F. B Stearns V8 Engines

Folks,

See attached scan of seventeen V8 engines on dynos at "F. B. Stearns". These engines were pictured on page 365 of Volume II of the 1919 printing of "Automobile Engineering".<O:p

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Does anyone have more photos and technical details of these engines?

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Vintageride<O:p

This web site has some information on the Stearns Knight V8.

Willys Overland Knight Registry - Stearns Knight History

This web site has some information on the Stearns Knight V8.

Willys Overland Knight Registry - Stearns Knight History

Great lead. Many thanks Commodore.

An excellent website with tremendous information. We are hoping to find more detailed information than is available on these engines on the web.

The WOKR website is excellelent and indicates that the V8 model number is SK-8, model years available, and the configuration is V8 using sleeve valves. There is also information there about the cars but not much up close and personal details about the engine.

I have zoomed in on one of the engines in the dyno photo since the original one I provided is limited.

Hopefully at least one of these has survived and perhaps even some technical documents.

Vintageride

It would be interesting to know - just as a piece of useless information - whether the Stearns V8 was a 'flat crank' engine like the early Cadillacs, or had a regular crank like a 1924 or later Cadillac (and most modern V8s). It is only the 'modern' style that has the V8 'rumble'.

What sound did the flat crank V8 engines make NZ?

I can't imagine a V8 without the rumble.

Manuel in Oz

A flat crank V8 just sounds like a busy four, a really undistinguished sound on a low revving engine like the early Cadillac. Of course many modern high performance V8s have flat cranks, like the F1 Cosworth V8 of the late 1960s-on, also the mid engine Ferraris - 308, 328, 348 etc. It is all about balance, a complex subject that I don't know enough about. Flat crank V8s have a vibration period that is not present in regular V8. I think it is low down in the range which is not a problem for a high revving modern performance engine but was a problem with the early V8 Cadillac. The same problem occurred in some very early six cylinder engines - like the 1905 Rolls-Royce 30hp - which caused crankshaft breakages, but that was sorted out very quickly.

Hi NZ,

U won't believe this but there was a post on another forum about flat crank V8s just the other day.

This is what was posted:

"the sound is smoother and higher-pitched than a typical V8 with a 90deg crankshaft"

Cheers,

Manuel in Oz