blown engine joy

[Ivor Hawkins]

Exactly Tony,

A sports seven without the correct engine, is not a sports seven, I’ve had several cars with highly tuned engines, use them with mechanical sympathy and you’ll be fine.

I even used my full house Cosworth engined Lotus Super Seven for touring (spirited touring at that!) and it was as reliable as clockwork.

I looked at a Nippy some years back and it was perfect, apart from the motor, the original was “under the bench and didn’t come with the car, so it wasn’t a Nippy in my book. I didn’t buy it and never regretted the decision.

Tony, you are an example of a true enthusiast and your decision to use a correct engine is to be applauded, well done sir.

[Ian Williams]

I am one who returned a sports engine from sitting under the bench to regular use the car, in my case the engine was removed in the sixties and sat unused until I purchased the car. It think times have changes since those heady days, we have far better part's available now and thank goodness for that. When I stripped my engine I discovered several issues worst of them was a seriously cracked crank, had it stayed in the car it would have broken potentially destroying the rest of the engine. Today things are different we have quality new components available thanks to suppliers like Tony which allow these engines to be returned to use. But I would say thank goodness our forbearers had the insight to preserve these engines until such time they could be recommissioned properly.

[dickie65]

I am with Tony
I am soon going to be fitting a Hadley Crank into a Nippy Engine, once finished it will be the first time since the 1960s that my car will have a proper looking engine fitted. I have just invested in having some Nippy Engine parts repaired by Laser welding and once the welds have been machined back I should have enough parts to build two engines up.

[Tony Betts]

Here is the original crank and rods

I've not crack tested them, but they look good.

These are the bits that should go under the bench  

Although I'm more likely to display them on a shelf.

Tony.

   

[Chris.Dallas]

Fantastic looking engine Tony!

Interestingly the flywheel looks the same as on mine. I have been considering what crank to use, having a counterbalanced and Phoenix 1.5 pressure… my worry was using a counterbalanced with that flywheel might be too much as knowing many who use the counterbalanced often have almost no flywheel!

With little chance of circuit racing was edging to the Phoenix, also means I don’t have to cut the rear main housing??

[Robert Foreman]

Tony, 
I didn't even crack test the crankshaft, it has tiny radii in the corners and if not cracked already would be soon. 
  The rods had worn little ends as nearly all Ulster, Nippy and Speedy ones due to the inherent design fault. 
  No problem using a mildly lightened flywheel on a Hadley crank Christopher. 
Edgar I have sent a PM.

[Tony Betts]

hi chris,

i understand what you are saying.

but im not racing it, which it why the flywheel gets almost cut to nothing.
being couterballanced gives a smoother running engine as well.

ill be totally honest, and say a phoenix would probably be fine "but not as good". but as they were positively arse`hole like on the phone to me when the new owners took over.  i went of the idea, and no longer promote there products. also there cranks were AS USUAL not available at the time. and the hadley was.

i also like the fact that the hadley has a better nitride standard, rather than the cheap alternative to so call keep the price down. but buyers of these items wouldnt know that because they are supplied without a SPEC sheet. were as the hadley IS.

4 tinny triangles were cut to fit the hadley, and you forget they are even there. once the engine is built up.

for the extra cost of £100 to buy the hadley new, over the phoenix. my mind was made up. although this extra cost was offset by the hadley 45% rods being £100 cheaper than the old fashioned phoenix version.

tony.

tony

[Chris.Dallas]

I have no experience of the new Phoenix owners, I must have had the counterbalanced crank for over 10 years now and the 1.5 pressure a good 6-7 years as I rushed out to buy that before I got married envisaging imminent financial issues ?. 

Either way I remember the counterbalanced crank was a few hundred more then. 

Did you use the Austin oil pump or install a modern alternative?

[Tony Betts]

hi chris,

the blown engine is running a standard oil pump. same as the original unblown ulster engine in my supersports.

so im expecting 40 to 45lbs cold, and 25 to 30lbs hot.

thanks tony

[Austin in the Shed]

Here is my Austin 7 Ulster, hasn't run for 3months+, oil burning off the exhaust...

https://youtu.be/ZbacW5q2MKY