Just saw this on FB in a posting about Olds developing this engine for NASCAR just before the body moved to small blocks. I know there are some very knowledgable Olds historians here and wonder if anyone has ever seen one of these before or is it BS?

 

Sure, it's real. Olds was forced to stop development with the approach of 1970, if I recall.

There are one or two old hot rod magazine articles about it (and a few other engines) circulating out there somewhere One from Hot Rod's July, 1965 issue used to be posted on Oldsmobility, but I can't find it now. Here's a page from it:



Olds was the high tech and innovation leader among American makes back then, and this is the sort of stuff that they did.

- Eric

 

I'm not sure how to post the article on this thread, but I will bring it
back to the top for you. Look for the " Interesting read" thread. You have to scroll
down to almost the bottom to find it but it's there.

 

The Hemi-Olds was set for installation in the 1970 Toronado and then in the 1971 442 until the federales and internal GM politics got into it. Shame, because it was a truly awesome engine.

 

About once a year some newbie "discovers" the W-43.

While the W-43 is real, pretty much everything you've quoted from FB is incorrect. Google Oldsmobile W-43. In particular, read the article about the motor in the May 1971 issue of Hot Rod for complete details and lots of photos.

The pushrod version of the motor was intended as a street motor to take on the Chrysler Hemi, more likely at the drag strip than for roundy-round racing. Since the pushrods restricted the size of the ports, there was an all-out DOHC version intended for Top Fuel and boat racing. The motor was killed by emissions requirements, not anything NASCAR did.

Here's an on-line article with more info.

 

Thanks all, I knew the knowledge was here. Guess the old adage is true, that you learn something everyday.

 

Gotta wonder why nobody picked up the DOHC work and ran with it afterwards?

 

You mean like the Quad 4 or the Aurora-Star?

 

A few years ago I was at the GM Heritage Museum in Metro Detroit and they had a bunch of the Oldsmobile prototype engines. Interesting as all heck to read the info on these things. Talk about stump pullers....

 

I have laid hands on that engine, at the Museum and/or the 100th I believe. It sure felt real.

 

Just looking at the colors pics of it will redirect blood flow in your body!

 

I didn't touch it but, it was a magical experience for sure. That and all of the cars they have there. Pretty darn cool.

 

I don't claim any expertise. Will either of those drop in place of my old 307?

Went and found my answer ... not really. I meant a dohc SBO engine. That would be sweet.

 

Not only was there a W43 experimental engine, there was also an OW32, OLW43, OMW43, OMW43A, OGW43, and W43-2. Those are just the ones I've found reference to; there were probably others.

There was even a small-block version of the OW43, called the 362-OW43. I'll let you guess how many cubic inches it had.

The 455 OW43 put out 700 HP at 7000 RPM, which was as fast as they tested it. The curve was still climbing. The engineers didn't even get a chance to optimize the cam profile.

 

I'm surprised the capacity of the dyno was 525+ ft lbs

(T [lb-ft] = HP x 5252 / RPM)

Still climbing at 7k RPM = a pretty good air pump.

 

My fav is the one in my avatar pic, its the prototype to the one referred to by BlackGold above.
Twin turbo 455, all ally heads & block producing 700+HP, 600+ torques@6500RPM mated to a Jetaway switch pitch trans in an all wheel drive Can Am racer! Oh yeah!

Link to article; http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-b...=9990338923850

 

^^^Excellent article, thanks for the post.