The One That Got Away...

I am sure that there is one we would all like to buy back...

 

Uh, what exactly is that?

 

That is the ID plate on the side of the block of an original Supersonic block.
The head has "Kaiser Supersonic " in raised letters and I sold it a week before I knew what it was.Go figure.
Well it has a good new home and I helped pull the motor yesterday to go to the machine shop and wondered if anyone had ever come across an original.

 

Oh, OK. Sorry but I'm still in the dark, never heard of a Supersonic. Is it a special V6?

 

Is it the L4 or L6? I got a L4 head on eBay about a year ago and looking at the combustion chamber, I would almost say it has a few more CCs.

 

Limited production L4 and the head is ground very different than stock more cc's but I am not sure of the horsepower or tourqe increases but it woulden't take much to be a signifigant increase!
A high output L head if you can believe such a thing existed.
48CJ2A if you are not going to use that head I could surely give it a good home....

 

There was a big discussion about this and from information gleened on the topic the Supersonic was just a Willys replacement engine. I was even sold through Sears. The head is no higher compression than any other Willys engine so you are not missing anything rare. I have a picture of one w/ the Supersonic engine tag rivited to the engine.

 

Kodiak if what you say is true once again I stand corrected and misinformed but I do feel lots better about letting the jeep go...
Its in a 48 2A that must have just needed a replacement at some time.
Sure wish Sears still stocked them....

 

Montgomery Wards and Sears both sold jeep replacement parts as did other less known retail stores

 

Check out the combustion chambers in these heads. I still think there are a few cc's in there.

http://ww2jeeps.com/htm/heads.htm

 

IIRC I read somewhere the supersonic has a higher compression. And in turn adds about 7-10 hp. Let me see if I can find it.....

 

The Kaiser supersonic L4-134 was used in the Kaiser Henry J car it was not a replacement engine . They were tuned fore higher horsepower for use in the car they were rated at 72 HP with a YF carburetor and a distributor that had vaccum advance along with a better flowing head with more compression.Willys tuned the L-134 for HD usage and with a smaller carb (WO) and less agressive advance curve with less total advance in the distributor and lower compression so the motor would be more tolerant of poor fuel quality. Bill

 

I was told that there were so many Kaiser engines left over as the cars sold poorly that they used the Supersonic as a replacememnt engine.
I have catalogs from Sears and Monkey Wards.
Some guy on the Willystech forum had a Supersonic head tested and the head had no higher a CR. Wonder if it was the pistons that made the CR difference.

 

My head on the 46 CJ2A is a supersonic head. Still have the orginal, it has a small crack in it. My L134 has WAY more power than dad's F134.
I remember looking at the head before I put it on, it has a very different combustion camber than the orginal.
Dennis

 

So I had not imagined it and am not crazy...
So now I feel bad about selling the Jeep again
I just can't win
All kidding aside I would love any info anyone has on these motors because I will be highly involved in this trucks rebuild.
Thanks,
Donnie

 

Willys did make higher compression heads for jeeps too and they were painted a different color. The F head came stock w/ a 75 HP engine and the L head w/ somewhere in the 60 HP range. I have had a few L heads that were bored and decked that felt stronger than my F head w/ 5400 miles. It was probably due partially to the lighter weight of a 2A over a CJ5
I've had a few Supersonic heads and never noticed anything different.
Next one I get I'll compare.
I tried looking for the Willystech post but came up w/ nothing as it was a few years ago.