Chrysler Hemi engine: Difference between revisions

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Chrysler applied their military experience with the hemispherical combustion chamber to their first [[Overhead valve engine|overhead-valve]] [[V8 engine]], released under the name '''FirePower''', not "Hemi," in 1950 for the 1951 model year. The first version of the FirePower engine had a displacement of {{convert|331|cuin|L|1|abbr=on}} and produced {{convert|180|bhp|kW|1|abbr=on}}. Eventually, three of the four Chrysler divisions had their own version of the FirePower engine, with different displacements and designations, and having almost no parts in common. This lack of commonality was due in part to the three engine versions using different bore pitches (the center-to-center distance between adjacent cylinders). Chrysler and [[Imperial (automobile)|Imperial]] called their versions the ''FirePower''. [[DeSoto (automobile)|DeSoto]] called theirs the ''FireDome''. Dodge had a smaller version, known as the ''Red Ram''. Only [[Plymouth (automobile)|Plymouth]] did not have a version, but retained the Dodge [[Polyspheric|poly-head engines]]. There was no Plymouth Hemi engine until the 1964 426.

 

Dodge released a {{convert|325|cuin|L|1|abbr=on}} engine for 1957. The "Super Red Ram" engine used a {{convert|3+11/16|in|mm in|sigfig=3|abbr=on}} bore and {{convert|3.80|in|mm|1|abbr=on}} stroke. The base engine offering was now a polyspheric chambered head referenced as 'KDS', and a higher performance 325 was offered with hemi heads as the 'KD-500'. Again there was a low volume offering of a 'KD-500-1' with dual four-barrel carburetors. All engines now, however, had hydraulic camshafts even though the hemi headed offerings sported "dimples" in the valve covers for mechanical adjuster clearance.

 

{{Infobox automobile engine

| name = 426