[Chrysler300] Displacement calculations

["Richard Barber" <c300@xxxxxxx>]

After considering the question of how does one put cubic inches into round
bores anyway, I ran some calculations on our '51-58 Chrysler hemi's and the
results brought up some questions on how the nominal displacements were
determined.  If I have the bores and strokes correct, the "331's" are honest
331's, the "354's" are more like 353's and the "392's" might more accurately
be called 393's.  Even with the assumption that calculations in the '50's
were done with sly drools, and that bores were not made to 1/10,000 inch
tolerances, I'm wondering how someone came up with the nominal displacements
to publish in the manuals and paint on the sides and roofs of Kiekhaefer's
cars.  

Maybe they were trying to come up with numbers that sounded cool and would
be recorded by the Beach Boys.  My 331 is really fun?  Blow off your door
with my 354?  My 392 is faster'n you?  Fun, fun, fun 'til daddy took the 300
away?

Also, is there any history or folklore as to how Chrysler's '51-'55 hemi
came to have the exact same bore and stroke as the '49-'55 Cadillac?
Coincidence?  I'd guess not.  Reading the spec's, I see that the '55
Eldorado with dual quads and a similar batwing was rated at 270 HP.  With
hydraulic lifters.

I hope this table comes through the server mixer and enhances appreciation
for and understanding of marketing automobiles by the concept of bigger and
better displacements.  In 1971, Cadillac created a 4.304" stroke, 4.300"
bore engine having a neat 500.02 cubes but only 365 HP as rated HP's started
a steep decline for various reasons.

Year(s) 	Nominal 	Stroke   Bore 		Calculated
		Displacement 			Displacement 
'51-'55		331		3.625	3.81250	331.06
'56 		354		3.625	3.93750	353.13
'57-'58 	392		3.910	4.00000	393.08


C-300'ly,
Rich Barber
Brentwood, CA (Ornamental trees in full bloom-shorts and short sleeves on
the golf course today--picked the last oranges last week.  Top down on the
'86 T&C woody.)  




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