VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc The Letter L

Never gave this much though but what does the letter ( L ) stand for on the L- 6 235 engine ?
Just wondering .

In high school automotive class a lifetime ago we were told it was a pushrod engine design. Where the valves were operated by pushrods going from the cam in the block to rocker arms in the head. Like a Flathead is valves in the block. I guess it doesn't sound as good as the automotive teacher taught us, but that was about 50 years ago.

Dennis

I think the "L" refers to the porting design where both inlet and exhaust ports are on 1 side in the head, the "X" (sometimes called "T") has inlet 1 side and exhaust the other, the "F" chamber has generally inlet in the head and exhaust in the block but can be the other way around.
Tony

Means straight six.

Tonyw.....I'm thinking you are right. High School was a long time ago and I seem to remember the teacher saying something about X and also F when explaining about L head engines. Sure wish I had paid more attention to what was being taught back then.
Dennis

L head usually refers to a flathead engine, F head is an engine with intake valves in the head and exhaust valves in the block. (or at least half in each place)
An example of the F head is the Jeep 4 cylinder engine of the early 50s and into the 60s in the CJ5. They did not do a complete re-design of the flathead so the result was an unusual feature. The intake was cast into the head so the carb bolted to the top of the head. There was a head bolt under the carb which was not available with the carb in place. Many heads have been pried off with the hidden bolt still tight, resulting in a sizable chunk of the head left behind.

Mike

ooooooooooooooooooooooo-ok

L6 means a straight 6 rather than a V6

An L HEAD engine indicates valves in the block

A F head intake in head exhaust in block
Over head valve valves all in head.

I have to say, this is one L of a discussion.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Dean

I always thought it was a capital I, as in "inline", and thought people were misspelling it with an L...

I had the same impression as Brewster. I think of the L head engine as the flathead style.

I always thought as Gene has indicated. I think the application refers to flat head engines with the valves in the block as in Pontiac, Packard , Oldsmobiles, Plymouth, etc. straight sixes and eights.

I can't remember what Ford V-eights were referred as but their six cylinder engine was an L head.

The Chevrolets were referred to as overhead valves. Can't remember a letter designation for them but there may have been one.

Jonda!: The auto shop instructor could not have been that stupid. Like mine, your memory may be a bit faulty on some things..

Best,

Charlie

The "L" in "L6" or "L8" just means inline. It has never made any sense to me but thats how it is. I remember seeing that terminology back in the 70s, and probably in books from much earlier.

The "L" in "L-head" is something else entirely. The two have nothing to do with each other.

L-head = Flathead with both valves on the same side of the cylinder (Ford, Cadillac v8s, most flathead 6's, Model T, etc.)

T-head = Flathead with one valve on each side of the cylinder. (Mercer and so on, mostly out of use by the late 20s)

F-head = One valve in the block like a flathead, the other in the head like a Chevy. (50s Jeeps, etc.)

I-head = Conventional overhead valves. (Chevrolet, Buick, etc.)

perhaps the "L" means "Line" as an abbreviation for inLine. Back in the day, it would have been cooler to say, "I have a Line 6 stovebolt"

Hey, us guys have always tried to sound cool when talking about our cars... even back in 29! :)