Question about Ed Roth Outlaw engine

[Nacho Z]

I hate to admit it but I just don't know the answer to this question. I have looked on the web, Googled it, Bing'd it and asked around. No luck.

On the Outlaw kit, as well as the 1:1, it looks like there are three exhaust pipes per side on a V8 engine. It does not look like the middle pipe is a two into one pipe. Why aren't there four pipes on each side? I'm sure there is a simple explanation but I'll be darned if I can find it.

Thanks in advance for any answers, explanations, links to sites, etc.

[DrKerry]

If I remember right it was either a Buick or Olds engine and they usually shared the same ports for the center two cylinders. I don't think they were siamesed like on a small block Chevy.

I also think it was the same style engine he used in Tweedy Pie.

[my80malibu]

Admittidly I dont know that much about that car. However the engine looks like a Cadillac block, and I think they only have 3 exhaust ports with the center relieving two cylinders,

[DrKerry]

There ya go, forgot about the Caddy engines....

[Nacho Z]

Admittidly I dont know that much about that car. However the engine looks like a Cadillac block, and I think they only have 3 exhaust ports with the center relieving two cylinders,

Yes, it is a Caddy. It appears that the center port is no larger than the others. I wonder how that works? It is kind of funny, I have never heard of this three pipe deal before. I guess I am not as smart as I thought I was......lol.

[Longbox55]

That is correct, the Outlaw has an early OHV Cadillac V8. As mentioned, the center port takes care of 2 cylinders on Cadillac and Oldsmobile engines. However, the Buick engines did not have that layout, they had a very distinct 4 exhaust port head.

[Nacho Z]

Wow!! Answered in less than 14 minutes! Very cool guys, thank you!

[Skip]

Yes, it is a Caddy. It appears that the center port is no larger than the others. I wonder how that works? It is kind of funny, I have never heard of this three pipe deal before. I guess I am not as smart as I thought I was......lol.

With Siamese porting only one of the shared cylinders is pushing exhaust gas out the port at a time so there is no need for a larger manifold or tube size to the center pipe. All the tubes on the exhaust are pushing out/handling the same volume at any given time, works well but maybe not the absolute inefficiency.

[Modelmartin]

Flathead Fords have the same setup. The V8 has 3 pipes and the V12 has 4 per side since the two pairs in the center share ports.

Also years ago I had an old SAAB with the Ford V4 engine and that had one pipe per side!!!

[Crazy Ed]

I think I'll go with the Olds

[Ace-Garageguy]

"Siamesed" (so nicknamed harking back to the Siamese-twin moniker that preceded 'conjoined' of post-PC days) exhaust ports were common on a lot of engines in earlier days. Knowledge of gas-flow in to and out of engines wasn't as complete as it is today, and it wasn't thought to be necessary to provide separate full ports for every cylinder. In some cases, there was a cost reduction in tooling for both the cylinder head and manifold that helped to justify a not-great design idea.

Siamesed ports, both INTAKE AND EXHAUST, show up on a lot of earlier engines including inlines, vees, and opposed designs.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[zenrat]

I think I'll go with the Olds

That's the Beatnik Bandit. Question was about the Outlaw.

[Crazy Ed]

That's the Beatnik Bandit. Question was about the Outlaw.

Whoooooops, bit o'a Sr. Moment. Right you are Fred. Then Caddy it is.

[Nacho Z]

I knew if I asked the question here I would get a wealth of info. Thanks again guys! I must not have been Google-ing the right questions. I kept getting answers about Cadillac's V8s that run 4-6-8 cylinders as needed. Most Ed Roth or Outlaw sites talked about the body and very little about the engine, other than it was a Caddy V8.

[jaydar]

With both the Outlaw and Tweedy Pie (most hot rods, actually) hanging their engines out in the breeze accurate references are needed to do the plumbing and wiring. If you have good pix of eiither I would love to see them.

Joe.

Edited December 21, 2013 by jaydar

[zenrat]

This book is worth a look.

It has a run down of Roths career plus a fairly detailed look at his cars.

[jaydar]

Thanks for the tip Zenrat.

Joe.

[Greg Myers]

What are these ? More hot rod history.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Greg Myers