Vintage Dual Overhead Cam, 4 Valve, Chevy 350, 1971 Hot Rod Magazine Moser Feature Aardema/Braun

In 1971 Richard Moser and Harvey Crane Jr from (Crane Cams) designed and built dual overhead cam cylinder heads conversions for the infamous chevy 350 small block motor. These engines were used in various race configurations and nearly qualified for use in the Indy 500. In this video, you will see one of the only existing Moser motor designs still on the road today. You will learn how automotive Legend Pete Aardema acquired random parts from the Crane family and re-engineered and improved this 50-year-old phenomenal engine.

[@steveveness3829]

G'day from West Australia, 😉 My Father told me about this engine design, yet I couldn't find any information on while growing up. I became a 3rd gen Automotive Engineer. 17th of November, 4 day's before my 57th birthday, and this video pops up on KZbin!!! Exactly 50 yrs after dad told me of this engine's existence. 😉🙂👍👍

[@GregQuirin]

Steve this is great information, so glad you found this Moser Video. I’m going to do a second video soon so you can see the latest Moser motor Pete and Kevin are working on. Send me an email with more info about your father and I will be sure to include your name and history in the video. [e-mail] thank you Greg Q

[@davidanderson2393]

I was always fascinated by that conversion when I first read that article back in high school, I never thought I would actually hear one run, great video.

[@GregQuirin]

The second video coming up soon, Stay tuned you will like what is to come. Thank you for watching!

[@inkscars6380]

This is truly just amazing! It’s a shame that stuff like this is truly becoming a lost art… these are the kinds of people I would love to soak in information from so we don’t lose this art…. Thank you for sharing!

[@lukewarmwater6412]

buy a knee mill and some tooling. then play. that is what these guys did. the art is not lost yet.you just think it is majic.

[@chrishay8385]

Great to see those twin cams finally getting into hot rods get hot rod ingenuity. Love it!

[@GregQuirin]

Thank you !

[@mpetersen6]

@@GregQuirin It seems to many hot rodders, street riders, American gearheads in general seem to think cam in block pushrod OHV is what God intended. Engineers at American car companies all know OHC was more efficient. Made more power etc. The problem was the bean counters. So to get more power they just increased displacement. The primary benefit of pushrod engines besides cost is packaging. Any V type DOHC engine is going to be wider. Even relatively small displacement motors such as say any of the US built DOHC V-6s. DOHC V-8s are worse. Look at the Ford DOHC or the Northstar/Aurora. Yet there were and are options out there for the guy who dared to be different. Mostly off shore brands but theres nothing wrong with the engineering in a Toyota or Nissan DOHC V-8. The cost advantage for the hotrodder of a OHV engine is in the parts cost. You want a better cam. It's one piece versus four or two. Plus the engines are easier to work on for the home builder. One thing that I think is going to make a difference in just how people look at multi valve heads etc is when FreeValve type technology hits the streets.

[@TheFogLakeshore]

​@@mpetersen6 Because the 2-valve engines that are targeted by performance enthusiasts have all of the right stuff where it's needed, without 2x the valvetrain complexity. And in any situation except WOT on a specific drag race course, a lower, broader powerband will beat higher power higher on the RPM band every time. And there is very little advantage to adding valves if you depend on your engine for lower RPM performance (i.e. every single person who is 'racing' or goosing the throttle on the street, ever). It's also more fun to have a larger, more immediately responsive powerband from an engine. There IS difference between 500hp on a small engine and a large engine, and it is a qualitative power difference. There is almost no advantage to having 4-valves per cylinder inside of the MASSIVE power area a bigger engine will have over a smaller engine of the same peak power number. And, to remind you, the most powerful automobile engines on earth, by a VERY long shot, use 2 valves per cylinder. Top Fuel runs over 10x the power level of any other regularly sanctioned car motorsport. One Top Fuel dragster is quite literally worth 10 Bugatti Veyrons in power.

[@drunk3n_m0nk12]

Guys like these are a national treasure. Just chock full of hot rod knowledge and history. I could listen to them talk all day long.

[@kevinknasty420]

Im a Ford guy all the way but I love amazing engines and the idler pulley that has a water pump ran thought it. Wow

[@pilgrimcp]

Ford also made a overhead cam engine for the Ford 302.

[@GregQuirin]

Pete and Kevin are true innovators and come up with some really cool ideas.

[@geoffreyjones2000]

@@pilgrimcp Ford also made a quad over head cam 427 that my friend owns in Maryland

[@guylarawayjr571]

Never heard of it. Glad I have now. Would be interested in seeing some more of these.

[@Sludge73]

Awesome video. Thanks for the history and sharing.

[@GregQuirin]

More History coming soon. Stay tuned!

[@williamcollins4082]

It's truely a shame Chevy didn't go this way !!!

[@Flies2FLL]

Arias has built several 502 Chevy big block V8's with DOHC 32 valve heads. The heads themselves come from the Porsche 928's V8 engine, which is also a big block and as such the bore spacing is almost exactly the same. With some welding and drilling the heads drop right onto the Chevy block; These will pass California emissions and make 550 hp all day long with stock cams. Cool video!

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

Anything will pass CA emissions if it's in a pre '75 platform.

[@Flies2FLL]

@@toomanyhobbies2011 I thought the engine year mattered as well?

[@hoost3056]

The Porsche 928 engines were not big blocks, they ranged in size from 4.7 to 5.3 liters in 2 valve and ultimately 4 valve configurations.

[@erikkiel3695]

@@hoost3056 The displacement does not determine whether it's a big block or not. Chevy made small block 400's and big block 400's (396). What he means is that the Porsche block has a bore spacing (the distance between the middle of two cylinders) almost on par with a Chevy big block. Porsche probably designed the 928 motor with racing in mind which usually means a big bore short stroke engine hence the relatively small displacement in the 928 compared to a big block Chevy

[@thethirdman225]

@@hoost3056 The Porsche was a shorter stroke but similar bore.

[@ziggassedup]

As a 65yo mechanic and hardened petrol head I find these guys amazing...

[@MrGaryGG48]

You're not the only one! I started in about 1954 at about 5 or 6 years old. My dad and his buddy were working on an old (it was old already at that time!) Ford pickup and they couldn't get their hands through the grill to get to the broken hood release. Smitty called me over and said, "hey kid, can you get your hand in there a pull that little lever with your finger?" I thought that was so cool (actually, cool hadn't been invented at that time😁) that I was able to do something the old guys couldn't do. My dad and old Smitty got a big kick out that.

[@bigblocklawyer]

This is amazing nostalgia, but Smokey tried all this trick stuff and in his infinite wisdom, knew the original small block, and especially the big block, could make all the power these ultra-complicated designs could, at a fraction of the price. Still cool to finally hear one after seeing that article so many years ago.

[@rustyjeep9783]

This is a great to see and hear this motor

[@Thinginator]

I was just thinking about overhead cam modified V8s and it’s like the KZbin algorithm read my mind…

[@keithstudly6071]

Second Moser I've seen. The other one was in a vintage sprint car at Perris, CA. I always wondered what the full story was on those. Very Cool!

[@GregQuirin]

That's cool! Pete probably saw the same one in Perris CA back in the day and went back to the shop and made one.

[@charliebrown6514]

You won't see this happening with EVs ,old dudes messing with motors just awesome ,

[@jwshoptime.jeeprepairpleas8552]

Check out Jonathan ward Tesla power mercury

[@GregQuirin]

You're correct! Pete and Kevin are truly old-school automotive legends. We will be posting more cool stuff soon. Stay tuned.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

They said the same thing about gasoline engines. Hot rodders will always find a way.

[@billmudd8516]

Now that is to damn awesome I mean it's cool as you know what love that idler pulley. As soon as I was old enough to read was in the supermarket reading hot rod cover to cover while Mom shopped.

[@hybriddyneguy]

I remember this was the first motor of choice for the Vector of Vector Aeromotive

[@godsowndrunk1118]

It's amazing how well those old ford's run without an engine.....

[@calrothe756]

Pete and Kevin build the most interesting engines in the world!

[@gothicpagan.666]

When you say world, you mean America right 🙂🇬🇧. Advanced for its day though. Realistically work must have started on this motor at the same time as Keith Duckworth started on the DFV

[@chancevonfreund3833]

I had no idea! I always thought Ford is the only one that tried something like this back in the 60s and 70s. But I guess some of the old F1 and Indy Engines were based on passenger Engines. Really cool.🏁

[@Nafeels]

It's kinda awesome to think that the Big Three experimented on OHC V8s even in the 60's and 70's. This one's extra spicy though, running two exhaust ports per cylinder. What an amazing and obscure piece of history.

[@sirswerve2493]

Love this kinda stuff. the small block chevy is a great design.

[@lukewarmwater6412]

likely shim over bucket valve adjustment... I am a big fan of that!! I want one!

[@MakeStationWagonsGreatAgain]

I've wanted a set of these heads since I was a kid... God please let these guys have them 3d scanned!!!!

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

The build up just sets us up for a let down. Awesome engine and I remember the article when it came out in Hot Rod.

[@christopherpoucher483]

I seen an oldsmobile 455 prototype with single overhead cams

[@GregQuirin]

the Olds 455 OHC is the kind of stuff that inspired Pete and Kevin to build bizarre stuff you see in their shop today

[@madmax2069]

The coolant going through the idler pulley is pretty unique.

[@Douden996]

I remember I think a different version of an OHC Chevy V8 on the cover of Car Craft or another Hot Rod magazine from maybe 74,76? It had a chain drive timing chain and timing cover. I also remember the big Gurney/ Westlake 427's from CanAm days. I think they ran OHC heads modified Wedge heads

[@pieterbezuidenhout2741]

Piece of Gold you got there.

[@GregQuirin]

Thank you

[@VEJIm]

I Subscribed! Great video and underrated channel!

[@oldschoolmotorsickle]

Hey Greg, I’d just found your Aardema & Braun videos today; I thought of the Vesco clan because they’re out of San Diego too. I only know of them from their long involvement in motorsport and Bonneville. There’s something about the commitment of the old school Land Speed racers that makes for a good story. It’s like they have a case of Gold Fever, like the 49ers of olden times, except they crave velocity.

[@mikesmithey1892]

I forget the guy's name but he took the 427 Ford single overhead cam and instead of a timing chain because the timing chain would get stretched out and you have to time both sides of the engine separately he put a whole bunch of deers that ran the camshaft which made it much more reliable and tunable

[@kmcwhq]

I've still got that magazine! COOL

[@GregQuirin]

I'm going to do a 2nd Moser motor video soon. Pete and Kevin are building a second motor as we speak. Stay tuned!

[@kmcwhq]

@@GregQuirin Great.....I can't wait!

[@crispincurtis8585]

Pretty slick

[@nickyborrisino]

Upper cam pulleys only have around 30% belt contact versus the lowers which have much better 50% belt contact.

[@K-Effect]

The exhaust remind me of a Merlin out of a Spitfire

[@ldnwholesale8552]

But a Merlin used an oval exhaust flange and one pipe per cylinder

[@simonlane1277]

Loved the Moser engine in Tom McMullen's Deuce. I always wondered why he took it out - perhaps because of some of the problems these guys are talking about.

[@machtschnell7452]

At the same time Alfa Romeo was mass producing chain driven all alloy DOHC engines with mechanical port fuel injection and individual throttle bodies.

[@GregQuirin]

Did you see my 32 Alfa 8C Monza video? Check it out!

[@greggv8]

So, any plans for production? Somewhere I have an old magazine with an article on a bunch of Ford's crazy prototypes. They built a SOHC 289 or 302, intending to sell the setup as a kit but since they didn't optimize the intake and exhaust ports and the manifolds, they didn't figure it added enough so production didn't happen. Just needed some more R&D! The heads were special castings with several more valve cover bolt holes since that's how the cast aluminum cam carriers mounted. That's one area of small block Chevy heads that's always been stupid, not machining the valve cover sealing surface. The covers require a massive amount of sealer on the gaskets, and they don't have enough bolts. Aftermarket heads of course often correct that by machining the top face of the head and some stiff aluminum valve covers can seal decently with the 4 bolts and minimal sealer.

[@oldschoolmotorsickle]

Excellent videos. How about a video series with the Vesco family next?

[@GregQuirin]

David, if you can set it up, I would be happy to do a feature with team Vesco.

[@ericcindycrowder7482]

The intake cams on both heads have a dangerously low amount of belt coverage on their pulleys. Hopefully it doesn’t skip teeth.

[@psk5746]

More than some production engines

[@krusher74]

front the miles he has on it and the spirited driving he has done to break drivetrains its pretty obvious it doesn't

[@davebutler2776]

Man ya got to love engine nerds

[@putinkhuylo]

Genius!

[@hugieflhr03]

Oldsmobile had their over head cam engines but I don’t know if they were 32 valve

[@charlespatterson8457]

Thank y’all

[@GregQuirin]

Your welcome, I will be posting more stuff pretty soon you will for sure like it.

[@miketee2444]

Just guessing but I think this motor setup is just scratching the surface of it's potential. I'd love to see it on the HP Monsters Dyno with some of the NASCAR tricks to lighten the valvtrain. My point is I would like to see this thing zing about 12 grand reliably and I think it wouldn't take much to get there. I can tell by how it sounds it's not all happily married together. The cams and thier lobe separation would be the tricky part that would get expensive to test.

[@GregQuirin]

Mike, I noticed the valvetrain was also noisy. Kevin is going to recheck clearances. This video was the initial start up after the teardown and rebuild. When it ran 279MPH at Bonneville it was screaming. fb.watch/9r0G-HPb30/ Watch this video and you will be amazed!

[@krusher74]

you'd have to pick between vintage-looking headers and a modern efficient design also

[@woodhonky3890]

Gotta be some dam little spark plugs.

[@ArneChristianRosenfeldt]

Those 8 exhaust ports are nuts. The geometry of the valve only needs some rotation ( no change in air flow resistance ) so that both intake ports point toward each other and both exhaust ports point towards each other. They may need so time to meet to the header probably needs a thick steal flange with a oval shape and then you need to weld in a triangle and bend the tube a little. But you get lower friction in a single tube, while still most heat goes to the air and not into the block.

[@ralfie8801]

I'm thinking one of those guys said it has only one intake port for each cylinder, but two exhaust ports because of head bolt access issues.

[@prevost8686]

I greatly appreciate the ingenuity that it takes to design and build it. Having said that it sounds like crap. That isn’t a reflection upon the guys that built it. It’s just an observation compared to the traditional 2-valve SBC heads.

[@joeseda8102]

Now, let's make it a non-interference motor, lower the compression and add a turbo setup with fuel injection to find out what it can really do!!!

[@robertmason8341]

How mundane! Non interference and low compression-are there any more less exciting engine features you’d throw at this “dream” engine? These guys are the polar opposites kind of guys if you hadn’t noticed. They are all about unique and exciting engines!

[@MrGaryGG48]

@@robertmason8341 I think maybe the intent was to build a lo-tech 2 valve, low compression motor but boost it (either turbo or supercharger, or both) and nitro. It sounds an awful lot like NHRA Top Fuel. I've seen them torn down from 20-30 feet away with a long telephoto lens, but the guys where far too busy to be leaning over their shoulders and bugging them with questions. If you want to take a simple engine and then boost the crap out of it you can get just about what ever you want for power. Just look at the car shows and these guys that decide that they want more power than whomever is the hot guy at the moment. Anyone can stuff the next larger blower on an engine. The skills to build a hi-tech naturally asperated engine don't seem to be appreciated any longer.

[@edpetrocelli2633]

They answered the the distributor question that was rolling around in my head, but not the oil pump one, now it`s turning backwards cause the distributor is. ( they probably made their own) I`m thinking they moved the suction port to the other side of the pump maybe.

[@GregQuirin]

I will ask Pete and see what he says and let you know. Thanks Greg

[@doncyr3332]

Was the engine in McMullens roadster number two, or further down the list?

[@GregQuirin]

I don't know. I will ask Pete if he has more info about the history of the motor.

[@blarfneggs3728]

It's like the Rube Goldberg of motors

[@jamestone265]

Is that enclosed pickup the new “roadster”?

[@TheFARM2019]

Im not a chevy guy and i hate it when people chevy swap a ford… but this i can dig

[@Coogmaster2000]

So what does the pushrod cam do? Just spin in the block? I assume the overheads are the ones working the valves

[@GregQuirin]

It's used as an idler gear and drives the distributor and oil pump

[@Coogmaster2000]

@@GregQuirin Thanks! Great video and awesome engine!

[@jamesengland7461]

I love this! But that air filter is way too small. Needs a 4" tall filter

[@tomashton1781]

GM made a factory four cam 350 corvette for a few years but I dont remember the year. but I think most buyers would have stuck with push rods, ask the bean counters?

[@Roadhouse1997]

90-94 or 5 zr1 corvettes

[@noahbeaty6600]

it was a 96 ZR1

[@powerofone1645]

They reinvented the wheel. Nice.

[@thehemiolds455]

Olds made one for a racer in the early 70s

[@Luminaring]

Is the head casting a Cosworth or a Crane original?

[@GregQuirin]

That would be a yes. Pete purchased the castings from the Crane family many years ago and redesigned the cylinder head upper unit with his own cam towers and belt drive.

[@c.j.1089]

guess we wont ever know how much power it makes or what the head looks like.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

BUT does it make any more power than a normal performance SBC?

[@GregQuirin]

Yes, it does have more HP. It's all about volumetric efficiency. I don't have exact numbers but will try to find out and let you know.

[@TheDman216]

there was an asian guy in socal that was building 4 valve heads about 15 or 20 years ago

[@TheDman216]

Russel arao

[@Amsinckster]

If it’s a 70’s design, why does it have LS exhaust flange on the intake?

[@wrenchg3954]

OK I am completely stunned freaking stupid. This is so bad to the bone I'm speechless. I am really confused about something they said. What does he mean when saying, "we put these 4 sprockets on and a belt, so the crank drives all ((FIVE)) camshafts clockwise. " Like mind-blown. All five cams?!

[@johnbrooks9523]

In many GM engines the cam is driven directly off the crank with a crank gear driving the cam anticlockwise. You can reverse the direction of the cam by replacing the gears with sprockets & a chain or with a pair of idler gears between the crank & cam gears... Then, both crank & cam run clockwise, as opposed to the original anticlockwise of the cam. In this engine they have extended the standard cam forward of the timing case and used a Gilmer style toothed pulley & toothed belt to take drive off the nose added to the original cam & run the aftermarket 4 camshafts all in the same direction. That's a total of 5 camshafts running in unison. The original cam in the block is no longer opening valves. But is still required to drive the oil pump & distributor. He said the cams that came with the haul of goodies he bought were all designed to run anticlockwise... That tells us the crank is driving the bottom cam at half crank speed via direct gears so the entire cam system must in turn run anticlockwise to make use of the very expensive camshafts that came in the haul. All sounds a tad complicated... However, it's easy to get your head around it with a simple drawing of a crank pulley @ the bottom, a cam pulley right above & the 2 pairs of twin cams/pulleys above them @ left & right... Imagine the crank driving the bottom cam via a chain. Then imagine the bottom cam driven by only a crank gear & a cam gear & all 5 cams tied together with a belt.

[@johnbrooks9523]

Unfortunately, he uses the word sprocket when he says he took drive off the original cam... He's referring to a Gilmer type PULLEY which of course is driving the 4 added cams via a belt. Belts run on pulleys... Chains run on sprockets... It's a belt drive, not a chain drive... He means pulley.

[@GregQuirin]

Here some more of the V12 at 9800 RPM on the dyno fb.watch/9r0G-HPb30/

[@Oblithian]

DOHC good.

[@despizedicon]

He better hurry up ain't no spring chicken.

[@jamestone265]

Roadster?

[@jwshoptime.jeeprepairpleas8552]

Yes you will see it with EVs IT'S all ready happening. Jw shop time.

[@288gto7]

Music in 0:30?

[@donaldtrussell3803]

Is it a roadster?

[@GregQuirin]

Truck

[@donaldtrussell3803]

@@GregQuirin roadster's don't have tops as a rule of thumb right?

[@oliversnow]

Ugh. There isn’t a like button big enough.

[@GregQuirin]

Thank you Michael!

[@ThunderAppeal]

Sorry but the guy making the video so much of what Moser says goes way over the video guys head, but what Moser is saying is just gold.

[@krusher74]

Moser is dead

[@ThunderAppeal]

@@krusher74 Who are the guys talking?

[@LuciFeric137]

Because of the practicality?

[@GregQuirin]

I think it all comes down to horsepower and the small block 350 was an abundant engine to play with and race back in the day. According to Pete, Moser and Crane were trying to make these compete at Indy back in early 1970s

[@krusher74]

no, because if the volumetric efficiency

[@chrisjarvis4449]

water going in the center of the idler pulley ? toyota dose it on there v-6 3.0 so yes its cool but give credit were it is due

[@Mercmad]

If GM had of been a German company,that is what all chevies would be like 😁 . I think there is a Moser conversion here in Australia.

[@ericthompson3551]

Really makes Fords coyote look skinny.

[@gilzor9376]

Why is it many posters set background music volume louder than the narrator? Do these people proof their work before posting? You would think what the narrator has to say would be more important than listening to boiler plate background 'noise'.

[@chrismorrison9140]

Someone is going to lose a finger to that fan if they keep pointing at stuff

[@hqlion]

I think they should fit an electric fan.

[@Twizztify]

That fan isn’t doing crap anyways. Needs dual electric fans for sure!

[@optimusprimer4392]

90s zr1...been done

[@GregQuirin]

Pete is a big fan of the ZR1 heads. He uses the ZR1 LT5 heads on his 258 CID race engine.

[@kevinbraun6272]

Our 4 liter engine with ZR1 LT5 heads has more records than any of our other engines.

[@chriskurz8256]

good 'ol pig farmer! anyone out there know what I'm talkin bout?

[@llewvirtue861]

How backward are Chev, it takes A private company to build A high tech motor

[@robertklein9190]

It's a five cam motor, no.

[@austinbass5503]

ALMOST.. made the Indy 500 😂

[@brushcountry6361]

Show offs

[@GregQuirin]

I'm doing my best to show everyone how cool these guys are. I'm glad folks are enjoying seeing the neat stuff Pete and Kevin are doing.

[@DrNo-uq7xx]

Chevy shit in a Ford??!! That aint right!!

[@racketman2u]

Don't really see the point in all that camming with that awful intake system.

[@joejohnston2035]

Too many people talking. Absolute worst interview I've ever heard