The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Commercial 235?

In your book is there a HP and Torque curve signed off by the engineer like I've see in other data? Otherwise, how do we discriminate between engineering data and marketing data.

I have read that in other situations engineering was reluctant to sign off on something just because that's what marketing wanted. Such was the case at Studebaker when marketing wanted 10 more HP out of the same old 170 C.I. flathead six to meet the spec for the post office. So they held their breath and turned it to 4,000 RPM to make the number. Those engines had piston pin problems under the best of circumstances. Early Larks came with the flathead. Seattle's L.E. Belcourt got the contract for Seattle and when they went out of business years later there were mountains of NOS parts for 50s era Studes around Seattle. I drove a stock 50 Champ clear up till '84 and never had to resort to boneyard parts.

Similarly when Ford brought out their OHV six as the base engine they were still producing the 239 flathead V8. The six made significantly more power than the V8 so marketing insisted that it be equipped with a tiny carburetor to strangle it down. The racers quickly figured that out and went faster than marketing would have allowed -- Or so goes the story. Having worked on all these engines I'm inclined to believe the stories.