Old article about the 3800 Series II Engine

[Guardian]

Ward's Auto World, Jan 1, 1996 Brought to you by:

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It isn't until one starts comparing engines that similarities emerge. Similarity -- following what the other guy does -- is both the foundation and the folly of the automobile business.

There's an internal combustion engine in every wheeled passenger vehicle sold by the world's volume automakers. Some automakers produce expensive vehicles, so one expects the parts that make them run to be equally extravagant. For automakers who produce everyday vehicles, the trick to the trade is offering something more than the customer expects, something beyond what the purely crass business equation says must be provided.

Better, then, to follow someone else's lead. Let them establish the ground rules and take the initial chances, then you play the game. Do it like that and you'll probably survive, but you're not likely to do anything special.

It's that way with engines. The most expensive collection of components in every vehicle, the engine likewise is the part with which the customer most "interacts." Get it right and the ever-demanding customer is satisfied; make it special and he's hooked for life.

That is what Ward's Best Engines awards are all about. Singling out automakers who craft engines (remember, the part the buyer most interacts with) that are special. Engines that deliver more than they perhaps really must. Engines that are symbolic of the automaker's devotion to fine engineering and quality manufacture.

For 1996, six Ward's editors nominated 29 different engines for the 1996 Best Engines Award. After judging them all against one another, the following are our Ten Best Engines of 1996.

3800 Series II V-6

There must be something special about an engine whose basic design has been employed since 1962 -- the year in which what has become General Motors Corp.'s 3800 Series II V-6 first saw the light of day.

Don Miles, chief engineer for the Series II and supercharged Series II says it's safe to assume the 3800 Series II will be around into the next century. That's a tribute to the inherent quality of the design, Mr. Miles believes, because most engines have a useful life of about 10 years "before there's nothing more that can be done."

As we noted when the 3800 Series II earned a place on last year's inaugural Best Engines list, much work has been done to reduce the 3800's reciprocating mass and frictional losses. The resulting engineering -- especially the reduction of combustion chamber and port variation -- imparted the dual benefit of reducing emissions and increasing fuel economy.

For 1996, the normally aspirated Series II is fitted to the Camaro/Firebird F cars, its first longitudinally mounted application. Besides the Buick LeSabre in which Ward's tested it, the 3800 Series II is offered in a variety of Buick and Oldsmobile Div. models. "We've got a versatile engine with a good balance of values, which makes it an excellent performer as both a luxury-car and sports-car engine," boasts Mr. Miles, who believes the 3800's versatility is one of its key features.

For this year's supercharged 3800 Series II, engineers added an extension to the Eaton-made unit that increases its displacement from 60 cu. ins. (1L) to 90 cu. ins. (1.5L). The increased size allows the supercharger to operate at somewhat lower speeds -- less rpm means cooler running -- which improves reliability. To add to the fun, the supercharged 3800 has been blessed with an additional 600 rpm of usable engine speed.

Mr. Miles says the most important part of the performance envelope, for normal drivers, is the 50- to 80-mph (30- to 50-km/h) passing ability. He claims the 1996 supercharged Series II can accelerate a vehicle from 50 mph to 80 mph in 8.7 seconds; the same run required 14.5 seconds in 1985. Fuel economy, meanwhile, also is dramatically improved over that of a decade ago.

It is the 3800 Series II's easy-going performance and effortless power delivery that once again won our test panel's votes. The much-maligned overhead-valve design provides inspired low- and midrange torque and deliciously instantaneous throttle response. Mr. Miles claims there's more power to be found in the 3800's iron lungs -- always welcome, but the 3800 Series II already is the best pushrod engine around.

Following a hard charge with the supercharged Series II, one Ward's tester penned the opinion of us all: "After driving the supercharged 3800 Series II, who really needs a V-8?"