New L88?

[Marteney, Steven J.]

Yeah, okay they used a 50 year old way to push valves down but to say there
is ZERO engineering novelty is completely unfair.  That's like saying they
couldn't come up with anything more original than using a wheel to run it
down the road!  Read the early interviews with the designers, team leads,
and managers and learn about injector targeting and intake design and the
composite materials used.  Not to mention the INTENSE scrutiny over the
combustion chamber design, swirl versus tumble, yada yada yada the list goes
on and on.  Unfortunately I don't remember the reason for the pushrod choice
but they took a lot of heat for it even from within GM.  But zero
engineering novelty???  Couldn't be further from the truth.
Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: Gonyou, Jeremy (.) [mailto:jgonyou at ford.com]
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2001 10:53 AM
To: 'gmecm at diy-efi.org'
Subject: RE: New L88?



Ok, I see your point.  And I can fully symphathize with the fact that DOHC
motors take up space (I currently have a 3.4 DOHC crowding the bay of a
cavalier).  However, low-tech solutions from the 60's *are* embarassing
because they show zero engineering novelty.  Although Ford may be lacking
with their DOHC engines, the imports have shown time and time again that
they can get more for less.  The LS6 may be the king of the hill right now,
but it's only a matter of time before some honda V8 blows it out of the
water (new NSX?).  

So, I will continue to attack GM for using pushrods, because it shows that
they are no longer the innovative company that they were in the past.  In a
somewhat inderect way, GM represents the engineering prowess of our country.
The LS6 says that we haven't learned a DAMN thing since Ed Cole first
designed the small block.  So *that* is why I'm shamefaced when I admit to
people that I drive a Pontiac with a pushrod motor.  I'm American, I
recognize sound engineering when I see it, and I should know better.

I don't mean to speak for ECMnut, but this is why GM is embarrassing...

Jeremy

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Bryant [mailto:BRYANTE at ghsp.com]
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2001 9:56 AM
To: 'gmecm at diy-efi.org'
Subject: RE: New L88?


> From: Gonyou, Jeremy (.) [mailto:jgonyou at ford.com]
> Subject: RE: New L88?
> 
> 
> 
> Ouch.  The thing is that the 4.6 is by no means a benchmark.  
> Check out the Lexus V8s.  Remember the ZR1?  Imagine if Honda 
> made a VTec V8 out of 2 prelude engines ... 400 hp out of 4.4 liters.
> 

But the thing is, the 5.7 pushrod V8 is still physically smaller than a 4.0
L DOHC motor (and even the 3.0 L Nissan V6).  There's no apparent mileage
penalty for the displacement.  So, while the power-per-unit-diplacement
isn't that great, the power-per-unit-packaging-volume looks just fine.  I've
had this discussion with Dave Hill, and came away very satisfied with his
argument. 

> But I don't think we have to fear a LPE option in the new 
> vettes.  There's an article in the current Car and Driver 
> about these engines.  It's actually a bored and stroked 350 
> as opposed to the old big block 427 from golden years.  
> Anyway, I have a hard time seeing GM selling LPE engines 
> (should be the other way around).  

GM already had a relationship with Callaway over 10 years ago, so I don't
see why they couldn't team up with Lingenfelter to produce some
special-edition package.  

Eric Bryant
mailto:bryante at ghsp.com
http://www.novagate.com/~bryante  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from gmecm, send "unsubscribe gmecm" (without the quotes)
in the body of a message (not the subject) to majordomo at lists.diy-efi.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from gmecm, send "unsubscribe gmecm" (without the quotes)
in the body of a message (not the subject) to majordomo at lists.diy-efi.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from gmecm, send "unsubscribe gmecm" (without the quotes)
in the body of a message (not the subject) to majordomo at lists.diy-efi.org