Chrysler LA engine
The LA engines are a family of pushrod OHV small-block 90° V-configured gasoline engines built by Chrysler Corporation. They were factory-installed in passenger vehicles, trucks and vans, commercial vehicles, marine and industrial applications from 1964 through 2003. Their combustion chambers are wedge-shaped, rather than polyspherical, as in the predecessor A engine, or hemispherical in the Hemi. LA engines have the same 4.46 in (113 mm) bore spacing as the A engines.
| Chrysler LA engine | |
|---|---|
LA engine installed in a 1976 Charger coupé | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler |
| Also called | Magnum engine |
| Production | 1964–2003 |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | Naturally aspirated 90° V6 Naturally aspirated 90° V8 Naturally aspirated 90° V10 |
| Displacement |
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| Cylinder bore |
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| Piston stroke |
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| Cylinder block material | Cast iron |
| Cylinder head material | Cast iron |
| Valvetrain | OHV 2 valves per cylinder |
| Valvetrain drive system | Timing Chain |
| Combustion | |
| Fuel system | Carburetor Throttle-body fuel injection Multi-point fuel injection (V6 only) Sequential fuel injection (V6 only) |
| Fuel type | Gasoline |
| Oil system | Wet sump |
| Cooling system | Water-cooled |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Chrysler A engine Chrysler B engine |
| Successor | |
LA engines were made at Chrysler's Mound Road Engine plant in Detroit, Michigan, as well as plants in Canada and Mexico. The "LA" stands for "Light A," as the 1956–1967 "A" engine it was closely based on and shares many parts with was nearly 50 pounds heavier. The "LA" and "A" production overlapped from 1964–1966 in the U.S. and through 1967 in export vehicles when the "A" 318 engine was phased out.
The basic design of the LA engine would go unchanged through the development of the "Magnum" upgrade (1992–1993), and continue into the 2000s with changes to enhance power and efficiency.