V8 Engine Dimensions

A V8 engine has two banks of four cylinders arranged in a ‘V’. The eight pistons drive single centrally mounted common crankshaft. The two banks are normally set to right angles or 90°, although sometimes this angle is narrower.

Unlike a 4 cylinder engine the V8 engine has a cross-plane crankshaft with heavy counter balance eights. Several people, including manufacturers such as Ariel, have tried to join 2 four cylinder blocks together, but vibrations problems were very hard to overcome. As capacities increase, the vibrations get worse.

Conventional V8 engines use complex crankshaft designs that virtually eliminate vibration. There is a simple rule that states, the more cylinders the smoother an engine will run. The Jaguar V12 engine was reputed to be so smooth, that you could balance a coin on top. V8 engines are far more common then V12 engines, therefore manufacturers can invest more in their development. Because of this, when the Jaguar AJ-V8 was launched, it was said to run even smoother than it’s V12 predecessor.

Until recently, most V8 engines had cast iron blocks, a single central camshaft and 2 valves per cylinder. The central camshaft operated cam followers, push-rods and rocker assembles, that in turn opened the valves. These cast iron V8’s are very heavy.

There have been some aluminium V8 engines, such as the Buick derived Rover V8, around for years. But it is only in recent years that aluminium V8 engines have started to dominate. Modern aluminium V8’s have quad overhead cams, 32 valves (4 valves per cylinder), fuel injection and a very light and compact. They offer huge power and torque compared to their predecessors.

A 1953 303i 5.0litre Olds V8 had 135hp and weighed 700lbs (317Kg). A 2002, 256ci 4.3litre Aston Martin AJ-V8 derived engine has 380hp and weighs only 441lbs (197Kg). The fuel efficiency has also been dramatically improved. A supercharged Jaguar AJ-V8 weighs a little over 200Kg yet produces over 400bhp.

Cast iron V8 engines have been very popular with ‘Hot Rodders’ for decades. Even now, they are the primary choice for most builders.

So why don’t people fit Modern V8 engines to kit cars and Hot Rods?

The problem is not the engine; it’s the engine management. Modern ECU (Engine Control Units) have inputs from every corner of the car.

Including:

Brake Sensors
Gearbox
Differential
Exhaust
Air Flow Meters
Fuel Pumps
Air Conditioning
etc

There are even signals from the windscreen wipers. If it is raining a computer will run a special ‘wet weather’ profile.

These components send digital signals to the ECU and if they go faulty or are disconnected a fault code is generated and power output is dropped right back to protect the engine.

Along with a highly complex wiring loom and several computers, there are also a mass of other components to accommodate, such as:

Oil coolers
Inter-coolers
Air Flow Meters
Multiple Oil Pumps
Multiple Fans
etc.

V8 Engine Dimensions

When looking for V8 Engine Dimensions it is important to remember that many engines were fitted to different makes and models across many years. One engine could have multiple water pump, starter, distributor, carburetor and injection options. Manufacturers and indeed forums publish weights and dimensions but often there is zero consistency on what components are fitted. e.g. whether the engine has oil, water and all required hardware or just a bare block. Therefore these dimensions should be taken as a ‘rough guide.I personally found that a dimensional drawing of the Rover V8 that had been published across 1,000’s of websites and even dozens of books was several inches ‘out’ and 100Kg of what a ‘running’ engine would weigh.

All dimensions and weights are approximate
Engine	Cubic Inch	A length (inch)	B length (inch)	C height (inch)	D height (inch)	E width (inch)	Distri- butor	Sump	Starter	Oil Filter	Weight (lbs)
AMC	250 287 327	x	27.75	24	x	24.12	rear	rear	right	left rear	601
AMC	304 360 401	28.75	29.25	21.25	29.5	21.5	front	rear	right	right front	540 600
Buick Olds Rover	215	x	28	x	27	26	front	rear	x	right front	315
Buick	350	29	30.5	21.5	28.5	23	front	rear	right	right front	450
Buick	322 425	x	33.5	x	29	28	rear	rear	left	right rear	685
Buick	400 455	29	30	22	30	23	front	center	right	right front	600 640
Cadillac	331 390 60-62	x	x	x	x	x	rear	rear	left	right rear	699 720
Cadillac	331 390 63-up	x	x	x	x	x	rear	rear	left	left front	699 720
Cadillac	425 472 500	30	30.5	28.5	32	28.5	front	rear	right	left front	625
Chevy	262/400 Short Water Pump	26.5	27	20.5	27	22	rear	rear	right	left rear	575
Chevy	262 400 Long Water Pump	27.88	28.38	20.5	27	22	rear	rear	right	left rear	575
Chevy	348 409	x	34.5	x	32	28.5	rear	rear	right	left rear	685
Chevy	396 454 Short Water Pump	30.5	30.5	23.5	33	27	rear	rear	right	left rear	685
Chevy	396 454 Long Water Pump	32	32	23.5	33	27	rear	rear	right	left rear	685
Ford	221/302	27	29	22	27	22	front	front	right	left front	440/460
Ford	332 428FE	30	32	28	32	27	front	front	right	left front	650
Ford	427 SOHC	32	34	30	34	32	front	front	right	left front	680
Ford	Flathead	30	30	22	x	26	front	front	left	left rear	569
Mopar	273 360	29.5	29.5	23.5	31	25	rear	front	left	right rear	525 560
Mopar	350 440	29	30	24	30.5	29.5	front	center	left	left front	620 670
Mopar	331 392 Hemi	32	31	24	31	29	rear	center	left	right rear	729 745
Mopar	Late Hemi	32	32	24	32	29	front	center	left	left front	765
Olds	303 394	x	32	x	29	30	rear	rear	right	right rear	700
Olds	350	28.25	28.25	20.25	27.5	26	rear	rear	left	right rear	560
Olds	455	29	31	24	31	26.5	rear	rear	left	right rear	605
Pontiac	350/400	28.25	29	20	31	27	rear	rear	left	right rear	650
Pontiac	455	29.5	32	27	33	27	rear	rear	left	right rear	650