I just found this picture of an engine block (or head) and I was trying to figure out what it was? Knowing my Dad, it was probably a racing or hi-performance engine
It's a four cylinder water-cooled engine with the head missing. A rather strange looking one.
Or is it? The more I study the thing, the weirder it looks.
Overhead cam engine? Looks like a shaft could have come up through the opening in the front and driven a cam through a spur gear similar to a Crosley engine?
"Or is it? The more I study the thing, the weirder it looks." Well I have to agree with Steve. That is one strange looking motor!
Paul
The round pieces on top look to be caps to hold the valve springs in place, because I see valve stems through the exhaust ports on the side. Being that they're safety wired I'm thinking early aircraft? I agree that it's one strange looking beast!
Deron
i believe more pictures are in order George!!! very interesting
Looks like half of a Hisso V8 aircraft engine from the teens / twenties. There is no "head" on this design.
John W, I know my Dad talked of Hisso's quite often. I believe he had a sprinter or speedster project that may have had a Hisso in it. The picture below is a little OT but it is one of his vintage race cars. 1932 Sprint Car with a "Hal" engine. He went to many Vintage races and shows here in the east.
Check the bores George. A Hisso (Hispano Suiza built by Wright Aeronautical to a Spanish / Swiss design) was a V8 covered here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispano-Suiza_8
All but the big 8F had bores of 4.724"
The 8F had 5.512" bores
The license built Wright was a 8Aa and would have had the smaller bores.
Hisso of course also built high end automobiles.
John
Sorry George - I presumed you had more than just a photo!
John
Here is a bunch of Hisso or Half-A-Hisso powered iron from the old days:
http://winfield.50megs.com/Hisso.htm
John
Here is a link on the v8 and 4 cylinder Hisso engines:
http://winfield.50megs.com/HissoEngine.htm
And another link:
http://www.aviation-history.com/engines/e4.htm
And:
http://www.griffwason.com/hispano-suiza2.htm
Jim
I don't think it is a Hispano Suiza engine. Here is a picture of a four cylinder engine and the water distribution pipe system is at the bottom and is totally different than the one shown at the top of this string. The one shown there has two distribution tubes on the top and all of the Hisso engines I know of had the distribution tube at the bottom. BUT . . The cylinder format is correct as is the small section where the cylinder walls show at the bottom where unit bolts to the crank case. It could be a Hisso and it looks more like one that than any other pictures in my files. It could be that the picture at the top of this string is of one side of a V8 and my picture is of a four cylinder model. They also made six cylinder inline aircraft and automotive engines. The picture of the four cylinder engine does not have the boss on the end of the head which was most likely used as a mounting for the overhead cam drive shaft which could make it a later or different Hisso than the one I posted. It might just have to have that boss when used on a V type engine because the one piece cylinder-head would not be perpendicular to the crank case.
Aircraft or Marine?
Frank - my guess, in blowing up the first photo here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hispano_Suiza_8_A_Brussel.jpg
would be that the water manifolds shown at the top of the thread are "after market" for racing.
One can see the bosses and short nipples on the intake side in the linked photo. One can see there are no central bosses in the photo at the top of the thread. Good chance the engine builder just made the water manifold to suit, and added central water ports (no bosses) in intake side.
Though we cannot see in the photo at top of thread, at the same time I would guess that FOUR water ports (no bosses either) were added on the exhaust side in the same way, again with a water manifold made to fit.
I'm guessing of course
John
The original photo is this thread in nearly identical to this Hisso photo except two small ports were added on the bottom bare cast block on #2 and #3.
Thank you to all! All the info posted here is great. My Dad had a bunch of cars, but really enjoyed going and racing vintage race cars. I am trying to find out more about the Hisso powered car he built and where it ended up. I know he also ran and built cars with a Fronty in it, a Hal powered sprinter(pictured above), a RAJO speedster and a second RAJO speedster that my brother now has (unfinished) He also had a V8-60 midgit (that my brother drove) and a Vargo Offy midget(that's the one I drove). There were several other cars he built (vintage hi-performance) aside from the antiques and classics.
All the info you have given me will go into my album of my Dads race cars. Thanks so much
Chip Button