These videos should be in the Library of Congress. The men heard here radiate the pride and the passion behind the greatest big-block, push-rod, overhead valve V-8 ever designed. They all have places in the automotive Valhalla.

RIP Bill Weertman. He died in 1998 3 years later after this recording.

You can still see and feel the enthusiasm and pride he has after all of these years.

What a gentleman. A true class act. Anyway, I remember seeing my first Hemi in 1973. At the my barracks (Army), a guy popped the hood of his Hemi Charger. OMG, that engine was huge! It completely filled the engine bay. The engine had two four barrel carbs and a large air cleaner on top and had black head covers. He started it up and I tell you. It sounded like no other engine I've ever heard. It's a memory I carry to this day.

I was nodding my head all the way through Bill's story of casting the heavy-wall blocks. I've done similar things in my career; desperate struggle to produce hardware fixes in time to meet a deadline. I wonder how much the Chevy Mystery engine that was very fast at Daytona in 1963 motivated Chrysler to put Hemi heads on the RB...

I like how he comes prepared with notes and diagrams to explain his points.✊😁

And let's not forget Ma Mopar Australia designed & build the legendary 6 cylinder Hemi. From 1970 to 1979. 1970 E 31 / 2BBL Hi performance 245 Hemi E 34 / 4BBL Hi Performance 245 Hemi E38 / 6BBL Hi Performance 265 Hemi Then the legend the only Mopar Engine producing more horsepower than cubic inch E 49 / 6BBL Hi Performance 265 Hemi. 265 cubic inch producing 305 hp 265 cubic inch producing 335 hp race prep & blue printed from the factory Look it up I have a 245 Hemi under my 1970 Hardtop. Why wasn't the Aussie Hemi a replacement to the slant 6. Great video Cheers Louis Kats from Melbourne, Australia.

My family work at the hammer shop at Chrysler.. great grandpa, grandpa and my dad ... Dads 82 years old and he tells the story of having to spend a day just making special rods and cranks for nascar and then for Petty.. the rest of the time he made steering knuckles, rods and about anything that needed to be forged, I went there for family day in '78 and decided right there and then that I wasn't doing that ..

These story line are too infrequent on YT and just the best thanks Capturing history by those there before it’s too late

Thanks for sharing this gentleman’s important engineering contribution for such an iconic engine. His enthusiasm reminds me of my fathers early years as a mechanical design engineer, my father truly loved what he did for the betterment of society too! My father too was a hands on engineer, and was able to engage everyone into a project.

This was great. The story behind the story of the making of a "legend" Thanks for posting this

An excellent pair of videos, what could be better than getting the background story directly from the gentlemen who were there and intimately involved in the project.

I'm grateful to this channel for posting these interviews for all posterity. This sort of thing is so very critical to have available for not only those of us already deeply ingrained in the hobby, but for those to come who hopefully will continue what has come before. RIP Mr. Weertman, Mr. Hoover and all responsible for that unique time in American industrial history. - Ed on the Ridge

spoken like proud fathers of the HEMI !!!!

This is GREAT.

Man, I'd love to hear this guy's take on he events of the early 2010s. In 1995, when he did this interview, the Hemi was a history lesson. Here in 2023, my last three vehicles came with two 5.7 Eagles and one 392 Apache...all Hemis, and all spectacular engines.

Great program, thanks for the effort. So many paths were available to the greatest group of engineers and the Hemi was a product that hammered the competition; Nascar especially. Looking back I think the top redesign of the 1964 B bodies and a refined wedge head would have kept them in the hunt on all the tracks as well. A modification of the Max- wedge’s intake to the similar bathtub of the Hemi in itself would have been enough, jmho. Certainly would have saved a bunch of Ford’s driver’s life’s and careers. The weight the Fords had to remove to be competitive put them way past anything called safe. The Hemi also increased the speeds past the abilities of the tires making all cars a catastrophe in the making. No slight to Mopar or it’s engineers, the Hemi was too much back then and still is today!

71 was the last production year of the gen 2 Hemi. This was an amazing interview!

The Chrysler Hemi, the Ford FE 427, the 427 SOHC, the Boss 429, and the Chevy ZL-1 all aluminum 427 are the ultimate, full blown race engines that were ever stuffed into a production car that could be bought off the showroom floor.

Excellent first -hand information. A story for the ages.

Excellent, between this and part one the best video I have seen in years. Thank you for posting this.

And that's y I've always love the engineering of the motor loved it as a kid living as an old man thanks Tim you folks have a great weekend see ya later

Priceless

Really enjoyed!!! 👍👍

Amazing , I best like the Early Hemis, and they still are "very" impressive at the track !

A 426 Street Hemi is truely every gear heads desire to own . Such a Jewel .

Truly love this. Well I have 2 engines from his time. A '56 354 Firepower hemi and a '65 383 magnum. When I sent my '65 to a machine shop they had never in 30 years seen and engine like this. A friend of mine that is into Fords can not believe how beefier the webbing is compared to his 460. This is why I love Mopar. They develop and test and made the good stuff for regular folks. Almost impossible to find I still hunt for old Direct Connection and Mopar Performance of yester year.

I would LOVE to have met Mr. Weertman. His Wikipedia article tells of his involvement with just about all of Chrysler's greatest engines. An incredibly gifted man. Thanks so much for posting this video.

THANK YOU so much for this!!

Great videos; you can tell these men took great pride in their work.

great adaptation of the aircraft radial engine hemi design used since the 30's

This guy was fantastic he give's a great account of everything instead of just a minimum amount. He was remembering thing's that happened 30 yrs previous 1963 to 1995

I wish I could have hung out with Tom Hoover and/or Bill Weertman for just one day.

Watched part 1 earlier today and I am so pleased to have found these incredible interviews and the history they represent.

very good documerty, now I have to go buy a hemi

The foundry is by I-70/Holt Rd, for those who are familiar with the W side of Indy.

Brilliant, both 1 & 2. Thankyou for posting them. Cheers🙂

Fantastic interview!! Thanks so much for sharing this incredible information.

Fabulous story! Can't thank you enough for sharing this fascinating history!

Outstanding! Thanks! I was just a kid then and these details didn't come with the legends.

Excellent content!!! Extremely informative!!!

Would be interesting to interview the metallurgical geniuses that made the engineering dream come true for the engineering division. My dad knew on of the men in Indianapolis that showed the engineering division how to make the engine block stronger and worked with the laborers in the pattern shop. If it weren't for the foundry men the engine would not have been made.

My dad worked with Mr. Weertman and knew him. Weertman was quite intelligent.

A true cross flow head. A engine for power!

Love the enthusiasm and love the story

Look at how exited and proud he his.

Awesome

Great interview. Man said it to the point. 1st, 2nd, 5th, 9th. 🤭👍

This is awesome!👍😎😃

Gold, pure gold.

Great stuff

Recorded 10 years before the return of the Hemi engine in the 2005 Chrysler 300C👍👍

I love this guy!

How many endorphins has this guy got during this interview? All of ‘em!

I don’t know why but this guy seems to be ahead of his time. Like this interview could have happened this year. Hard to believe he graduated university in the late 40s.

Thank you

This man is brilliant and he loves Leeboard sailboats. And perhaps Dutch heritage. Look at the boa model in the background.

Thank You,Sir.,,Hemi"👍👍👍👍👍

Mopar folks were deservedly delighted w/Petty's win in 64, but the 15 year old Ford fan I was that year didn't share the joy I'll tell you.

Interesting part!!! Using his terms....., Chevrolet V:8s always had a 5 bolt head bolt pattern, until the LS

Fascinating stories

So, all you ford and chevy guys who are brave enough to watch this, right at 20:48 is where you'll understand and appreciate the Mopar engines. And you'll also understand why you guys need to modify and upgrade your engines to the hilt to compete and race a factory Demon, Hellcat and Scat Pack. So, just like Tim Kennedy said, "We train like we do so, that on our worst day, we will beat you on your best day."

Sure would have been nice if he had mentioned just how much power one of those race hemis made.

Woulda been cool if when Nascar downsized to 366 cubic inches if Chrysler developed a hemi head for their small block just like they did with the RB.👍😎 You know, like the gen 3 hemi but back then!

Excellent

Hot rodders were doing this back in the 50's. Called port and polish. Chrysler refined in a production environment. I'm also an automotive engineer...

I really hope these legends got to see the hellcat in their time, the future is doubtful but hopeful for these thundering giants❤

excellent

As with the Viper Drawn on a napkin First built out of existing part bins😊

1:55 Not only that, but it meant a slightly larger valve cover too, that would make it more difficult to fit under the hood. Am I right???🤔

Seems they could also made longer rods for the engines, i guess they didn't fill water jackets back then, adding about .125" to .250" to the rod length. Put the pin , right under, if not partly in the oil ring, put the rings high as possible, push the piston out the block deck slightly, and possibly add about .250" to the stroke , make a slight dish in the dome of rhe piston, to put more fuel/pressure in the center, i believe the bores were cracking due to tge pressure being on the side of the piston dome, it divides the cylinder in half, and can possibly push the piston into the bore wall. The longer rod will also reduce friction and pressure, the longer stroke will increase compression allowing the fuel mixture to be more in the center of the bore, running a 1" tube through the intake, from tge #1 cylinder, out the rear. To the #8 exhaust port, with a valve blocking the #1 header tube, forcing tge exhaust through the intake tube. Putting heat in the fuel to atomize , the header valve opens with temperature, or pressure, from a 1/3 throttle or more, i believe the engine would pick up 60-150 hp, with a 20% tq gain from a combo of additional cid, as well as less friction losses, as well as better combustion, with more fuel being in the center of the piston, making a larger pressure spike, i would love to see these modifications tested!! Going to gain about 30-40 cid total 456-466 cid +/-. And adding to the bores about .125" , another 23ci, 479 to 489 (489 hemi) is a nice sounding number, making about 1.25 hp/cid. In a very mild race tune, using 4x 500cfm holley carbs, just inboard of the valve covers, feeding the opposite bank, through large long runners, with a large plenum over or under the runners seeving to connect the carbs by vacuum, for better drivability, the carbs connected by only a 1" port connect to the plenum, it can be modified to become a short runner, drag race intake by grinding and allowing the port under, access to the carb above, for top end power. Maybe use a door opened by throttle and loss of vacuum , possibly use a single 1bbl carb mounted i tge center for starting and slightly miving the vehicle when cold, about 1/16tg throttle only, cam operated throttle, so it will actually close tfe the throttle after the other 4x 2bbls are open about 20%, and is tunable, from 0%where the single center carb, does not work after heating up the water to 130°f, tgen ut fully the larger carbs, it eiuld be a interesting setup, to

The only thing with a Hemi is it's hard to get compression with all the volume in the cylinder heads, you see the Pro Stock engines that are Semi-Hemi actually use quench pads either side of the combustion chamber to avoid having an awful dome shape in the piston

One of the many interesting parts of this interview, was the level of urgency to prepare a group of engines, particularly the block castings for the February 1964 Daytona 500 race... How close it was to not making that date.... Another of several things that was very good about this interview, is the level of enthusiasm from this engineer who was involved with this program... He remembered the dates, the people involved, the sequence of events, the locations of the foundries and machining facilities, the ingenious breakthrough's of enabling the use of the "Fifth Bolt" for each chamber for proper clamping force, of the heads, really good stuff.... He was one of the people who put Chrysler in front, of the performance oriented products they offered... Does anybody know when this interview took place?

It may take time, but I would expect, or at least hope this video should gain traction.

P.S. great video

Lots of claims, but the real secret is the symmetrical flame front for more efficient and thorough combustion. Combustion is the key combined with well-matched gasoline equals superior results.

00:35, anyone notice that the inlet valve is smaller than the exhaust valve in this diagram?

This dude really should have Hemis around the perimeter of his garage on engine stands.

Only little Studebaker V-8 had nearly the same Power per CID as the original 331 Hemi!!!

Chryslers hemi head experimentation in WW2 was for tank engines, prove me wrong. Sir Henry Ricardo wrote about the hemispherical head in his book 1920's?

I wonder if that SAE paper is available?

Nascar opinion of the HEMI,If you cant outrun 'em outlaw 'em.

How was the Desoto engine different ?

To those that deny the Chrysler Gen II 426 Hemi engine..as THE most powerful V 8 engine ever developed...find me another V 8 that holds more top fuel 1/4 mile records..more offshore top fuel speed boat records..or blown Alcohol or fuel tractor pulling records than the Gen II based engine which they copy from

Interesting, the employer contributed to their engineers training. Seems like a very wise investment in them both.

I have a lot of respect for the Hemi as a two valve engine. But four valve engines have an advantage over any two valve type. The four valve 4.0 in my Town & Country has been excellent. And note that the 3.6 V6 has been the basic engine for Chrysler for some years now. There is a Hemi in my fleet in the form of a Jeep Commander, but four valves are still superior. I know Ford had put a lot of development of the 427 for 1973 and had a completely separate manufacturing facility just to build them. I've always wondered how those guys who did that felt after seeing the Hemi just totally negate their efforts.

Is this a place that can tell about my (patent pending now) pollution free engine ? MOPAR PERFORMANCE used to be my sponsor (thru Mr. Bob Hoover) of the LA.BULLET

Did any company ever have a 6 cylinder hemi engine?

Were the 6 cylinder hemis ever put in a car ?

The engineers of de Soto developed the hemi,

The Chrysler Generation II (2)426 HEMI is The Most Awesome Internal Cumbustion Engines Ever Produced by Mankind Both Domestic and Foreign! The 426 HEMISPHERE (HEMI) Engine Chrysler Corporation's Elephant Rules to this Day "The NASCAR And NHRA Circuits or Race Tracks Everywhere for Over 60-Years and Seventy-Three Years Including the Generation 1 & 3 Chrysler Corporation HEMIS! Wow, What Consistency Of Unbeatable Performance From The One and Only Chrysler Corporation's Mopar Racing Teams Through The Years! Buy a Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, RAM, or Jeep Vehicles! The rest are cheap imitations!

How come the Chrysler. ( Dodge) Hemi head cars equiped and operated by Chrysler engineers and employees couldn't beat the Chevrolet silver bullet on on Woodward Blvd. in Detroit?

Tatra of CZ had air cooled V8 hemi rear engine cars in 1930s. He did not invent that idea . Aircraft had it also.

Chrysler didn't tilt the head, they tilted the combustion chamber

Sorry , Tom Hoover (who could forget SHOWTIME ? )

24:36

And on the eighth day, God created the Hemi

Too bad they never made a slant 6 hemi

Shame on Nascar for lowering Cid. Used the epa as a scape goat when the real issue was the none hemi cars had no true competition so they went the way with hug a tree with lots of ink pens. Pollution from racing probably would have lowered emissions over all maybe .0005%

Gee,early drag racing, Chrysler engineers against grass root racers with factory support........