oil4kids
Well Known Member
http://detnews.com/article/20100710/OPINION03/7100326/Engineer-put-muscle-in-Chevys#ixzz0tI2IgL5o
Richard Keinath aka "Dick Keinath" has passed away tonight, July 7.
Although most famous for designing the 427 Big Block Daytona Mystery motor, he was Chief Engine Engineer and Chief Drive Train Engineer at Chevrolet.
He held every job in the engine group from working on the powerglide and dynaflow to drafting room working on the 348 heads to working with Ed Cole and Ed Kelly on the small block Chevy.
He ended up working for Don McPherson who was VP of all North American operations for General Motors He also worked with Zora Duntov making the 348 more powerful for the Nascar group. Richard worked on the rams horn exhaust manifolds, the corvair engine, the 302 Chevy. In 1959 he worked on an all aluminum engine, alloy cylinder heads for the corvette engine. He also worked on Chevys 4 cyl, 6 cyl 194, 230, 250 to replace the old stovebolt and he had the responsibility for the 409 passenger car engine.
Bunkie Knudsen gave him the go-ahead to build a replacement engine for the 409 and was given a blank check for the job. Although he started with the 409 bore centers the “new mystery Motor “only kept the bottom lip pan rail of the crankcase and oil pan. Although the mystery motor started out as 409 cubic inches in July 1962. it was most famous as the 427.
His design was without computer aided equipment. In October 62, he got a phone call from NASCAR after some political negotiating, a new stroker crankshaft was added with new rods and pistons and the 427 engine was born. According to Tom Poole the Chevy engine dyno man, the new engine was good for about 10 more mph, a lot of hp over the 425hp 409. He later went to work for Junior Johnson
Although he was a quiet, gentle man, His Engines continue to Roar.
There’s more but that’s all I can write right now.
God’s Speed Mr Keinath.
Richard Keinath aka "Dick Keinath" has passed away tonight, July 7.
Although most famous for designing the 427 Big Block Daytona Mystery motor, he was Chief Engine Engineer and Chief Drive Train Engineer at Chevrolet.
He held every job in the engine group from working on the powerglide and dynaflow to drafting room working on the 348 heads to working with Ed Cole and Ed Kelly on the small block Chevy.
He ended up working for Don McPherson who was VP of all North American operations for General Motors He also worked with Zora Duntov making the 348 more powerful for the Nascar group. Richard worked on the rams horn exhaust manifolds, the corvair engine, the 302 Chevy. In 1959 he worked on an all aluminum engine, alloy cylinder heads for the corvette engine. He also worked on Chevys 4 cyl, 6 cyl 194, 230, 250 to replace the old stovebolt and he had the responsibility for the 409 passenger car engine.
Bunkie Knudsen gave him the go-ahead to build a replacement engine for the 409 and was given a blank check for the job. Although he started with the 409 bore centers the “new mystery Motor “only kept the bottom lip pan rail of the crankcase and oil pan. Although the mystery motor started out as 409 cubic inches in July 1962. it was most famous as the 427.
His design was without computer aided equipment. In October 62, he got a phone call from NASCAR after some political negotiating, a new stroker crankshaft was added with new rods and pistons and the 427 engine was born. According to Tom Poole the Chevy engine dyno man, the new engine was good for about 10 more mph, a lot of hp over the 425hp 409. He later went to work for Junior Johnson
Although he was a quiet, gentle man, His Engines continue to Roar.
There’s more but that’s all I can write right now.
God’s Speed Mr Keinath.
