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The modified Austin Seven engine

Many of the special parts offered by SPEEDEX were to tune up the engine to develop more power. Engines hold a distinct interest for car enthusiasts, they all like looking under the bonnet to ‘see what it’s got’ and modifications to other parts of the car although useful are less visual in appeal. This is a picture of my engine that I’ve built up and incorporates many SPEEDEX parts or equivalents. The sharp eyed ones amongst you will notice it’s a three bearing engine and not quite finished when the shot was taken, some of the parts are only loosely held on!

This is a negative shot of the same picture labelled to show the special parts. Most of these are described separately on the SPEEDEX parts page.

A few more pictures of some of the interesting parts

Lightened flywheel

Three bearing engines can easily incorporate an extra block holding down stud. The second centre bearing stud has a block stud fitted with the block being drilled. Note also the cut down tappet guides to give clearance with a modified camshaft and the double valve springs.

Large inlet valve and ‘relieved’ block. The edge of the block going into the top of the cylinder is chamfered down to smooth the gas flow. Only make it as wide as your combustion chamber and gasket and don’t go too far down the bore—the top piston ring shouldn’t be exposed. Oversize inlet valves are available from John Barlow, make sure they don’t get too close to the hot exhaust seat, 1 1/8” to 1 5/32” is about as big as you should need to go with a standard 1” exhaust valve.