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Pontiac Straight-6 engine

 
Pontiac Straight 6 Engine

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Pontiac Straight-6 engine



 
 
Like most American automobile
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
 manufacturers, Pontiac
Pontiac

Pontiac is a brand of automobiles, produced by General Motors Corporation that has been sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico since 1926....
 relied on the straight-6
Straight-6

The straight-6 or inline-6 engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinder mounted in a straight line along the crankcase....
 design for their circa-World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 automobiles.

"Split Head" Six
186
In the 1920s Oakland Motor Car engineers designed an all new engine for their "companion" make, the Pontiac, which was introduced in 1926. It was a side-valve design with a one piece cast iron block with three main bearings. An unusual feature was that it had two separate cylinder heads that each covered three cylinders.






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Encyclopedia


Like most American automobile
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
 manufacturers, Pontiac
Pontiac

Pontiac is a brand of automobiles, produced by General Motors Corporation that has been sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico since 1926....
 relied on the straight-6
Straight-6

The straight-6 or inline-6 engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinder mounted in a straight line along the crankcase....
 design for their circa-World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 automobiles.

"Split Head" Six


186


In the 1920s Oakland Motor Car engineers designed an all new engine for their "companion" make, the Pontiac, which was introduced in 1926. It was a side-valve design with a one piece cast iron block with three main bearings. An unusual feature was that it had two separate cylinder heads that each covered three cylinders. The Ignition distributor was mounted on top of the block in the gap between the heads. This engine displaced and was rated at 40 bhp (29.4 kW) @ 2400 rpm when it was introduced. The compression ratio was 4.8-1.

200


In 1929 the " split head" Pontiac six was increased in displacement to ., The horsepower rating increased to 60 bhp (44.2 kW) @ 3000 rpm. Compression was increased slightly to 4.9-1. The "split-head" six was discontinued by Pontiac at the end of the 1932 model year. Pontiac offered only eight cylinder engines during 1933 and 1934.

Flathead Six


208


In 1935, Pontiac re-introduced their six cylinder engine, as a straight-6. The 208 was produced in 1935 and 1936. It was a side-valve design with a timing chain, as was popular at the time. This engine featured a conventional one piece cylinder head, and the distributor was moved to the side of the block. The number of main bearings was increased to four. Like the Pontiac Straight-8 engine
Pontiac Straight-8 engine

The straight-8 was an eight-cylinder, in-line automobile engine that was used in production Pontiacs from 1933 to 1954. Introduced in the fall of 1932 for the 1933 models, it was Pontiac's most powerful engine at the time and was the least expensive eight-cylinder engine built by an American automotive manufacturer....
 it also featured full-pressure oiling, and, insert type precision main and rod bearings. These two latter features greatly increased longevity and durability especially under high speed conditions.

223 Pontiac/GMC


Just as was done with their later V8s
Pontiac V8 engine

From 1955 to 1981 the Pontiac Division of General Motors Corporation manufactured its own V8 engines, distinct from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, or Oldsmobile....
, Pontiac shared their mainstream straight-6 engine with GMC
GMC (General Motors division)

GMC is a brand name used on trucks, vans, and Sport utility vehicles marketed in North America and the Middle East by General Motors. In January, 2007, GMC was GM's 2nd largest selling light vehicle division after Chevrolet, ahead of Pontiac....
 for truck use. It was also a side-valve engine, and used a timing chain. The straight-6 was used in Pontiac automobiles (1937-40) and GMC trucks (1938 only).

239


The straight-6 was similar in design to previous sixes. It was used from 1941 through 1954 only in Pontiac automobiles.

Specifications


YearModel name (number)Displacement
cu in
Output BHP (kW) @ RPMTorque ft·lbf. (Nm) @ RPMCompression Carburetor series (bbl)
1935Master&DeLuxe 6 (6-35)208.080 (58.88) @3600 150(203.40) @ 1600 6.2-1 Carter W-1 (1)  
1936Master&DeLuxe 6 (6-36)208.080 (58.88 @ 3600150 (203.40) @ 1600 6.2-1 Carter W-1 (1) 
1937Six (6-37)222.785 (62.56) @ 3520 161 (218.32) @ 1600 6.2-1 Carter W-1 (1)  
1938Six (6-38) 222.7 85 (62.56) @ 3520 161 (218.32) @ 1600 6.2-1 Carter W-1 (1)  
1939Quality&DeLuxe 6 (39-25) & (39-26)222.785 (62.56) @ 3520 161 (218.32) @ 1600 6.2-1 Carter WA-1 (1) 
1940Special&DeLuxe 6 (40-25) & (40-26)222.787 (64.03) @ 3520164 (222.38) @ 1400 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1941Custom,DeLuxe & Streamliner Torpedo 6 (41-24),(41-25),& (41-26)239.2 90 (73.59) @ 3200 175(237.30) @ 1400 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1942Torpedo & Streamliner Torpedo 6 (42-25) & (42-26)239.2 90 (73.59) @ 3200 175 (237.30) @ 1400 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1946Torpedo & Streamliner 6 (46-25) & (46-26)239.2 93 (68.45) @ 3400 175 (237.30) @ 1400 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1947Torpedo & Streamliner 6 (47-25) & (47-26)239.2 93 (68.45) @ 3400 175 (237.30) @ 1400 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1948Torpedo & Streamliner 6 (48-25) & (48-26)239.2 93 (68.45) @ 3400 178 (241.37) @ 1400 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1949Silver Streak 6 (49-25)239.2 93 (68.45) @ 3400 178 (241.37) @ 1400 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1950 Silver Streak 6 (50-25) 239.290 (66.24) @ 3400 178 (241.37) @ 1200 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1951 Silver Streak 6 (51-25) 239.2 96 (70.65) @ 3400 191 (259.00) @ 1200 6.5-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1952 Silver Streak 6 (52-25) with manual trans. 239.2100(73.59)@3400189(256.28)@14006.8-1 Carter WA-1 (1)  
1952 Silver Streak 6 (52-25) with automatic trans.239.2102(75.07)@3400189 (256.28)@1400 7.7-1 Carter WA-1 (1) 
1953Chieftan 6 (53-25) with manual trans.239.2115(84.63)@3800193(261.71)@20007.0-1Carter WCD (2) 
1953Chieftan 6 (53-25) with automatic trans.239.2118 (86.84@3800193(261.71)@20007.7-1Carter WCD (2) 
1954Chieftan 6 (54-25) with manual trans.239.2115(84.63@3800193(261.71)@20007.0-1Carter WCD(2) 
1954Chieftan 6 (54-25) with automatic trans.239.2118(86.84)@3800193(261.71)@20007.7-1Carter WCD(2) 

Overhead Valve


In the mid-1960s, Pontiac revived their straight-6 for a short time. Although it was of a different displacement, this Pontiac engine was based on Chevrolet's Generation 3 straight-6
Chevrolet Straight-6 engine

The Chevrolet straight-6 of the 1930s through 1970s was the base engine in many popular cars, including the Chevrolet Camaro....
.

Pushrod 215


The straight-6 was produced in 1964 and 1965. It is sometimes confused with the 215 aluminum V8
Pontiac V8 engine

From 1955 to 1981 the Pontiac Division of General Motors Corporation manufactured its own V8 engines, distinct from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, or Oldsmobile....
 used in the two years prior. It was an OHV
Overhead valve

An overhead valve engine, also called pushrod engine or I-head engine is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft in the cylinder block and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arm above the cylinder head to actuate the poppet valve....
/pushrod engine design, quite different from the previous Pontiac straight-6 engines.

Overhead Cam (OHC-6)


The OHC-6 design was adopted by Pontiac in the 1966 model year. This was a redesigned Chevrolet
Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a brand of automobile, produced by General Motors . It is the top selling GM marque, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM....
 Straight-6
Chevrolet Straight-6 engine

The Chevrolet straight-6 of the 1930s through 1970s was the base engine in many popular cars, including the Chevrolet Camaro....
 which featured a Single OverHead Cam and was the base engine in the Pontiac Tempest
Pontiac Tempest

The Pontiac Tempest was an entry-level compact car automobile produced by the Pontiac of General Motors, introduced in September 1960 for the 1961 model year....
.

The Pontiac OHC-6 was a SOHC engine based on the standard Chevrolet I6 block, putting it in the avante garde of Detroit engineering. The camshaft was driven by a quiet belt instead of the usual chain, making it state of the art for the time. This engine was used on the 1966 through 1969 Tempest and Le Mans
Pontiac GTO

The Pontiac GTO is an automobile built by Pontiac in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It is often considered the first true muscle car....
 and the 1967 through 1969 Firebird
Pontiac Firebird

The Pontiac Firebird was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002.The Firebird was introduced the same year as its platform-sharing cousin, the Chevrolet Camaro....
.

A high-performance version, called the Sprint, was an option. The Sprint featured high-compression pistons, a hotter cam, dual valve springs, a split/dual exhaust manifold, a better coil and utilized the then new Quadrajet
Quadrajet

In automobile mechanics, the Quadrajet is a 4 barrel carburetor made by the Rochester Products Division of GM that was widely used in General Motors motor vehicles until 1990....
 4-barrel carburetor. It was the first American high performance six cylinder engine since the demise of the Hudson Hornet
Hudson Hornet

The Hudson Hornet is an automobile that was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan between 1951 and 1954. The Hornet was also built by American Motors Corporation in Kenosha, Wisconsin and marketed under the Hudson brand between 1955 and 1957....
.
Pontiac 3
The Pontiac OHC-6 engine ended production with the 1969 models.

Like other Pontiac engines of the era, it was not available in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
; Canadian Pontiac automobiles came with the Chevrolet OHV six instead.

230

The 230 OHC-6 engine was produced in 1966 and 1967. Power output was rated at 165 bhp (123 kW) from a displacement of . The high performance Sprint version produced .

250

In 1968 and 1969 the engine displacement was enlarged to producing in standard form and in the high-performance Sprint version, with an automatic transmission and with a manual transmission.

See also


  • Pontiac V8 engine
    Pontiac V8 engine

    From 1955 to 1981 the Pontiac Division of General Motors Corporation manufactured its own V8 engines, distinct from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, or Oldsmobile....
  • Pontiac Straight-8 engine
    Pontiac Straight-8 engine

    The straight-8 was an eight-cylinder, in-line automobile engine that was used in production Pontiacs from 1933 to 1954. Introduced in the fall of 1932 for the 1933 models, it was Pontiac's most powerful engine at the time and was the least expensive eight-cylinder engine built by an American automotive manufacturer....
  • List of GM engines
    List of GM engines

    This is a list of GM engines, or more specifically a list of engine designs that General Motors Corporation has used in its various products....


External links

  • Pontiac Overhead Cam SIX Forum