Re: [FWDLK] 'A' engine to 'LA' engine

[Bill Watson <wwatson@xxxxxxxxx>]

Weight was one.  They needed a small V8 to fit the engine compartment of the
A body and the poly was a bit too big.   The 273 LA block was about 50
pounds lighter due to more modern casting techniques.  Chrysler also had to
make a small depression on the lower left corner of the block to make way
for the steering box.

With the 1967 redesign, Chrysler widened the body (and engine bay) but they
needed a V8 in 1964.

Another problem with the poly was the heads.  The poly heads are much wider
than the wedge thus making it too wide to fit the A body.  The actual bare
blocks of A and LA are within fractions of an engine of each other.  It's
those poly heads that give the impression the A block is bigger than the LA.
With the heads, the total package of the poly A is wider than the wedge LA,
but the blocks themselves are not.

Plus the wedge head is cheaper to manufacture than the poly.  The wedge
heads arenarrower, thus less iron is needed to produce them.  And the wedge
requires one set of lifters and one set of rockers with the poly needs two
sets - one for intake and one for exhaust.

Bill
Vancouver, BC



----- Original Message -----
From: eddee
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 7:31 AM
Subject: [FWDLK] 'A' engine to 'LA' engine


Hello List
Things have been a bit quiet so time to ask a question.

Was there any SPECIFIC reason that CHRYSLER dropped the 318 and 326 'A' POLY
engines and went to the 'LA' series in the late 60s???

There are so many similiarities that I cannot under stand why they did not
continue on like the small block Chev did.

The items that did change certainly cost a bundel for retooling.  There had
to be a good reason.

ANY IDEAS??

ED ECKERSON
LI  NY
57 FURY