Buick(?) Aluminum Inline 6 - Anyone know what this is? I already stumped Squirrel!!!!

I was looking at this critter, and my interest was piqued when they said it might be an aluminum block in this thing. They think it is a 20-21 Buick body, but I'm not thinking this is the original engine for this car.

Squirrel said that was probably the water pump that ran off the right side of the motor. I was thinking/hoping it'd be an early form of supercharger.

Anyone know what this is and have any idea if this thing is rare or worth chasing down? It's the only one I've ever seen, but that doesn't mean much!

 

I dont know what it is, but I'll second the waterpump theory.

 

Don`t think its Buick....that era there were heaps of `orphans `...could be Durant, Peerless, ....Bluto could probably I.D. it, and has an Indy version of same....

 

I think it's a cool looking engine, and would look great in an open modified or Tbucket style roadster. I'm curious as all hell what it is and all that other jazz that goes along with it.

I'll go with the water pump theory as well, looking closer at the drive shaft that goes back to the distributor setup as well.

 

Engine numbers on the Buick motors are supposed to be on the crankcase; one listing says "left side near front of oil filler tube", one says "on brass plate next to timing gear inspection hole", if you can come up with a number that can be looked up.

A Buick motor that era was a six with "caged valves" in an OHV configuration, but the head was part of the block - that part certainly looks correct.

A Google search brought up this:

Dyke's Automobile and Gasoline Engine Encyclopedia

http://books.google.com/books?id=Bt...i=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPA15-IA1,M1


But it's not dial-up friendly, if anyone has a fast connection maybe there's pictures of the engine here.

 

From what I've been told, there is a number on the engine block - 669172 another number by the timing over - 43202-1 f and one on the bell housing 37a5. He says there are no other tags anywhere else on this motor.

I'm getting more curious about it now!

 

1920 Buick serial numbers start 547524 and end 687794 -

 

sure looks like it. I didn't see mention of aluminum...but the print is pretty small...

 

Reading that page that Squirrel posted shows it had 50 brake horsepower.

Would this critter be worth messing with? I'm still curious about the aluminum though. I haven't seen it, only talked with the guy about it.

If I'm figuring it right, it'd be about a 241 cubic inch motor.

 

Hudson maybe?

 

The engine in the picture looks just like the engine in the book, and the book seems pretty well convinced that it's a Buick engine. Also Greg sent me more pics, including the rearend, and it also matches the page from the book, and it's a distinctive shape.

btw the page from the book that I posted is from the link that rustynewyorker posted.

 

The pics you posted of the Cowl & Engine are indeed Buick.

I had a 1919 Buick Chassis & body from cowl forward.

The engine Has an ALUMINUM CRANKCASE with an Iron head & cylinder assy.. The Head & all cylinders are cast in 1 piece and are installed similar to how a Motorcycle barrel is installed only there are 6 with the Head attached.

Mine had an ALUMINUM oil pan & several external parts cast in aluminum.

The TIN COVER you see on that engine cover the EXTERNAL Push Rods.

The valve cover is also just a tin cover & the Rockers are in a DRY environment, They have these lil Oiler cups that need to be checked & filled often for Oiling,

Very advanced engine for the time and VERY expensive to work on today.

 

Well the crankcase looks aluminum, but the block is cast iron. Definitely a water pump too.
Looks like a model 44 Buick, early '20s
There are more not on e-bay here...
http://www.beaverheadriver.com/ranch/cars/

 

break out the magnet they don't lie! cool looking engine.

 

According to this book the standard 1920 Buick motor was 242 CI, 60 hp. It just doesn't have any pictures of the motor - but it's great for stats, production, serial numbers and so on. The frame should have the same six-digit serial behind the left front wheel someplace as well.

I would imagine building it is an expensive proposition, it's babbit bearing, the water pump you may be able to get a replacement shaft for, the rest.. who knows. If it's not full of water from sitting it would be an interesting challenge to take apart, you might be able to clean it up, re-ring it, and make it go again, but like most stuff that vintage I'd be too afraid of breaking something to do more than minimal driving with it. Only because even if the parts were cheap, where the hell do you find more? You'd probably have to make them. But I completely understand being fascinated with something like that enough to want to see it run.

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FWIW, so far as I know the first OHV Hudson motor was the Nash V8 used in 56-57 "Hash"es, their sixes (and eights through about '51) were flathead right up to the Nash merger.

 

Definately a water pump. The starter/generator is at the rear, which drives the distributor or mag. There's an armature in the starter/gen that runs all the time when the key is on. At least it's that way on a friend's '24 Buick.

 

With as expensive as it's going to be - based on the advice above - I'll probably go ahead and pass on it. It does present an interesting motor, and would be one I think would be fun to play with - take the old cowl and steering setup and build it like that one in the thread posted awhile back about the 'coolest professor on campus' had. You guys remember, that old little T with the 3 tractor seats, a motor/trans, wheels, and not much else! I don't even think that old T had a cowl on it if I remember correctly.

With as tight as my $$$ is right now, I'm going to have to pass on it I think. Although the guy did have a cool looking piece in the background I may ask him about to use as yard art....

 

The printed info says the block was cast from "SEMI STEEL" the large assembly o the rear of the engine is the gennerator.

 

Could the "Semi Steel" casting be aluminum? What/how far back did aluminum castings and aluminum alloys go as far as usage? In fact, how old is the name "aluminum?"

Makes me wonder if this was a 'new' type of casting using the aluminum, and they called it the semi-steel.

 

Looks like a Brewster

 

I have the same cowl here waiting to be part of a two seat race car style roadster. From other peoples posts on the board it shows to be a 1919/early 20's Buick.

 

Depending on what it would take to get it operable would dictate whether or not it would be worthwhile, but if I had an engine like that I'd put it in something that would only get used occasionally, local shows, etc. I'd leave the covers off the motor and expose all those moving parts. As Indian Larry said, "I love to see the mechanicalness". I get mesmerized just watching an old single cylinder hit/miss engine running, with all the valvetrain, governor, etc. hanging out there in the fresh air. Can you imagine the attention one of those would get in an open engine compartment, with all that "mechanicalness" moving around in there......

 

Aluminum was used in engines at LEAST the teens if not the 00's. Several cars had aluminum crankcases with cast iron cylinders, including Whites. My '24 DB coupe has an aluminum roof. I know of a '23 Australian built DB touring with an aluminum boby. Ain't nothing new.

 

Aluminum castings were common from the earliest days of automobiles. Cylinder assemblies in aluminum were rare but many crankcases, valve covers, side valve chamber plates, water pumps, water inlet and outlet housings and other parts were often cast in aluminum.

 

BTW Goztrider, I vote for you buying the Buick engine for a future project. They don't make them like that any more.

 

Aluminum was the wonder metal of the teens and 20s. Many of the better cars used aluminum crankcases .timing covers ,body panels etc. That starter,generator,iginion unit was known as a single unit system. Combined starter/generator with seperate iginion was a 2 unit and modern practice with all seperate is a 3 unit. The "Dyke's " Auto encyopieda is a great sorce of info on the wierd early stuff, I have them from 1917 to '42.

 

+1 on Dr. Dykes Book. Mine is the 1946 edition. I don't think they changed much from the early versions. Everything you need to know about automobiles. All the theory and practice from the early years, in great detail about all. Mine even has trucks, tractors and airplanes.
I discovered mine in the early 50's.

Frank

 

I can place a few shots of a 1920 (Buick) we were involved in rebuilding a few years ago in 2005.

You can draw your own conclusions by comparing the shots!

It looks like the same unit to me. It had 6 separate valve chambers and cast iron bores! We used some custom "Ross" pistons and some 305" SBC "high-perf" valves to get all back together.

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

 

"Semi Steel" was a term that was used to describe a form of cast iron that was better than grey iron-probably what we would refer to as malleable iron. It definitely was not aluminum. As far as when did aluminum come into automotive usage; Harry Miller use it extensively in all of his efforts beginning around 1920.

 

Lots of great information here. That's one of the reasons why I love the HAMB!