Saginaw Metal Casting Operations

Last updated

Saginaw Metal Casting Operations is an automobile engine foundry plant in Saginaw, Michigan. Opened under GM management in 1919, the factory produces engine blocks and cylinder heads for General Motors vehicles. The factory currently occupies 1.9 million square feet on 490 acres. Historically in September 1927 it was known as the Chevrolet Grey Iron Foundry. In the past when it was called GM-Saginaw Product Company (SPC) a cloverleaf casting symbol mark was cast onto the iron component. [1] [2]

Contents

The location has been the primary source of engine block and cylinder heads for all of GM's engines, to include Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC for most of the 20th century. The address is 1629 N Washington Ave. Saginaw, MI 48601, and is located on the Saginaw River. Camshafts, connecting rods and other internal engine components are manufactured at Bay City Powertrain. Casting operations were also provided by Massena Castings Plant and Defiance Foundry.

Products

Currently the location provided Aluminum engine blocks and cylinder heads which then are assembled at Tonawanda Engine, Romulus Engine, Flint Engine South, St. Catharines Engine Plant and other engine assembly factories for the items listed below.

Also makes front 4wd axle assembly castings for Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500.

Previously:

See also

V8

V6

Straight Eight

Straight Six

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors 60° V6 engine</span> Motor vehicle engine

The General Motors 60° V6 engine family is a series of 60° V6 engines produced for both longitudinal and transverse applications. All of these engines are 12-valve cam-in-block or overhead valve engines, except for the LQ1; which uses 24 valves driven by dual overhead cams. These engines vary in displacement between 2.5 and 3.4 litres and have a cast-iron block and either cast-iron or aluminum heads. Production of these engines began in 1980 and ended in 2005 in the U.S., with production continued in China until 2010. This engine family was the basis for the GM High Value engine family. These engines have also been referred to as the X engines due to their first usage in the X-body cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick V6 engine</span> Motor vehicle engine

The Buick V6, popularly referred to as the 3800 in its later incarnations, originally 198 cu in (3.2 L) and initially marketed as Fireball at its introduction in 1962, was a large V6 engine used by General Motors. The block is made of cast iron and all use two-valve-per-cylinder iron heads, actuated by pushrods. The engine, originally designed and manufactured in the United States, was also produced in later versions in Australia. It was the first six-cylinder engine designed exclusively for Buick products since the Buick straight-six was discontinued in 1930.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile V8 engine</span> Motor vehicle engine

The Oldsmobile V8, also referred to as the Rocket, is series of engines that was produced by Oldsmobile from 1949 until 1990. The Rocket, along with the 1949 Cadillac V8, were the first post-war OHV crossflow cylinder head V8 engines produced by General Motors. Like all other GM divisions, Olds continued building its own V8 engine family for decades, adopting the corporate Chevrolet 350 small-block and Cadillac Northstar engine only in the 1990s. All Oldsmobile V8s were manufactured at plants in Lansing, Michigan while the engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Diesel engine</span> Motor vehicle engine

The Oldsmobile Diesel engine is a series of V6 and V8 diesel engines produced by General Motors from 1978 to 1985. The 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 was introduced in 1978, followed by a 261 cu in (4.3 L) V8 only for the 1979 model year. In 1982, a 263 cu in (4.3 L) V6 became available for both front and rear-wheel drive vehicles. Sales peaked in 1981 at approximately 310,000 units, which represented 60% of the total U.S. passenger vehicle diesel market. However, this success was short-lived as the V8 diesel engine suffered severe reliability issues, and the engines were discontinued after the 1985 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors 122 engine</span> Motor vehicle engine

The 122 engine was designed by Chevrolet and was used in a wide array of General Motors vehicles. The 122 was similar to the first two generations of the General Motors 60° V6 engine; sharing cylinder bore diameters and some parts. The 122 was available in the US beginning in 1982 for the GM J platform compact cars and S-series trucks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GMC V8 engine</span> Motor vehicle engine

GMC has both shared engine designs and architectures with other General Motors divisions as well as having a history of developing and using its own unique engines and powertrains such as for instance its line of their straight-6 and V8 engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Motor Car Company</span> Michigan carmaker and division of General Motors, active 1908-1931

The Oakland Motor Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan, was an American automobile manufacturer and division of General Motors. Purchased by General Motors in 1909, the company continued to produce modestly priced automobiles until 1931 when the brand was dropped in favor of the division's Pontiac make.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansing Car Assembly</span> American automobile factory

Lansing Car Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Lansing, Michigan. It contained two elements, a 1901 automobile plant in downtown Lansing, and the 1920 Durant Motors factory on Lansing's Far Westside.

Flint Assembly is an automobile factory operated by General Motors in Flint, Michigan. It is the city's only main plant after the closure of Buick City. As of 2022, the Flint factory currently produces full-size pickup trucks. Engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations, internal engine components were created at Bay City Powertrain and the engines were then assembled at Tonawanda Engine and Romulus Engine. For most of the 20th century Flint Assembly was the home factory for all Chevrolet vehicles.

Flint Engine Operations is a General Motors automobile engine factory in Flint, Michigan. The plant opened in 2002 and is named to replace the Flint North engine plant. The plant produces the small four-cylinder GM Family 0 engine ("FamZero") and GM High Feature engines. The factory receives cast engine blocks from Defiance Foundry in Defiance, Ohio and Saginaw Metal Casting Operations in Saginaw, Michigan. It replaced Flint North.

Linden Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Linden, New Jersey. The plant operated from 1937 to 2005 and made cars, trucks and SUVs for various GM automotive divisions. Engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations, internal engine components were created at Bay City Powertrain and the engines were then assembled at assembled at Tonawanda Engine and Romulus Engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romulus Engine</span> Automotive manufacturing facility

Romulus Engine is an automobile engine plant in Romulus, Michigan. Opened in 1976, the factory produces engines for General Motors vehicles. The factory receives cast engine blocks from Defiance Foundry in Defiance, Ohio and Saginaw Metal Casting Operations in Saginaw, Michigan.

Spring Hill Manufacturing is a General Motors factory in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The plant currently includes vehicle assembly as well as powertrain, stamping and molding operations. The plant originally operated as the sole manufacturing facility for Saturn Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquette (automobile)</span> Automobile manufacturer

Marquette was an American automobile manufacturer established by General Motors in 1909 after the purchase of the Rainier Motor Car Company. The Marquette Company did not last long and in 1912 GM announced the company would be closed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flint, Michigan auto industry</span>

Flint, Michigan is a city which previously relied on its automotive industry, and still does to an extent. Over the past several decades, General Motors plants in Genesee County have experienced re-namings, management shifts, openings, closures, reopenings, and spinoffs.

Pontiac Assembly was one of four General Motors assembly plants in Pontiac, Michigan located along Baldwin Avenue. It served as the home factory for GM's Pontiac Motor Division since it was built in 1927. It was across the street from the currently operational Pontiac Metal Center, which was the original location for the Oakland Motor Car Company, which Pontiac evolved out of. It was also sometimes identified as being located in the city of Bloomfield, Michigan.

South Gate Assembly was a General Motors automobile plant located at 2720 Tweedy Boulevard in the Los Angeles suburb of South Gate, California. It opened in 1936 to build B-O-P (Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac) cars for sale on the west coast. It was the first GM plant to build multiple car lines, resulting from a Depression-spawned move to cut production costs by sharing components and manufacturing. South Gate was the second of several B-O-P "branch" assembly plants, part of GM's strategy to have production facilities in major metropolitan cities. Engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations, internal engine components were created at Bay City Powertrain and the engines were then assembled at Tonawanda Engine and Romulus Engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonawanda Engine</span> General Motors engine factory in Islip, New York

Tonawanda Engine is a General Motors engine factory in Buffalo, New York. The plant consists of three facilities totaling 3.1 million square feet (290,000 m2) and sits upon 190 acres (77 ha). The factory receives cast engine blocks from Defiance Foundry in Defiance, Ohio and Saginaw Metal Casting Operations in Saginaw, Michigan, and received engine block castings and cylinder heads from the former Massena Castings Plant in Massena, New York.

The Ramos Arizpe Assembly is a General Motors automobile factory in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico. It opened in 1981 and has manufactured Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, and Saab vehicles. It currently produces the Chevrolet Blazer and, along with San Luis Potosi Assembly, the Chevrolet Equinox.

References

  1. "Remembering the old Chevrolet Parts Plant". Pure Saginaw. CyberChimps. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. "Saginaw Metal Castings Operations". GM Corporate Newsroom. General Motors. Retrieved 21 April 2021.

Coordinates: 43°27′10″N83°54′57″W / 43.452852°N 83.9158638°W / 43.452852; -83.9158638