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HEMI! The First.
The King did not die!
Long Live the KING!
The decision made by Chrysler
Corporation in the late 1940s concerning building a V-8 engine
lead to one of the most technologically advanced automotive engine
designs in the world. With it, new ground in terms of performance,
was created, in that it lead the way for making power.
How the engine got produced is
an intriguing story. That it did get the go-ahead from a very
staunch group of ultra conservative engineers is a testament
to the basic design itself.
It has been well documented that
with the release of the first generation of Hemi headed V-8 engines,
Chrysler set off the "horsepower wars" of the early
1950s that lasted into the early 1970s. Certainly, it forced
General Motors and Ford Motor Company to keep upping the ante
in making more power from their engines.
If you look at applications running
today, you have to go no further than the major drag racing organizations.
The top engines for producing huge amounts of horsepower, along
with one that continues to set speed records, are those with
hemispherical heads on them. The early Hemi lead Chrysler to
develop the second generation of the Hemi headed V-8. And as
this is written, a third generation is proving its worth in current
Chrysler vehicles.
Chrysler Corporation began testing
different engine designs prior to the beginning of World War
II. Pinpointing an exact date is just not possible since the
records in that era were spotty, misplaced, or not recorded at
all. From all indications the work of making new engines got
started in 1937. This work continued during the war, and of course,
went right on, after the war was concluded. Nothing was left
to conjecture, however, with every imaginable type of engine
receiving scrutiny by Chrysler Engineering. This included but
was not limited to a 5 cylinder in line, several 6 cylinder inlines,
60 degree V-6s, 90 degree V-6s, and of course several 90 degree
V-8s. All sorts of different exhaust and intake combinations
were tried. The 90 degree V-6 was found to be very unsatisfactory
because it lacked smoothness. The weight and length of a straight
8 engine was now considered as too heavy and too long. Two stroke
cycle engines were rejected because they were noisy and smoky.
 The
advent of World War II did not stop the engineering department
from working on new engines. Out of need, these men developed
a superb tank engine by combining five inline flathead Plymouth
6 cylinder engines in a radial combination that worked on a single
common crankshaft. It was rugged, durable, powerful, and fairly
economical as well. It went on to power hundreds of tanks that
were also being built at the Chrysler Corporation. One of those
engines is on display in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn
Hills, Michigan.
Along the way, the engineering
staff, lead by Supervising Engineer John Platner, had began to
use a single cylinder engine to test new head designs or combustion
chambers. Their concern at that time was the loss of volumetric
and thermal efficiency due to carbon deposits. Some losses would
occur with as little as 10,000 miles on an engine. Once these
deposits got started, they would just increase until engine power
would be down as much as 20% - a truly noticeable difference.
One area that had shown really
true promise was the hemispherical combustion chamber. The standard
wisdom about such a "Hemi" was that the engine was
rough and liked high octane fuel. As well, the cost and complexity
in manufacturing such an engine could not be justified in a mass
production environment. Yet, testing results indicated that just
the opposite seemed to be true concerning the Hemi.
Chrysler had begun development
of two large hemispherical headed engines during World War II.
One was a V-12 for application in tanks and the other was a V-16
operating in a inverted position for the aircraft industry. Neither
of these engines ever reached production - not because they weren't
good, but because there was just so many other things going on,
and winning the war was job number 1.
The first Chrysler Hemi -
an airplane engine
What did come from testing the
aircraft engine was just another Chrysler accomplishment that
went by unheralded but was nevertheless noted later. The inverted
V-16 was conservatively rated at 2,500 horsepower, and Chrysler
has always been known for under rating their engines.
For testing, a P-47 Thunderbolt
was selected. Introduced in 1943, the P-47 was the largest and
heaviest single seater in the Air Force inventory at the time.
It was powered by a huge 2,800 cubic inch radial engine that
developed 2,300 horsepower. It gave the 40 foot wing span plane
a top speed of 439 miles an hour at 15,000 feet.
Some modifications were necessary
to accommodate the long V-16. When done, the slimmed down nose
actually helped reduce the drag produced by the big round radial.
Preliminary testing showed promise. Gingerly the big fighter
was coaxed slowly into higher altitudes and higher speeds. Finally
the go ahead was given for an all out test. At 15,000 feet, the
huge plane, under the Chrysler V-16's power, broke the 500 mile
an hour barrier. No one thought it was possible for a piston
engine to achieve that speed in level flight.
Thanks to accurate radar timing,
it is beyond doubt how powerful that engine truly was. Flat out,
it pulled the huge P-47 along at 504 miles an hour. Conventional
wisdom at that time said that the V-16 was making at least 3,000
horsepower, and likely closer to 3,500!
Just to be sure, the test P-47
went out the next day with a different test pilot and again level
at 15,000 feet, went through the 500 mile an hour mark. Hand
shakes and elation went all around. However, only the one engine
was ever built. The important thing to keep in mind about this
engine is that it was a Hemi headed, push rod valve activated
type. It survived the war, and now is on display at the Walter
P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Hemispherical heads in cars:
the state of the art
At the end of the war, of course,
engineering now knew how good the Hemi heads could be. Not that
they were something new or invented by Chrysler. The first recorded
use of a Hemispherical combustion chamber was a four cylinder
affair that powered a car named the "Welch." There
seems to be a conflict as the origin of the Welch. One records
it as being a Michigan company, while another excellent source
said that it was a British design. Chrysler was also not the
first company to test or use the Hemi heads on an engine. It
was the design of choice for many famous marques in the automotive
industry. Miller racing. Duesenberg. Stutz. Offenhauser. All
high performance machinery.
There is an urban legend about
the legendary General Motors engineer Zora Duntov, better known
as the father of the Chevrolet Corvette. Before coming to GM,
he designed a set of Hemi heads that were retrofitted to the
Ford flathead V-8. Legend has it that Chrysler somehow "borrowed"
the design from Duntov. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Duntov didn't know anything about what Chrysler was doing, and
Chrysler had entered into Hemi engineering long before Duntov
began construction of his aftermarket, bolt on heads. If anyone
at Chrysler was aware of the Duntov innovation, it was certainly
never acknowledged.
A Duntov headed Ford V-8 is on
display at the Don Garlits Speed Museum in Ocala, Florida. At
first glance, it certainly appears to resemble the Fire Power.
That would only reinforce the fact that great minds travel in
the same circles.
Engineering held sway at Chrysler
at the time. Walter P. Chrysler had gotten his start with a car
that was designed and built by three engineers who had been working
for Studebaker. Fred Zeder, O. R. Skelton, and Carl Breer made
it possible for Walter Chrysler to be able to introduce the first
true high compression in line 6 cylinder flathead engine in his
1924 Chrysler car. They also saw to it that the Chrysler had
the new Lockheed hydraulic brakes on all four wheels. Breer was
credited or panned, whichever way you choose to look at it, with
the styling and engineering development of the 1934 Airflow Chrysler.
That model has now been credited with being the first car of
its time from which all modern designs are now based. Had it
not been rushed, it would have been a great success.
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Walter P. Chrysler was always
proud of the "boys" in engineering, but he could still
disparage them with the best of his well-known temper. The Airflow
may have been meant for DeSoto only, but Walter wanted it yesterday
for Chrysler. The engineering staff advised it was being rushed
and that manufacturing wasn't up to making sure that the line
techniques were going to ensure a quality car, but Walter kept
up the pressure. That gave General Motors, which was running
scared of the design, time to spread vicious rumors about it. |
Working in the engine development
area was James Zeder, the younger brother of Fred. Working for
James were Ray White, Mel Carpentier, and William Drinkard. Joining
this group was a young Ev Moeller, one of the first graduates
of the Chrysler Institute in 1939. He came aboard the automobile
engine development team in 1947 after working through the war
in the aircraft engine development program. These men tested
virtually every engine they could find in every combination that
they could think of.
One of the engines they tested
that truly stood out for power and efficiency was built in England
by Healey. It was used in a small passenger car. It had twin
camshafts, located in the block. They operated push rods for
the overhead valves in the hemispherical combustion chambers.
It was a long stoke, small bore engine, yet it made the most
power for its size of any engine they had tested to date.
John Platner testing the different
configurations on the single cylinder engine in the lab, found
the Hemi head was displaying characteristics opposite of what
the established doctrine indicated. The Hemi limited knocking.
It also had far superior volumetric and thermal efficiency. With
a compression ratio of 7.0 : 1, the Hemi beat the L-head which
required a compression ratio of 10.0 : 1 to achieve the same
results. The overhead valve arrangement was somewhat better than
that, but suffered from losses in volumetric efficiency, and
the valves did not last.
It was clear that the Hemispherical
combustion chambered heads were superior to all else. The intake
valve was situated close to the manifold and carburetor. At an
angle of 58 degrees across the top of the combustion chamber,
the exhaust valve allowed magnificently efficient burnt gas releases.
Because of this, the heads extended valve life, aiding in effective
uniform valve stem cooling and valve seat cooling inside the
chamber. With that information in hand, James Zeder elected to
go ahead and test the head on one of Chrysler's existing engines.
A double overhead camshaft arrangement
driven by a dual chain had to be made to accommodate the Hemi
shaped combustion chamber. Once that was done, and suitable modifications
made to the Chrysler 6 cylinder engine, it was installed in a
Chrysler car. The test vehicle went to Wallace Zierer, who was
in charge of getting results in actual road test conditions.
Mr. Zierer reported significant
power increases. The engine ran easily on the 80 octane fuel
that was standard for the time. Roughness, which was the current
theory about hemispherical heads, just did not exist under any
condition. The Hemi head 6 cylinder engine actually being smoother
than the flathead 6 cylinder, with a nearly undetectable level
of noise and vibration at idle speeds.
Chrysler Corporation background:
complacency
The Airflow was mentioned earlier
in this article for a reason. It had been a commercial sales
flop. It nearly sent DeSoto, with only an Airflow design as a
single body style in the introduction year of 1934, into insolvency!
The Chrysler line had a companion make called the CA Six ("Airstream"),
which was conventionally styled. That kept the wolf from Chrysler's
door in 1934.
Walter Chrysler stepped down
from his own company the very next year. He complained mightily
about his own engineering staff. Some speculate he was displeased
with their caution in getting the Airflow to market (see earlier
sidebar). A whole chapter could be devoted to this and I will
not go there in this, except to set the background for the mood
in Chrysler that prevailed after the failure of the Airflow.
The Corporation stopped innovating, and if you are not constantly
evolving, the business is standing still.
After allowing the Airflow to
die a slow death when the 1937 model year was over, Chrysler
Corporation did not reach out to any innovative style or even
new engineering for a listless period of nearly two decades.
A prime example concerning the
lack of engineering innovations was in the area of transmissions.
General Motors used Oldsmobile as its experimental or introductory
division for new engineering. In 1937, as the Airflow was being
left to wither, Oldsmobile introduced a 4 speed semi-automatic
transmission that required very little use of the conventional
clutch. It had two ranges, a low and a high. Within those two
ranges were two speeds for each range. Using the clutch, the
driver would select either of the two ranges. With the range
selected, he could then let the clutch out and move off. The
transmission would then hold in either Low First, or when the
driver lifted his foot from the accelerator, the transmission
would audibly "clunk" into Low Second. The driver could
then drive all day if he choose to remain in low ranges without
ever having to clutch again, unless he choose to select high
or reverse. In normal use, high range would be selected. The
car would start out in High Third. At around 11 miles an hour,
the driver lifted his foot from the accelerator, and the transmission
would "clunk" into High Fourth, where conventional
highway speeds were obtained. If the driver never had to back
up, he did not have to use the clutch pedal again, even in city
stop and go driving. Acceleration was leisurely, but it certainly
made for a lot of publicity. After all, it was the first real
attempt at innovation in transmissions. It was fairly simple
in that it used a fluid torque converter that drove two planetary
units (shades of Henry Ford's Model T transmission) with one
brake and one clutch band each. Shift points were pre set according
to oil pressure. A limited extra cost option for Oldsmobile in
1937, it was offered across the board in 1938. 28,000 installations
were recorded. The industry was put on notice with that.
Chrysler had to take notice of
Oldsmobile's semi-automatic. Their answer was technologically
innovative, however, rather tepid in response. Rather than go
through building up a semi-automatic, Chrysler installed a torque
converter ahead of a conventional clutch, which drove a regular
three speed transmission. It had the similar effect of clutchless
driving in that the car could be left in third gear (or whatever
gear was selected) all the time. You only had to use the clutch
when shifting gears. Moving off was very leisurely, but it worked,
and kept costs of development low.
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Chrysler's first "torque
converter" was technically a fluid coupling, which converted
torque into forward motion without a clutch. Buick tried a five
speed fluid drive which became a maintenance nightmare, and switched
to three speed sticks until 1948 - not using the Olds transmission. |
It took Chrysler two years to
get that far. So when the "Fluid Driving" experience
was introduced in 1939, besides being limited to the top of the
line Chrysler cars only, Oldsmobile had shot by Chrysler big
time with its derivative of the semi-automatic that had evolved
into the first fully clutchless truly automatic transmission,
the Hydra-Matic. People couldn't get enough of them. It was a
$57 option. Although it operated through a complex set of gears,
clutches and brake bands, it was solid, rugged and very reliable.
It was offered in Oldsmobile in all 1939 models. The very next
year, Cadillac, and Pontiac had the Hydra-matic available in
all their car lines. As well, it was being purchased for installation
in Nash, Hudson, Kaiser and Frazier automobiles. Chrysler engineering
seemed like it was mired in mud. It did very little in response.
Finally, in 1941, Chrysler introduced
fluid drive to the DeSoto and Dodge lines. (No explanation for
not giving it to Plymouth, their largest producer.) They answered
the Hydra-Matic with a new semi-automatic available for its own
marque. In operation, it resembled the 1937 Oldsmobile's semi-automatic,
while mechanically it was less complex, and used engine vacuum
to operate the bands in Low or High ranges for the four speeds.
Dubbed "Vacu-matic," it was less than could have been
expected for such a great team of engineers. After all, at that
point, engineering was running the Chrysler Corporation!
That was the mood in and around
Chrysler Corporation as it entered the war years. It was like
a period of hibernation. Unfortunately, the decision or lack
of decisions was being reinforced with the decline of the Ford
Motor Company because it pushed Chrysler Corporation into being
the number two vehicle producer. This status lasted past the
end of the war, with Chrysler remaining number two in vehicle
production in 1947 and 1948. The corporate heads were not paying
attention much to what was happening at General Motors or Ford.
Given the satisfactory high sales figures in the warmed over
1941 style 1947 and '48 cars, they choose to ignore the styling
changes and engineering innovations coming from the other car
companies. It would hurt them in the very near future.
The production version of
the Chrysler Hemi V8 gets approved, with tough standards
Enter this climate then, came
the younger brother of Fred Zeder, James, leading an innovative,
aggressive group of engineers, who wanted to build a Hemi headed,
compact block, 90 degree V-8 to power Chrysler cars.
In any corporation, there are
wide differences of opinion. Care has to be taken whenever you
try to advance your idea because other guys who want to advance
their ideas act against you. So it went with James Zeder when
he made his presentation for the new V-8. His own brother, Fred
Zeder, told the group that Chrysler had made its money on straight
engines. He (Fred) would have no part of a V-8 and never would.
I can't imagine how James must have felt with that from his own
brother.
William Drinkard had become Manager
of the Engine Development Department in 1943. He and John Platner
refused to give up on the concept of a compact Hemi headed V-8.
It was well known that Cadillac and Oldsmobile were working diligently
on their own compact V-8 engines slated for introduction in model
year 1949. Taking the concept to the board room resulted in some
heavy arguments. A large group of research experts were brought
in and total confusion reined. Finally, the Chief Operating Officer
stepped in.
K. T. Keller had been personally
selected by Walter Chrysler to succeed him as Chrysler President.
Normally known as very conservative, K. T. said to Drinkard;
"Bill, I think you have the right plan". That settled
the issue and turned everything around. Within a few weeks, in
1948, the engineers had a 330 cubic inch 90 V-8 with Hemi heads
running in the laboratory. Designated the A182, this engine was
exclusively used on a dynamometer to evaluate its performance
and characteristics. After many tests, Chrysler management was
suitably impressed. They gave the O. K. for an engine of this
size and type to be designed for production. The Hemi was to
be!
With the order in hand, Mel Carpentier's
department built the prototype Hemi V-8. Designated model A239,
it had a slightly higher displacement at 331 cubic inches, and
was shorter and lighter than the A182. Of course, it was built
with manufacturing considerations foremost in mind. It was also
built to specifications laid down by William Drinkard, head of
engine development. He set down some very tough parameters for
them to follow. He wanted a 100,000 mile engine and would accept
nothing less. It was a major effort to achieve those standards.
Drinkard was resolved. No major parts to be replaced, such as
bearings, valves, pistons, and rings, at anything less than 100,000
miles.
A major obstacle right off was
premature camshaft wear. It was Chrysler's first attempt at a
production overhead valve engine. They were not familiar with
valve loading, which caused the area between the valve tappets
and the camshaft lobe to wear very quickly. Some of the prototype
engines failed right in the engine plant. Clearly they wouldn't
have gone a 100 miles, let alone 100,000.
Bob Rodger (later to be head
of development of the 300) was called in with a team to assist
in solving the wear problem. With a lot of trial and error, eventually
the highly skilled engineers did resolve the camshaft wear issue.
It took a change in the tappet material and the method in which
the face of the tappet was formed to reduce the valve unit load.
A graphite coating and an additive in the engine oil settled
the whole issue.
Another major hurdle was how
to enable spark plug changes without taking off the large valve
covers. This was finally resolved by using a steel tube that
went through the valve cover, a long ceramic boot over the spark
plug, and an o-ring to seal the tube against the head to prevent
oil leaks. The spark plug tubes and wires were put underneath
a cover that had the wires exiting at the back of the engine
which gave the new V-8 a clean look.
Other engine improvements included
shot peening of the crankshaft to improve fatigue life and having
it machined to remove any tool marks or surface roughness. The
tappets were hydraulic to enhance quiet, smooth operation, as
well as to ensure valve life through constant control of opening
and closing. Chrysler worked with the Carter Company to develop
a water jacketed carburetor with an integral automatic choke
to insure that the new engine would not stall nor develop ice
within the carb. A dual breaker ignition was developed to insure
constant, hot sparking while maintaining a reserve of ignition
voltage.
Finally, after over 8,000 hours
of rigorous dynamometer testing, and more than 500,000 miles
of road testing for reliability, the Chrysler V-8 was ready for
production. Based upon the data submitted from all the tests,
the engine was given its final "go". It was finally
ready.
Along the way, the new engine
had been designated "Fire Power." So certain were the
management team of the success of this engine that some months
into the testing of the Fire Power, orders had been sent out
to DeSoto and to Dodge to submit proposals for a Hemi V-8 of
their own. Plymouth seemed to have been left out, a portent for
the future.
 Introduced
in the fall of 1950 as a 1951 model, the Fire Power V-8 was offered
as on option in the Saratoga (except for the coupe models), while
it was standard in the New Yorker and Imperial. The lesser Windsor
models made due with the flat head six of 250 cubic inches.
The Fire Power was an oversquare
engine in that the bore was larger than the stroke. As built
it had a bore of 3.81 inches and a stroke of 3.63 inches, that
measured out to 331.1 cubic inches. The intake valve was 1.81
inches. Positioned 58.5 degrees across the hemisphere was the
exhaust valve that was 1.5 inches in diameter. The valves were
actuated by push rods operating rocker arms. The rockers rode
on twin shafts. It was well damped, and the crankshaft rode on
5 main bearings.
Chrysler designed the pistons
to be able to "slip" between the crankshaft counterweights
at the bottom of the stroke, thereby achieving a much smoother
running engine, with less friction and slower wear characteristics.
The engineers also built the Fire Power to run with slower piston
speeds which ensured long piston and ring life.
The block was relatively light,
short and very rigid. With a two barreled carb it made 180 horsepower
(gross) and 312 foot pounds of torque. The introductory compression
ratio was 7.0 : 1. Some criticism was leveled at the weight of
the engine, in particular the weight of the Hemi heads. In fact,
a single Hemi head, fully assembled, weighed 119 pounds. The
Cadillac engine head weighed 93 pounds each. I wouldn't have
wanted either one to fall on  my
toes. Overall, critical comments had less sting because both
engines weighed in at 700 pounds. The Hemi beat out Cadillac's
V-8 by 20 horsepower while using less squeeze than that Cadillac's
7.5 : 1 ratio. The Cadillac and Fire Power V-8s measured out
331 cubic inches. Whether making the engine the same size was
deliberately done on Chrysler's part is just conjecture - right?
From the very start, performance
was on everyone's mind. Someone convinced Chrysler management
to install the Fire Power into a Saratoga Club Coupe. It was
the lightest body manufactured by Chrysler at the time. Released
in July of 1951, the Fire Power Saratoga Coupe was a first shot
response to Oldsmobile doing the same thing in 1950 when they
installed their V-8 in an 88 Coupe. The Saratoga was a real fire
cracker right off the production line. It would sprint the car
from rest to 60 miles an hour in 12 seconds flat! It beat Cadillac's
13.5 second run, and Olds' 12.5 second time. It ran the 1/4 mile
in 18 seconds at around 82 miles an hour, about as fast as any
stock car off the show room floor that was around. The Chrysler
New Yorker Convertible was chosen as the pace car for the Indianapolis
500 race.
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FIRST RACE WON WITH A HEMI
... Using a new Chrysler Club Coupe on a New Yorker chassis,
Tommy Thompson drove the Hemi to its first win at the Detroit
Fair Grounds in front of Ford and GM executives. It was a half
mile dirt track of 250 mile duration. |
The Fire Power had ample reserves
of untapped horsepower, which the engineering staff was very
well aware of. For the time being, Chrysler was interested in
further development and improvement of the Hemi, but not high
performance. At least, not at first.
In March of 1952, James Zeder
(now Vice President of Engineering) and some of his team presented
a "white paper" to the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Right after the meeting he was mobbed by what he called the "hot
rod" boys. They were over enthusiastic, boisterous, even
obnoxious. But as Zeder was fond of recalling, "they were
so darn involved with maximum horsepower out of our Fire Power,
I just couldn't help being intrigued with what they had in mind
as well as listening to their suggestions." With that, performance
testing was commenced in the Chrysler engine labs on the Fire
Power. While the testing progressed, Mr. Zeder kept in touch
with his adopted gang of "hot rod" boys. He listened
to and passed along their suggestions on how to make the Hemi
"grow."
The first investigation involved
two areas for increased performance: compression ratio and volumetric
efficiency. Using high compression pistons, compression ratios
of 7.5 : 1, 10.0 : 1, and 12.5 : 1 were tried. Nothing else on
the engine was changed. The 12.5 : 1 pistons achieved a 15 %
increase in horsepower over the 10% increase with the 7.5 : 1
pistons. That translated into about 228 horsepower. But, it would
run only on aviation gasoline of 130 octane. That high CR would
have to wait for general use fuels to be widely available across
the country.
The next area involved volumetric
efficiency. The stock exhaust headers were replaced for streamlined
units. That alone increased torque from 312 foot pounds to 330.
The horsepower went up to 193. Gaining confidence, they explored
other areas for improving volumetric efficiency: the valve ports,
intake manifolding, carburetors, and camshafts.
The Hemi heads had plenty of
room for much larger valves. Moving slowly, the ports were smoothed,
and then opened up .125 of an inch on the exhaust and .25 of
an inch on the intake. For manifolding and carburetion, engineers
developed a set of 4 inline, single barrel carbs, each feeding
two cylinders. They also experimented with different grinds on
the camshaft. As it happened, the electronic computer was newly
introduced, and Chrysler Corporation, no stranger to electronics
by any means, was one of the first companies to utilize computer
generated computations to achieve the maximum out of the camshafts
it was testing.
Lab results did not really surprise
anyone. The test engine, designated as the K-310, responded exceptionally
well to the modifications. In the first run with a slightly hotter
than stock cam, along with the high flow heads and standard flow
carburetion system. The Fire Power achieved 225 horsepower and
332 pounds of torque. Next using the mid range camshaft, which
gave the best all around performance, the Hemi stepped up to
275 horsepower and 352 pounds of torque! In the final test, a
high performance grind camshaft, along with the four carb high
speed manifold was tested. The K-310 put out 308 horses with
a twist of 361 foot pounds. Remember, the pistons were stock.
So, just to settle the issue, the 12.5 : 1 pistons were installed.
This combination spun out 353 horsepower and 385 foot pounds
of torque.
Although personally satisfied,
James Zeder maintained his composure. He wrote of the tests that
"the basic Fire Power cylinder gives performance comparable
with Indianapolis engines, which have been developed for power
without regard to any other purpose." In conclusion, he
stated: "we remain unalterably convinced that, in the battle
of the combustion chambers, the spherical segment chamber has
demonstrated unquestionable supremacy."
In the meantime, in 1952, the
DeSoto Division introduced its version of the Hemi head V-8.
It was a 90 degree design of 276 cubic inches and was rated at
160 horsepower. It resulted in 50,000 installations! While smaller,
the DeSoto V-8 had all the same characteristics of the Chrysler
Hemi.
Cadillac gave Chrysler a little
"touch" in 1952 by upping the horsepower ante to 190
in its 331 V-8. It was achieved by a slight boost in compression
ratio. Chrysler was not too concerned, the Chrysler was still
faster. In fact, a 1952 Chrysler was "King" of the
beach speed trials conducted by NASCAR at Daytona Beach, Florida.
The third and final version of
the original Hemi design was introduced by Dodge Division in
late 1952 as a 1953 model. It was a 90 degree design of 241 cubic
inches that was rated at 140 horsepower.
Continuted
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