Hey Xecute (or anybody)...

[SuperMag]

X, was reading one of your old posts and ran across a mention of this engine...

Tell me more! I did a web search, but I'm not finding much. Was the head a bolt on to the US truck motor, or were there more proprietary goodies inside? How much does it weigh? Are these readily available still, or does everyone know about them (i.e. pricey as hell)?

 

[xctasy]

Where to start! Asking Buickroadster will get all the gossip!

It's about 550 pounds, all up. Still going cheap, too. 360 Valves, lifters, and some V8 LA bits fit, but it's a minted in Oz creation. The engine is the ledgendary Aussie Chrysler Valiant Hemi Six. It was based on a failed D-series American truck engine designed in the mid 60's. When the Americans bailed on it, Chrysler Australia's Tonsley Park gang, lead by the brilliant Mike Stacey, engineered it for local production. The head is not a full Hemi, but has polyspheric chambers with huge valves, up to 1.96 inches on the intake of the 265 (3.91" bore, 3.68" stroke) version.

Note: All the power figures are gross, so whack 17% off to get net hp readings. It started off as a mild 160 hp 245 (3.76" bore, 3.68" stroke) engine with 2- barrel carb, then got a Track Pack +40 thou 250 Pacer version (still called a 245) with either a hipo 185 hp verison , or a 4-bbl AVS 200 hp version. Then came the useless 140 hp 215, then the truly excellent 265 2-bbl (185, 205, 216hp), then the triple Weber E37,38,48 and 49 versions with anyware from 248 hp to 306 hp. That's the version you see here.

The block has a Chev-style 4.4" bore spacing, a not so tall 9.38" tall deck, and excellent con rods of 5.75" with 2.0 Chevy-sized crank pins. I have heard the cranks were either nodular iron, or steel.

The head is just amazing. It isn't a cross flow, but it has a lot of port area, and some versions had dual branch headers or the tube header system you see there. The last engines had Electronic Lean Burn, and could get 26 US mpg in a 3500 pound car.

It was made from 1969 to 1981. The run wasn't as good as it should have been, but asside from the tendancy for them not to like reving to 7000 rpm as a stoker(!), they are mega tough engines. Typical Mopar, showing up the reast of us Ford guys. There were timing chain tensioner issues, not serious though, and the Aussie Valiants failed to sell as well as they expected. The body of the 71 Valiant was like a Dodge Phenoix, but it was not space efficient, and although it looked hot, both it and the wild 105" wheelbase Charger failed to sell, and the factory was sold off the Mitsubishi in 1980.

Scources: http://www.ozmopars.50megs.com/ChryslerOzhistory.htm

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~stevenic/charger.htm

http://www.geocities.com/robbie245/bubble1.html

 

[addo]

If I can hook up with Steve and run off some piccies, you can know all there is to know! He has one of the alloy heads and could tell you the bore centres.

I still maintain that the alloy heads could be cast outside the US for less. These ones prove it.

Adam.

 

[SuperMag]

X my friend, you don't disappoint. Thanks for the most excellent narrative.

When I read that an E49 fitted Valiant ran the traps at 14.4, I was truly inspired. Would this wonder-motor be the magic flick of the wrist that SuperMag would base his fledgling import/export empire upon? Alas, at 550 lbs, it does not appear so.

So the quest continues for a 400 lb thunder machine...

 

[xctasy]

Oh well, it's lighter than the 225 slant six engine. With an alloy head, it'd get close to 440 lb. Only issue is alloy heads for these muthas are a little expen$ive