Chrysler A engine
Encyclopedia
The Chrysler A engine is a small-block V8 automobile
engine from Chrysler Corporation. It was produced from 1956 until 1967, when it was replaced by the wedge-head LA engine
. The A engine's combustion chambers are polyspherical, and it is not related to Chrysler's Hemi
engines of the same era.
The A engine was first released in 1956, and was used exclusively in Plymouths until 1958. The cylinder bore center distance is 4.46 in (113.3 mm), larger than the earlier Dodge-based poly engines. The A engine formed the conceptual design basis of its successor, the LA engine
.
s as the 277; the bore is 3.8125 in (96.8 mm) and the stroke is 3.31 in (84.1 mm).
This engine was used in the following vehicles:
and export
markets. This engine has a bore of 3.875 in (98.4 mm) and the common 3.31 in (84.1 mm) stroke, and was used in the following vehicles, amongst others:
A special 1957-'58 version used two four-barrel carburetor
s to produce 290 bhp, making it the highest-output A engine. It was used in the 1957 and 1958 Plymouth Fury
, but was also an option on Plymouth models lower in the model range. The Bristol
409
and 410
continued to use this engine until 1969. From 1962 until early 1965, Checker
used this engine for their Aerobus
limousines.
Red Ram 326 was launched in 1959. Its actual piston displacement is 324.5 cu in (5.3 l) but it was marketed as the 326 to avoid confusion with the unrelated Dodge Hemi and polyspherical 325 cu in (5.3 l) engines. The 326 uses the same 3.31 in (84.1 mm) stroke as the 318, but with the largest bore of any A engine at 3.95 in (100.3 mm). It uses hydraulic tappet
s, unlike the earlier A engines, and was used in the 1959 Dodge Coronet
.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
engine from Chrysler Corporation. It was produced from 1956 until 1967, when it was replaced by the wedge-head LA engine
Chrysler LA engine
The LA engines are a family of pushrod OHV 90° V-block gasoline engines built by Chrysler Corporation and factory-installed in passenger vehicles, trucks and vans, commercial vehicles, marine and industrial applications from 1964 through 2003...
. The A engine's combustion chambers are polyspherical, and it is not related to Chrysler's Hemi
Chrysler Hemi engine
The Chrysler Hemi engine, known by the trademark Hemi, is a series of V8 engines built by Chrysler with a hemispherical combustion chamber. Three different types of Hemi engines have been built by Chrysler for automobiles: the first from 1951–1958, the second from 1964–1971, and the third...
engines of the same era.
The A engine was first released in 1956, and was used exclusively in Plymouths until 1958. The cylinder bore center distance is 4.46 in (113.3 mm), larger than the earlier Dodge-based poly engines. The A engine formed the conceptual design basis of its successor, the LA engine
Chrysler LA engine
The LA engines are a family of pushrod OHV 90° V-block gasoline engines built by Chrysler Corporation and factory-installed in passenger vehicles, trucks and vans, commercial vehicles, marine and industrial applications from 1964 through 2003...
.
277
The 277 was the first A-block engine, produced for 1956 and sharing almost nothing but the basic concepts with other engines built by Chrysler. Bore is 3.75 in (95.3 mm) and stroke is 3.125 in (79.4 mm) for a piston displacement of 4525 cc. It was replaced by the 301 in 1957, except for in low-priced Plaza models where it continued to be used during the 1957 model year.301
The Plymouth 301 replaced the 277 in 1957. Its piston displacement is 299.6 cu in (4.9 l), owing to its 3.91 in (99.31 mm) bore. These dimensions are entirely different from the 1955 Chrysler 301.303
The 1956 Plymouth 303 displaces 302.3 cu in (5 l) and uses the same connecting rodConnecting rod
In a reciprocating piston engine, the connecting rod or conrod connects the piston to the crank or crankshaft. Together with the crank, they form a simple mechanism that converts linear motion into rotating motion....
s as the 277; the bore is 3.8125 in (96.8 mm) and the stroke is 3.31 in (84.1 mm).
This engine was used in the following vehicles:
- 1956 Dodge Custom Royal (Canadian)
- 1956 Chrysler WindsorChrysler WindsorThe Chrysler Windsor was a full-sized car built by the Chrysler Corporation of Highland Park, Michigan from 1939 through to the 1960s. The final Chrysler Windsor as known to Americans was produced in 1961, but continued production in Canada until 1966...
(Canadian) - 1956 Plymouth FuryPlymouth FuryThe Plymouth Fury is an automobile which was produced by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a premium-priced model designed to showcase the line, with the intent to draw consumers into showrooms....
, 240 bhp with 4-barrel carburetorCarburetorA carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom.... - 1957 standard on all 118 in-wheelbase Dodges and Plymouths
313
A 312.3 cu in (5.1 l) version of the A engine called the 313 was produced from 1957 to 1967 primarily for CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and export
CKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
markets. This engine has a bore of 3.875 in (98.4 mm) and the common 3.31 in (84.1 mm) stroke, and was used in the following vehicles, amongst others:
- 1957 Canadian Dodge Custom Royal
- 1958-1967 standard or available in all Dodges and Plymouths except ValiantsPlymouth ValiantThe Plymouth Valiant is an automobile manufactured by the Plymouth division of Chrysler Corporation in the United States from 1960 to 1976. It was created to give the company an entry in the compact car market emerging in the late 1950s...
, BarracudasPlymouth BarracudaThe Plymouth Barracuda is a 2-door car that was manufactured by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1964-1974.The first-generation Barracuda, a fastback A-body coupe based on the Plymouth Valiant, had a distinctive wraparound back glass and was available from 1964-1966.The...
, and DartsDodge DartThe Dodge Dart is an automobile built by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1960-1976 in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The Dart was introduced as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase, full-size Dodge in 1960 and 1961, became a...
. - 1957-1964 Australian Chrysler RoyalChrysler Royal (Australia)The Chrysler Royal is an automobile which was produced by Chrysler Australia from 1957 to 1964.-AP1:The first version of the Chrysler Royal, the AP1, was introduced in February 1957. It was a development of the American Plymouth P25 design of 1953 which had itself been produced by Chrysler...
- Bristol 407Bristol 407The Bristol 407 was a luxury car produced by British manufacturer Bristol Cars between 1961 and 1963. It was the first Bristol model to be made under the present administration after their separation from Bristol Aeroplane Co., which had built all previous Bristol models.Outwardly it resembled the...
- Bristol 408Bristol 408The Bristol 408 is a British luxury car made by Bristol Cars between 1963 and 1966. Unusually for Bristol, a slightly revised version was launched during the middle of the model's production run in 1965 and known as the 408 Mark II....
318
The 318 is the most common version of the A engine, produced from 1957 through 1967 when it was replaced in all markets by the LA 318. Only Plymouth used this 318 in 1957 and 1958, but it was shared with the other Chrysler divisions from 1959 on. It displaces 318 cu in (5.2 l) and has a 3.91 in (99.3 mm) bore and the 3.31 in (84.1 mm) stroke.A special 1957-'58 version used two four-barrel carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s to produce 290 bhp, making it the highest-output A engine. It was used in the 1957 and 1958 Plymouth Fury
Plymouth Fury
The Plymouth Fury is an automobile which was produced by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a premium-priced model designed to showcase the line, with the intent to draw consumers into showrooms....
, but was also an option on Plymouth models lower in the model range. The Bristol
Bristol Cars
Bristol Cars is a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars headquartered in Patchway, near Bristol, United Kingdom. Bristol have always been a low-volume manufacturer; the most recent published official production figures were for 1982, which stated that 104 cars were produced in that year...
409
Bristol 409
The Bristol 409 was the third series of cars from British manufacturer Bristol Cars powered by Chrysler V8 engines. It was actually introduced before the older Bristol 408 went out of production and only gradually supplanted that model after a year....
and 410
Bristol 410
The Bristol 410 was the fourth series of Chrysler V8-engined models from British manufacturer Bristol Cars. It was the last Bristol to use the 5.2 litre engine originally found in the Bristol 407....
continued to use this engine until 1969. From 1962 until early 1965, Checker
Checker Motors Corporation
Checker Motors Corporation was a Kalamazoo, Michigan based vehicle manufacturer and tier-one subcontractor that manufactured taxicabs used by Checker Taxi...
used this engine for their Aerobus
Checker Aerobus
The Checker Aerobus is a seven- or nine-door station wagon, or a six- or eight-door sedan, manufactured on two different wheelbases by the Checker Motors Corporation from 1962 until 1977 . Meant primarily to serve as an airport shuttle, as indicated by the name, it is an extended version of the...
limousines.
326
The DodgeDodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
Red Ram 326 was launched in 1959. Its actual piston displacement is 324.5 cu in (5.3 l) but it was marketed as the 326 to avoid confusion with the unrelated Dodge Hemi and polyspherical 325 cu in (5.3 l) engines. The 326 uses the same 3.31 in (84.1 mm) stroke as the 318, but with the largest bore of any A engine at 3.95 in (100.3 mm). It uses hydraulic tappet
Tappet
A tappet is the noise made by a worn cam follower, however the term is widely used to represent the cam follower itself. In mechanical engineering it is a projection which imparts a linear motion to some other component within an assembly...
s, unlike the earlier A engines, and was used in the 1959 Dodge Coronet
Dodge Coronet
The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge in the 1950s, initially the division's highest trim line but, starting in 1955, the lowest trim line. In the 1960s, the name was transferred to Dodge's mid-size entry.-1949:...
.