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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
Little known (?) fact: Chrysler's hemi engine wwas pioneered by a Blegian
company... http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/art...123592,00.html DAS For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- European manufacturers from Peugeot to Porsche have used the concept, but the term "hemi engine" remains a trademark of America's Chrysler corporation and will be forever associated in British minds with the United States - although it was pioneered by the little-known Pipe car company of Belgium in 1905. Chrysler developed an experimental hemi engine that was used in the US air force's P-47 Thunderbolt fighter during the second world war, but it was when the company introduced the 180bhp V8 FirePower hemi in several of its car models in 1951 that it really came into its own. Today it is not unusual for mid-range saloons to boast 200bhp, but in the 1950s 180bhp was the automotive equivalent of bringing out the big guns. Hemi engines improve the combustion process to boost power. Rather than a flat-topped design, the cylinder head's combustion chamber has a curved, or "hemispherical", head and is better at retaining heat. The spark plug positioned in the centre of the chamber makes for easier ignition of the fuel and air, and having the fuel intake/exhaust valves opposite each other (rather than side by side) allows for a better flow of air (the term "hemi" is sometimes replaced with "crossflow cylinder head"). Hemi engines took off in the 1950s and 1960s and the ultimate engine of the era is Chrysler's 7 litre 426 model launched in 1964 - still a favourite with drag racers. They fell out of favour during the 1970s because of high fuel consumption and production costs. Chrysler reintroduced a 5.7 litre hemi engine in the Dodge Ram pick-up in 2002 and the same engine is used in some models of the Chrysler 300C saloon, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Jeep Commander, which went on sale in the UK last month |
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#2
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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
Dori A Schmetterling wrote: > Little known (?) fact: Chrysler's hemi engine wwas pioneered by a Blegian > company. Well...no, a Belgian company's hemi engine was pioneered by a Belgian company. Chrysler's Hemi engine families -- all four of them -- were pioneered by various branches and subsidiaries of Chrysler Corporation. The present "HEMI", which hasn't got a hemispherical combustion chamber at all, was pioneered by DaimlerChrysler. Glad to be able to clear that up for you. |
#3
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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
The new HEMI design has some additional casting material on each side
of the chamber to help create a more efficient combustion. Otherwise, they absolutely hold true to the heritage of their name. Chrysler did not invent the HEMI, they just perfected it. Thanks, Scott |
#4
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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
The HEMI engine for automobiles was born in 1948 -- Harry Westlake and several others developed a Hemi 6-cylinder engine for Jaguar. A few years later, in 1951, Chrysler introduced a 180-'horsepower' (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/horsepower.htm) HEMI V-8 engine on several models. The Chrysler HEMI engine had a displacement of 331 cubic inches (5.4 liters), so it is known as the "331 HEMI." These days, 180 horsepower sounds like nothing. For example, you can get a 2003 Dodge Neon with a stock 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower. The 5.7 liter LS6 V-8 in the 2003 Chevy Corvette produces over 400 horsepower. But in 1951, 180 horsepower was unheard of. It was an amazing amount of power for the day, and it fueled the "HEMI legend." [image: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hemi-8.jpg] Photo courtesy DaimlerChrysler *Dual Ghia powered by a 392 HEMI* Chrysler continued improving the HEMI design, releasing a 354-cubic-inch design in 1956, a 392 cubic-inch design in 1957, and ultimately a 426-cubic-inch (7-liter) version in 1964. The 426 engine set the HEMI legend in stone when it won first, second and third place in the 1964 Daytona 500 'NASCAR' (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/nascar.htm) race. The 426 street HEMI came out in 1965, producing 425 horsepower. The 426 block and heads are still available today from Dodge. The 426 HEMI is a popular power plant for drag racing, funny cars and muscle cars -- hardparts ------------------------------------------------------------------------ hardparts's Profile: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...?userid=448802 View this thread: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=550746 http://www.automotiveforums.com |
#5
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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
And a happy Passover to you, too.
DAS For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message oups.com... [...] > > Glad to be able to clear that up for you. > |
#6
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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
It's too bad they never made a Hemi head for the slant 6 as they did
with the Australian 6. |
#7
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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
"Dori A Schmetterling" wrote in message...
> when the company introduced the 180bhp V8 FirePower hemi in several of its > car models in 1951 that it really came into its own. Today it is not unusual Some folks will beg to differ when the 'hemi' came into its own. For many, it is when Don Garlits cranked one up. Chrysler was making him run one in the drag races, but he didn't really want to run the new 'hemi' engine. In an effort to be rid of the engine, he advanced the timing far ahead of other engines of the day, hoping to blow the motor and make Chrysler think it was no good for drag racing. To Don's surprise, rather than blowing up, the engine ran like a scalded dog and beat all the other cars at the drags. That made Don a believer and thus led to the beginning of a long and lustrious racing career for the 'hemi'. |
#8
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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
Interesting note. About when was that?
DAS For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- "mrdancer" <mrdancer_at__iw.net> wrote in message ... [...] > > Some folks will beg to differ when the 'hemi' came into its own. For > many, > it is when Don Garlits cranked one up. Chrysler was making him run one in > the drag races, but he didn't really want to run the new 'hemi' engine. > In > an effort to be rid of the engine, he advanced the timing far ahead of > other > engines of the day, hoping to blow the motor and make Chrysler think it > was > no good for drag racing. To Don's surprise, rather than blowing up, the > engine ran like a scalded dog and beat all the other cars at the drags. > That made Don a believer and thus led to the beginning of a long and > lustrious racing career for the 'hemi'. > > |
#9
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The Hemi engine was pioneered in Belgium
Don't remember exactly... sometime around 1956-57, I believe...
"Dori A Schmetterling" > wrote in message ... > Interesting note. About when was that? > > DAS > > For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling > --- > > "mrdancer" <mrdancer_at__iw.net> wrote in message > ... > [...] > > > > Some folks will beg to differ when the 'hemi' came into its own. For > > many, > > it is when Don Garlits cranked one up. Chrysler was making him run one in > > the drag races, but he didn't really want to run the new 'hemi' engine. > > In > > an effort to be rid of the engine, he advanced the timing far ahead of > > other > > engines of the day, hoping to blow the motor and make Chrysler think it > > was > > no good for drag racing. To Don's surprise, rather than blowing up, the > > engine ran like a scalded dog and beat all the other cars at the drags. > > That made Don a believer and thus led to the beginning of a long and > > lustrious racing career for the 'hemi'. > > > > > > |
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