Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @chrisvscars
In the world of racing, few engines hold the legacy and allure of the V8 configuration. And among the many legendary V8 engines, one that often slips into the shadows of history is the Ford Indy DOHC V8. A true masterpiece developed entirely in-house by Ford, this powerful and elegant engine left a massive mark on motorsport, securing no less than seven Indianapolis 500 wins.
The history of the V8 engine dates back nearly a century, with its glory years shining brightly in the United States, where it became the heart of muscle cars and dominated various racing categories. Ford, being a frontrunner in pushing the V8 to new heights on both the road and the track, was also one of the manufacturers continually exploring the potential of this iconic configuration.
Among Ford's renowned race-bred engines, such as the Le Mans-conquering 427 and the Formula 1-dominating DFV, the DOHC Indy V8 often remains underappreciated by younger generations. However, this exceptional engine made its debut in 1964 and proved to be one of Ford's most outstanding competition powerplants ever.
The story of the Ford Indy DOHC V8 began in the fall of 1962 when Bill Gay, the lead engineer of the company's Advanced Engines department, assembled a team of skilled individuals to create something extraordinary. The objective was to build an engine capable of displacing no more than 255 cubic inches (4.17 liters), producing over 325 horsepower, and outperforming the Offenhauser engines that had dominated past editions of the Indy 500 races.
The initial phase involved taking a high-performance version of the 260-ci (4.3-liter) Fairlane V8 from the assembly line and transforming it into an all-aluminum racing marvel. The team tested the modified stock cast-iron block with custom internals and cylinder heads, leading to the first Ford Indy V8 with 365 horsepower. After extensive track testing and further adjustments, the engine's power output increased to an impressive 376 horsepower. But after testing ford noticed that the pushrod valve layout was the weakest point of the motor, and they started experimenting with dohc configurations for the next generations of this engine.
In 1964, Ford introduced the Phase III DOHC Indy engine with a groundbreaking design. The camshaft locations were reversed, placing the exhaust cam on top of the intake cam, and the exhaust ports exiting on top of the engine. This innovative configuration, along with numerous upgrades, earned the engine its unique appearance. And lets be honest this looks sick. It wouldn’t work on a road going car, the heat under the hood would make it impossible to open the bonnet after driving. But on these race cars that’s not a problem.
Anyways they did more than just introduce cams to the old school push rod motor. They also Equipped it with a forged steel crankshaft, cross-drilled rod journals, modified conrods, forged aluminum pent-roof pistons, and a dry-sump oiling system with a cast-magnesium oil pan, the result? Well the DOHC Indy achieved 425 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque at 6,400 rpm. But in racing you need to keep bettering your self, if you stagnate the competition will catch up to you and In 1968 that happend, as the Offenhauser engines resurged with turbochargers, and because of this ford lost the race that year.
So ford engineers went back to the drawing board and Ford developed a smaller, turbocharged version of the DOHC Indy. They Destroked the engine to 159 cubic inches (2.6 liters) and added a big turbo to the crazy exhaust design. These changes did more than complicate the design. The power of these motors went from 425hp to a staggering 750 horsepower at 9,500 rpm, the turbocharged DOHC Indy powered Ford to another Indy 500 win in 1969. And they didn’t stop in 1970 it secured yet another victory, driven by the legendary Mario Andretti.
#Ford #Indycar #Fordv8