Engine

[Stewtomcat]

Can anyone recognise this engine

 

[chrismac]

watching with interest...

 

[500e]

Some one is looking for that manifold with money in hand, and there is an axle as well can see a rear wheel spline

 

[Seadog]

It looks as though it needs to be rescued.
See if Brooklands know what it is, or Beaulieu.

 

[Stewtomcat]

I took this photo a few years ago in a field south of Oban while on holiday it has me stumped.

 

[oldbikedavey]

Straight - six sidevalve, and built like a tank .
Sort - of smells a bit Rolls - Royce ?
You could ask Gosnays Engineering in Romford , and see what they might know, as they do huge amounts of ancient relics...

 

[Rannsachair]

I took this photo a few years ago in a field south of Oban while on holiday it has me stumped.

I am just heading for Oban for a food shop now.

The closest engine I can think of was a 1920s Fiat straight 6, also had a finned exhaust manifold.

 

[arther dailey]

should be saved for exhibit if nothing else ,interesting the opposite of now cast iron head and alloy? block .

 

[Stewtomcat]

It’s quite odd because if you look closely no cylinder head !! It’s an alloy cover then a tall block and an alloy bottom end

 

[Morrisman]

It’s quite odd because if you look closely no cylinder head !! It’s an alloy cover then a tall block and an alloy bottom end

It’ll be a flat head, side valves, with basically a flat plate as a cylinder head.

 

[Stewtomcat]

If you look closely there is no flat head it’s really odd looking I have worked on a few vintage engines but have not seen anything like this !!

 

[Stewtomcat]

I did wonder if it was a two stroke?

 

[Rannsachair]

I did wonder if it was a two stroke?

I was going to ask if there were covers on the other side for a side valve or it may well be a 2 stroke.

 

[Misterg]

***Warning!*** Rabbit hole alert:

I think it might be a 'Knight' sleeve valve engine. I thought it might be one of the Daimler Knights, but the detailing on the manifold and the water(?) connection look a lot like the picture of a 'Miverva' from the site below. How it got to Oban is another question!

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/294771-knight-sleeve-valve-engine/

"I have a 1929 Minerva with a 6 cylinder, 6 liter sleeve valve engine. I have been thru it.
Quite a piece of engineering! 2 crankshafts, 18 connecting rods, 7 oil pumps, 6 cylinder heads."

 

[Misterg]

How it got to Oban is another question!

I had mistakenly thought that Minerva were American, but have just discovered that they were Belgian, and sold into the UK.

Bit of history from here :

"Minerva first started out in Belgium as a bicycle production company. They produced bicycles with lightweight clip-on engines that came in kit form as well. This was the case until 1904 when Minerva focused more on car production. The first motor that the company developed was a 6 hp four-cylinder model that expanded into a range of other vehicles like the Minervette cyclecar and 8-litre Kaiserpreis.

Minerva cars caught on in other places, with Charles S Rolls dealing them in England. The UK was the most important market and the Minervette became the cheapest car in the world at the time, selling for £105. In 1908, the company gained a license for the Knight Engine, which used double sleeve valves and ran smoothly. All future Minerva cars made use of the engine.

By 1911, Minerva had become the largest manufacturer in Belgium. The vehicles were sold as ‘The Car Of Kings and Queens’, with famous people from all over the world buying them. Customers included Henry Ford, King Albert and Impressionist Artist Anna Boch. The Minervas came with powerful 5.9 and 6.9-litre engines, putting them in the same class as Rolls-Royces and Mercedes.

During WW1, Minerva manufactured cars for the army, specialising in armoured motors that were mounted with machine guns. The cars were also used in hit and run attacks against the Germans.

Rise and fall

In the 1920s, Minerva continued to produce luxury cars that became even more popular around the world. The company produced over 2000 motors per year, with the majority being sold in England. What made a Minerva so appealing was that it could be seen as a less expensive version of a Rolls-Royce. Large cars remained a speciality, though smaller versions were introduced, such as the 2-litre four-cylinder 15CV and 3.4-litre six-cylinder 20CV.

[...]The 1930s saw the decline of Minerva, due to the financial crisis of the decade. The company merged with Imperia and they continued to produce Minervas until 1937. After WW2, Minerva were contracted to produce a version of the Land Rover 80 under licence for the Belgian army. Known as the Tout Terrain, the car eventually became the centre of a dispute between Land Rover and Minerva. The company won the case, though it could never bounce back and went out of business in 1956. "

I learned a lot in the last hour!

 

[Blobber]

Excellent! what a sad end for what must have been a nice motor back in the day

 

[Misterg]

nice motor

I would say so.

Some nice detail photos here

 

[Blobber]

I wonder why the exhaust exits the other end, perhaps and earlier or later model?

 

[Misterg]

perhaps and earlier or later model?

Could be - the one on the American forum is 1929, and the one in the photos above is 1926 - both have front exhaust.

This is a 1923 (from the prewar car site) with rear exhaust (not a great photo):

Might mean that the engine in question is pre 1926. There must be some expert on these cars somewhere.

 

[Seadog]

***Warning!*** Rabbit hole alert:

I think it might be a 'Knight' sleeve valve engine. I thought it might be one of the Daimler Knights, but the detailing on the manifold and the water(?) connection look a lot like the picture of a 'Miverva' from the site below. How it got to Oban is another question!

View attachment 477488

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/294771-knight-sleeve-valve-engine/

"I have a 1929 Minerva with a 6 cylinder, 6 liter sleeve valve engine. I have been thru it.
Quite a piece of engineering! 2 crankshafts, 18 connecting rods, 7 oil pumps, 6 cylinder heads."

The oval crankcase fits nicely with two crankshafts.