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New GM 4.2L DOHC straight 6


Guest John Adkins

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Guest John Adkins

Hi all,

The June 2001 issue of Hot Rod has a pretty good technical story about the new GM 4.2L straight six. I thought you guys might like to see some of its specs:

 

Total Length: 32.86 in

Total Width : 28.41 in

Weight: 407lbs.

Peak HP: 270 @ 6000

Cyl. head & block: aluminum

dohc, 4 valves per cylinder, chain cam drive

 

The engine looks really well designed from the article pictures. It's hard to believe this engine is going into SUVs....

Sounds like a great motor to swap into a Z. I wonder if it will be offered as a crate motor?

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What in the HELL is wrong with GM? They cancel the Impala SS, plan to dump the F-body but is putting an all-aluminum, 24V, DOHC L6 in an SUV. Considering how mildly tuned that engine must be for emissions and gas mileage, the potential is staggering. However, considering the application, I wonder if we will ever see any after-market perormance parts for it?

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Guest Anonymous

Seems to make power at rather a high RPM for a SUV. GOD WILL IT EVER STOP WITH THE SUV'S ALREADY! Does the world need more of them... Sorry, venting, I feel better now..

 

Lone

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Guest Locutus

well I don't know about the new one but I know the old straight sixes from GM and Ford and alot of torque. They were truck motors. They were designed for pulling loads. Now in my old ford with a 300 straight six I could easily haul as much as the a truck with a bigger 351 or 350(chevy), but my gas mileage as much better. If this new six is half as good as the old ones I am sure we will see it light duty trucks and vans as well as SUVs

 

Mike

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I took some pictures at NY motor show because Vortec is the base engine of the hillclimb race car which ran fastest at last year's Pikes Peak.

I read an article on GRM, it reaches around 600hp. http://home.earthlink.net/~kazuhix/images/vortec1.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~kazuhix/images/vortec2.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~kazuhix/images/vortec3.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~kazuhix/images/vortec4.jpg

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If you ask me, its about time one of the big three came out with an engine such as this. HUGE potential. What a great engine for any car....

 

But you are right, this thing shouldn't be in an SUV. I hope it gets in there anyway, because I think it would make a GREAT hybrid engine, for Z's or any other small sports cars. Gotta love those inline 6's, and a DOHC, crossflow, all aluminum, high revving, high displacement one DEFINATEly has potential. (and once a turbo goes on...) icon_biggrin.gif

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i like it too, its a straight six with dohc and its domestic, meaning that parts will be available for it, 260hp and lots of torque stock? and all aluminum with high rev potential, im really interested in seeing what comes of this motor, and if they put it out there as a crate, and see if anyone has

boost on their mind like I

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Guest John Adkins

quote:

Originally posted by Z3bra:

I'm thinking you mean Height right? otherwise that's one wide inline 6.

 

Nope, I rechecked and that was what they had in article for the width icon_smile.gif I think they mean with intake & exhaust manifolds & all accessories; at least that's what they show in the pictures.

I forgot to add the total height: 32.62"

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Guest Anonymous

Great pictures, thanks for sharing! Obviously we'll have to wait and see the torque specs, but 260 hp @ 6000 does'nt say alot of torque to me. At those RPM's I doubt bore and stroke wise it has much in common with the old inline sixes from the General. The old ones had torque off idle and didn't rev near that high. I guess time will tell what they intend to do with it.

 

Lone

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...Uhg!!!

Don't get me started on the whole SUV thing!

I'm currently wokring on a Japanese (won't say who, since they are putting the bread on my table) SUV for 2002. It has a "supposed" 260 HP DOHC V6 (with variable valve timing... I think I just gave it away). This is by far, the most anemic 260hp I have ever felt. The engine is totaly gutless until 5000 rpm. Even then, it only get's slightly better until it's 6000 rpm shift point. Whenever I drive this "vehicle" I always hold the shifter in gear for that extra 300 rpms of power where I expect the power to jump up to it's claimed 260hp. Yeah, right... it's a futile battle with this engine. At best, it feels like it's got half the advertised output.

 

Anyway, the reason I'm saying this is becuase my old(er) motor in my Z was making around 270 - 280 hp and turning low 13's in the quarter mile. Is this new GM motor going to turn anything close to this? Probably not. Does my Japanese "Brand X" SUV turn anything even close to that? Hell no! When people say "torque is king", they are generally telling the truth.

 

Bottom line, these motors (at least the Japanese version) have Z-E-R-O torque. I don't know what these people (they are not engineers... an engineer would would do the right thing icon_biggrin.gif ) are thinking by putting these type of motors in SUV's. Dumb, just plain dumb! icon_rolleyes.gif

 

-Andy

 

(I told you not to get me started...)

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Guest Anonymous

quote:

Originally posted by John Adkins:

Total Width : 28.41 in

 

I'm thinking you mean Height right? otherwise that's one wide inline 6.

 

I hope they do offer it as a crate, putting that in an emission free vehicle with a turbo might cost alot but I bet it could make for some very serious power.

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Hrmm.... Wonder how it would look with a set of SS headers on one side and a set of mikunis or TWM FI throttle bodies on the other? icon_razz.gif

 

What are the holes or indentations on each side of the oilpan?

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Guest Anonymous

Yeah after seeing the pictures I have to say the width figure is no mistake. (That is one wide lookin inline 6)

 

Think it's definitely got some potential, even if it's not offered as a crate, the small GM SUV's are rated worst for rollovers. Shouldn't be too hard to find one out of one that's rolled now shoudld it? icon_biggrin.gif

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I posted about this awhile back. I think the aftermarket will jump on this puppy, GM already has one making a ton of power in a hillclimber. It's got some great features and is pretty modern. We'll see when it comes out but I too wish the SUV craze would end already....

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Guest JAMIE T

Man, don't you know it. My wife wants a suv, I'm trying to talk her into a volvo 850 turbo wagon (about a 95 or so) If she must get an suv, I was thinking of a Olds Bravada with smallblock. All wheel drive and a V8!!! oh boy!!! She wants a Suburban icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Jamie

Project Deathstar

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Guest Anonymous

Maybe slide her into a Astro van, super easy to drop a smallblock in there (like mounts and radiator.. and of course injection bits) and.. Oh my God, JTR just happens to have a kit for it.. icon_wink.gif

 

Lone

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Jamie, those are very fast wagons. Get an ipd catalog if you don't already have one. You'll want to upgrade the front and rear sway bars for sure on that car. Maybe even a new computer module (300hp the east way!). Those cars go through brakes fairly quickly--check them out before you buy...

 

David

 

Lone, JTR has a kit for just about anything nowadays! Hrm, TPI 5.7L in a radio flyer? No problem with JTR! icon_biggrin.gif

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