Grey Holden straight-six motor

132.5 cubic inches (2.2 l) grey motor in 1948–1953 48-215

the grey motor, built between 1948 , 1962, earned name engine block painted grey. overhead valve engine first fitted holden 48-215 , mated three-speed column change gearbox. three-speed gm roto-hydramatic 240 automatic transmission option fitted in latter ek , ej series. engine based on buick pre-world war ii design, , saw minor changes throughout 15-year life.

it displaced 132.5 cubic inches (2,170 cc) in original form used 48-215 (1948), , remaining in use until fc. holden replaced fc in 1960 fb series, , engine bored out 138 cubic inches (2,260 cc). developed 60 brake horsepower (45 kw) @ 5000 rpm, providing superior performance competing four-cylinder austin, morris, vauxhall , ford of britain vehicles. grey motor featured compression ratio (7.5:1, low stress design view high reliability. due sheer ubiquity, popular racing, , fitted many open-wheelers, racing holdens. engines low-end torque, found way boats , machinery such forklift trucks.

this engine ran seven-port non-crossflow cast-iron cylinder head. there 3 siamese (shared) inlet ports cylinders 1–2, 3–4 , 5–6, 2 individual exhaust ports cylinders 1 , 6, , 2 siamese exhaust ports cylinders 2–3 , 4–5 in layout on 1 side of head casting. inlets fed single-barrel stromberg carburettor in common , fitted traditional kettering ignition coil , distributor. electric system six volts in 48-215 , fj. earliest grey motors (approximately 100,000) fitted delco-remy accessories, although lucas , bosch equivalents throughout motor’s lifetime replaced these.

the first production grey motor (1948) number 1001, , continued in single sequence until july 1956, when prefix l introduced. change affected engines numbered l283373 , above, signifying 12-volt negative-earth engines fitted new fe model. prefix u introduced motors original electricals fitted fj utility , panel van models, ended in february , may 1957 respectively. change effective engine u283384. prefix b introduced , number sequence reset introduction of 138 cubic inches (2.3 l) displacement engine, , replaced j prefix motors fitted ej vehicles in 1962.

applications

1948–1953 holden fx

1948–1953 holden 48-215 (sedan)
1951–1953 50-2106 (coupé utility)
1953 48-215-257 (business/taxi sedan, abbreviated 48-217)


1953–1956 holden fj
1956–1958 holden fe
1958–1960 holden fc
1960–1961 holden fb
1961–1962 holden ek
1962–1963 holden ej




^ loffler (2006), p. 284