure reference, and the opening was re-recorded in future seasons with the word ‘LaSalle’ enunciated a little more clearly. In Season One, episode 21 of The Streets of San Francisco , Lew Ayres mentions
2475-572: The 125" wheelbase and six choices on the 134", while Fleetwood now provided two choices on the 125" and only one choice on the 134", that being the Transformable Town Cabriolet at US$ 4,900 ($ 86,947 in 2023 dollars ). The first engine upgrade to the LaSalle was introduced in 1929 with the Series 328, which had slight differences to the Cadillac V8 which was also upgraded. The Victoria and business coupe were replaced with
2574-436: The 1930 LaSalle and the 1928-1929 Cadillac Series 341 were essentially identical so the LaSalle was labeled as Series 340 while the 1930 Cadillac V8 was upgraded to Series 353. In an attempt to further add exclusivity, Fleetwood convertible coachwork selections were further distinguished by the descriptions "Fleetcliffe", "Fleetlands", "Fleetway" and "Fleetwind" which didn't continue for 1931. The next vehicle choice offered by GM
2673-586: The 1934 model year, a significant portion of the LaSalle, now called the Series 50 Model 350, was more closely related to the Oldsmobile L-Series , Buick Series 40 and Buick Series 50 while sharing an appearance with the senior Cadillac Series 355s . This was marked by a shift to the Oldsmobile- and Buick-based B platform . Again, Earl 's work with the LaSalle resulted in a graceful vehicle, led by an elegantly thin grille that now concealed
2772-600: The 2013 Best Article of the Year Award from the Motor Press Guild for his Automobile magazine article, "GM's Road Not Taken" about the La Salle II Roadster . The LaSalle name was raised again when Cadillac was developing a new small luxury sedan, but it was passed over in favor of Cadillac Seville . Early mockups of what was to become the 1963 Buick Riviera were badged "LaSalle II," as
2871-441: The 353 and Cadillac V12 . The monobloc's cylinders and crankcase were cast as a single unit, and it used hydraulic valve lifters for durability. This design allowed the creation of the mid-priced Series 60 line. Bore and stroke was 3.375 in × 4.5 in (85.7 mm × 114.3 mm). This engine was closely related to a monobloc design earlier introduced in the 1936–1948 346 cu in (5.7 L) engine, which
2970-528: The Board, developed the concept for four new GM marques - LaSalle, Marquette, Viking and Pontiac - paired with already established brands to fill price gaps he perceived in the General Motors product portfolio. Sloan created LaSalle as a companion marque for Cadillac. LaSalle automobiles were manufactured by Cadillac, but were priced lower than Cadillac-branded automobiles, were shorter, and were marketed as
3069-479: The Cadillac division was being considered for production of this successful personal luxury car. For media outlets, when referring to the cars in visual or print media reporting the proper nomenclature is to identify them "LaSalle" as they are a separate marque, and are registered under the "Make" name of LaSalle on automobile titles. While built by the Cadillac Division of General Motors, they are not
Cadillac V8 engine - Misplaced Pages Continue
3168-600: The Eldorado Tri-power reached 345 hp (257 kW). For the 1963 model year, Cadillac redesigned its V8 engine, modernizing the tooling used in the production line while optimizing the engine's design. Although it shared the same layout and architecture with the 1949-vintage engine, the revised engine had shorter connecting rods and was 1 in (25 mm) lower, 4 in (101.6 mm) narrower, and 1.25 in (32 mm) shorter. The accessories (water pump, power steering pump, distributor ) mounted on
3267-744: The LaSalle II Roadster. Ordered to be destroyed, both the four-door hardtop and the roadster were shipped to the Warhoops Salvage Yard in Sterling Heights, Michigan; instead of being destroyed they were hidden in a corner of the facility. In 1990, collector Joe Bortz purchased and restored the Roadster, which was featured in a 2013 article in Automobile (magazine) , for which the author, Robert Cumberford won
3366-552: The LaSalle received another engine upgrade introduced in the LaSalle Series 340. Fisher body selections were reduced to seven closed while Fleetwood choices expanded to six. The only wheelbase used was 134" and a radio was first introduced as a optional item for US$ 175 ($ 3,192 in 2023 dollars ) and all LaSalle's were prewired with an antenna imbedded in the roof. Wheels were available in hickory artillery style, wire wheels or solid pressed steel discs. The engine displacement of
3465-608: The Landau Cabriolet from Fisher while Fleetwood choices were all cabriolet coupes or sedans. Both wheelbase choices were both available for Fisher and Fleetwood coachwork selections. September 1929 is when Cadillac introduced its all-new 1930 Series 353 , one month before the Cadillac V-12 and the Wall Street Crash of 1929 The ultra-luxury Cadillac V-16 made its grand introduction January 1930, and
3564-724: The Marquette and the Viking in 1930, their second model year. Cadillac also saw sales of its cars losing ground, as confirmed Cadillac buyers tried to trim pennies by buying the less expensive LaSalle. LaSalle sales also were falling, from a high of 22,691 models in 1929 to a low of 3,290 in 1932. While the introduction of LaSalle showed there was a market for a luxury car that was more conservative in appearance and price, GM already had Buick which filled that role very successfully. The attention given to LaSalle could have been invested in Buick as
3663-543: The OHV engine has powered almost all Buick automobiles since then. Several other manufacturers began to produce OHV engines, such as the 1906–1912 Wright Brothers Vertical 4-Cylinder Engine . In 1911, Chevrolet joined Buick in almost exclusive use of OHV engines. However, flathead "side-valve" engines remained commonplace in the U.S. until the mid-to-late 1950s, when they began to be phased out for OHV engines. The first overhead camshaft (OHC) engine dates back to 1902, in
3762-589: The Oldsmobile Rocket V8 is how the lifters are supplied oil through small "bleeds" instead of placing the lifters directly into the right and left side oil supply galleries. Many early racers would replace the Cadillac hydraulic lifter and rocker assemblies with the solid lifters and adjustable rockers from the Studebaker V8 for operation at higher engine speeds. Displacement was increased to 365 cu in (6.0 L) for 1956 by increasing
3861-487: The Roadster as "a signpost to the many wrong turns that led to the bankruptcy of what was in 1955 the largest business entity in the entire world (GM)". There was nostalgia for the LaSalle name, and at various points in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, General Motors issued Motorama cars and proposed new consumer automobiles under the name. The year 1955 saw two Motorama concept cars, the LaSalle II four-door hardtop and
3960-633: The SAE certified rating system. The 2006 - 2008 XLR-V uses the same supercharged Northstar V8 as the STS-V, though output is down somewhat due to design changes made to accommodate the model's more limited underhood space. For the XLR-V, the SAE certified output is 443 hp (330 kW) and 414 lb⋅ft (561 N⋅m). The supercharger and four intercoolers are built into the intake manifold. The bores were reduced in size to increase block strength, increasing
4059-476: The United States built a motorised tricycle powered by a single-cylinder OHV engine. Marr was hired by Buick (then named Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company ) from 1899–1902, where the overhead valve engine design was further refined. This engine employed pushrod-actuated rocker arms, which in turn opened poppet valves parallel to the pistons. Marr returned to Buick in 1904 (having built a small quantity of
Cadillac V8 engine - Misplaced Pages Continue
4158-558: The amount of fuel remaining in the tank and the average mileage since the last reset. Another rare and advanced feature introduced with DFI was Cadillac's truly "on-board" diagnostics. For mechanics who had to deal with the 368s, the cars contained diagnostics that did not require the use of special external computer scan tools . The new Electronic Climate Control display, along with the MPG Sentinel, provided on-board readout of any stored trouble codes, instantaneous readings from all
4257-724: The bore to 4 inches (101.6 mm) while maintaining the 3 + 5 ⁄ 8 in (92.1 mm) stroke. For the three years that the 365 was made, the base versions had a single four-barrel carburetor. The 1956 version produced 285 horsepower. The 1957 version raised that base engine output to 300 horsepower, while the 1958 base version cranked out 310. Eldorados featured multi-carb engines in all 3 years. The Eldorado engines were also optional on all other Cadillacs. The 1958 Eldorado 3-2bbl version produced 335 hp (250 kW). A longer, 3 + 7 ⁄ 8 in (98.4 mm) stroke pushed displacement to 389.6 cu in (6.4 L) for 1959, yielding 325 hp (242 kW), while
4356-534: The car for manual override. The 368 was dropped from most Cadillac passenger cars after the 1981 model year, although the V8-6-4 remained the standard engine for Fleetwood Limousines and the carbureted 368 remained in the Commercial Chassis through 1984. The 368 has the distinction of being the last traditional "big-block" cast-iron pushrod V8 engine available in a production car. It lasted through 1984 in
4455-412: The common usage of the term "overhead valve engine" is limited to engines where the camshaft is located in the engine block. In these traditional OHV engines, the motion of the camshaft is transferred using pushrods (hence the term "pushrod engine") and rocker arms to operate the valves at the top of the engine. However, some designs have the camshaft in the cylinder head but still sit below or alongside
4554-580: The companion marque strategy, the gap between the Chevrolet and the Oakland would be filled by a new marque named Pontiac, a quality six-cylinder car designed to sell for the price of a four-cylinder. The wide gap between Oldsmobile and Buick would be filled by two companion marques: Oldsmobile was assigned the up-market, V8 engined Viking , while Buick was assigned the more compact six-cylinder Marquette brand. Cadillac, which had seen its base prices soar in
4653-510: The company's individual automobile marques into specific price ranges, called the " General Motors companion make program ". The Chevrolet was designated as the entry-level product. Next, (in ascending order), came the Pontiac , Oakland , Oldsmobile , Viking , Marquette , Buick , LaSalle, and Cadillac . By the 1920s, certain General Motors products began to shift out of the plan as the products improved and engine advances were made. Under
4752-492: The cylinders acted as air springs, which both eliminated the feel of "missing" and kept the cylinders warm for instant combustion upon reactivation. Simultaneously, the engine control module would reduce the amount of fuel metered through the TBI unit. On the dashboard, an "MPG Sentinel" digital display could show the number of cylinders in operation, average or current fuel consumption (in miles per gallon), or estimated range based on
4851-510: The era before electronically operated EGR valves, the engineers also made an error in using a "back-pressure-type" EGR valve. While this early effort to match the vacuum-controlled EGR volume more accurately to the engine's load made sense in a 'normal' engine, it had the effect of causing pinging (detonation) problems in the V8-6-4 engine, because four cylinders operating under higher load needed more EGR, while they were actually producing less exhaust flow and therefore less back-pressure to operate
4950-558: The first production pushrod engine to use variable valve timing was introduced in the Dodge Viper (fourth generation) . OHV engines have several advantages compared with OHC engines: Compared with OHC engines, OHV engines have the following disadvantages: LaSalle (automobile) LaSalle was an American brand of luxury automobiles manufactured and marketed, as a separate brand, by General Motors ' Cadillac division from 1927 through 1940. Alfred P. Sloan, GM's Chairman of
5049-473: The gasoline engine being a no-cost option. Overhead valve An overhead valve engine , abbreviated ( OHV ) and sometimes called a pushrod engine , is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber . This contrasts with flathead (or "sidevalve") engines , where the valves were located below the combustion chamber in the engine block . Although an overhead camshaft (OHC) engine also has overhead valves,
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#17327755033485148-553: The heady 1920s, was assigned the LaSalle as a companion marque to fill the gap that existed between it and Buick. What emerged as the LaSalle in 1927 was introduced on the GM C platform with the Cadillac V8 . The 1927 LaSalle was designed by Harley Earl , who had a 30-year career at General Motors, eventually gaining control of all design and styling at General Motors. Prior to the 1927 LaSalle, automobile design essentially followed
5247-403: The least expensive Cadillac. Its mission was not to fill a price gap, but to keep the luxury-car division out of the red. But as the economy began to recover, the LaSalle did not, at least not commensurate with the economy. Sales were 7,195 in 1934, 8,651 in 1935 and 13,004 in 1936 while Buick appeared to be more attractive yet frugal. To further emphasize that the 1935 LaSalle was improved from
5346-433: The limousines. Rival big blocks, ranging in displacement from 396 to 460 cubic inches, disappeared between 1976 and 1978. RWD models were coupled with the heavy-duty THM400 transmission, the last factory-produced GM passenger car fitted with this transmission. GM reintroduced an updated fuel management system in 2005, marketed as Active Fuel Management or Displacement on Demand . The OHV Cadillac High Technology engine
5445-582: The mainstream luxury brand, and concentrated on Cadillac being more elusive and unique to protect the brand image. The introduction of the "Art and Colour Section" headed up by Harley Earl and a shared design theme in all GM products further complicated the brand distinction between the original brands in that the only differences among Oldsmobile, Buick, LaSalle, and Cadillac were exterior design appearance, wheelbase length, and colors, while charging extra due to marketing and pricing objectives. In his 2013 article, "GM's Road Not Taken", Robert Cumberford reviewed
5544-603: The medium priced Packard One-Twenty had consistently outsold the LaSalle by an average of 72 percent over the six-year period 1935–1940 inclusively. It was decided to fold the LaSalle into the more prestigious Cadillac marque. LaSalle did not have the time to develop a prestigious name before the onset of the Great Depression and did not have the opportunity afterward. The Great Depression , combined with LaSalle's stalling sales numbers, caused Cadillac to rethink its companion make. Both Buick and Oldsmobile had eliminated
5643-503: The more technologically advanced overhead valve straight-eight engine exclusive to Buick. The LaSalle was the first Cadillac to use hydraulic brakes sourced from Bendix and various components were sourced from within different GM Divisions in order to cut production costs. The Oldsmobile engine was not assembled by Oldsmobile then supplied to the LaSalle factory, instead the parts were sent to the LaSalle factory and assembled by Cadillac-trained LaSalle assembly teams to authentically declare it
5742-417: The new engine had a 4.3 in × 4.06 in (109.2 mm × 103.1 mm) bore and stroke for a displacement of 472 cu in (7.7 L). "Extensively redesigned" to ease maintenance, it used 10% fewer parts and 25% fewer gasketed joints as before. It delivered 375 hp (280 kW) at 4400 rpm and a massive 525 lb⋅ft (712 N⋅m) torque at just 3000 rpm. The new engine
5841-406: The oil system drew the test to an early close. The Series 303 continued for 1928, and as LaSalle sales began to progress, engineering advancements, appearance changes and optional equipment choices continued. Shock absorbers were now sourced from Lovejoy hydraulic units and the clutch was now upgraded to twin discs. The list of available coachwork choices from Fisher expanded to eleven selections on
5940-519: The patent application was filed on Nov. 28, 1932. It was assigned to the Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, a GM subsidiary that manufactured components for Fisher Body and they were introduced on the Series 50 in 1934. The Series 50 was also no longer available with a V8, which was a distinction shared with all Cadillacs, and now only available with an Oldsmobile sourced flathead inline-eight, while Buick continued to offer
6039-581: The previous model, the name was, again, changed to Series 35-50, dropping the "model" designation, while the vehicle was largely the same with the usual appearance, options list changes, and mechanical advancements. Meanwhile, the Packard One-Twenty had been introduced in 1935 and was very successful. For 1936 the LaSalle was renamed the Series 36-50 and had additional competition from the Lincoln-Zephyr , introduced in 1936. The 1937 LaSalle
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#17327755033486138-508: The previous year. These engines were produced through 1948. For 1949, Cadillac and Oldsmobile each produced their V8 designs (the Oldsmobile engine was the 303 ). Both of the engines were overhead valve designs, pioneered by Buick. The Cadillac 331 engine featured a "dry" (coolant exited through an assembly attached directly to the cylinder heads), open runner (requiring the use of a tappet valve cover) intake manifold , rear-mounted distributor , and shaft-mounted rockers. Crankshaft end play
6237-438: The previously exposed radiator, which was shared with Cadillac and Pontiac for that year. Earl's other contribution was the modern, airplane-styled, semi-shielded portholes along the side of the hood. All bodies were now made by Fleetwood . 1933 was the first year all GM vehicles were installed with optional vent windows which were initially called “No Draft Individually Controlled Ventilation” later renamed "Ventiplanes" which
6336-504: The restoration of GM's 1955 Motorama La Salle II Roadster. Cumberford likened the Roadster to a harbinger of GM's future. While the Roadster concept showcased important new technology, including an aluminum block, double overhead cam and fuel-injected V6, the technology went unrealized. GM instead emphasized styling over engineering advancement for the decades that followed and did not bring "an aluminum block, fuel-injected, overhead-cam V-6 into production until 2004". Cumberford described
6435-489: The safety margin under boost. The 4.0 L; 243.8 cu in (3,995 cc) is the Oldsmobile Aurora variant, never installed in a Cadillac. The Aurora's cylinder heads had lower flow characteristics to match the engine's reduced size. This engine produces 250 hp (186 kW). The engine in the 1976–1979 Seville was "marketed" as a Cadillac engine and was exclusive to the Cadillac product line, but
6534-442: The second-most prestigious marque in the General Motors portfolio. LaSalles were titled as LaSalles, and not as Cadillacs. Like Cadillac — named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac — the LaSalle brand name was based on that of another French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle . The LaSalle had its beginnings when General Motors' CEO Alfred P. Sloan noticed that his carefully crafted market segmentation program
6633-442: The shorter 128 in (3,251 mm) while only Fisher offered an additional three coachwork choices on the longer 134 in (3,404 mm). For 1927, the most exclusive Fleetwood body was the Transformable Town Cabriolet at US$ 4,700 ($ 82,439 in 2023 dollars ). The LaSalles of this era were equipped with Cadillac's "Ninety Degree V-8", making the car fast, while its smaller size made it sportier and more agile. On June 20, 1927,
6732-414: The third design was most likely to have been a LaSalle, with that platform being assigned exclusively to LaSalle, and that the second design, whose platform was shared with the Series 61, was the next-most-likely. In 1941, sales of the Cadillac Series 61 and 63 were 29,258 and 5,030, respectively. In retrospect, LaSalle sales initially had exceeded Cadillac's since 1933, but since its introduction in 1935,
6831-561: The time the decision was made to drop the LaSalle, at least three wood-and-metal mockups had been made for potential 1941 LaSalle models. One was based on the notchback GM C platform , which ended up being shared by the Cadillac Series 62 , the Buick Roadmaster and Super , the Oldsmobile 90 , and the Pontiac Custom Torpedo . A second was based on the fastback GM B platform , which was eventually shared by
6930-475: The transmission. Bore and stroke are 3 + 13 ⁄ 16 in × 3 + 5 ⁄ 8 in (96.8 mm × 92.1 mm) for an overall displacement of 331.1 cu in (5.4 L). This engine features an oiling system which uses a central cast-in passage between the lifter galleries feeding oil to the cam and crank by grooves machined into the cam bores. A single drilled passage per bearing saddle feeds both cam and crank journals. Shared with
7029-411: The twin-turbo " Blackwing " engine in 2019. The Type 51 was the first Cadillac V8. Introduced in 1914, it was the standard engine for 1915 Cadillac models. It was a 90° design with an L-head ( sidevalve ) configuration and was water-cooled . Bore and stroke was 3.125 in × 5.125 in (79.4 mm × 130.2 mm), for a total of 314 cu in (5.1 L) of displacement. Output
7128-452: The valve. In an effort to increase reliability, Cadillac issued thirteen updated PROM chips for the ECMs, but many of these engines simply had their Modulated Displacement function disabled by dealers, leaving them with permanent eight-cylinder operation. This was accomplished by merely disconnecting a single wire from the transmission's "3rd-gear switch", or running it through a switch inside
7227-460: The valves (the Ford CVH and Opel CIH are good examples), so they can essentially be considered overhead valve designs. Some early intake-over-exhaust engines used a hybrid design combining elements of both side-valves and overhead valves. The first internal combustion engines were based on steam engines and therefore used slide valves . This was the case for the first Otto engine , which
7326-459: The various engine sensors, forced cycling of the underhood solenoids and motors, and on the V8-6-4 engines, manual cylinder-pair control. The L62 produced 140 hp (104 kW) at 3800 rpm and 265 lb⋅ft (359 N⋅m) at 1400 rpm. Cadillac hailed the L62 as a technological masterpiece, and made it standard equipment across the whole Cadillac line. While cylinder deactivation would make
7425-415: Was 70 hp (52 kW). This engine was designed under the leadership of Cadillac's chief engineer (1914–1917), Scottish-born D (D'Orsay) McCall White (1880 -), later a vice president of Cadillac. Hired by Henry Leland for his V-engine expertise from his employment as chief engineer at Napier , and previously Daimler at Coventry, he was later to move to Nash with LaFayette . White was appointed to
7524-496: Was a positive crankcase ventilation unit. The 429 was used through the 1967 model year. Cadillac introduced an all-new engine for 1968. Although the modernized 390 series engine was compact and light for its displacement and output, 429 cu in (7.0 L) represented the limit of the original architecture's expansion, and it had been surpassed by Chrysler 's 440 and Lincoln 's 462 and 460 . Cadillac went bigger, with provision for even more expansion. At introduction,
7623-481: Was about 80 lb (36 kg) heavier than its predecessor. It was used through 1974. It was designed with potential for a 500-cubic-inch (8.2 L) displacement. For 1970, Cadillac fitted a crankshaft with a 4.304 in (109.3 mm) stroke, increasing total displacement on the engine to 500.02 cu in (8.2 L). At its introduction it was rated at 400 hp (298 kW), SAE gross , and 550 lb⋅ft (746 N⋅m) of torque. For 1971, compression
7722-428: Was added retaining the 134" wheelbase used the previous year. The Cadillac Heron or Goddess hood ornament made the options list for US$ 20 ($ 365 in 2023 dollars ) while the latest fashion accessory called a radiator rock screen could be installed for US$ 33 ($ 602 in 2023 dollars ). From the mid-1910s, a V8 engine was regarded as a luxury expectation, while other manufacturers remained with straight-8 engines, but in 1932
7821-434: Was beginning to develop price gaps in which General Motors had no products to sell. In an era when American automotive brands were typically restricted to building a specific car per model year, Sloan surmised that the best way to bridge the gaps was to develop "companion" marques that could be sold through the current sales network. As originally developed by Sloan, General Motors' market-segmentation strategy placed each of
7920-451: Was called the Series 37-50, a naming convention that would continue with the last LaSalle Series 40-50 and 40-52. For 1937, Cadillac made the LaSalle its own again, giving it the designation Series 37-50 and the 322 cu in (5.3 L) monobloc V8 of the Series 60 , new styling, a lower price range, and a heavy promotion emphasizing that the car was completely Cadillac-built. It
8019-581: Was essentially identical to the Cadillac Series 61 . The narrow radiator grille opening was retained and was flanked by additional side grille work which aided in heat dissipation from the engine. Headlights, which had moved down and been secured to the body between the grille and the fender, were again attached to the radiator shell. LaSalle also added a sunroof , marketed as the "Sunshine Turret Top". Sales climbed from 15,501 in 1938 to 23,028 in 1939. The final 1940 LaSalles were introduced in October 1939 with
8118-706: Was exclusive to the Eldorado until 1975 where the powerplant was standard in all Cadillacs except for the Seville, which was powered by a fuel-injected Oldsmobile 350 . (SAE gross) (SAE gross) (SAE net) Starting in the mid to late 1970s, Cadillac expanded its product range, offering more mid-sized vehicles. For example, while the Cadillac Seville initially used a variant of the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Oldsmobile V8, Cadillac also began work on its own proprietary engines. In 1977, Cadillac introduced
8217-438: Was first successfully run in 1876. As internal combustion engines began to develop separately to steam engines, poppet valves became increasingly common. Beginning with the 1885 Daimler Reitwagen , several cars and motorcycles used inlet valve(s) located in the cylinder head, however these valves were vacuum-actuated ("atmospheric") rather than driven by a camshaft as with typical OHV engines. The exhaust valve(s) were driven by
8316-418: Was in reality produced by the Oldsmobile division. Buyers were able to choose between 350 gasoline and 350 diesel versions. From 1982 to 1985, all rear-wheel-drive Cadillacs (except for the limousines) could be ordered with the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Oldsmobile LF9 Diesel V8. In fact, for most of its life, the 1980–1985 version of Cadillac's Seville came standard with Oldsmobile's V8 diesel, with
8415-433: Was manufactured by Cadillac engineers. The LaSalle sales department further invited clients to witness the cars being manufactured and listed the different companies that sourced various items that were used to manufacture the 1934 LaSalle. This LaSalle Series 50 Model 350 listed at US$ 1,550 ($ 35,303 in 2023 dollars ) for a choice of coupes, sedans or convertibles and was now priced US$ 1,000 ($ 22,776 in 2023 dollars ) below
8514-589: Was modified with a 3.5 in (88.9 mm) bore. This was used in the Series 60/60S/61/62/63/65/67 and 70/72/75 . It was also used in a dual setup in tanks (e.g. M5 Stuart and the M24 Chaffee ), in World War II mated to a Hydramatic transmission. In 1937, the new monobloc flathead gained 24 cu in (390 cc) in Cadillac V-8 models to 346 cu in (5.7 L), while
8613-402: Was needed. When deactivated, solenoids mounted to those cylinders' rocker arm studs would disengage the fulcrums , allowing the rockers to "float" and leave the valves closed despite the continued action of the pushrods . These engines are easily identified by their rocker covers , which each have elevated sections over two cylinders with electrical connectors on top. With the valves closed,
8712-415: Was not until the 2004 Pontiac Bonneville that a non-Cadillac used the Northstar name. The Northstar has been produced in 4.6 L; 278.6 cu in (4,565 cc), 4.4 L; 266.7 cu in (4,371 cc), and 4.0 L; 243.8 cu in (3,995 cc) versions. The 4.6 L; 278.6 cu in (4,565 cc) 275 hp (205 kW) version was available starting in 1993 on
8811-492: Was now standard on Eldorado and Seville when equipped with the 368. Rear-wheel-drive cars and the Commercial Chassis for hearse and ambulance builders used the Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor . Cadillac referred to this new TBI (throttle-body fuel injection) system as Digital Fuel Injection (DFI); this particular induction system was later adopted by other GM divisions, except on Oldsmobile V8s, and
8910-456: Was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines of the 20th century list. L-head applications: Cadillac created a new V8, the 341 , for 1928. It was a 341 cu in (5.6 L) engine and produced 90 hp (67 kW). The same year saw the introduction of the synchromesh transmission. This engine was used in the Series 341 and 341B cars of 1928 and 1929. From 1930 through 1935, Cadillac produced
9009-510: Was optional. For 1981, Cadillac introduced a new engine that would become notorious for its unreliable electronics, the V8-6-4 ( L62 ). The L61 had not provided a significant improvement in the company's CAFE numbers, so Cadillac and Eaton Corporation devised a cylinder deactivation system called Modulated Displacement that would shut off two or four cylinders in low-load conditions such as highway cruising, then reactivate them when more power
9108-436: Was produced from 1982 to 1995 in displacements of 4.087 L (249.4 cu in), 4.467 L (272.6 cu in), and 4.893 L (298.6 cu in). Cadillac's DOHC , four-valve-per-cylinder Northstar debuted in 1992, which at the time was its most technologically advanced engine. Although Oldsmobile , Pontiac , and Buick have borrowed the Northstar architecture for their V8 (and even V6) engines, it
9207-438: Was reduced from 10.0:1 to 8.5:1, the lowered compression ratio dropped the 500's gross output from 400 bhp (298 kW) to 365 bhp (272 kW), or 235 hp (175 kW) in the new SAE net ratings. By 1976, its final year, it had fallen to 190 hp (142 kW). However, a new Bendix electronic fuel injection system was offered as an option, and it increased power output to 215 hp (160 kW). The 500
9306-508: Was the all-new Buick Series 50 coupe or sedan with a straight-eight engine with a similar appearance and a Fisher Body for US$ 1,540 ($ 28,088 in 2023 dollars ) while a LaSalle Series 340 sedan was listed at US$ 2,565 ($ 46,783 in 2023 dollars ). The 1931 LaSalle's engine was again upgraded and the Series 345-A appeared with the same appearance, engineering and optional equipment changes. Fisher and Fleetwood coachwork choices were again changed based on popularity, and additional optional equipment
9405-581: Was too late. Model year sales of 32,000 LaSalles was a great improvement, but it remained far behind the Packard. A 1934 LaSalle Series 50 Model 350 was chosen as the Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500 , and a 1937 LaSalle Series 37-50 convertible also served as an Indy 500 Pace Car . In its final years, the LaSalle Series 39-50 was once again more Cadillac-like in its appearance and details, and
9504-403: Was unchanged at 325 hp (242 kW), as was torque at 430 lb⋅ft (583 N⋅m). For 1964, the engine had a 4.13 in × 4 in (105 mm × 102 mm) bore and stroke, raising displacement to 429 cu in (7.0 L). Power rose to 340 hp (254 kW) and torque to 480 lb⋅ft (651 N⋅m). It also included its first emission control system , which
9603-549: Was used in the Seville STS 1993–2004, Eldorado ETC 1996–2002, Deville Concours 1997–1999, and Deville DTS 2000–2005. Its final appearance was in the final generation of the DTS series, produced from 2006 to 2011. The 275 hp (205 kW) version of the Northstar was also standard equipment in the top GXP trim level of the Pontiac Bonneville , produced only in 2004 and 2005. It was also the top engine option available in
9702-520: Was used through 1979 on all Cadillacs except the Seville and 1979 Eldorados. In 1980, the 425 was replaced with the L61 , which was the same basic 472 family engine de-bored to 3.8 in (97 mm) but retaining the 472 and 425 engines' 4.06 in (103.1 mm) stroke for a total displacement of 368 cu in (6.0 L). The reduction in displacement was largely an effort to meet CAFE requirements for fuel economy . Throttle-body fuel injection
9801-464: Was used well into the mid-1990s on GM trucks. Power output dropped to 145 hp (108 kW) at 3600 rpm and torque to 270 lb⋅ft (366 N⋅m) at 2000 rpm in DEFI forms as used on the front-wheel-drive Seville and Eldorado but 150 hp (112 kW) on the four-barrel Quadrajet-equipped RWD models. This engine was standard on all Cadillacs except the redesigned Seville , in which it
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