The big 3 all produced 600+ cubic inch engines in their big truck division. Cadillac had the 500 cubic inch. Chevy now makes the 572 big block, rated at 720hp. But as far as I know, in American made cars, the Caddy is the biggest. If you want the best engine ever made, thats a whole different story. The 302 from Chevy was a real strong engine. They only came in the first Z28's. The COPO 427 from Chev (all aluminum) is real good, and very rare. But I'd have to say that the side oiler 427 from Ford is my choice. Especially considering that you could turn that engine into a DOHC monster, producing 750hp! But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Trevor

 

I thought I was wrong once...


...but I was mistaken.



I seem to recall seeing that 534 engine in an old ten yard Ford dump truck. I was working at the local gas station at the time (probably 1973), and I recall it was incredibly thirsty! Makes you wonder, though.... if you could put it into a heavy duty one-ton pickup....


Lane

 

Actually the 645 continued to be used up until the early 80's in a turbocharged 3000hp variation. For a short period of time there was a GM 645-20 that was used in the SD45 class of locomotive. It made 3600hp, but wasn't easy on diesel. Actually the 567 was used during the 40's in the E and F units that GM built.

Here's some trivia...and don't look it up! What does the 645 stand for??

Bart

 

The 645 stands for 645 cubic inches. It was last used on the EMD SD40-2F's delivered in 1989.

 

Wait a minute. We're talking about a diesel that goes from 2,000 to 3,600 hp in various forms. Are you sure it's only 645 cubic inches? That's hard to believe.


I didn't guess, because I knew the number didn't match the formula for other smaller GM diesels. A 671 "Jimmy" has 6 cylinders of 71 cubic inches each. I used to occasionally operate an old 12V71N generator unit that my employer has in a semi trailer. It's a V12 with two 671 superchargers sitting in the "valley."

I think that engine has to be a lot bigger than 645 cubic inches. I'm not a diesel nut, but I don't know of any diesel making nearly 6 hp per cubic inch -- unless maybe that Cummins Indy car of years ago could do it... Oh, I suppose there are speed record engines out there that are built to the max, but I'd think 1 hp per cubic inch would be pushing it for a diesel that is supposed to work all day, every day.

Lane

 

Its 645 cubic inches per cylinder. That's right, an engine that displaces more in one cylinder than most engines have in 8 or 10! Just multiply that by 16 or 20.

Most of the power variation was wether or not the engine was turbocharged or supercharged, had more cylinders, etc. I guess I should actually correct myself and add that the 645E was rated between 2000-3600 hp, depending on the application.

 

My dad works for a shipping company, www.secunda.com . Anyyway, they have an 11,000 horsepower beast. When my dad was helping to get the head off(say 4 tons a head, they used a crane), He asked me if I wanted to go inside. Scary stuff. You can have a party in one cylinder. Fit 3 people nicely in each cylinder, and at 6 cylinders, its not too bad. The engine runs out a turbocharger that I've never seen(big though). Drivetrain is a shfat and a ball bearing.

 

OK, Bart, that makes sense. However, if they'd stuck with the standard Detroit nomenclature, I'd have expected the V16 to be a 16-645.

Heck of an engine.

Lane

 

The 645's still around, sort of. Stroked an inch to give 710 inches per cylinder, good for up to about 4500 HP in the V-16 version, and still in production. EMD still builds new 645s for export also.

 

ford had a tank engine that was way big, I can't remember. But there was a guy that tractor pulled with one that was TT'd and it was on the same firing order as a 3408 cat, friggin nasty!! It was unbeatable.

 

chevys new 8.1 liter is nuthing to laugh at i think that comes out to 495 or 496 or sumthing like that i think thats the biggest stock as of today in a passenger vehicle.

 

Yep, 8.1 liters is 494.2923 cubic inches, according to my little "converter" program. The 500 Cadillac was a true 8.2 liter. Seems like most automotive engines are moving toward less displacement these days. We can get more horsepower out of 4 and a half liters than we used to from 5 and three quarter or 7 and a half.

There's a lot to be said for big old understressed engines that made gobs of torque with lots of cubic inches. It's just that nobody can afford their thirst these days. I think it would be a kick to have a 450 Red Diamond (inline 6) in my International, or an 1100 cube Hall Scott in an old Kenworth. And a 534 Ford would definitely be a kick in the pants -- but I sure couldn't afford the gas.

I just looked at a site with a 1907 Chadwick, with 11.2 liter (683.4659 cubic inch) engine. I don't think they were getting quite the hp per cubic inch then that we do now.

Lane

 

The largest engine I have ever seen is that of our school bus - I live in europe so it's probably quite small compared to what an american bus might have, but it is an eighteen litre, double-inline 10, petrol (unusual for a large european vehicle), and red-lines at 2,000rpm. I don't know the power or torque but i assume torque is quite high due to the low revs.

I do know that Buggatti once made a 12.7 litre car, which is supposedly meant to be the largest cc in any production car, but that was in the 1920's or 1930's. I think it was called the Buggatti Royale.

 

I kinda remember IH making a 540....in a regular production vehicle. And we are staying automotive right? illegal to bring up the huge diesels in locomotives or cruise ships?

 

A liter is 61 cubic inches...so the GM 8.1 is 494.1 cubes and the 632 cube engine is between 10 and 11 liters.

ie; 8.1 x 61 cubes = 494.1