Buick Nailhead V8 Engine Specs

Bore, stroke, displacement and compression for all 2 Buick Nailhead V8 engines, compared side by side. Plus rod ratio and head specs where published.

At a glance

Displacement401–425 ci
Cylinders8
Bore4.188–4.313"
Stroke3.640"
Compression10.3:1
Advertised power325–340 hp
Cylinder head data1 of 2 engines

Engines in this family

EngineDisplacementBore × StrokeCRHP
425425 ci4.3125" × 3.64"10.25:1340
401401 ci4.1875" × 3.64"10.25:1325

What varies across the family

Stroke is constant at 3.64" across the family — the displacement spread comes from bore, so these share a crank and differ in the block.

All are oversquare — bore larger than stroke, which favours revs over low-end torque.

Each engine page carries rod ratio, mean piston speed, bore/stroke character and cylinder head specs where published, and links into the calculators with its dimensions already filled in.

← All Buick engines