New intake manifold Poll

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  • terraplane8
    terraplane8 Senior Contributor
    Maybe it's possible to design and make a new straight eight engine block? Optimised for things like pressure oiling. Maybe a 5 litre capacity and alloy block? Just dreaming but of course it is do-able at a price just like the new manifold.
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    Yes, all it takes is money!  While you are at it, redesign the intake and exhaust so it is a cross-flow setup - intake on one side and exhaust on the other.  The exhaust manifold on the H8 is a real handicap in trying to improve the performance.  However, as far as I8 engines it is pretty hard to beat either the Buick 8 or the Packard 8s.  The Hudson 8 pretty much stopped any innovation after the 1930s and all the efforts were in the I6s.  If you have not seen the Bernie Seigfried article from the WTN about the experimental H8 engines made in about 1952 you should.  Hudson never went forward with these engines, although they would have been quite good performers - pressurized oiling, better cam design, since there are no photos, not clear if the exhaust manifold got any changes.  I wish I would have asked him that when he was still around!  Supposedly it easily outperformed the Hornet 308.  Sadly the days of the I8 were well done by 1952.
  • terraplane8
    terraplane8 Senior Contributor
    But, the H8 was a very light engine for its power. These days you could cast an alloy block and make it even lighter. It wouldn't be a Hudson if it was cross-flow. I think just design a decent twin-outlet cast-iron manifold to keep it quiet.
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    The issue with casting an alloy block is that it will need some major redesign both externally and internally since cast iron is much stronger than aluminum.  We had to make some changes to the inside of the aluminum head design to compensate for the change in strength and stiffness vs the stock cast iron head.  I can give you a casting house if you want to give it a go!  My guess is the market is pretty small and the cost per block will be a bit more than you might get anyone to pay, unfortunately.
  • terraplane8
    terraplane8 Senior Contributor
    I saw a very interesting video on YT about making machined alloy blocks, by a firm in Australia called Bullet Race Engineering, https://bulletraceengineering.com.au/

    They make various straight six blocks capable of 1500 to 2500 hp, these weigh around 42kg. These are based on engines like the Toyota Supra and Nissan GTR etc. and use press in sleeves for the cylinders. The video is great as it shows the CAD design programme and the CAM machining of the block from one solid rectangle of aluminium. The cost was said to be $A15,000 on the video. They have clients from the US too. Some of the blocks are colour-adonised and look very impressive.
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    If you have the money I am sure you can do anything.  Here are some guys that pursued their dream of an all aluminum flathead Ford v8!  So I am sure a Hudson would not be that hard.

    https://www.cokertire.com/blog/top-secret-aluminum-flathead
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    BTW I could not find out whatever happened to this project.  Looks like they made tooling but?

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