Car Engines and The Tanks That Used Them.

Greetings motor enthusiasts and mechanics; I’m Kenneth from speed gems transmission
adapters. Today in this article, we will examine some of the strange places in which car engines were originally developed for the motor industry, and how they found their way into applications other than their original purposes. In this article, we will examine tanks, tractors, and air raid sirens that utilized iconic and classical engines. In addition, many of these motors are engines which we here at speed gems have adapter kits available for you.

M5 Stuart light tank

Starting out, we will look at an example we here at speed gems are very familiar with.
That being the Cadillac 346 flathead. Introduced in 1937 for the Series 60 and 70 models, the engine would be the standard for Cadillac until 1948. And our first tank to use this engine is the M5 Stuart tank. Built as a light tank and successor of the M3, the M5 would utilize tandem Cadillac flathead engines paired with a gm hydramatic transmission. This pairing had skeptics who originally would doubt its viability in combat but would come to be known as reliable and easy to maintain. The M5 would go on to see action first in Africa where examples given to British forces thru the Lends Lase program performed satisfactory in their roles as light tanks. All and all 6810 tanks were produced by Cadillac, Massey Harris, and a handful of other manufacturers. This is just the first of 2 WW2 tanks that would utilize these heavy beasts of an engine. 

M24 Chaffee light Tank
While the M5 was the first to utilize the tandem Cadillac 346 Flathead engines it would
not be the last. Stemming from the advancements in armor among axis tank designs, it was decided a more heavily armored and armed tank would be necessary. The US Army Ordinances answer to this call would be the M24 Chaffee. Using a 75mm gun to improve firepower, this tank would once again use the tandem Cadillac 346 Flathead with Hydramatic transmission. The engine and transmission combo as in the previous tank would prove reliable and easy to maintain in the M24. The tank entered production in 1944 and would be produced by both Cadillac and Massey Harris. The M24 would see action in the late stages of the war in Europe, including the famous Battle of The Bulge. It also served in the Korean war in the same role as it did in WW2. Total production of the M24 was 4731 with many being exported to NATO allies after the Korean war. Some were also sold off to the American public where some of these motors would find new homes in cars as Cadillac used surplus motors in civilian cars after the war. We here at
Speed Gems have encountered these surplus engines and discovered they have some differences from the previous civilian models and have kits available for both.

M4a4 Sherman
Lastly, we have an example of the greatest generation’s ingenuity. The M4a4 Sherman
tank utilized a A57 multibank engine, which consisted of 5 Chrysler flatheads arranged around a central shaft. We here at Speed Gems are very familiar with the flathead 6-cylinder engine as we offer a kit to adapt to a Chevy automatic transmission. The Chrysler 6-cylinder flathead engine as the backbone engine for Mopar in the 1930s and 1940s, and as a base model motor in later years going into the 1960s. However, by far its coolest use will forever be the basis for the powerplant of WW2s greatest tanks, the Sherman. The engine combination was thought up as a quick way to supply adequate power to the Sherman in a short amount of time. Introduced in July 1942 and produced till 1943 this version of the Sherman tank would see use primarily in the hands of the British army. All told approximately 7499 of these beasts would be produced, and see service from North Africa to the push into Germany and towards Berlin. From a personal
aspect, this is why the greatest generation is the greatest generation who take a reliable well-liked car engine and figure out how to put it into a tank is just absolute genius in my opinion.

Conclusion

All the vehicles we covered here are of American design and built. I would like to
mention the Romanians attempted to use a Ford Flathead to power their Maersal Tank destroyer in early production models, however information is scarce as to the details of this engine and the tank itself. We at Speed Gems also don’t offer anything for the 1949 and earlier model flatheads, however I felt compelled to mention this tank as its still and interesting tidbit. As you’ve read, the Automotive industry was heavily involved in the war effort to the extent that many popular motors seen in cars from these companies found their way into tanks for the war effort. I hope by reading this you have a deeper appreciation for what is just a small little part of automotive history.

See You later Kenneth Pulsfus