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History Did Ford design the OHV before Chevy?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by jdh67, Mar 12, 2011.

  1. jdh67
    Joined: Mar 12, 2011
    Posts: 4

    jdh67
    Member

    Hey everyone! this is my first post and I have a question regarding the OHV engine...

    Ok so I was told awhile ago, that it was a Ford engineer that originally designed the SBC, but Henry Ford wanted to stick to cheap and dependable transportation for all, so he decided not to use it. Then some years later the same Ford engineer went to work for Chevy where he then presented the design/idea to one of the Chevrolet brothers,and this is where they got the design or at least the original idea behind the SBC...my question to all of you is how valid is this? I believe it to be true, considering my source (a wise man with DECADES of knowledge).

    Thank You for any incite,
    Jake
     
  2. OldBuzzard
    Joined: Mar 8, 2008
    Posts: 878

    OldBuzzard

    Chevrolet had an overhead valve V8 in 1917. Please do an intro.
     
  3. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 32,076

    The37Kid
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Did any of the Chevrolet brothers have anything to do with the 1917 V8 design? When were they bought out by Durant?
     
  4. dudley32
    Joined: Jan 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,163

    dudley32
    Member

    Urban Ledgend..passed around by Ford guys..sorry..
     
  5. Intro should be your first post....
     
  6. dudley32
    Joined: Jan 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,163

    dudley32
    Member

  7. jdh67
    Joined: Mar 12, 2011
    Posts: 4

    jdh67
    Member

    I just did an intro, sorry bout that... thanks for the posts so far....I'll be interested to see how much more info there is.

    thanks for any and all input!
    Jake
     
  8. arkiehotrods
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 6,802

    arkiehotrods
    Member

    The 1917 Chevrolet OHV V-8 was designed by A.C. Mason. Louis Chevrolet sold his interest in Chevrolet to Durant in 1915
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2011
  9. The Chevy small block has its design origins in Caddy...if you look a early Caddy ohv V8 motors you will see the similaritys...as a matter of fact the designers from Caddy came to chevrolet around 53 I believe, and brought with them the motor design as they were planning on an ALL new design for 55 ...the car it self has lots of designs that came from Caddy also besides the motor.
     
  10. Ravenwood
    Joined: Feb 26, 2009
    Posts: 237

    Ravenwood
    Member
    from Texas

    Oddly enough, there is a semi-twist to this story that is true. A Chevrolet engineer invented the flathead V-8, but the company wouldn't hear of it. So the engineer took the plans to Henry Ford, who got the man drunk and swiped the plans, which became the famed Ford flathead V-8, later the Simca flathead V-8.

    Sounds incredible, I know, but I heard this from a really old HAMBER who knows absolutely everything. :D
     
  11. jcmarz
    Joined: Jan 10, 2010
    Posts: 4,631

    jcmarz
    Member
    from Chino, Ca

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
     
  12. The chevy small block was designed by Ed Cole and his team. He spent nearly fifty years at GM. The first post story is a myth.
     
  13. Feeling guilty about putting a small block (307) Chevy in Henrietta the '38 Ford pickup, I painted the engine Ford flathead green and lettered the valve covers "Ford Experimental OHV," got this whole elaborate cock and bull story about the rare Ford Experimental OHV engine. I've had people swallow it hook, line, and sinker.
     
  14. oldcarfart
    Joined: Apr 12, 2005
    Posts: 1,436

    oldcarfart
    Member

    I did simular, painted the sbc black and used "Mercury Marine" decals everywhere I could, I learned a lot of "history" about my BS engine <grin>
     
  15. B Blue
    Joined: Jul 30, 2009
    Posts: 281

    B Blue
    Member

    Your guy got it backwards. It was the 289, initially designed by GM. GM brass did not like it, GAVE the design to Ford. It would rev to 10,000 rpm and develop 400 hp. I know this is true because a guy in the Kroger parking lot told me and it was a bright, sunny day.

    Bill
     
  16. RAY With
    Joined: Mar 15, 2009
    Posts: 3,132

    RAY With
    Member

    It wasn't Krogers parking lot. It was Walmart and I know this to be a fact because I slept in a Holiday inn last week!
     
  17. Johnny Speedster
    Joined: Jan 27, 2011
    Posts: 46

    Johnny Speedster
    Member
    from Atlanta

    <table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="98%"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;">
    </td><td class="THHeader">
    </td></tr> <tr><td style="vertical-align: top;">
    </td><td class="plaintext" style="text-align: justify;"> 1917 saw the production of the first Chevrolet V8, a 288 cid overhead valve motor rated at 36 net horsepower. A total of approximately 3000 Chevrolet V8 motors were made between 1917 and 1919 courtesy of gm photoshop
    </td></tr></tbody></table>[​IMG]
     
  18. RJ_JO
    Joined: Mar 7, 2011
    Posts: 4

    RJ_JO
    Member
    from Sunbury,OH

    I've made alot of money betting others about that 1917 engine. It's good to see I'm not the only one who thinks that there was a V8 chevy engine before 1955.
     
    05snopro440 likes this.
  19. DocWatson
    Joined: Mar 24, 2006
    Posts: 10,288

    DocWatson
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I dunno if I should believe you, it didn't come from some real smart old guy, you didn't hear it in a car park nor did you stay in a Holiday Inn last night so your credibility is a little damaged here......:rolleyes:;)

    Doc.
     
  20. HOT40ROD
    Joined: Jun 16, 2006
    Posts: 961

    HOT40ROD
    Member
    from Easton, Pa

    Yap that true. That same guy was at a local cruise and told me the same story and also told me he had a 289 and a 283 and started them up a put a block on the gas pedals. The Ford just kept reving the and chevy blowup.

    He also told me he had a 1913 Harley in his basement.
     
  21. B.A.KING
    Joined: Apr 6, 2005
    Posts: 4,039

    B.A.KING
    Member

    it really doesn't matter,as long as you got that intro done:D lol welcome
     
  22. Silhouettes 57
    Joined: Dec 9, 2006
    Posts: 2,791

    Silhouettes 57
    Member

    I thought it was 1915 that the V8 was built and I'm a real Old Guy but not to smart!
     
  23. The early Chevrolet 4 is also an OHV...

    'Course, those pesky Chevrolet Bros also made LOTS of OHV heads for the T :)
     
  24. Francisco Plumbero
    Joined: May 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,533

    Francisco Plumbero
    Member
    from il.

    !949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. It was a sunny day, a few clouds and Wiki says so, not worth the farm maybe wrong but most likely more correct than the 17 year old kid at Pep Boys.
     
  25. BOWTIE BROWN
    Joined: Mar 30, 2010
    Posts: 3,251

    BOWTIE BROWN
    Member

    "And the BOWTIE rolls on"
     
  26. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 58,453

    squirrel
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Sounds fishy to me. If Ford had designed the SBC, then the SBC would look like a Y block, wouldn't it?
     
  27. Anything that's not a flathead is just a passing fad anyway....
     
  28. trailer-Ed
    Joined: May 15, 2002
    Posts: 1,942

    trailer-Ed
    Member
    from JC, MO

    Ford offered MASS produced OHV V8 engines in 1954, Chevy in 1955. That is FACT! He was not asking about old, caddy etc. Ford did have it offered to the public first!
     
  29. exStreamliner
    Joined: Apr 7, 2009
    Posts: 1,553

    exStreamliner
    Member

    I heard that the person that designed the Y-block heads left Ford and improved the design for the SBC and that is why the exhaust port arrangement is close eough that SBC header can be used on the Y-block by cutting through the center and spreading them out... thought the story was interesting but never bothered to look that closely to see if they were that close?
     

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