13 replies to this topic

[Tech_Nut]

Hello, my first post on this forum.

Does anyone remember an unusual F1 engine from the early 70's?

I had my memory jogged about this last week when the subject of Peter Connew's F1 car came up in conversation. My memory (very dim, I admit - this is nearly 30 years ago) told me that Peter had also designed his own engine. A quick search of the web straightened me out on that one. The Connew made only one race and that was fitted with a standard DFV.

But I was sure that at about the same time, there WAS a small independent F1 engine built in the UK. I remember it being described as a V8, much more compact than a DFV, and had the unusual feature of using Allen-Bolts throughout, with no use at all of ordinary Hex-bolts. I think just a few engines were made and I doubt the engine raced at all because of a workshop fire that killed the whole project.

Do these details ring any bells with anyone on this forum?

I've spent 6 days now scanning the many Motorsport websites, but with no luck at all. Unfortunately I unloaded my collection of old Autocourse annuals last year. I'm sure they would have helped me on this one.

[Roger Clark]

You may be thinking of the Martin engine of 1966-67. It was discussed in a thread on Robin Darliington (use that in the search engine) which wandered off onto the Climax FPE and then the Martin engine.

I'm sure you'll get at least one other response after mentioning the Connew.

[Roger Clark]

Here's some information

The 90 degree V8 block was cast in aluminium alloy, with single angled-inboard overhead camshafts driven by internal toothed rubber belts from external water pump pulleys, themselves belt-driven frm the crankshaft. The inclination of the cam-boxes kept overall width down, while length was minimised by use of forked con-rods. THe big-ends of each conventional rod in one bank was sandwiched on a common crankshaft journal by the twin big-end of the opposing forked rod. As a result the cylinder bores of each bank were in direct opposition rather than being staggerred as in a conventional vee, and overall length was reduced.

The shape of the sump permitted pumping by the crankshaft, allowing a very shallow sump leading to reduced weight and engine height

The crankshaft was a nitrided drop-forging; heat treated EN24 drop-forged rods were used. Three ring hepolite pistons were fiited. The 16 valves were nimonic, Champion N60Y plugs were fitted.

Bore and strok were 85 mm x 66 mm. The engine was 21.25 inches long from the bell-housing bolting-face to the front of the wateer-pump and cam-drive pulleys, 15 inches wide across the cam-boxes and 14 1/2 inches high minus the carburettors. All-up weight was claimed to be 225 lbs, or about 60% of the next lightest F1 engine, the Repco. The only parts not made by Ted Martin and his five employess were the distributor cap and transistor ignitiooon pick-ups.

Some years earlier, when the Midland Red bus company began their services on the M1 they found that their fleet's push-rods were bending. They complained to the manufacturers GKN that the rods weren't strong enough, but GKN in turn put them in touch with Ted Martin saying that the cam profile must be at fault. Ted produced a replacement cam, the Midland Red people found their buses went further, faster and more cheaply than ever before, and GKN were so pleased they agreed to pay Martin in Allen screws (or so the story goes....)

I said on the Darlington thread that Roy Pike raced a Lotus 35 fitted with the Martin engine at the Brands Hatch Boxing Day Meeting in 1966. In fact, it was Mallory Park.

[jarama]

Tech,

in case of doubt, ask TNF first: always there is an answer.

[Tech_Nut]

Many thanks again Roger. I now have a surplus of info on this. From what you say it was exceptionally compact and lightweight. If the engines hadn't been destroyed in that fire, maybe it could have gone on to greater things.

Well, maybe not. 1967 was the year the DFV debuted...

Loved the story/rumour about the reason the engine used Allen bolts and screws. As they say, it has to be true because you couldn't make it up!

Techie

[Huw Jenjin]

Is the Martin engine ("connected with/ the power source for/ other") the Martin sports cars that did Hillclimbing in the seventies and eighties?

[Roger Clark]

I don't think so. The Martin sports cars used Cosworth or Cosworth-derived engines, and their type numbers were prefixed BM, which I assume was the initials of the designer/proprietor

[Rainer Nyberg]

The designer of the Martin BM suffixed cars was Brian Martin.
The designs included Group 6-cars, Sports 2000 cars.
And Formula Atlantic single-seaters.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Tech_Nut
Yippee! Yes!
Technical details about the engine seem pretty scarce though (on this site anyway). But at least I've got an exact name to search with.

Tried the Tech Forum? ...desmo seems to be able to find anything...

[desmo]

I can't top Roger Clark's pretty definitive description Ray.

[Ray Bell]

What, no pictures?

Sounds like the Nomad would be no substitute...

[Barry Boor]

"I'm sure you'll get at least one other response after mentioning the Connew."

What could he mean??????

Mr. Nut, or may I call you Tech? I think I can say, without fear of contraception that Peter Connew never had any thoughts abput designing any engine, let alone one for Grand Prix racing.

I bet it will give him cause to chuckle when I tell him though!

[Tech_Nut]

Barry, you can call me anything you like. My wife and kids just call me Fatso.

Thanks to everyone who's given input on this thread. Yup, you're probably right about Peter Connew NOT designing and building his own F1 engine in addition to designing/building his own chassis. (And all this done in a council lock-up or somesuch!) There is quite a bit about the Connew on the Web isn't there. What he achieved was really quite something for basically a one-man outfit.

tech

[FLB]

Tech, it would be a massive understatement to say that Barry only knows quite a bit about the Connew...;)

He was on the team.