Maybach HL230
The Maybach HL230 was a water-cooled 60° 23-litre V12 petrol engine. It was one of many different sized engines designed by Maybach. It was used during World War II in medium and heavy German tanks – the Panther, Jagdpanther, Tiger II, Jagdtiger, and later versions of the Tiger I and Sturmtiger.
Description
HL 210
The HL 230 engine was an upgraded version of the slightly smaller HL210 engine which was used to equip the first 250 Tiger I tanks built, and which had an aluminium crankcase and block. The earlier HL210 engine had a displacement of or per cylinder; with a bore of and stroke of.HL 230
With the HL230, engine bore was increased from. It had a displacement of, or per cylinder from a bore of and stroke of. The maximum power output was at 3,000 rpm. Maximum torque is at 2,100 rpm. Typical output was at 2,500 rpm.The crankcase and block of the HL230 were made of grey cast iron and the cylinder heads from cast iron. The engine weighed and its dimensions were. Aspiration was provided by four twin-choke Solex type 52JFF carburettors. Ignition was by two magnetos. The compression ratio was 6.8:1. As was typical practice for Maybach, the engine used a tunnel crankshaft.
Late in the war the HL234 upgrade with fuel injection was recommended by the Entwicklungskommission Panzer for use in the underpowered Tiger II tank. The power output was expected to increase to between, and with supercharging to.
Production
Approximately 9,000 HL230s were produced in total by Maybach, Auto Union and Daimler-Benz.Beginning on 3 November 1944, they were produced at the Richard I underground factory at Leitmeritz concentration camp.