Ford Indy V8 engine

Last updated
Ford Indy V-8
Overview
Manufacturer Ford
Production1963–1971 (Ford engine)
1972–1978 (Foyt-badged engine)
Layout
Configuration 90° V-8
Displacement 159–320  cu in (2.61–5.24  L) [1] [2]
Cylinder bore 3.76–3.80  in (96–97  mm)
Piston stroke 2.87  in (73  mm)
Valvetrain 32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder [3]
Compression ratio 10.2:1-12.5:1 [4]
Combustion
Fuel system Mechanical fuel injection
Fuel type Gasoline
Oil system Dry sump
Output
Power output 375–800  hp (280–597  kW)
Torque output 269–525  lb⋅ft (365–712  N⋅m) [5]
Dimensions
Dry weight 350–406 lb (159–184 kg)
Chronology
Successor Ford-Cosworth Indy V8 engine

The Ford Indy V8 engine is a V-8 engine, initially specially designed by Ford for Indy car racing, from 1963 onwards, winning the Indy 500 four times as Ford, plus once as Foyt in 1977.

Contents

As naturally-aspirated DOHC version, it won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 as well as in 1966 and 1967. When a turbocharged Offenhauser took the win in 1968, Ford also reduced capacity and added a turbocharger, winning the 1969 Indianapolis 500. Ford ended the works campaign after 1971, handing over the design to AJ Foyt who continued until 1978, winning the Indy 500 in 1977.

Concurrently, in England, Ford had since 1965 sponsored the successful Cosworth DFV Formula One engine, a more compact DOHC V8, designed for 3.0 litre. For the 1976 USAC Championship Car season, Ford returned to Indy car racing with the turbocharged 2.65 litre Ford-sponsored Cosworth DFX engine. [6]

1963 engine

IndyCars with Ford engines first competed in 1935 using a production-based Ford flathead V8 engine in the Miller-Ford racer. [7] [8]

With the Offenhauser 4cyl 4.4 litre engine mounted in front-engine roadsters dominating Indy 500 races since the 1930s, and with a British Invasion of successful nimble rear-mid-engine Formula One single seater coming to the US, like two time F1 World Champion Jack Brabham to the 1961 Indianapolis 500, it was time for a change. Mickey Thompson entered three rear-engine cars in the 1962 Indianapolis 500, but with a Buick V8 that lacked power. Driver Dan Gurney then arranged that European chassis makers Team Lotus, who would win their first F1 World Championship in 1963, would build the Lotus 29 for the 1963 Indianapolis 500, with Ford supplying a suitable engine. With the intakes as usual in the V, the 4195 cc (255ci) pushrod [9] Ford V8 with Weber carburettors produced 376 bhp (280 kW) through a Colotti T.37 gearbox. Eventually, Jim Clark finished second, and Dan Gurney finished seventh. Clark went on to win the 1963 Tony Bettenhausen 200, proving the design was competitive.

1964-1967 DOHC engine

1965 Indianapolis 500-winning Lotus 38 with Ford DOHC V8 Lotus 38 at Goodwood 2010.jpg
1965 Indianapolis 500-winning Lotus 38 with Ford DOHC V8

To gain power for 1964, double overhead camshafts (DOHC [10] ) were installed in the Lotus 34, in reverse manner, with the exhausts in the V, intake trumpets at the sides. This four-cam 4195 cc (255ci) DOHC Ford V8 with Hilborn fuel injection produced 425 bhp (317 kW), through a ZF 2DS20 gearbox. Clark qualified on pole for the 1964 Indianapolis 500, but when the Dunlop tyres caused Clark to crash, Gurney was retired. The team switched to Firestone rubber.

In 1965 A.J. Foyt won three USAC races in a Lotus 34 on his way to second in that years championship, while Parnelli Jones finished second at 1965 Indianapolis 500 behind Jim Clark's improved Lotus 38. It was the first win for a rear-mid engined car, the first for Ford, and the first for a foreigner in many decades. [11] [12] [13]

The Ford DOHC engines were available for other teams. Graham Hill won the 1966 Indianapolis 500 with a Lola 90 chassis, and A. J. Foyt in 1967 in a Coyote 67 chassis.

1968-1971 Turbo

The Eagle 68, powered by a turbocharged Ford DOHC V8, driven to 6th place in the 1969 Indianapolis 500 by Joe Leonard JoeLeonardEagle.jpg
The Eagle 68, powered by a turbocharged Ford DOHC V8, driven to 6th place in the 1969 Indianapolis 500 by Joe Leonard

By 1968, Offenhauser was using turbo engines which had more power, winning the 1968 Indianapolis 500.

Thus, a smaller but Garrett turbocharged 159 cu in (2.61 L) Ford engine was introduced in 1968, and gave Mario Andretti the win in his Brawner Hawk chassis at the 1969 Indianapolis 500. This engine was used throughout the 1969 and 1970 seasons, until 1971 (their last season), after which Ford pulled-out and withdrew from the series for 1972.

1969 Lotus 64 turbo engine

Because the previous Lotus 56 AWD had a gas turbine engine, which was banned, Lotus had to use a new engine for the 1969 Indianapolis 500. The Lotus 64 project was funded by Ford who supplied a V8 turbo engine, and by STP. The 4 wheel drive was retained, thus the biggest difference was the new engine; a 2.65-liter turbocharged Ford engine, making more than 700 horsepower. [14] [15] As the drivetrain overheated and Mario Andretti crashed the STP car in practise, also the cars of Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt were retired before the Race.

1966 F1 Ford 406 engine

Ford 406
Overview
Manufacturer Ford
Production1966
Layout
Configuration 90° V-8
Displacement 3.0  L (183  cu in)
Valvetrain 32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder
Combustion
Fuel system Mechanical fuel injection
Fuel type Gasoline
Oil system Dry sump
Output
Power output 315  hp (235  kW)
Torque output 221  lb⋅ft (300  N⋅m)

The Ford 406 was a 3.0 L (180 cu in) Formula One engine, and was essentially a downsized variant of the Ford Indy V8 DOHC engine, commissioned by Bruce McLaren who had been involved since 1964 with the Ford GT40 program, winning the 1966 Le Mans 24h.

Made by third parties prior to the introduction of the highly successful Ford-sponsored Cosworth DFV engine in 1967 [16] [17] [18] , it was used in the McLaren M2B Formula One car for three races in the 1966 Formula One season.

An oil leaked ended the first race in Monaco, and the team switched to other engines. In the last two heats in North America, the Ford V8 was again used, with one finish for points.

1973-1978 Foyt engine

Ford Motor Company pulled its factory support out of Indy/Championship car racing after the 1972 USAC season. A. J. Foyt obtained the rights to Ford's turbocharged DOHC V-8 Indy engine, and it was subsequently rebadged and rebranded as the Foyt V-8 engine.

The Foyt team further developed the powerplant, and ran the 161 cu in (2.64 L) Foyt V-8 engine from 1973 to 1978. A handful of other teams bought and ran Foyt V-8 engines during that timeframe as well. A. J. Foyt himself won the 1977 Indianapolis 500 in his Coyote chassis and the Foyt-badged engine. [19]

Applications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford GT40</span> High-performance endurance racing car

The Ford GT40 is a high-performance mid-engined racing car originally designed and built for and by the Ford Motor Company to compete in 1960s European endurance racing. Its specific impetus was to best Scuderia Ferrari, which had won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race for six years running from 1960 to 1965. Around 100 cars have been made, mostly as 289 cu in (4.7 L) V8-powered Mk Is, some sold to private teams or as road legal Mk III cars. Racing started in 1964, with Ford winning World Championships categories from 1966 to 1968. The first Le Mans win came in 1966 with three 427 cu in (7.0 L) powered Mk.II prototypes crossing the finish line together, the second in 1967 by a similarly powered highly modified US-built Mk.IV "J-car" prototype. In order to lower ever-higher race top speeds, a rule change from 1968 onwards limited prototypes to 3.0 litre Formula 1 engines; a loophole, however, allowed the private JW "Gulf Oil" team win at Le Mans in 1968 and 1969 running a Mk.I with a 5.0 litre engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosworth</span> British automotive engineering company

Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industries. Cosworth is based in Northampton, England, with facilities in Cottenham, England, Silverstone, England, and Indianapolis, IN, US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Foyt</span> American racing driver (born 1935)

Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He holds the most American National Championship titles in history, winning seven.

Lola Cars Limited is a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley in Bromley, England. The company is now owned by Till Bechtolsheimer, who purchased it in 2022. Lola Cars endured for more than fifty years to become one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of racing cars in the world. Lola started by building small front-engine sports cars, and branched out into Formula Junior cars before diversifying into a wider range of sporting vehicles. In 2012, Lola Cars stopped operations. Lola is set to make a return to motorsport in 2024 by joining the Formula E World Championship as an entrant and a powertrain supplier in a technical partnership with Yamaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosworth DFV</span> Internal combustion engine

The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. The name is an abbreviation of Double Four Valve, the engine being a V8 development of the earlier four-cylinder FVA, which had four valves per cylinder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Monaco Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1966 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco on 22 May 1966. It was race 1 of 9 in both the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the first World Championship event of a new era for Formula One, for which engine regulations were altered from 1.5 litres of maximum engine displacement to 3.0 litres. The race was the 24th Monaco Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 Formula One season</span> 22nd season of the FIAs Formula One motor racing

The 1968 Formula One season was the 22nd season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing. It featured the 19th World Championship of Drivers, the 11th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and three non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over twelve races between 1 January and 3 November 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offenhauser</span> Racing engine design

The Offenhauser Racing Engine, or Offy, is a racing engine design that dominated American open wheel racing for more than 50 years and is still popular among vintage sprint and midget car racers.

Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, commonly referred to simply as Parnelli or VPJ, was a motor racing constructor and team from the United States. The team was formed in 1969 by former USAC racer Parnelli Jones and his business partner Velko "Vel" Miletich. Parnelli was initially solely concerned with USAC racing, where success came quickly; their driver Al Unser won the Indianapolis 500 race in 1970, driving a VPJ Colt, after leading 190 of the 200 racing laps. Unser went on to win the USAC championship. Unser repeated the Indy 500 win in 1971 with a new Colt built without the left side chassis offset that had been made illegal by 1971 rules, ending the season in fourth place in the USAC drivers points while teammate Joe Leonard won the championship.

Theodore Racing was a Formula One constructor from Hong Kong founded by real estate magnate and millionaire Teddy Yip. They participated in 51 Grands Prix, entering a total of 64 cars.

Chaparral Cars was a pioneering American automobile racing team and race car developer that engineered, built, and raced cars from 1963 through 1970. Founded in 1962 by American Formula One racers Hap Sharp and Jim Hall, it was named after the roadrunner, a fast-running ground cuckoo also known as a chaparral bird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judd (engine)</span> British company

Judd is a brand of racing car engines built by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Engine Developments was intended to build engines for Brabham's racing efforts, and became one of the first firms authorised by Cosworth to maintain and rebuild its DFV engines, but has since expanded into various areas of motorsport.

This article discusses the year-by-year history of the Indianapolis 500 race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus 38</span> Racing car model

The Lotus 38 was the first rear-engined car to win the Indianapolis 500, in 1965, driven by Jim Clark. It was run by Lotus at Indianapolis from 1965 to 1967; a total of 8 were built, most for use by Lotus, but several were sold for use by other drivers, including A. J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979 Indianapolis 500</span> 63rd running of the Indianapolis 500

The 63rd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 27, 1979. Brothers Al and Bobby Unser combined to lead 174 of the 200 laps, but Al dropped out around the midpoint, and Bobby slipped to 5th place at the finish nursing mechanical issues. Al was driving Jim Hall's radically new Chaparral 2K ground effect chassis in its Indy debut. The car would be victorious the following year with Johnny Rutherford behind the wheel. Second-year driver Rick Mears took the lead for the final time with 18 laps to go, and won his first Indianapolis 500. Mears would win again in 1984, 1988, and 1991, to become the third driver to win the Indy 500 a record four times. It was also Mears' first of a record six Indy 500 pole positions, a mark that still stands as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLaren M2B</span> 1966 Formula One racing car by McLaren

The McLaren M2B was the McLaren team's first Formula One racing car, used during the 1966 season. It was conceived in 1965 and preceded by the M2A development car. Designed by Robin Herd, the innovative but problematic Mallite material was used in its construction. The car was powered by Ford and Serenissima engines but both lacked power and suffered from reliability issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus 34</span> Racing car model

The Lotus 34 is an open-wheel race car built by Team Lotus for the 1964 Indianapolis 500. Driven by Jim Clark, who qualified on pole, and Dan Gurney, tyre failure led to Clark retiring and Gurney being withdrawn.

<i>Indianapolis 500 Evolution</i> 2009 racing video game

Indianapolis 500 Evolution is a racing game, developed by British studio Brain in a Jar Ltd, based on the Indianapolis 500 and American Championship car racing from 1961 to 1971. It is similar to Destineer's 2007 game Indianapolis 500 Legends. In the game, players take on the roles of various famous racers from that time period with 21 missions, photos, and movies, as well as competing on courses such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the Milwaukee Mile, Trenton, Riverside, Hanford and Langhorne Speedway. Honey Creek, the name for inner road course of the Milwaukee Mile, is also included, and is still used for various club racing events in the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford-Cosworth Indy V8 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The Ford-Cosworth Indy V8 engine is a series of mechanically similar, turbocharged, 2.65-liter V-8 engines, designed and developed by Ford in partnership with Cosworth for use in American open-wheel racing. It was produced for over 30 years and was used in the United States Auto Club (USAC) Championship Car series, CART, and Champ Car World Series between 1976 and 2007. The DFX engine was the Indy car version of the highly successful 3-liter Ford-Cosworth DFV Formula One engine developed by former Lotus engineer Keith Duckworth and Colin Chapman backing from Ford for the Lotus 49 to campaign the 1967 season. This engine had 155 wins between 1967 and 1985 in F1. The DFX variant was initially developed for Indy car use by Parnelli Jones in 1976, with Cosworth soon taking over. This engine won the Indianapolis 500 ten consecutive years from 1978 to 1987, as well as winning all USAC and CART championships between 1977 and 1987. It powered 81 consecutive Indy car victories from 1981 to 1986, with 153 Indy car victories total.

The Lola T270 is an open-wheel racing car chassis, designed, developed and built by Lola Cars, that competed in the CART open-wheel racing series, for competition in the 1972 and 1973 USAC Championship Car seasons. It didn't win any races, with its best race result being a 2nd-place finish; being driven by Wally Dallenbach at Michigan in 1972. Its best Indianapolis 500 result was a 4th-place finish; being driven by Sam Sessions, in the 1972 race. It was powered by three different engines; including Ford and Foyt-badged Ford V8 turbocharged engines, or an Offenhauser four-cylinder turbo engine.

References

  1. ↑ "Ford 255 DOHC Indy" . Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  2. ↑ "1969 EAGLE WESLAKE FORD 'SANTA ANA' INDY CAR" . Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "10 Awesome Ford Engines". 28 July 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "1965 Lotus 38 Ford Specifications".
  5. ↑ "Lotus 38: The Special Relationship | Colin Chapman Archive and Resource".
  6. ↑ "Cosworth DFX V-8 Engine, 1975-1985" . Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "1935 Miller-Ford Race Car". The Henry Ford. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  8. ↑ Ernst, Kurt (August 10, 2016). "Preston Tucker's prewar debacle: The 1935 Miller Ford V-8 Indy Car". Hemmings Daily. Hemmings. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  9. ↑ McGann, John (April 2, 2013). "Horsepower! – Ford Indy V8". HotRod Network. MotorTrend Group. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Graham Hill's 'American Red Ball Spl' Lola T90 Ford: Indy Winner 1966..." Primotipo. June 12, 2015. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Indy Engines -- the Ford V-8 Engine Workshop".
  12. ↑ "Horsepower! - Ford Indy V8 - Car Craft Magazine". 2 April 2013.
  13. ↑ "Technically Interesting: Ford Indy DOHC V8". 26 April 2018.
  14. ↑ Kirby, Gordon (6 January 2014). "Chapman's last Lotus Indycar". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Lotus 64 Ford". ultimatecarpage.com. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  16. ↑ "Engine Ford • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com.
  17. ↑ Friedmann, Christopher (February 19, 2020). "The Birth Of McLaren F1's M2B In Focus". HotCars.
  18. ↑ World, Auto Sport. "Find out all the information about the race car McLaren M2B (Ford 406 V8 3.0). As well as its drivers and results". Auto Sport World.
  19. ↑ "Foyt DOHC Indy engine" . Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  20. ↑ "Lola T80 car-by-car histories".
  21. ↑ "Lola Heritage".
  22. ↑ "Lola Heritage".
  23. ↑ "Lola Heritage".
  24. ↑ "Lola Heritage".
  25. ↑ "Lola Heritage".
  26. ↑ "Lola Heritage".
  27. ↑ "Lotus Type 38 - Lotus Cars Media Site".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.