The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 149

Auto Classifieds '500' engine work pays off for Buick Improved technology shared with other divisions of GM The Indianapolis Star SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 1992 Buick Motor Division may be many things to many people. But In the world of the automobile, it is the only American manufacturer making an engine in the United States for the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and the only General Motors Corp. automobile division to increase its sales In 1991. No one is claiming the two are directly related, but Buick must feel it is doing something right because it has come back to the Indianapolis Motor Speed- FILE PHOTO a Lola Buick. Gary Bettenhausen, the fastest qualifier for the 1991 Indianpolis 500-mile Race, averaged 224.488 mph in Roger Jendrusina with a wry smile, "I imagine you will see (Buick) marketing doing some advertising about it." Jendrusina, who works for the recently founded General Motors Motorsports Technology Group, is program manager of the group's Buick Indy 500 program.

What the program learns technologically under his aegis is fed back to the tech organization, to Buick and to GM sister divisions. '91 engine updated The '92 Indy V-6 basically is an update of the 1991 version. Its modifications are aimed at increasing durability. The engine always has had power, but you still have to go around that place out on West 16th Street 200 times on race day to have it count. The Indy V-6 is based upon Buick's 3300 Series V-6 that powers models like the Skylark-and Century.

Since the horsepower rises from 160 for the production engine to 785 for the Indy version, there are a few changes involved. The Indy power plant retains Buick's Stage II, low-deck, cast-iron block. It also has the same push rods and rocker arms, connected to two valves per cylinder. The crankshaft has connecting-rod throws staggered 30 degrees apart for an even 120-degree firing order. Even the electronics are Buick's ECM, or electronic computer management, system.

But from there it's pretty much race engineering. The 3300's size is increased from 201 cubic inches to 209 cubic inches by changing the bore and stroke. The production V-6's cylinder bore of 3.70 Inch- ground for product that may be in use several years from now. "That could go into any one of the General Motors car lines," -he said. "It ranges from the electronic development to materials in the engine.

"Specifically, the components are different enough and unique enough that they would not fit directly into a production car. But it is the materials and the technology of the manufacturing that are developed in the process. "It then is phased into production applications." It is rather Interesting that the Buick program of upgrading Its Indy engine year by year results in improved componentry for production engines. The speedway's aim when it staged its first 500-Mile Race in 1911 was to act as a proving ground for the automobile. es is increased to 3.90 inches, while the 3.16-inch stroke of the production 3300 is reduced to 2.90 inches for the Indy motor.

That accommodates higher engine speeds on the order of 9,200 rpm, as well as adding strength to the crank via more overlap between the con rod throws and the crankshaft's main bearings. Then there are Buick's Stage II aluminum cylinder heads, roller-type valve lifters, a race-engineered valve train, dry sump lubrication in which the oil is carried in a separate reservoir instead of the sump (oil pan), pressure and scavenger pumps, and a turbocharger that is regulated at 55 Inches of boost. Lap turned at 227.3 mph All packaged in drag race champion Kenny Bernstein's guaker State '92 Lola, Roberto this program is exclusively for Buick Motor Division." The tech group's primary goal this month has been the development of a reliable package, and in the process to put a Buick V-6 on the pole and win the race. The former may be a little bit easier than the latter. The newly designed Chevy Indy V-8 and FordCosworth V-8 haven't run at the speedway, but test reports from other sections of the country indicate that neither one Is exactly dragging its rubber-shod feet.

Source of information Another goal, according to Jendrusina, Is to supply information that is applicable to the very early stages of manufacturing, research and development within GM. And In some cases the program becomes a proving Speaking Of Cars By GEORGE MOORE way with its turbocharged 1992 Buick Indy V-6 engine. While it leads the stock-block charge in the "500" each year, the GM division has never won the race. Still, it keeps knocking on the door, and if persistence and effort mean anything one of these days Buick is going to open it. Profit not objective The division is not in the business of building racing engines for profit.

Rather, it endeavors to make a contribution ito the technology side of its corporate parent. But if the effort improves its image, that's Just fine. i Buick's Indianapolis 500 program has two primary purposes. One is to explore technologies in a manner that Is beyond normal test procedures. The other is to be a marketing tool.

"If we win the race," said 3 5 9-9231 '88 '86 '86 EdMartin (Across from Eailqate Moll) 700 NORTH SHADELAND $J99Mo smuNGF 15,897 fagimUkf 1 '88 Guerrero turned a lap during speedway testing at 227.3 mph this month. "There's more to it than Just going fast," Jendrusina said. "It enables us to learn things that we might not find out under normal development work. "There are also areas In which we are working with General Motors Research in the biomedical area. We're assisting them in driver' fatigue, things like that which may be applied someday in the future to passenger cars." While the work being done at the speedway is not just for the Buick division, some areas are exclusively Buick's.

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