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The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine


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#51 fredeuce

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 22:37

Lucky Kaiser built that in Brisbane, initially as a burnout/curiosity machine to raise money for an attempt (using the same engine, but in a streamliner) on the LSR for motorcycles. 5 litre v-twin, made Harleys look and sound a bit limp. A car club associate of mine was to be the rider for the record attempt, but I lost contact - I believe they took it to Lake Gairdner at least once and it made some decent speed but don't know if it ever ran again or what's happened to it since, that was about a decade ago.



That's right . Lucky Kaiser built the engine and fitted it to a streamliner bike to run on the salt at Lake Gairdner which he did for few years . The last time he ran it in that configuration was 1999 . It so happened that I went for a ride in the tow vehicle used to tow start it and watch it disappear off into the distance. Lucky was not so lucky as he could never get the engine to run right as he was experiencing an elusive backfire problem which kept blowing off the intake ducting from the supercharger. In this guise his best speed was 146.962 mph. Lyndon Cooper was the pilot.
 
The next year with the same bike Lucky had given up  on the Merlin V2 and fitted a bog stock 302 Ford Cleveland V8, which Lucky said he acquired for a carton of beer and promptly went 200+mph. He told me at one of the meetings after 1999 , which one I don't specifically recall , that he did eventually find the cause of the back fire. Apparently the valve stem seals were just a bit to big and when the valve was fully open they would get jammed between the valve keeper and the valve guide. This caused some of the seal to get wedged between the guide and the valve causing it to stick and of course the backfire.

Edited by fredeuce, 28 July 2014 - 22:48.


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#52 DavidI

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 23:46

That's right . Lucky Kaiser built the engine and fitted it to a streamliner bike to run on the salt at Lake Gairdner which he did for few years . The last time he ran it in that configuration was 1999 . It so happened that I went for a ride in the tow vehicle used to tow start it and watch it disappear off into the distance. Lucky was not so lucky as he could never get the engine to run right as he was experiencing an elusive backfire problem which kept blowing off the intake ducting from the supercharger. In this guise his best speed was 146.962 mph. Lyndon Cooper was the pilot.
 
The next year with the same bike Lucky had given up  on the Merlin V2 and fitted a bog stock 302 Ford Cleveland V8, which Lucky said he acquired for a carton of beer and promptly went 200+mph. He told me at one of the meetings after 1999 , which one I don't specifically recall , that he did eventually find the cause of the back fire. Apparently the valve stem seals were just a bit to big and when the valve was fully open they would get jammed between the valve keeper and the valve guide. This caused some of the seal to get wedged between the guide and the valve causing it to stick and of course the backfire.

Thanks for the additional  info. Lyndon was indeed the clubmate I referred to (incidentally, his son is now racing F3).



#53 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 09:03

Because you can? Australia! the can-do country! :wave:

It is a LOT rich.

A little impractical maybe. An ok grocery car!



#54 Siddley

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 13:47

Lucky Kaiser built that in Brisbane, initially as a burnout/curiosity machine to raise money for an attempt (using the same engine, but in a streamliner) on the LSR for motorcycles. 5 litre v-twin, made Harleys look and sound a bit limp. A car club associate of mine was to be the rider for the record attempt, but I lost contact - I believe they took it to Lake Gairdner at least once and it made some decent speed but don't know if it ever ran again or what's happened to it since, that was about a decade ago.

So I wasn't imagining it, thanks for that...



#55 f1steveuk

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 14:42

Appears to be in some sort of car now, but I remember Bike magazine featuring the two wheeled version!

 



#56 Siddley

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 15:52

Appears to be in some sort of car now, but I remember Bike magazine featuring the two wheeled version!

 

 

 

The engine is just sitting on the trailer Steve, it's not a Smokey Yunick job  ;)

I'd forgotten just how big that thing is. I'm pretty sure the article I read was before the blower was fitted.

I have always thought it might be fun to take two cylinders from an air cooled radial engine and turn them into a V-twin. Where's my copy of Bill Gunston's  "Piston Aero Engines" ?  :lol:


Edited by Siddley, 29 July 2014 - 15:53.


#57 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 30 July 2014 - 03:27

Though as Freduece said, that engine did 160mph on salt. But a dunger 302 Ford did 200+ .For about the same capacity. 

That is why 2 or 3 big Mopars or Chevs in tractors are so much simpler. Though after all that a big truck or tractor engine works better again. But is so BORING!!!



#58 Siddley

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Posted 30 July 2014 - 22:47

As you were born in 1971 you are far too young to remember the situation. Absolutely the correct decision, which would have been taken by whatever stripe of politician had a shred of integrity. Read the history.

 

We have discussed this subject previously on the forum.

 

 

So that's an end of the matter then ? " I have spoken " as the Native American ( how politically correct am I ? ) chiefs would say  ;)

Bill Gunston and the late Roland Beamont might beg to differ. But then Bill is only the most informed and technically aware aviation journalist of the era, and Roland Beamont was only one of Britains best test pilots and the guy who actually flew the bloody thing.

Are you still waiting for the F-111K to come into service ? :lol: