08-04-2020, 09:12 PM
I don't know if anyone will find this of interest, but I was reading a review on Amazon of Graham Robson's book "The A-Series Engine: It's First Sixty Years", posted by a gentleman named R.J. Battersby, who in his own words "was an engine designer at Longbridge between 1970 and 1976 and spent a significant period working as a member of the A-Series team."
I'll simply quote:
"One thing that Robson didn't mention was something I learned when I was modifying the material specification of the A-Series distributor drive spindle (which had a 9 tooth helical gear at one end engaging with the camshaft drive gear and a slotted flange at the other end driving the ignition distributor). I got the original drawing from the drawing stores and noted that it was first drawn in the early 1920s. I then noted that its name had been changed from 'Magneto Drive Spindle'. Yes, this was a part first designed for the 1921 Austin Seven engine and was probably the only part still in production that would fit an engine built almost 50 years before!"
I'll simply quote:
"One thing that Robson didn't mention was something I learned when I was modifying the material specification of the A-Series distributor drive spindle (which had a 9 tooth helical gear at one end engaging with the camshaft drive gear and a slotted flange at the other end driving the ignition distributor). I got the original drawing from the drawing stores and noted that it was first drawn in the early 1920s. I then noted that its name had been changed from 'Magneto Drive Spindle'. Yes, this was a part first designed for the 1921 Austin Seven engine and was probably the only part still in production that would fit an engine built almost 50 years before!"