History of the 3800 Engine

[Centurion]

Here's an article from "Canadian Driver" that provides a historical perspective on the Buick V6 engine that has become the GM 3800:

3800 Engine History

[Buicksplus]

Very interesting article. I did not realize that Buick sold the design and tooling to AMC and then bought it back. I sure don't recall seeing a lot of those engines in Jeep products, I wonder if AMC built many of them.

We really enjoyed the 3800 engine plant tour at the Centennial in Flint -- they were still building that 3800 engine, though GM was threatening to replace it with an OHC engine to be built elsewhere. I read later that the OHC engine was having its development problems, and it looked like the 3800 would be good for another 10 years or so.

I was amazed to learn that the engines left the plant without actually being run at all. Test running engines, a long established practice, was recently abandonded when they realized that most problems could be identified by driving the engines with motors and monitoring compression pressure, oil pressure, spark, etc. This is much easier to do on the factory floor than having the engines run on their own power.

The factory, built new to produce the 1953 nailhead, had a nice display of all they engines they had produced, including the 215 and the early V-6.

Bill

NM

[Guest elk93001]

The engine that AMC used was the 225 cid, mainly in Jeeps (CJ/DJ/Commando) as an optional engine over the base 4 cylinders. Alot of Jeep fans are fans of this motor as well. There are alot of conversion kits (from 4 to V6) out there. No surprise that this engine has a following outside of the Buick/GM ranks as well.

All press review when referring to this engine seem to marvel at its antiquity, improvements over the years, its power and smoothness.

Here is another history

http://www.gnttype.org/general/v6hist.html

[The Old Guy]

The 3800 is scheduled to depart in 2009, and the replacement is a 3.6 liter engine with 4 valves per cylinder and variable valve timing. GM is building a new plant close to the plant now producing the new inline 6 . They are both going to be in Flint, so GM still has a large presence in the Flint area.

[Gene Brink]

Joe,

The 3800 is a fine engine (I have one in my Olds that has just passed 187k and just keeps going and going and still gets 30 mpg on the highway) as I suspect the new 3.6 will be as well but I wonder if something revolutionary would not be the way to go. Take a look at Coates and let us know what an "old salt" thinks of something like this. Looks like a great idea to me and I wonder if something like licensing costs might be the reason GM would not be building an engine with a valve system like this. Buick has lost the ability to be unique through the years and it does not seem as though they can do something as good and different as the nailhed and Dynaflow were in their day. Sad...

[Lexusfreak]

I actually posted this same article on both Lexus Clubs I belong to. I owned 2 vehicles (91 olds 88 & 91 Buick Riviera) with the 3.8L V6. My dad just traded his 90 Park Avenue in on a 2002 Century & he had 412,000 miles on the Park Avenue (original engine & tranny btw). Easy engine to work for maintenance & on repair if needed, but rare as it's next to bulletproof. Great write up & I'd buy another GM vehicle with this engine anytime!