The Oldsmobile V8, also referred to as the Rocket, is a series of engines that was produced by Oldsmobile from 1949 until 1990. The Rocket, along with the 1949 Cadillac V8, were the first post-war pushrod OHV crossflow cylinder head V8 engines produced by General Motors. Like all other GM divisions, Olds continued building its own V8 engine family for decades, adopting the corporate Chevrolet 350 small-block and Cadillac Northstar engine only in the 1990s. All Oldsmobile V8s were assembled at plants in Lansing, Michigan, while the engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations.
All Oldsmobile V8s use a 90° bank angle, and most share a common stroke dimension: for early Rockets, for later Generation 1 engines, and for Generation 2 starting in 1964. The , , , and engines are commonly called small-blocks.Hot Rod, 3/86, p.54. , , and V8s have a higher deck height ( versus ) to accommodate a stroke crank to increase displacement. These taller-deck models are commonly called "big-blocks", and are taller and wider than their "small-block" counterparts.
The Rocket V8 was the subject of many first and lasts in the automotive industry. It was the first mass-produced pushrod OHV V8, in 1949.
The factory painted "small-blocks" gold or blue (flat black on the late model ), while "big-blocks" could be red, green, blue, or bronze.
As is the case with all pre-1972 American passenger car engines, published horsepower and torque figures for those years were SAE "Gross," as opposed to 1972 and later SAE Net ratings (which are indicative of what actual production engines produce in their "as installed" state - with all engine accessories, full air cleaner assembly, and complete production exhaust system in place).
Northway sourced Oldsmobile Flathead V8 (1916-1923) The first Oldsmobile V8 was of a flathead design that was developed by Northway Engine Works before GM assumed operations. It was installed in the Oldsmobile Light Eight and was related to the Cadillac flathead V8 engine. In 1929, Oldsmobile installed a 90 degree monobloc flathead V8 engine in the Viking companion brand before the monobloc was used in LaSalle and Cadillac vehicles from 1929-1931.
Generation I
The first generation of Oldsmobile V8s were tall deck big blocks available from 1949-1964. Each engine in this generation is quite similar with the same size block and heads.
303
The engine had hydraulic lifters, an oversquare bore:stroke ratio, a counterweighted forged crankshaft, aluminum pistons, floating wristpins, and a dual-plane intake manifold. The 303 was produced from 1949-1953. Bore was and stroke was . Cadillac used a distantly related engine which appeared in three different sizes through to the 1962 model year; though the Oldsmobile and Cadillac motors were not physically related, many lessons learned by one division were incorporated into the other's design, and the result were two engines known for their excellent power-to-weight ratio, fuel economy, and smooth, strong, reliable running.
The original Oldsmobile V8 was to have been marketed as "Kettering Power" after chief engineer Charles Kettering, but company policy prohibited the use of his name. Instead, influenced by the Space Race between the United States and the USSR, the legendary Rocket was born, available in Oldsmobile's 88, Super 88, and 98 models. The engine proved so popular, the division's 88 models were popularly called Rocket 88s.
From 1949 until 1951, the 2-barrel carburetor 303 produced and . Its output of 0.45 hp per cubic inch was 7% better than the 0.42 hp per cubic inch of the popular and widely produced 1949 Ford Flathead V8. 1952 88 and Super 88 V8s used a 4-barrel carburetor for and , while 4-barrel 1953 versions raised compression from 7.5:1 to 8.0:1 for and .
Applications: 1949–1953 Oldsmobile 88 1949–1953 Oldsmobile 98 1952–1953 Oldsmobile Super 88
324
The version was produced from 1954 until 1956. Bore was increased to (same as the later 283 Chevy) and stroke remained the same at . Two-barrel carburetion was standard; all high performance 324s came with four-barrel carburetors. The 324 was shared with GMC trucks.
The 1954 88 and Super 88 V8s used an 8.25:1 compression ratio for and , respectively.
The 1955 model upped the compression to 8.5:1 for and in the 88 and and in the Super 88 and 98. For engines built during the first part of 1955, the 324 skirted pistons had a reputation for failing due to the cast aluminum skirt separating from its steel interior brace. This problem did not appear until the engine had over on it. By late 1956, many Olds dealers learned about the problem. Compression was up again in 1956 for and in the 88 and and in the Super 88 and 98.
Applications: 1954–1956 Oldsmobile 88 1954–1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 1954–1956 Oldsmobile 98
371
The 371 made its debut in 1957 as standard equipment on all Olds models,Flory, J. "Kelly", Jr. American Cars 1946-1959 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Coy, 2008), p.833. and was produced through 1960. Bore was up to and stroke was increased to for . 1959 and 1960 371s used green painted valve covers. 4-barrel models used 9.25:1 compression in 1957 and 10:1 in 1958 for and and and respectively. A 1958 2-barrel version produced and , but had problems with early camshaft failures due to the high preload valve spring forces. Following the Automobile Manufacturer Association ban on factory supported racing, power ratings went down for the 1959 and 1960 88 models: and for 1959 and and for 1960. It was no longer available in cars in 1961.Flory, J. "Kelly", Jr. American Cars 1960-1972 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Coy, 2004), p.118.
This engine was used in GMC heavy trucks as the "370" of 232 gross HP at 4200 rpm and torque 355 gross lbs-ft at 2600 rpm from 1957 to 1959. It had hardened valve seats and other features for heavy duty usage.
Applications: 1957–1960 Oldsmobile 88 1957–1958 Oldsmobile Super 88 1957–1958 Oldsmobile 98
J-2 Golden Rocket Introduced in the middle of the 1957 model year,Flory, American Cars 1946-1959 p.833. the 1957 and 1958 J-2 Golden Rocket had three two-barrel (twin choke) carburetors with a vacuum-operated linkage. Only the center carburetor was mechanically connected to the throttle pedal, and it was the only one equipped with a choke. When the center carburetor was opened to 60° or more engine vacuum drawn from the windshield wiper pump would simultaneously open the front and rear carburetors. These carburetors did not open progressively; they were either open or closed. The J-2 engine also had a slightly thinner head gasket, raising compression to 10.0:1. It was advertised with gross power and torque ratings of at 4600 rpm and at 2800 rpm. Oldsmobile charged $83 for the J-2 option with the three-speed manual (or in the 98),Flory, American Cars 1946-1959, p.834. $314 with the automatic.The optional heater-defroster cost $85 that year, the optional base radio $96. Flory, American Cars 1946-1959, p.834.
In practice, owners who did not regularly drive hard enough to engage the front and rear carburetors experienced problems with the linkage and carburetor throats becoming clogged, and some J-2-equipped cars had the front and rear carburetors removed and blocked off. Moreover, correct tuning was a continual headache. The package was expensive to produce, and Oldsmobile discontinued it after 1958.
394 Bore was up to for the largest first-generation Rocket, the . 394s were produced from 1959–1964 and were available on many Olds models. Most 394s used 2-barrel carburetors, but special high-compression 4-barrel versions were available starting in 1961.
Power for the base engine was up to 315 hp (235 kW), even though compression was down a quarter point, to 9.75:1.Flory, American Cars 1946-1959, p.990.
The 394 replaced the 371 in Super 88 and 98 cars for 1959 and 1960 and a detuned version was used in the 88 for 1961 and the Dynamic 88 for 1962-1964.
Applications: 1959–1960 Oldsmobile Super 88, and 1959–1960 Oldsmobile 98, and 1961 Oldsmobile 88, and 1962–1964 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88, and 1964 Oldsmobile Jetstar I, and
Sky Rocket The 1961 through 1963 Sky Rocket (and 1964 Rocket) was a high-compression, four-barrel engine. The 10:1 compression 1961 model produced and , while the 10.25:1 1962-1964 version upped power to and . A special 1963 10.5:1 version was also produced with .
Applications: 1961–1963 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 (option) 1961–1964 Oldsmobile Super 88 (standard) 1961–1964 Oldsmobile 98 (standard)
Starfire The high-compression four-barrel 394 cu. in. 1964 Starfire produced and for the 1963-4 Starfire and 98 Custom-Sports Coupe. It was optional on 1964 98s and Super 88s.
Aluminum 215 From 1961-1963, Oldsmobile manufactured its own version of the Buick-designed, all-aluminum 215 cubic inch (3.5L) V8 engine for the F-85 compact. Known variously as the Rockette, Cutlass, and Turbo-Rocket by Oldsmobile (and as Fireball and Skylark by Buick),Depending on carburetion or use of turbocharger. Flory, J. "Kelly", Jr. American Cars 1960-1972 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Coy, 2004), pp.205 & 246. it was a compact, lightweight engine measuring long, wide, and high, with a dry weight of only .Baechtel, p.67. The Oldsmobile engine was very similar to the Buick engine, but not identical: it had larger wedge combustion chambers with flat-topped (rather than domed) pistons, six bolts rather than five per cylinder head, and slightly larger intake valves; the valves were actuated by shaft-mounted rocker arms like the Buick and Pontiac versions, but the shafts and rockers were unique to Oldsmobile. With an 8.75:1 compression ratio and a 2-barrel carburetor, the Olds 215 had the same rated hp, at 4800 rpm, as the Buick 215, with of torque at 2400 rpm. With a 4-barrel carburetor and 10.25:1 compression, the Olds 215 made at 4800 rpm and at 3200 rpm with a manual transmission. With a 4-barrel carburetor and 10.75:1 compression, the Olds 215 made at 4800 rpm and at 3200 rpm with an automatic. The Buick version was rated at 200 hp with an 11:1 compression ratio. The Oldsmobile Turbo-Rocket had 10.25:1 compression and was rated at .
The Buick version of the 215 V8 went on to become the well known Rover V8, utilizing the Buick-style pistons, heads, and valve train gear.
The Oldsmobile engine block formed the basis of the Repco-Brabham V8 engines used by Brabham to win the 1966 and 1967 Formula One world championships. The early Repco engines produced up to , and featured new SOHC cylinder heads and iron cylinder liners. The 1967 and later versions of the Repco engine had proprietary engine blocks.
In the mid-1980s, hot rodders discovered the 215 could be stretched to as much as , using the Buick 300 crankshaft, new cylinder sleeves, and an assortment of non-GM parts.Davis, Marlan. "Affordable Aluminum V8's [sic]", in Hot Rod Magazine, March 1985, pp.84-9 & 121. It could also be fitted with high-compression cylinder heads from the Morgan +8.
Turbo-Rocket