The Chrysler B and RB engines are a series of big-block V8

gasoline engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends (such as '' ...

s introduced in 1958 to replace the

Chrysler FirePower The Chrysler Firepower was a Dodge Viper-based concept car produced in 2005. It takes some of the styling cues from the Chrysler Crossfire. According to Chrysler, its 6.1 L Hemi V8 engine produced and could propel the vehicle to a 0-60 mp ...

(first generation Hemi) engines. The B and RB engines are often referred to as "wedge" engines because they use wedge-shaped combustion chambers; this differentiates them from Chrysler's 426 Hemi big block engines that are typically referred to as "Hemi" or "426 Hemi" due to their hemispherical shaped combustion chambers.

Design

Design features of the B and RB engines include 17 capscrews per

cylinder head In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head (often abbreviated to simply "head") sits above the cylinder (engine), cylinders and forms the roof of the combustion chamber. In sidevalve engines, the head is a simple sheet of metal; whereas ...

, a

cylinder block In an internal combustion engine, the engine block is the structure which contains the cylinders and other components. In an early automotive engine, the engine block consisted of just the cylinder block, to which a separate crankcase was attac ...

that extends below the crankshaft centerline, an

intake manifold In automotive engineering, an inlet manifold or intake manifold (in American English) is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/ air mixture to the cylinders. The word ''manifold'' comes from the Old English word ''manigfeald'' (from th ...

not exposed to

crankcase In a piston engine, the crankcase is the housing that surrounds the crankshaft. In most modern engines, the crankcase is integrated into the engine block. Two-stroke engines typically use a crankcase-compression design, resulting in the fuel/ ...

oil on the underside, stamped-steel shaft-mounted

rocker arm In the context of an internal combustion engine, a rocker arm is a valvetrain component that typically transfers the motion of a pushrod to the corresponding intake/exhaust valve. Rocker arms in automobiles are typically made from stamped steel, ...

s (race versions used forged steel rockers), and a front-mounted external oil pump driven by the camshaft. The 'B' series wedge engine was introduced in 1958 with and versions. The 361 would continue in production until the end of the series, albeit only for truck installation. The RB ("raised B") arrived one year after the launch of the B series engines, in and displacements. Unlike the previous B-engines, which had a stroke, the RB engines had a stroke. For 1960, a "ram induction" system increased the 413's

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of t ...

up to on the Chrysler 300F versions. The last 'B-RB' wedge-headed engine was produced in August 1978, ending the era of Chrysler "big-block" engines.

B engines

All Low Block B-series engines have a stroke, a deck height and

connecting rod A connecting rod, also called a 'con rod', is the part of a piston engine which connects the piston to the crankshaft. Together with the crank, the connecting rod converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotation of the cranksha ...

s, resulting in a 1.88:1 rod ratio.

350

The B engine was, along with the 361, the first production B engine, first available in 1958. It had a bore of . The 350 is classified as a big block engine. All parts except for the

piston A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas- ...

s are fully compatible with the 361. Vehicles using the B 350: * 1958

DeSoto Firesweep The DeSoto Firesweep is an automobile that was produced by DeSoto from 1957 through 1959. Interior and exterior description The Firesweep was a lower-priced entry that combined a Dodge shell and chassis (which featured a 122-inch wheelbase, four ...

* 1958

Dodge Coronet The Dodge Coronet is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge in seven generations, and shared nameplates with the same bodyshell with varying levels of equipment installed. Introduced as a full-size car in 1949, it was the division's highest tr ...

* 1958

Plymouth Fury The Plymouth Fury is a model of automobile that was produced by Plymouth from 1955 until 1989. It was introduced for the 1956 model year as a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere, becoming a separate series one level above the contemporary Belve ...

361

The 361 cu in B engine also introduced in 1958 was essentially the same as the 350 except with a larger bore, for an actual displacement of . In 1962, the

Dodge Polara The Dodge Polara is an automobile introduced in the United States for the 1960 model year as Dodge's top-of-the-line full-size car. After the introduction of the Dodge Custom 880 in 1962, the Polara nameplate designated a step below the full-siz ...

500 came standard with a version of the 361 that had a four-barrel

carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meter ...

, dual-point distributor, and dual exhausts.

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymout ...

called their versions of the early B engine the ''Commando'', variants of which included the ''Golden Commando'' and ''Sonoramic Commando''. It produced . DeSoto's B engine was named ''Turboflash'' and produced . The

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

standard version was a 2-barrel with called the ''Super Red Ram'' with an optional variant that was called the ''D500'' and produced . The 361 would last until the end of the series, albeit for trucks only. In its early years, the 305-horsepower 361 was optional on many vehicles, and standard on, among others, the Dodge 880. The 361 had a fuel injected version in 1958 only. Very few of the fuel injected B engines were made and only a handful remain, since most were brought back to the dealer to be fitted with carburetors. * 1961–1964

Chrysler Newport The Newport was a name used by Chrysler for both a hardtop body designation and also for its lowest priced model between 1961 and 1981. Chrysler first used the Newport name on a 1940 show car, of which five vehicles were produced. The Newport c ...

* 1959-1961

Chrysler Windsor The Chrysler Windsor is a full-size car which was built by Chrysler from 1939 through to the 1960s. The final Chrysler Windsor sold in the United States was produced in 1961, but production in Canada continued until 1966. The Canadian 1961 to 19 ...

(Canada only, sedans and coupes) * 1958–1961 DeSoto * 1958–1966

* 1966

Dodge Charger The Dodge Charger is a model of automobile marketed by Dodge in various forms over seven generations since 1966. The first Charger was a show car in 1964. A 1965 Charger II concept car resembled the 1966 production version. The Charger ha ...

* 1959–1965

* Facel Vega HK 500 * 1958–1961 Facel Vega Excellence (EX1) * Jensen CV8 * 1963-1973 Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando APC (M75 Chrysler industrial engine, waterproof) * 1973-1988 Cadillac Gage V-150 Commando APC (M75 Chrysler industrial engine, optional) * 1966-1974 Food Machinery Corp. M-113 APC, (M75 Chrysler industrial engine, waterproof)

383

Chrysler 383 low-block engine, 1964 or 65

The 383 cu in B engine — not to be confused with the RB version — was essentially a larger bore version of the 350 and 361, using a bore for a displacement. This venerable engine was introduced in 1959. Dodge's version, the ''D500'' had a cross-ram induction manifold and dual four-barrel

s as options. In some Dodge applications, this engine was labeled as the ''Magnum'', while the Plymouth version was called the ''Golden Commando''. Both came with a dual point distributor in high-performance versions. The 383 became the standard model Mopar performance engine for the next decade. The big bore allowed for larger, , intake valves, and the relatively short stroke helped it to be a free-revving and free-breathing engine. Producing a maximum of ( gross) and of torque for the 1960 model year, the 383 beat the 392 Hemi that had reached . The 1960 383 engines featured the same basic ram induction system as the Chrysler 300F's 413 RB engines (named ''Sonoramic Commando'' when sold in Plymouth form). The later 383 Magnum (starting in 1968) used the 440 Magnum heads, camshaft, and exhaust manifolds. This engine was advertised at . * 1962–1965

Chrysler 300 The Chrysler 300 is a full-size luxury car manufactured and marketed by Stellantis North America (and its predecessor companies) as a four-door sedan and station wagon in its first generation (model years 2005–2010) and solely as a four- ...

base models * 1961–1971

* 1959–1971

Chrysler Town and Country The Chrysler Town & Country is a minivan that was manufactured and marketed by Chrysler from 1990 to the 2016 model years. The third of the Chrysler minivans introduced, the 1990 Town & Country shared its nameplate with the flagship Chrysler st ...

* 1962–1971

Plymouth Sport Fury The Plymouth Fury is a model of automobile that was produced by Plymouth from 1955 until 1989. It was introduced for the 1956 model year as a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere, becoming a separate series one level above the contemporary Belve ...

* 1966 Chrysler R/T police special in Canada * 1959–1960 DeSoto * 1965–1971 Dodge Monaco * 1965–1971

* 1967-1971

* 1970-1971

Dodge Challenger The Dodge Challenger is the name of three different generations of automobiles (two of those being pony cars) produced by American automobile manufacturer Dodge. However, the first use of the Challenger name by Dodge was in 1959 for marketing ...

* 1963–1965 Dodge Custom 880 * 1967–1969

Dodge Dart Dodge Dart is a line of automobiles marketed by Dodge from the 1959 to 1976 model years in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The Dart name originally appeared on a 1956 Chrysler show car featurin ...

* 1960–1971

* 1968-1971

Dodge Super Bee The Dodge Super Bee is a mid-sized muscle car marketed by Dodge, that was produced for the 1968 through 1971 model years. In Mexico, the Super Bee was based on a compact-sized Chrysler platform and marketed from 1970 until 1980. The Super Bee ...

* 1967–1971

Plymouth Barracuda The Plymouth Barracuda is a two-door pony car that was manufactured by Plymouth from 1964 to 1974. The first-generation Barracuda was based on the Chrysler A-body and was offered from 1964 to 1966. A two-door hardtop (no B-pillar) fastback desi ...

* 1960–1971

Plymouth Savoy The Plymouth Savoy is an automobile model produced from the 1954 through 1964 model years by Plymouth. Early history Plymouth used the name Savoy on several automobiles. From 1951-1953, the Savoy name was used on a station wagon, upgrading t ...

* 1960-1971 Plymouth Belvedere * 1960–1971

* 1968–1971

Plymouth Road Runner The Plymouth Road Runner is a mid-size car with a focus on performance built by Plymouth in the United States between 1968 and 1980. By 1968, some of the original muscle cars were moving away from their roots as relatively cheap, fast cars as ...

* 1965–1971 Plymouth Satellite *

Bristol 411 The Bristol 411 is an automobile which was built by the British manufacturer Bristol Cars from 1969 to 1976. It was the fifth series of Chrysler-V8 engined Bristol models. The car was rated highly for its comfort, performance and handling by cont ...

* Facel Vega HK 500 * 1961–1964 Facel Vega Excellence (EX2) * Facel Vega Facel II * Jensen CV8 * Jensen Interceptor MKI and II *

Jensen FF The Jensen FF is a four-wheel drive grand tourer produced by British car manufacturer Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1971. It was the first non all-terrain production car equipped with four-wheel drive and an anti-lock braking system. The powe ...

400

The B engine was introduced in 1972 to replace the venerable 383, and were power-rated via the net (installed) method. Chrysler increased the bore size of the 383 to create the 400. Its bore of was the largest used in any production Chrysler V8 at the date of its introduction. All parts except for the pistons were interchangeable between the 383 and 400. Crankshafts were of cast iron composition. Three versions of this engine were available: a two-barrel/single exhaust version producing at 4,400 rpm with of torque at 2,400 rpm, a four-barrel/single exhaust version producing at 4,400 rpm, and a high performance four-barrel/dual exhaust version rated at at 4,800 rpm, of torque at 3,200 rpm. All three versions used the same 8.2:1 compression ratio. The 400 was used in car, truck, and motorhome chassis. Horsepower and torque ratings gradually declined through the years due to the addition of more federally mandated emissions controls, until all Chrysler passenger vehicle big-block production ceased in 1978. For its last year of production, it only produced (although a heavy-duty version was also available). Due to its large factory bore size, short (compared to RB engines) deck height, and bottom end strength that is greater than any other production B or RB engine due to extra material added around the main bearing caps, 400 B engine blocks have become a popular choice for high-performance engine build ups.

RB engines

The ''RB'' engines, produced from 1959 to 1979, are raised-block (taller) versions of the B engines. All RB engines have a stroke, with the bore being the defining factor in engine size. All RB wedge engines share a deck height of , and were fitted with long connecting rods, resulting in a 1.80:1 rod ratio. Bore center distance is . All RBs are

oversquare In a reciprocating piston engine, the stroke ratio, defined by either bore/stroke ratio or stroke/bore ratio, is a term to describe the ratio between cylinder bore diameter and piston stroke length. This can be used for either an internal com ...

383

1959 Chrysler B-series 383ci V8 engine in a Windsor

Not to be confused with the 383 ''B'' engine, the 383 ''RB'' had a bore combined with the long stroke of , for a displacement of . It was only available in 1959 and 1960 on the US-built

s and Saratogas; one of Trenton Engine's lines had been converted to the new RB engine (to make the 413), and demand for the 383 B engine was too high for the remaining line. The solution was to create a 383 RB to fill the gap until the plant figured out how to quickly switch from one block to the other.

413

The RB was used from 1959 to 1965 in cars. It was also used in medium and heavy trucks including truck-tractors such as the C-1000, up until 1979. It has a bore of 4.1875 inches. During that period, it powered almost all Chrysler New Yorker and all Imperial models, and was also available on the lesser Chryslers,

, Dodge Monaco, and

as an alternative to the B-block 383 and the A-block 318. It was also fitted to some European cars such as the later Facel Vega Facel II. In the 1959 Chrysler 300E the 413 wedge was fitted with inline dual four-barrel carburetors; it was factory-rated at at 5,000 rpm and at 3,600 rpm. In 1960, a long-tube ram induction system was made standard on the Chrysler 300. It continued as standard on the 1961 300-G, and remained on the option sheets for Chrysler 300s through 1964. In 1962, a special version known as the "

Max Wedge The Max Wedge, formally the Maximum Performance Wedge, was an engine option produced by the Chrysler Corporation from 1962 to 1964, that was available exclusively in B Platform (intermediate) Dodges and Plymouths. The Max Wedge motor used the ...

" was made available for drag racing and street use; this version produced at 5,000 rpm.

426 Wedge

Not to be confused with the 426 Hemi, the RB was a wedge-head RB block with a bore. The 426 Wedge served as Chrysler's main performance engine until the introduction of the 426 Hemi. It was initially offered as the "non-catalogued" option S42 in Chryslers (the number of such produced is uncertain), offered with via a single 4-barrel carburetor (11.0:1 or 12.0:1

compression ratio The compression ratio is the ratio between the volume of the cylinder and combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine at their maximum and minimum values. A fundamental specification for such engines, it is measured two ways: the stat ...

, respectively), or via ram-inducted dual 4-barrel carburetors (with the same compression ratios). For 1963, horsepower ratings would slightly increase (see below), and it became optional in B-bodied Dodges and Plymouths. After 1963, it would be used only in Dodges and Plymouths. The Max Wedge was a race-only version of the 426 Wedge engine offered from the factory. Known as the Super Stock Plymouth and Ramcharger Dodge, the Max Wedge featured high-flow cylinder heads developed through state-of-the-art (at the time) airflow testing. They had 1⅞-inch exhaust valves, which required the cylinder bores to be notched for clearance. The blocks were a special severe-duty casting with larger oil-feed passages than other RB engines, and the blocks were stress-relieved by the factory. Induction came by means of a cross-ram intake manifold tuned for peak power above 4000 rpm and two Carter AFB-3447SA 4-barrel carburetors. The Max Wedge also included high-flow cast-iron

exhaust manifold In automotive engineering, an exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. The word ''manifold'' comes from the Old English word ''manigfeald'' (from the Anglo-Saxon ''manig'' anyand ''feald'' old and refe ...

s that, on the later versions, resembled steel tube headers. The Max Wedge was factory rated at (depending on compression), and at 4400 rpm. Before the end of the 1963 model year, Chrysler introduced the Stage II Max Wedge with improved combustion chamber design and an improved camshaft. The last performance year for the Max Wedge came in 1964 with the Stage III. The factory-advertised power rating never changed despite the Stage II and III improvements. A ''426 Street Wedge'' block was also available in 1964 and 1965. It bears little relation to the Max Wedge except for basic architecture and dimensions. The Street Wedge was available only in B-body cars (Plymouth and Dodge) and light-duty Dodge D Series trucks. It was an increased-bore version of the standard

New Yorker New Yorker or ''variant'' primarily refers to: * A resident of the State of New York ** Demographics of New York (state) * A resident of New York City ** List of people from New York City * ''The New Yorker'', a magazine founded in 1925 * '' The ...

413 single 4-barrel engine.

440

The RB was produced from 1965 until 1978, making it the last version of the Chrysler RB block. It had a light wall construction, precision cast-iron block, with iron heads and a bore of , for an overall

displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and Physics *Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...

of . From 1967 to 1971, the high-performance version was rated at ( in 1971) at 4,600 rpm and at 3,200 rpm of

with a single 4-barrel carburetor, and from 1969 to 1971, the highest-output version had an intake setup with 3X2-barrel Holley

s ("440 Six Pack" for Dodge, "440 6-BBL" for Plymouth) producing at 4,700 rpm ( in '71) and at 3,200 rpm of

. In 1972, changes were made to the horsepower ratings of vehicle engines from gross (engine only, without air cleaner, exhaust system, alternator, or other power-consuming components) to net (with alternator, air cleaner, mufflers, and other vehicle equipment installed). The new rating system produced lower, more realistic numbers for any given engine. At the same time, emissions regulations were demanding cleaner exhaust. Engines including the 440 were made with reduced compression, modified cam timing, and other tuning measures to comply with the newly tightened emissions regulations. The 1972 440 produced (gross) at 4400 rpm; the new net rating was —which very closely coincided with period German

DIN DIN or Din or din may refer to: People and language * Din (name), people with the name * Dīn, an Arabic word with three general senses: judgment, custom, and religion from which the name originates * Dinka language (ISO 639 code: din), spoken by ...

ratings and TÜV measurements. The high-output 440 (4-barrel/mild cam/dual exhausts) was marketed as the ''Magnum'' in Dodges, the ''Super Commando'' in Plymouths, and the ''TNT'' in Chryslers. From 1972 to 1974 the engine (detuned to run on lead-free gas) was rated at net, and dropped in hp each year until 1978, when it was rated at (in police specification) and limited to Chrysler New Yorkers, Chrysler Newports, Dodge Monaco Police Pursuits, and Plymouth Fury Police Pursuits. It was also available in marine and heavy-duty commercial applications until that year. *

Chrysler 300 letter series The Chrysler 300 "letter series" are high-performance personal luxury cars that were built by Chrysler in the U.S. from 1955 to 1965 and were a sub-model from the Chrysler New Yorker. After the initial year, which was named C-300 for its standa ...

Chrysler 300 non-letter series The Chrysler 300 (Chrysler 300 Sport Series) was a full-size automobile produced by Chrysler from 1962 until 1971. It was a continuation of the earlier Chrysler 300 letter series. Chrysler decided to consolidate its product line and the sedan ...

Chrysler New Yorker The Chrysler New Yorker is an automobile model that was produced by Chrysler from 1940 until 1996, serving for several decades as the brand's flagship model, or as a junior sedan to the Chrysler Imperial luxury brand. A trim level named the "New Y ...

* Dodge B-series vans *

* 1970–1971

* 1969

Dodge Charger Daytona Dodge produced three separate models with the name Dodge Charger Daytona, all of which were modified Dodge Chargers. The name was taken from Daytona Beach, Florida, which was an early center for auto racing and still hosts the Daytona 500, NAS ...

Dodge M-Series Chassis The Dodge M-series chassis were a line of heavy-duty frames used under various Class A motorhomes from 1968 to 1979. M-series chassis use a Dana 60 or 70 or Spicer M70 solid rear axles with leaf springs. Frames were used by Winnebago, Champion, ...

* Dodge Monaco *

Dodge Ramcharger The Dodge Ramcharger is a large sport utility vehicle built by Dodge from 1974 to 1993, based on a shortened-wheelbase version of the Dodge D Series/ Ram pickup truck chassis. A Plymouth version, named the Plymouth Trail Duster, offered from 1974 ...

* 1974-1978 Plymouth Trail Duster * 1969–1971

Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

* 1969–1971

* Plymouth Belvedere *

* Plymouth GTX *

Plymouth Superbird The Plymouth Superbird is a highly modified, short-lived version of the Plymouth Road Runner with applied graphic images as well as a distinctive horn sound both referencing the popular ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon character the Road Runner. It was ...

* Plymouth VIP * Jensen Interceptor * Monteverdi Safari * 1968-197? Cadillac Gage V-200 Commando (waterproof, export

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...

)

Crate engines

Chrysler also offers complete new 'crate' engines through its Mopar parts division in various displacements, these engines are built from entirely new parts.

References

External links

The RB Engines: 383, 413, 426, and 440 -Allpar.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chrysler B Engine B V8 engines Gasoline engines by model