Re: [AMC-list] Exotic AMC engines?

[Ken Ames <ameskg@xxxxxxxxx>]

Did not the OHC Willys engine have troubles of it's own - something about
cracked heads plus the inability to use dual pattern camshafts. 

Ken

Quoting Jack Dale <mercendarian@xxxxxxxxx>:

> I guess you're right.  That must be why AMC was caught "flat-footed" when the
> Wankle engine for the Pacer fell through/became impractical.  A cammer-head
> for the inliners would have attracted more press for the Pacer, but they
> slapped a two barrel on the 258cu 6, and that was that.  '75 was when they
> should have been developing the old Willys OHC on the IKA Torino.  I like
> their 2nd-gen. efforts, except that AMC damaged its brand, imo, with that
> bearing that'd spin due to insufficient oil to the mains on wild
> acceleration.   There should have been a RECALL to ensure long-life to that
> bearing, that caused AMC millions (I'm guessing) in warranty claims.
> 
>  
> 
> ________________________________
>  From: Jeff Reeves <amcnut@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> Sent: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 4:44 PM
> Subject: [AMC-list] Exotic AMC engines?
>   
> Jack, I have absolutely no idea why there is no more information about
> experimental AMC engines. My educated S.W.A.G. is that AMC was too cheap to
> pay up for too many engine variations. They had designs which did their job
> and did it well. The stodges that were at the helm of AMC in the 60s and 70s
> were already juggling hot potatoes trying to develop cars that people would
> actually buy--they simply didn't have the resources to spend a lot of R&D
> budget on new engines when the existing designs were already paid for. I'm
> sure that if they absolutely hadn't been forced to by the competitive market
> AMC would have soldiered right on with the 250/287/327 V8 family and the six
> cylinders. As it was, they developed the excellent Gen II/III V8s that
> carried through until the end of the company.
> 
> I suspect that had they had the budget for it that AMC would certainly have
> come up with something innovative over the years, engine-wise. They did the
> best they could with what they had and spent their available funds in the
> styling department.
> 
> Of course, as I said this is my opinion. I'm sure that someone will pipe up
> and either support my position or tear me down--either is fine if it helps
> shed light on your mystery.
> 
> Jeff Reeves
> AMO Tech Editor
> 01 Grand Cherokee
> 72 Javelin SST
> 69 Ambassador DPL
> 
> > ------------------------------
> > 
> > Message: 2
> > Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2013 17:12:32 -0800 (PST)
> > From: Jack Dale <mercendarian@xxxxxxxxx>
> > To: "AMC, Rambler, Nash, Jeep and family" <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: Re: [AMC-list] AMC-list Digest, Vol 46, Issue 1
> > Message-ID:
> > <1357089152.61964.YahooMailNeo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> > 
> > Dear Jeff:? I can't get anyone to respond to this question, but it deserves
> an answer.? WHY is there no info about experimental engines for AMCs??? Was
> AMC so poor(or stupid)?that they never considered OHCs, DOHCs, and larger
> displacement engines?? I've heard that the 464cu v-8 was planned in the late
> 60s, FOR use in the 70s, but was?never built, maybe even never tested.?? It
> never even reached the racers, which will often "test" a concept in stress
> beyond the "Real World."? I think it was simply a "tall-block,
> factory-stroked" 401/390, which anyone could do with a re-casting, while
> using as many previous parts as possible.?? One of the GM "tall-blocks" was a
> 427 based on a SBC, a "perfect" engine for a 1st-gen camaro/other.? Also, WHY
> no exotic heads for the inline AMCs?? They didn't use the OHC which they
> could have gotten from Willys when they bought JEEP, but
> (232s{3.8L})AMC-blocks under-rode the fab "Torino" down in Argentina.? A
> > famous European designer needed to "pump-up" the performance of the TVR for
> a new model, and he bought some motorcycle cylinder heads from Suzuki,
> cut/welded them together to make a DOHC-4valve head for a 4Liter inline 6
> cylinder which produced 350hp!??(That's more HP by 25, than the 4L
> Aston-Martin in "Vantage" tune, which went into DB-6s of the
> mid-sixties.??The "cut-and-weld" was for prototypes, but then a run of
> castings were made, machined, and appeared on the TVR.? The engine was called
> the "Speed-six".? TVR sold at least hundreds of cars equiped with this
> engine.? AMC never had a similar engine "mule"??? If you don't reply, I'll
> know you don't know either, which is "OK", but where do we definitively find
> out??? All of the AMC engine people that went to Chrysler when they were
> bought, should be retired by now, so surely they could talk (--if any are
> still alive) about AMC "projects."?? Imho, you're no "AMCnut" unless you have
> at least
> > thought...about this, and having thought about it, GIVE US your thoughts,
> please.?? I thought the Turbo-cars were "OK" and should have been preserved
> and/sold without the tubines if they couldn't handle the warranty.? I thought
> the '74-8 Matador Coupe looked better, but the Turbine came first, and with
> that engine, it was of greater significance.? This is kind of what I'm
> talking about.? AMC...and earlier, Studebaker, had engines that elicited
> little, if any, ROMANCE.?? "Romance" to we gearheads, is POWER.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
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