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the Aluminum
A powerful engine in the 1950s went a long way toward captivating the American public, which helped propel General Motors and its engine technology to global automotive dominance.
It was the era when engine designer Ed Cole gained fame for his small block V 8, first used in the 1955 Corvette, an accomplishment that would put him in the GM presidency years later. The design has survived nearly 50 years and is now represented in Corvette's LS1 power plant, an all aluminum 345 horsepower small block.
But what can you make of GM engines today? Is there anything left of that legendary quality and innovation? Is there anything that distinguishes a GM engine from a Ford or Toyota or Chrysler that ordinary car buyers would care about? Can a GM power plant deliver high mileage reliably?
GM engines and their accompanying transmissions have represented some of fake vca alhambra necklace the best and worst engineering in the auto industry over the last several decades. In the latter category, you can include the four cylinder engines that powered the early 1970s Chevrolet Vega and the Oldsmobile diesels a few years later that were ginned up from a gasoline powered V 8. In the 1980s, GM miscalculated again, matching oversized engines with weak transmissions, resulting in widespread transmission failures and a consumer revolt.
Even today, GM is widely criticized by analysts and mechanical experts for its aging technology, which often lags that of it competitors by many years. The company continues to use two valve, cast iron block engines equipped with single camshafts and push rods in many of its vehicles, to the dismay of critics. Even its new LS1 engine in the Corvette defies the standard for modern power plants, eschewing the multivalve, dual overhead camshaft architecture that is standard at many of its competitors.
"They have an aged lineup," said Eric Fedewa, forecast manager for GM's Powertrain Division at CSM Worldwide, a market research firm. "But buyers don't care. The bottom line is that most people shop cost, and GM has been able to hold down cost by making their product last. The current engines are very efficient."
GM engine designers are the first to acknowledge that they won't adopt new technology just for the sake of boasting. The company is aiming to produce low cost, high durability engines that will once again create enough consumer awareness to sell cars.
"The question is, what does a normal customer really need?" said Fritz Indra, executive director of advanced engineering for GM's Powertrain Division. "Does every customer need a four valve engine? Does every customer need an all aluminum engine? A lot of customers are not interested.
"I don't like to say old is bad and new is good," said Indra, a native of Austria with a background in European engineering. "A very old engine can be a very good engine. We have to see how new technologies are fitting together with all of our engines."
For many GM customers, that makes great sense. A lot of new engine technology is unproved, and the customer often pays the price when things go wrong. That's why GM engines of established design have such a strong following. After all, GM did not become the world's largest auto maker by building lousy engines.
Just ask Mike Berezny of Laguna Niguel. He has a Cadillac Sedan DeVille with 270,000 miles that he's trying to sell for $3,600, figuring the original engine and transmission have lots of life left in them.
Potential buyers are dubious.
Three years ago, GM consolidated its worldwide engine and transmission operations into a single division, Powertrain. The company makes 27 different engines in North America alone.
Fedewa, the market researcher, said GM still sets the world standard in terms of automatic transmission quality. Although not widely known, GM Hydramatic transmissions are used by Volvo, BMW and Rolls Royce.
Typical of GM's engine lineup is its 3.8 liter, all cast iron V 6, a design that has been around for copy van cleef and arpels white gold alhambra necklace more than a decade. Its competition includes the Ford 3.8 liter V 6 with an aluminum head copy vca alhambra necklace and a cast iron block. While the GM 3.8 engine routinely runs more than 150,000 miles, Ford owners are lucky to make it to 80,000 miles without a blown head gasket.
"We still produce a lot of cast iron," Indra said. "We are not abandoning our traditional push rod V 8s.".
A powerful engine in the 1950s went a long way toward captivating the American public, which helped propel General Motors and its engine technology to global automotive dominance.
It was the era when engine designer Ed Cole gained fame for his small block V 8, first used in the 1955 Corvette, an accomplishment that would put him in the GM presidency years later. The design has survived nearly 50 years and is now represented in Corvette's LS1 power plant, an all aluminum 345 horsepower small block.
But what can you make of GM engines today? Is there anything left of that legendary quality and innovation? Is there anything that distinguishes a GM engine from a Ford or Toyota or Chrysler that ordinary car buyers would care about? Can a GM power plant deliver high mileage reliably?
GM engines and their accompanying transmissions have represented some of fake vca alhambra necklace the best and worst engineering in the auto industry over the last several decades. In the latter category, you can include the four cylinder engines that powered the early 1970s Chevrolet Vega and the Oldsmobile diesels a few years later that were ginned up from a gasoline powered V 8. In the 1980s, GM miscalculated again, matching oversized engines with weak transmissions, resulting in widespread transmission failures and a consumer revolt.
Even today, GM is widely criticized by analysts and mechanical experts for its aging technology, which often lags that of it competitors by many years. The company continues to use two valve, cast iron block engines equipped with single camshafts and push rods in many of its vehicles, to the dismay of critics. Even its new LS1 engine in the Corvette defies the standard for modern power plants, eschewing the multivalve, dual overhead camshaft architecture that is standard at many of its competitors.
"They have an aged lineup," said Eric Fedewa, forecast manager for GM's Powertrain Division at CSM Worldwide, a market research firm. "But buyers don't care. The bottom line is that most people shop cost, and GM has been able to hold down cost by making their product last. The current engines are very efficient."
GM engine designers are the first to acknowledge that they won't adopt new technology just for the sake of boasting. The company is aiming to produce low cost, high durability engines that will once again create enough consumer awareness to sell cars.
"The question is, what does a normal customer really need?" said Fritz Indra, executive director of advanced engineering for GM's Powertrain Division. "Does every customer need a four valve engine? Does every customer need an all aluminum engine? A lot of customers are not interested.
"I don't like to say old is bad and new is good," said Indra, a native of Austria with a background in European engineering. "A very old engine can be a very good engine. We have to see how new technologies are fitting together with all of our engines."
For many GM customers, that makes great sense. A lot of new engine technology is unproved, and the customer often pays the price when things go wrong. That's why GM engines of established design have such a strong following. After all, GM did not become the world's largest auto maker by building lousy engines.
Just ask Mike Berezny of Laguna Niguel. He has a Cadillac Sedan DeVille with 270,000 miles that he's trying to sell for $3,600, figuring the original engine and transmission have lots of life left in them.
Potential buyers are dubious.
Three years ago, GM consolidated its worldwide engine and transmission operations into a single division, Powertrain. The company makes 27 different engines in North America alone.
Fedewa, the market researcher, said GM still sets the world standard in terms of automatic transmission quality. Although not widely known, GM Hydramatic transmissions are used by Volvo, BMW and Rolls Royce.
Typical of GM's engine lineup is its 3.8 liter, all cast iron V 6, a design that has been around for copy van cleef and arpels white gold alhambra necklace more than a decade. Its competition includes the Ford 3.8 liter V 6 with an aluminum head copy vca alhambra necklace and a cast iron block. While the GM 3.8 engine routinely runs more than 150,000 miles, Ford owners are lucky to make it to 80,000 miles without a blown head gasket.
"We still produce a lot of cast iron," Indra said. "We are not abandoning our traditional push rod V 8s.".
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