Lincoln-Zephyr V12 engine
Encyclopedia
Ford Motor Company
's Lincoln
division produced two other L-head V12 engine
s from 1932, but required a more compact unit for their new streamlined Lincoln-Zephyr
line. As Ford had just introduced their Flathead V8
, this was the logical starting point for a new Lincoln V12 line. The Lincoln-Zephyr V12 would quickly replace the previous-generation V12, just as the Lincoln-Zephyr car replaced the rest of the Lincoln line, and would be the company's primary engine through 1948.
Although it was high and compact, the four extra cylinders compounded the problems already apparent in the Ford V8. Since hot exhaust gasses passed out of the cylinder into the confined space between the banks, the engine was prone to overheating and required an extensive water cooling system. Since cylinders warped due to overheating, the engine was notorious as an oil burner. Overheating also caused aluminum heads to warp and gaskets to fail. Also, the lower bearings and crankshaft were not sufficiently strong and bottom-end failures were common. In an era when engines typically required rebuilding at 60000 mi (96,560.4 km), the Zephyr V12 could rarely go more than 30,000. Lincoln worked hard to solve most of these problems in the first year, but only after substituting stronger iron heads for the original aluminum ones in 1942 the water leakage problems were solved.
The post-war (1946–1948) engines benefitted from several improvements such as higher-capacity oil pumps which made them somewhat more reliable and long-lived than pre-war engines. The V12 was eventually replaced by the InVincible 8, simply a version of the flathead V8 found on Ford's truck line.
The Zephyr V12 was also used by Allard
, Atalanta
, and Brough Superior
in England. Allard made only one V12 car, using the Ford V8 for all other cars at that time, Brough also made only one V12 as his others were Hudson 6 or 8 powered, and Jensen made one called the HL.
and 2-barrel {twin choke} carburetor, rated at 130 hp {97 kW}) for a short time before reverting to 292 in³ for the rest of 1946 through 1948. The reason for the reversion to the smaller size was that the cylinder walls on the bored-out engine were found to be too thin. Many disappeared altogether in the block casting process at the factory causing many blocks to be scrapped before installation, cylinder wear in the field was extreme, and re-boring during engine overhaul was impossible.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
's Lincoln
Lincoln (automobile)
Lincoln is an American luxury vehicle brand of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln vehicles are sold mostly in North America.-History:The company was founded in August 1915 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac . During World War I, he left Cadillac which was sold to General Motors...
division produced two other L-head V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
s from 1932, but required a more compact unit for their new streamlined Lincoln-Zephyr
Lincoln-Zephyr
Lincoln-Zephyr was a marque for the lower priced line of luxury cars in the Lincoln line 1936-40. Lincoln-Zephyr and Mercury, introduced 1939, bridged the wide gap between Ford's V-8 De Luxe line and the exclusive Lincoln K-series cars. This served a purpose similar to Cadillac's smaller LaSalle...
line. As Ford had just introduced their Flathead V8
Ford Flathead engine
The Ford flathead V8 was a V8 engine of the flathead type, designed by the Ford Motor Company and built by Ford and various licensees...
, this was the logical starting point for a new Lincoln V12 line. The Lincoln-Zephyr V12 would quickly replace the previous-generation V12, just as the Lincoln-Zephyr car replaced the rest of the Lincoln line, and would be the company's primary engine through 1948.
Overview
The 90° Ford flathead V8, introduced for 1932, was revised with a narrower 75° between cylinder banks and four more cylinders were added. It used aluminum-alloy heads and cast-steel pistons.Although it was high and compact, the four extra cylinders compounded the problems already apparent in the Ford V8. Since hot exhaust gasses passed out of the cylinder into the confined space between the banks, the engine was prone to overheating and required an extensive water cooling system. Since cylinders warped due to overheating, the engine was notorious as an oil burner. Overheating also caused aluminum heads to warp and gaskets to fail. Also, the lower bearings and crankshaft were not sufficiently strong and bottom-end failures were common. In an era when engines typically required rebuilding at 60000 mi (96,560.4 km), the Zephyr V12 could rarely go more than 30,000. Lincoln worked hard to solve most of these problems in the first year, but only after substituting stronger iron heads for the original aluminum ones in 1942 the water leakage problems were solved.
The post-war (1946–1948) engines benefitted from several improvements such as higher-capacity oil pumps which made them somewhat more reliable and long-lived than pre-war engines. The V12 was eventually replaced by the InVincible 8, simply a version of the flathead V8 found on Ford's truck line.
The Zephyr V12 was also used by Allard
Allard
The Allard Motor Company was an English car manufacturer founded in 1936 by Sydney Allard. The company, based in Putney, London. until 1945 and then in Clapham, London, produced approximately 1900 cars until its closure in 1966....
, Atalanta
Atalanta (1937 automobile)
The Atalanta was an English automobile manufactured from 1937 until 1939 by Atalanta Motors Ltd in Staines, Middlesex.Two models were made.The 1937 car used Albert Gough's somewhat erratic 4 cylinder overhead cam 1496 cc 78 bhp and 1996 cc 98 bhp engines with three valves and...
, and Brough Superior
Brough Superior
Brough Superior motorcycles, sidecars, and motor cars were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works on Haydn Road in Nottingham, England, from 1919 to 1940. They were dubbed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" by H. D. Teague of The Motor Cycle newspaper. Approximately 3,048 of 19 models...
in England. Allard made only one V12 car, using the Ford V8 for all other cars at that time, Brough also made only one V12 as his others were Hudson 6 or 8 powered, and Jensen made one called the HL.
267
The first Lincoln-Zephyr models of 1936 used a 267 in³ (4.4 L) engine which produced 110 hp (82 kW). This engine was upgraded with hydraulic lifters in 1938 and produced for one further year.292
The engine was enlarged for 1940 and 1941 to 292 in³ (4.8 L). This engine was reused from late 1946 through 1948 and was the last of the line produced.306
A single month of 1942 production used a 306 in³ (5.0 L) version of the engine. This was resurrected after the war in 1946 (with 7.2:1 compressionCompression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
and 2-barrel {twin choke} carburetor, rated at 130 hp {97 kW}) for a short time before reverting to 292 in³ for the rest of 1946 through 1948. The reason for the reversion to the smaller size was that the cylinder walls on the bored-out engine were found to be too thin. Many disappeared altogether in the block casting process at the factory causing many blocks to be scrapped before installation, cylinder wear in the field was extreme, and re-boring during engine overhaul was impossible.