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OP
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When I was a kid, I had heard a story about why the 6 cylinder wasn't put in 28s but the frame was made for them but can't remember it. Was it a slow up in enginnering? Been wondering for a few weeks now.
28 Chevy LO Capitol 1 ton, 28 National 2 dr coach, 71 Chevy Custom Camper 3/4 ton. Also 23 Oldsmobile Economy truck and a 24 Olds sport touring.
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Shade Tree Mechanic
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Shade Tree Mechanic
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I think that there was a lot of excitement about the new Ford Model A which was to be introduced in 1928. Chevrolet probably did not want to compete with that. They prepared the chassis/running gear for the 6 and had the engine ready to go. Ford got to have the Limelight for 1928 and then in 1929 Chevrolet introduced the 6 for the price of a 4 and Chevrolet was back in the lead again. The Chevrolet 6 was a much better value for the money
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Grease Monkey
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Grease Monkey
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I seem to remember that GM put their 6 cyl engines in trucks starting in 28 for a year before they went into the cars. Good idea to use them as a test bed and I believe with only a 90 warranty.
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Joined: Dec 2001
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ChatMaster - 10,000
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ChatMaster - 10,000
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I don't remember any 1928 Chevrolet MODEL year with a six, however production of the 1929 model year Chevrolets probably started in late 1928.
Life's a long winding trail, love Jesus and ride a good horse!
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Joined: Dec 2001
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Technical Advisor ChatMaster - 10,000
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Technical Advisor ChatMaster - 10,000
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The 1929s hit the showrooms on 29 Dec 1928.  
RAY Chevradioman http://www.vccacolumbiariverregion.org/1925 Superior K Roadster 1928 Convertible, Sport, Cabriolet 1933 Eagle, Coupe 1941 Master Deluxe 5-Passenger Coupe 1950 Styleline Deluxe 4-Door Sedan 1950 Styleline Deluxe Convertible 2002 Pontiac, Montana, Passenger Van 2014 Impala, 4-Door Sedan, White Diamond, LTZ 2017 Silverado, Double Cab, Z71, 4X4, White, Standard Bed, LTZ If you need a shoulder to cry on, pull off to the side of the road. Death is the number 1 killer in the world.
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ChatMaster - 750
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Ok how about this question, What foumndrys' were the 29 engine cast in. Maybe it was a foundry problem. It seems to be strange, the 28 has the long frame and front end sheet metal for the 6 and had so many updates to the 4 cyl engine only to be used for one year, not to mention the tooling needed for adding a fan shroud.
28 Chevy LO Capitol 1 ton, 28 National 2 dr coach, 71 Chevy Custom Camper 3/4 ton. Also 23 Oldsmobile Economy truck and a 24 Olds sport touring.
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ChatMaster - 15,000
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Ken probably knows which foundry produced the four and six cylinder blocks. I would guess it was Saginaw Products or the predecessor to the Gray Iron Foundry. I seriously doubt that the delay was caused by the foundry but more likely something discovered in testing or machining.
I do know that the early 6 cylinder engines had oil consumption problems. My Grand parents purchased a new 1929 Chevrolet Imperial Landau Sedan from Tidey Chevrolet in Marshall, Michigan. Kept it for ~ 6 months and traded it on a Marmon Sedan because according to my grandmother "the cylinders were bored on the bias".
How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
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Shade Tree Mechanic
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Shade Tree Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2007
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are the chassis rails identical or interchangeable on 28 & 29 chevs. i.e. was the 28 chassis capable of taking 6 - has anyone tried fitting a 6 to a 28 chassis.
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Joined: Dec 2001
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ChatMaster - 10,000
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ChatMaster - 10,000
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I remember well my Dad's experiance with a new 1929 Chevrolet coupe. After he and my mom married in June of 1927 dad had traded his Oakland roadster for a 1926 Chevrolet roadster and he started teaching my mom to drive (which ended up being a 50 year ongoing project!) in early 1829 my mom drove the 26 off of a bridge and thru the porches of a couple of boom town stores in Therr Sands Oklahoma. Dad replaced the 26 with a new 1929 Chevrolet coupe with all the bells and whistles (a heater, etc.) They drove the 29 all thru the depression umtil I was born in 1937, and Dad traded the Chevrolet for a new 1937 Plymouth two door sedan. He really liked the 29 Chevy
Life's a long winding trail, love Jesus and ride a good horse!
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I know the GMC trucks had 6 cylinders about that time some from Buick and some from Pontiac depending on year, but Chevy stuck with the 4 cylinder and the older body styling in the Capitol for 28. I really wish I could remember what those old timers said, but I was just a kid then but they pointed out the differences to me back then. Bill Mc Dowell was around with my Dad back then (early- mid 60s)and Pinky Randell was too. Dad asked about Pinky, just the other day. Bad thing is Dad couldn't remember either and I know I was with him when I heard why the 28 had the longer front end with the short engine. I may have read something about it in G&D way back in the mid 70s also. I never missed an issue back then even though I wouldn't have a drivers license for a few years.
28 Chevy LO Capitol 1 ton, 28 National 2 dr coach, 71 Chevy Custom Camper 3/4 ton. Also 23 Oldsmobile Economy truck and a 24 Olds sport touring.
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Backyard Mechanic
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Backyard Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2010
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The six cylinder was cast at the Saginaw Grey Iron Foundry, lines 3&4, line 6 was a small flask line, casting single pieces. Line 6 was opened in 1929 closed in the late 90's.
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Backyard Mechanic
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Backyard Mechanic
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The history of the Chevrolet “Stovebolt Six” traces back to the 1926 Pontiac L-head six which was designed by Chevrolet Chief Engineer, Ormond E. Hunt, along with Henry M. Crane, personal consulting engineer to Alfred P. Sloan, Jr from 1922. This was a practice run for Chevrolet’s own 1929 Model engine, though responsibilty can be split between Hunt, promoted General Motors Vice-President, Corporate Engineering in 1927, James “Jim” Crawford, his replacement as Chief Engineer, and staff members including L.V. Crim, Alex Taub, A.W. Frehse, and A.J. Altz who were just as much invloved with the Pontiac six as the Chevrolet. Hunt saw nine prototype Chevrolet engines built in 1925, which were L-head sixes of 167 cubic in., design starting 2 November 1925, and then further engines in 1927, a 174, a 181 and eight 179 cu in. displacement L-heads from 23 February 1927, and then an overhead-valve six of 179 cu in. from 5 April 1927, a 181 L-head from 26 October and finally another L-head of 194 cu in. from 26 October 1927. Crawford effectively took over from Hunt so far as the new engine designs were concerned, with Hunt in overall charge.
British-born Alex Taub, referred to below, was a research engineer and gave a paper to the Society of Automobile Engineers, the S.A.E. in September 1929 entitled “Economics of the Chevrolet Engine” in which he outlined the decision to go for a six, and how, almost at the last minute [from 30 January 1928], the decision was made to go to overhead valves, 194 cu in. displacement, with bore and stroke of 3 5/16 x 3 3/4 in., producing 46 b.h.p. @ 2,400 r.p.m. It was Sales Manager, Richard H. “Dick” Grant that insisted on an o.h.v. engine against protests from cost accountants and engineers in view of the extra costs compared with an L-head sidevalve unit as with the contemporary Pontiac unit, the contemporary Buick unit using overhead valves. The Pontiac six was of course also used in G.M.C. commercial chassis, and was only imported into the U.K. from Pontiac G.M.C. plant. All three engines used a 3 5/16 in. Bore but no pistons were interchangeable though!
Saginaw Chevrolet plant which cast all U.S. engine components, set up a pre-production engine plant in Saginaw, Michigan on a pilot basis, and produced the initial engines #1 to #395 inclusive, and then cast the components for Flint to start building Engine # 3001 onwards to # 15000, followed by # 396 to #3000, then 15001 onwards. Stockpiles of engines were built up for series production. From my notes! Also, for 1930: “In 1929, more Chevrolets were licensed in Great Britain than any other make of truck in the same class, but many sales were lost because the prospects desired to support home industries”. So said General Motors World, May 1930. This aspect coupled with the huge increase in demand for Chevrolets had resulted in May 1929 for General Motors Limited and Vauxhall Motors Limited to proceed with the programme for manufacturing Chevrolets in England at Luton.Plans for the new buildings were in hand and with final approval Luton began a massive transformation. Existing buildings were enlarged, rearranged and improved. Steel girders were erected to form the frames for new buildings. New plant machinery was acquired and installed. Giant presses were erected in the factory, and conveyor lines were built around the engine shop. On the 14 October, 1929 the first rough casting for the original test cylinder block was placed upon the engine conveyor line and sent on its”historic journey”. This was the start of Chevrolet manufacture in Britain. By the way, all 1929 and 1930 engines built in either Flint or Walkerville for GM of Canada used Saginaw castings.
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ChatMaster - 25,000
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There is not one design feature of the 1929 Chevrolet "6" that is shared with the Pontiac engine. In the end the Chevrolet design chosen was a completely different engine. The Chevrolet engine was designed to be built as cheaply as possible. The Pontiac had full pressure oiling, split heads (three cylinder per head), L head design.
The only more "expensive" feature of the Chevrolet engine was the overhead valves.
Last edited by Chev Nut; 11/01/10 09:59 PM.
Gene Schneider
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Backyard Mechanic
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Backyard Mechanic
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In due course, Harold Drew who had been responsible for the introduction of the Chevrolet AC series “Stovebolt Six” worked at Hendon and Luton to improve the engine for use by Vauxhall Motors in domestic and export applications, both car and commercials. Drew had been a very successful Engineer with Sunbeams and then Star in Wolverhampton, and then joined Vauxhall Motors Limited in 1927 after having been employed by Oldsmobile in Lansing for a while. Drew worked under Chief Engineer Mr C.T. King at Vauxhalls, and apparently they got on together very well. It was King who designed the 1928 Vauxhall R-type which used the Hendon-built Fisher Buick-style body which was intended for the Antipodes. In the meantime, London-born Alex Taub was heavily involved with his Chief, Hunt, in Detroit, working on the new six-cylinder Chevrolet engine for 1929. Taub was responsible for the o.h.v. design as against sidevalve, and also for the peculiar splash-lubrication sustem as against full pressure-fed. Contrary to popular opion, Taub was not seconded to Vauxhalls or General Motors Limited at this time: though he was some years later. Compare the 1929 unit: Engine: 3 5/16 x 3 3/4 in. bore and stroke, [193.9 cu. in. ].(Treasury rating 26.3 H.P.); overhead valves; impeller pump water circulation; pump and splash lubrication; Delco-Remy coil and battery ignition; Delco electric lighting and starting; Carter carburettor; three forward speeds; central change; single drive plate clutch with the equivalent Pontiac engine used in the GMC T19: Engine L-head [Pontiac] 6 cylinders, 3 5/16 x 3 7/8 in. bore and stroke, [200.4 cu. in. ], (Treasury rating 26.33 H.P.), maximum 58 b.h.p. at 3,000 r.p.m.; lubrication was by force feed to the main and connecting rod bearings by gear pump; cooling by water by centrifugal pump and fan; Carter carburettor with economiser jet and accelerating well; Delco-Remy ignition by battery and coil and generator and starter motor; dry-plate single-disc type and compare with the derivative, the Vauxhall/Bedford engine of 1931 on with the advantage of shaking out some of the Chevy shortcomings: O.H.V. engine, 6-cylinder, 3 5/16 x 3 ¾ in. bore and stroke, 44 b.h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m.; lubrication: forced feed throughout, gear type pump in sump, driven by inclined shaft from spiral gear on camshaft; crankcase ventilation system; cooling, water pump and 4-bladed fan; Zenith model “U” carburettor with choke control for easy starting; fuel pump with filter; ignition Lucas 12-volt coil and distributor; C.A.V. 12-volt constant voltage type generator; Lucas starting motor; clutch single plate, dry type Note that was the BUS verison with 12v electrics and this is the truck version and also car with higher CR: O.H.V. engine, 6-cylinder, 3 5/16 x 3 ¾ in. bore and stroke, 44 b.h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m.; lubrication: forced feed throughout, gear type pump in sump, driven by inclined shaft from spiral gear on camshaft; crankcase ventilation system; cooling, water pump and 4-bladed fan; Zenith model “U” carburettor with choke control for easy starting; fuel pump with filter; ignition Lucas 6-volt coil and distributor; Lucas 6-volt constant voltage type generator; Lucas starting motor; clutch single plate, dry type
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