Chrysler B engine | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Chrysler |
Also called |
|
Production | 1958 – August 1978 |
Layout | |
Configuration | Naturally aspirated 90° V8 |
Displacement |
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Cylinder bore |
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Piston stroke |
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Cylinder block material | Cast iron |
Cylinder head material | Cast iron |
Valvetrain | OHV 2 valves × cyl. |
Compression ratio | 8.2:1, 10.0:1, 10.1:1, 11.0:1, 12.0:1 |
Combustion | |
Fuel system | Carter AFB or Holley carburetors; Fuel injection |
Fuel type | Gasoline |
Oil system | Wet sump |
Cooling system | Water-cooled |
Output | |
Power output | 170–425 hp (127–317 kW) |
Torque output | 305–530 lb⋅ft (414–719 N⋅m) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Chrysler Hemi engine |
The Chrysler B and RB engines are a series of big-block V8 gasoline engines introduced in 1958 to replace the Chrysler FirePower (first generation Hemi) engines. The B and RB engines are often referred to as "wedge" engines because they use wedge-shaped combustion chambers; this differentiates them from Chrysler's 426 Hemi big block engines that are typically referred to as "Hemi" or "426 Hemi" due to their hemispherical shaped combustion chambers. The corporation had been seeking a smaller and lighter replacement for its FirePower engines, in part because new styling dictates meant moving the engine forward in the chassis which negatively affected weight distribution.[1]