List Of AMC Engines
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American Motors Corporation American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the ...
(AMC) used V8,
straight-6 The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine bal ...
, V6, and
straight-4 A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the ...
engines in various passenger automobiles and
Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...
vehicles from 1954 onward. American Motors designed some of its engines; others were inherited from its constituents. The company bought other engines or engine designs from other manufacturers.


Four cylinder engines

American Motors used several four-cylinder engine designs.


Air-cooled 108

The is an AMC designed
air-cooled Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over heat dissipation fins or hot areas of the engine to cool them in order to keep the engine within operating temperatures. In all combustion engines, a great percentage of the heat ge ...
V4 engine A V4 engine is a four-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The V4 engine is less common compared to straight-four engines. However, V4 engines have been used in automobiles ...
that was used in AMC's lightweight aluminium-bodied M422 'Mighty Mite' military vehicle, built from January 1960 to January 1963 as an air transportable (by the helicopters of the time)
Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...
for the U.S. Marine Corps. This engine was unsuitable for regular passenger car use mainly due to its relatively small displacement and power output. * Bore and stroke: * Compression: 7.5:1 * Horsepower: @ 3,600 rpm * Torque: @ 2,500 rpm


Audi/VW 121

The was an advanced design
overhead camshaft An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...
four-cylinder EA831 engine bought from Audi/Volkswagen 1977 through 1979. Though a small engine, its advanced design created reasonable power for its size and due to being an OHC engine, it had a high
redline Redline refers to the maximum engine speed at which an internal combustion engine or traction motor and its components are designed to operate without causing damage to the components themselves or other parts of the engine. The redline of an en ...
. This engine was also used in the
Audi 100 The Audi 100 and Audi 200 (and sometimes called Audi 5000 in North America) are primarily mid-size/executive cars manufactured and marketed by the Audi division of the Volkswagen Group. The car was made from 1968 to 1997 across four generations (C ...
,
Volkswagen LT The Volkswagen Transporter LT is the largest light commercial panel van produced by Volkswagen (and subsequently Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as of 1996) from 1975 to 2006, before being replaced by the Crafter. Two generations were produced ...
van, and
Porsche 924 The Porsche 924 is a sports car produced by Porsche in Neckarsulm, Germany,from 1976 until 1988. A two-door, 2+2 (car body style), 2+2 coupé, the 924 replaced the Porsche 912, 912E and Porsche 914, 914 as the company's entry-level model. Altho ...
. The engine was assembled to AMC specs in the US at a specifically purchased AMC assembly plant. Specifications are different from the Audi/VW/Porsche assembled engine. AMC used a
carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
and standard points ignition as well as slightly larger clearances. The original agreement was for AMC to buy the design, eventually moving manufacturing to the United States and selling the engines back to VW and Audi. American Motors bought a plant specifically to build the engine, but never sold enough to move complete manufacturing. The AMC engines were assembled in the U.S. from major castings supplied by VW, hence the different assembly clearances. As part of the agreement, AMC was not to use the VW or Audi names when referring to the engine. Everyone familiar with the design knew they were virtually identical, and the automotive press commonly referred to them as Audi or VW engines. VW/Audi/Porsche U.S. spec engines produced in mid-1977; earlier models produced -- more than the AMC version. * Bore × stroke 3.406" × 3.323" (86.5mm x 84.4mm) * Compression ratio 8.1:1 * Horsepower (net) @ 5,000 rpm * Torque (net) @ 2,800 rpm It was used in the
AMC Gremlin The AMC Gremlin (also American Motors Gremlin) is a subcompact automobile introduced in 1970, manufactured and marketed in a single, two-door body style (1970–1978) by American Motors Corporation (AMC), as well as in Mexico (1974–1983) by A ...
,
AMC Spirit The AMC Spirit is a subcompact car, subcompact marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1979 until 1983 as a Facelift (automobile), restyled replacement for the AMC Gremlin, Gremlin. The Spirit shared the Gremlin's Automobile platform ...
, and
AMC Concord The AMC Concord is a compact car manufactured and marketed by the American Motors Corporation for model years 1978–1983. The Concord was essentially a revision of the AMC Hornet that was discontinued after 1977, but more luxurious, quieter, r ...
, The only Jeep this engine was used in was the 1979
Jeep DJ The Jeep DJ (also known as the Dispatcher) is a two-wheel drive variant of the four-wheel drive CJ series. Production started in 1955 by Willys, which was renamed Kaiser Jeep in 1963. In 1970, American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased Kaiser' ...
(Dispatcher or Postal Delivery). In the DJ5G, it was mated only to a 3-speed A904 automatic transmission with a VW/Audi pattern bellhousing. In AMC passenger cars with manual transmission, this engine was mated to a
BorgWarner BorgWarner Inc. is an American automotive supplier headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The company maintains production facilities and technical systems at 93 sites (as of June 6, 2022) in 22 countries worldwide and has around 49,000 emplo ...
HR-1 4-speed transmission. Passenger cars with automatic also used the A904. It shares the bellhousing pattern with several German cars (Audi 5-cylinder inline), although it does not share the bellhousing pattern with the
VW Rabbit Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
diesel line of engines.


Renault 126 turbodiesel

The Renault-developed 4-cylinder turbodiesel was an optional engine used in AMC's Jeep line between 1984 and 1986. It was mated to a standard four-speed or optional five-speed manual, and with either transmission delivered exceptional fuel economy. For a diesel of this size at that time, power delivery was respectable, at at 3,750 rpm, at 2,750 rpm. The engine was also known for relatively instant pedal response at a time when both diesel- and turbocharger-equipped engines generally were known for a noticeable lag. Weighing in at only , it also featured first-tier technology for the time such as an intercooler and an overhead cam. When it reached the market, it marked the first time a turbocharged diesel was offered in a sports-utility vehicle in the United States.


Pontiac 151

The is commonly referred to as the " Iron Duke" and is a Pontiac design. It was purchased by AMC from 1979 through 1983 as the base option in the RWD
Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
and
Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
, the 4WD
Eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
models, economy versions of
Jeep CJ The Jeep CJ models are a series and a range of small, open-bodied off-road vehicles and compact pickup trucks, built and sold by several successive incarnations of the Jeep automobile marque from 1945 to 1986. The 1945 Willys Jeep was the world' ...
s, and in postal Jeeps. This early version used a Chevrolet small block V8 bell housing bolt pattern. The 1984 and later model GM 151s used the corporate GM four-cylinder/small V6 bolt pattern (not used by AMC). * Bore × Stroke 4.00" × 3.00" * Compression Ratio 8.2:1 * Horsepower (net) @ 4,000 rpm * Torque (net) @ 2,600 rpm


AMC 150

In 1984 AMC introduced its own four-cylinder engine design. All previous fours (with the exception of the Air-Cooled 108) were purchased for interim use. The AMC four was only used in Jeep and Eagle vehicles since all other AMC passenger cars ceased production in 1983.


Six-cylinder engines


Nash and Hudson beginnings

When Nash and Hudson merged to form AMC in 1954 all the Hudson bodies were dropped for the 1955 model year. The Ambassador and Statesman received a hasty grille/taillight/trim/dash restyling to create the new Hudson Hornet and Wasp. The Nash Ambassador Six retained the Nash OHV six for 1955 and 1956, V8 only for 1957. The Nash OHV six, dating back to 1934, was a totally different design than the Rambler 195.6. Hudson six-cylinder cars retained the Hudson L-head six, in the Hornet and in the Wasp. This was the only major Hudson component left - it dated back to the 1940s. All Rambler models, whether badged Hudson or Nash, used the Rambler OHV six. This design dates back to 1940, when it was introduced in the Nash 600 as an L-head engine. Displacement was increased over the years to , and finally to 195.6 in the early-1950s. The block casting was changed to allow an OHV head for the 1956 Rambler (the L-head was discontinued).


Rambler 195.6

This motor was originally a Nash design dating back to 1940. AMC used an L-head (flat-head, 1955, 1958–65) and OHV (1956–1965) version, as well as an aluminum block version (1961–1963). All shared the same bore and stroke as well as some other features/components. For more information see AMC Straight-6 engine.


Kaiser 230

American Motors neither designed the Tornado 230 nor used it in a domestic AMC-branded vehicle. Subsidiary
Industrias Kaiser Argentina Industrias Kaiser Argentina S.A. (mostly known for its acronym IKA) was an Argentina, Argentine automobile manufacturer established in 1956 as a joint venture with Kaiser Motors of the United States. Headquartered in Santa Isabel District, Río Cu ...
(IKA) produced this engine in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
after the 1970 merger and used it in a variety of vehicles. In the United States, this engine is often confused with the AMC/Jeep , which Kaiser
Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...
purchased to replace the
SOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
Kaiser engine in 1965. The Tornado first appeared in civilian Jeep vehicles in 1963 and was only used until 1965. The US Army M-715 and derivatives used it through the 1960s and early 1970s. The AMC and Kaiser engines do not share bellhousing bolt patterns. Cam trouble on the 230 was common due to inadequate oil formulations of the time. Its under-square bore and stroke endeared the engine for low-speed torque. It was a dependable engine with reports of them going 250,000 mi. with no major problems—with proper maintenance. Production continued through 1983 in Argentina where AMC used it in passenger cars and Kaiser in Jeeps.


Buick 225

Kaiser introduced the "Dauntless"
V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...
in the 1966 CJ and as an option in the C101 Jeepster Commando. Kaiser bought the tooling from Buick to build the 225 during the short period prior to selling its Jeep subsidiary to AMC. American Motors retained the Buick engine briefly after it bought Jeep. The engine was retired in 1971 shortly after AMC acquired Kaiser in 1970. American Motors sold the tooling back to
General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
in 1974. The engine was an odd-fire V6, meaning that TDC for the cylinders was not evenly spaced around the engine but grouped in pairs. The engines in Jeeps featured a heavier flywheel than the Buick version to help dampen vibrations resulting from the engine's firing pattern. The engine was known at the time for its power and reliability. It would idle slowly, but not as smooth as other engines, especially the inline sixes. This engine was used in the following vehicles: * Jeep CJ-5 * Jeep CJ-6 * C101 Jeepster Commando * various small Buicks from 1960 to 1964


The Modern Era I-6

American Motors designed an entirely new six-cylinder engine for 1964 and introduced the 232 in the new Classic Hardtop as the Typhoon. In 1965 AMC introduced the more economical 199 in the Rambler American. In the 1970s, VAM (See
Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos, S.A. (VAM) was a Mexican automaker from 1946 to 1986. The original organization, a distributor and license manufacturer for Willys-Overland and AMC vehicles, became government controlled in 1963 with American Mot ...
) introduced a 282-cubic-inch version of the engine. American Motors and Chrysler produced the basic design constantly through 2006 (AMC was bought out by Chrysler in late 1987). : : : : The early engines' bell pattern differed from AMC V8s. In 1971 AMC raised the block height and lengthened the stroke on the 199 and early 232 engines. The 199 became 232 cubic inches and the 232 became 258. These two RB or "raised block" engines shared the small bell pattern of the earlier engines for only the 1971 model year. In 1972 both the 232 as well as the 258 changed bell pattern to match AMC V8s, in conjunction with AMC's switch from Borg-Warner to Chrysler-built automatic transmissions.


General Motors V6

: GM 60-Degree ''LR2''
V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...
This engine was used in: * 1984–1986
Jeep Cherokee (XJ) The Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is a sport utility vehicle manufactured and marketed across a single generation by Jeep in the United States from 1983 through 2001 — and globally through 2014. It was available in two- or four-door, five-passenger, fro ...
* numerous GM vehicles


V8 Engines

American Motors purchased V8 engines from
Packard Packard or Packard Motor Car Company was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana in 1958. One of the "Thr ...
before introducing its in-house-designed V8. The automaker used these Packard engines exclusively in 1955 and 1956 Nash Ambassadors and Hudson Hornets. The Packard engine was used in 1955, and switched to the version for the 1956 model year. All Packard V8 powered AMCs came with Packard's
Ultramatic Ultramatic was the trademarked name of the Packard Motor Car Company's automatic transmission introduced in 1949 and produced until 1954, at Packard's Detroit, Michigan East Grand Boulevard factory. It was produced thereafter from late 1954, thru ...
automatic transmission. Late in 1956, AMC introduced its own V8 design in a version and used it only in the Ambassador and Hornet Special models. The Specials were actually the slightly smaller and lighter Statesman/Wasp two-door hardtop bodies with Ambassador/Hornet trim. The Packard engines were dropped after 1956 in favor of the AMC-developed-and-built V8s. This was AMC's first V8 engine design and became known as the Rambler V8 as they made their transformation from Nash and Hudson into Rambler, heralding Rambler products as an official division of American Motors Corporation. At 601 lbs, as officially declared by AMC, the Rambler V8 weighs only 26 lbs. more than Chevrolet's small block generic weight of 575 lbs, but its target competitor's offerings typically weighed much more, such as the largest Studebaker 289 V8 weighing in around 675 lbs. AMC introduced their new '57 CID version in the
Rambler Rebel The Rambler Rebel is an automobile that was produced by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) of Kenosha, Wisconsin for the 1957–1960 model years, as well as again for 1966 and 1967. Introduced as a stand-alone model in one body style, the 19 ...
, which gave it an advantageous power to weight ratio whereby it may be considered as one of the first
muscle car Muscle car is a description according to ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'' that came to use in 1966 for "a group of American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." The '' Britannica Dictionary'' ...
s. All '56-'66 AMC Rambler V8 engines feature a 10" deck height, which by Ford standards, is the dividing line between 'small blocks' and 'big blocks', so the typical 'other make' automotive jargon does not add any useful description. All '66-'91 AMC V8s have the same 4.75" bore spacing as the Rambler V8 and the same crankshaft to camshaft centerline distance but this second AMC V8 design weighs less for a variety of technical reasons. The '66-'91 AMC V8's generic engine weight is 540 lbs. The AMC V8 continued to be manufactured after
Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
bought out American Motors in 1987, and was the only engine available in the Jeep Grand Wagoneer through the 1991 model year.


AMC Rambler V8 10" Tall Deck (1956–1966) (also known as AMC Gen1 V8)

: : :


AMC Short-Deck V8 square port exhaust (1966–1970) (also known as AMC Gen2 V8)

: : :"AMX"


AMC Raised-Deck V8 dog leg port exhaust (1970–1991) (also known as AMC Gen3 V8)

: : : :


See also

*
AMC Straight-4 engine The AMC straight-4 engine is a 2.5 L inline-four engine developed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) that was used in a variety of AMC, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles from 1984 to 2002. Note: Although the GM Iron Duke was a predecessor I4 en ...
* AMC Straight-6 engine *
AMC V8 engine The AMC V8 may refer to either of two distinct OHV V8 engine designs that were developed and manufactured by American Motors Corporation (AMC). The engines were used in cars and trucks by AMC, Kaiser, and International Harvester as well as i ...
*
AMC/Jeep Transmissions Vehicles made by American Motors Corporation (AMC) and Jeep incorporated a variety of transmissions and transfer case systems. This article covers transmissions used in the following vehicle models and years: * All American Motors (AMC) passenger ca ...
*
List of Chrysler engines Chrysler Four cylinder 1926–1933: Flathead 4 1981–1995: K Engine 1994–2010: PowerTech 2007–present: World Engine * 1.8, 2.0, and 2.4 "World Engine" (2007–2017) * 2.0 and 2.4 "Tigershark" (2012–present) Six cylinder 192 ...


References


External links


AMCyclopedia

AMC Rambler Car Club

The American Motors Owners Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:AMC engines Engines - Overview Chrysler engines Jeep engines Lists of automobile engines