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Hopping up straight 8's

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by bigroy, Mar 6, 2010.

  1. alsancle
    Joined: Nov 30, 2005
    Posts: 1,572

    alsancle
    Member

    My stutz special is running a 28 Stutz OHC Straight 8. We reproduced all the modifications the original builder performed:

    1. Increased compression from 5.5-1 to 8-1.
    2. Polished the ports.
    3. 3/4 cam
    4. enlarged the valves as much as possible.
    5. replaced the single updraft with 4 downdraft winfields.
    6. One piece stainless exhaust header.

    We also made a couple of modern upgrades:

    1. Replaced the super heavy flywheel with a much lighter modern version plus a modern clutch and pressure plate.

    2. Converted from 6 volt to 12 volt and went with electronic ignition which is all hidden in the original distributor.

    The motor hasn't been dynoed yet but my understanding from the guys that race these engines is that the horsepower should have gone from 110 to about 180.
     
  2. bigroy
    Joined: Nov 25, 2009
    Posts: 159

    bigroy
    Member

    wow alsancle that sounds sweet do you have any pics or videos?
     
  3. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    This is two construction pictures of a poor boy intake I made for a Buick eight. Never took a picture of it finished. Guy who has it said he would send me a picture but he never did. Yes is required fabrication. Not a big deal if you know the right machinist. Even better if your a machinist. By the way, The Salt Cat whose video was linked eariler in this thread got the record I set in 1980. About time somebody did. Nice car.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. bigroy
    Joined: Nov 25, 2009
    Posts: 159

    bigroy
    Member


    Hey first off sorry for my last response to you, my question did sound stupid. I read that when I was already pissed off.

    Anyway nice work on intake looks really good
     
  5. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    OK. I was having a bad day myself. And I see you think my Plymouths are "Cool Engines" on that thread. So you must be a good guy. I do kid alot on here.
     
  6. flyin-t
    Joined: Dec 29, 2004
    Posts: 1,421

    flyin-t
    Member

    This overhead equipment was built by Mel Tull who still holds a record with a straight eight Buick in the roadster class at 169 and change at b-ville.

    He, along with his roadster and a few shots of this head being built, were featured maybe 20 years ago in Tex Smith's old Hot Rod mechanix magazine. I can dig out the issue and scan it if you want.

    Just remembered Mel was also featured in the last Hop Up X with his straight eight buick special modified. Very cool car.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2010
  7. alsancle
    Joined: Nov 30, 2005
    Posts: 1,572

    alsancle
    Member

  8. bigroy
    Joined: Nov 25, 2009
    Posts: 159

    bigroy
    Member


    I would love to see those pics and read the article. I'll see if its on the web somewhere. do you know the year or date of the issue?
     
  9. I've been thinking about it too. I want to keep the straight 8 in my Imperial, but I want to do something to it. I thought about maybe a small hair dryer like a Paxton , the mustang guys seem to like em. Or maybe a home made EFI set up or a multi carb set up. There's a site called Allpar, its mainly a Chrysler site, and it gives a brief history on the straight eights. I think it mentions something about the cam shaft twisting after a higher RPM. The displacement isn't very big, so a small mechanical super charger would be almost enough, maybe something off of a 3800 bonneville, if a person could make an adapter to fit the manifold. Maybe a couple small turbo chargers might work as well. I know the import crowd is using twin turbos on some of the straight six rice rockets.
    I'm gonna be digging any way, and I'll post any thing I find.
     
  10. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    yes I think a blower is the way to go for any old original street rod. Its the simple and easiest way to increase power on those old engines. For the street an increase in torq is whats needed and they supply that very well. There are many modern blowers readily available in wrecking yds etc. that would probably work and i,m no expert but I think they would work well as the old engines usually dont have the capacity to breathe as well as the modern whiz bang double overhead 4 cam engines
     
  11. I read in another thread that the chrysler staight 8s were 900 pounds. Can any one confirm this, I would really like to know how heavy they are for future reference.
     
  12. Ace50coupe
    Joined: Apr 7, 2010
    Posts: 122

    Ace50coupe
    Member
    from Indiana

    mill the head for more compression or static compression is probably around 7.5 to 8 naturally aspirated hates low compression. Also is it a buick straight at or pontiac buicks have enough room in the chambers to build a house. This will give you anywhere from 15 to 50 horse depending on how much you mill or deck the block. Also higher compression will give you better gas mileage. And i know with small blocks every .010 you go you raise compression by .1 if that helps.
     
  13. plym49
    Joined: Aug 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,802

    plym49
    Member
    from Earth

    Replace those cast iron pistons with aluminum replacements.
     
  14. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    Buicks are supposed to be that hevy with trans, so Chryslers may also. They thought more weight better ride???
     
  15. Dynaflash_8
    Joined: Sep 24, 2008
    Posts: 3,038

    Dynaflash_8
    Member
    from Auburn WA

    i was doing some reading today. A neat upgrade would be to find a motor that had a stick shift behind it. They had a solid lifter cam, and use a dynaflow head gasket. The dynaflow head gasket is a steel shim and would be a higher comp ratio than the standart stickshift asbestos
     
  16. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    yes a little bit more torq with the gasket. gasket was available in the large series motor also. A stick in large series would require early parts but can be done. Better to do a 'shave and a haircut' [port, and mill, 'shaved' head]. Also a little cam, and a really good hop up is do some tuning to the distributor, spark and advance work.

    ohh reading back I see this has been already dicussed, shame on me, well yea, the same stuff works for all the old engines.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2010
  17. bigroy
    Joined: Nov 25, 2009
    Posts: 159

    bigroy
    Member

  18. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    looks great! Maybe someone can make a head like that for the Buicks. There are some guys working on str8,s, but no billet head yet. One guy has turned 193 mph at Bonneville [in a Jag sedan] with modified stock head. Also Duttweiler turned 105 in 12.09 sec at the L.A. antique drags and 109/12.05 at Bakersfield [38 Buick Century]
     
  19. blwilliams
    Joined: Dec 27, 2008
    Posts: 3

    blwilliams
    Member

    Looks like this thread is pretty old but hopefully there is still some one out there that can help me out.
    I'm building a 248 straight 8 Buick. I would like to raise the compression as much as possiable. currently I'm getting only 5.377 :1 CR this is with a 97 CC head a 12.66 CC dome piston and .00 deck. how much can the head be milled safely and how far out of the hole can I push the piston out?

    Thanks in advance

    Bruce Williams
     
  20. flynbrian48
    Joined: Mar 10, 2008
    Posts: 8,220

    flynbrian48
    Member

    A friend of ours has a '36 Packard 120 coupe with a turbo'd, fuel injected, electronic fuel injected straight 8. You can do anything you want, with enough time, money, and know-how.

    Brian
     
  21. buzz bomb
    Joined: Jun 3, 2006
    Posts: 493

    buzz bomb
    Member

    I had a straight 8 for years in my 53 Pontiac, and after searching high and low for performance up grades i finally bit the bullet and dropped in a Pontiac GTO mill. Honestly it will take alot of hard earned cash to make a real difference. And belive me....I looked everywhere! And Talked to alot of good Pontiac guys here on the HAMB and nothing worth the trouble.
    Just my 2 cents
     

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