NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

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Ian Grace
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Ian Grace »

A bit more. It appears that the replacement of the rear roller is only half of the modification. I have found that the block has been modified slightly to take a small-bore copper pipe, internal to the block, from the front of the engine to the rear main. It is not easy to photograph, but here goes:

Here's the pressure pipe union at the rear end which the internal pipe attaches to.

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And here's the rear bearing housing - showing the solid, white metaled rear main and the drilling modification to take oil to the bearing from the union shown in the previous picture. This housing is attached with four bolts, and one has been enlarged to 5/16" and drilled to feed the oil to the bearing.

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Here's the other end of the internal pipe at the front of the block.

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And here is the timing gear cover, also cleverly adapted to feed oil to the pressure pipe.

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Has anyone ever seen anything like this on a SV engine? Could it have been a McEvoy modification? What advantage does it give over the standard arrangement - with the oil feed to the rear main coming through the crank - perhaps better pressure reaching the main as it is fed directly from pump pressure rather than what is left after the big ends have been fed? And presumably it would also serve to back-feed the crank, delivering more oil to all the big ends?

What is apparent is that someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to effect this modification, and it if wasn't McEvoy, then it is possible that someone was preparing this engine for competition. No competition record of the car has yet surfaced, but I'm keeping my eye out for any reference.

Finally, here's a shot of the cam. I haven't rebuilt a SV engine since I was at University, so I can't say whether this is a standard cam or not. But the cam lobes look extremely pointy to me. Is this standard? I would have thought that a 'hot' cam would have broad, flat-topped lobes - rather like the 12/12 M Type cam.

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Jpallis001
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Jpallis001 »

Hi Ian - not sure why I did not end up with many pictures showing the Camshaft - is thuis one anyuse?
camshaft.jpg
camshaft.jpg (144.04 KiB) Viewed 9000 times
Ian Grace
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Ian Grace »

Thanks John,

This is how I remember the SV cam - with a fair radius at the peak of the lobes. The ones on the McEvoy come virtually to a point. If I can get hold of a regular cam, I'll be able to compare them, and put them under a dial gauge so I can compare their profiles.
ian judd
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by ian judd »

Would that be a Family Eight brake pedal box? I have an idea they have that kind of master cylinder with the reservoir on the bulkhead. Perhaps the genius who modified the engine -(very neat) - was the one who hydraulicked the brakes?

Ian
Ian Grace
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Ian Grace »

Don't think it is - I'll try to get a better picture of it - the brake pedal has been sawn off above the cross-shaft (I have the original bottom piece) and attached to whatever is in the box of tricks, and then the master cylinder is behind the black box.

The oil pressure mod. certainly is ingenious and completely hidden inside the engine. I read somewhere recently that white metal is more forgiving than shells so is better able to handle crankshaft whip at high revolutions. Maybe that was what drove the rear main bearing mod, and then the oil mod. was needed to supply oil to it? I need to think some more about this.
Ian Grace
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Ian Grace »

So I am carrying out some research on Gilg and Kay's epic drive from Liverpool to the Cape in 1933 in a SV Minor tourer. I had a chance to read the book right through (Turn Left - the Riffs Have Risen) on the plane over to Grand Rapids and back last weekend. I am in touch with Gilg's son and I am close to discovering the chassis number of the car - my aim is to write all this up for a major article in the Yearbook later this year.

I have always held a fascination for long-distance driving feats such as this, and it feels good to own a Minor that was once driven from England to Italy and back. If I had to say which - of all Minors - I would like to own, then I think '33 Gilg's tourer would have to be close to the top of the list - if not at the very top. Wouldn't it be splendid if it were to be unearthed in the RSA one of these days!

I have also been assisting Martin Redmond with his trans-world trip with the Morris 25 - he's about to set off from Long Beach to cross the USA - after having just driven it from the UK to Vladivostok - see the website.

So, I got to thinking about a possible long-distance trip that I could plan for some point in the future. Trans-Africa is no longer possible - not because of the roads (which are somewhat improved since 1933), but because of the politics of the countries through which one would have to drive. Apart from the French Sahara and the Belgian Congo, Gilg and Kay were on British territory all the way from Algiers to the Cape. How times change.

Well, here's an idea. VMR HQ is about 80 miles from Roche Harbor in the San Juan islands - which is pretty much the extreme north-west tip of the contiguous states - the so-called lower 48 (which excludes Alaska and Hawaii). The furthest point in the US from Roche is therefore Key West, Florida. According to Mapquest (see below) Roche Harbor to Key West – taking the shortest route, but not avoiding freeways – is 60 hours driving and about 3,500 miles. So probably 4,000 miles or so if avoiding most freeways. That would be about 70 hours, so double this for a Minor – 140 hours. 6 hours a day average perhaps. Or 5 hours a day to allow for some rest/maintenance days. So about 28 days in all, which is do-able. I don't think I would take the fabric saloon - even though it would be appropriate because of its past long-distance history, but the McEvoy would make an excellent mount - newly restored, and particularly with its long legs, four speed box and additional performance (I'd have to cross a number of mountain ranges, including the Continental Divide), etc. Now there's a restoration target to aim for.

Incidentally, I have no reason to believe that the back axle ratio is anything other than the standard SV ratio of 8/43 - there is noting in the McEvoy advertising that talks about the ratio being modified. So, if the car was genuinely capable of doing 70, that would equate to considerable revs (I should work it out). It seems to make sense to put in the OHC 9/44, which I think gives about 11% more speed for the same revs, and the SV 4-speed box would certainly maintain low-speed grunt. And on a long-distance run across the States, that extra 11% could be critical (and may give me a top speed of 77.7 mph! :o )

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Ian Grace
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Ian Grace »

Thanks to 'Eagle-Eye' Hodgins, I was able to successfully bid for a set of cable brake backplates, levers, drums and some shoes in the HVA auction. I don't need the drums, so if anyone is in need, let me know, as I'd rather not send them air mail to Seattle! :D

The curently-fitted hydraulic brake system will be going to Rob Constant down in Cornwall for his M Type.
plj
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by plj »

Ian,
Came across your cam photo whilst idly browsing the other day and it jogged my memory to an article written by Harry in the Spring '71 Morris Register Journal. He comments that M. A. McEvoy of Notting Hill Gate produced a range of special steering, pistons ,valves, camshafts etc etc for Morris, M G, and Wolseley Hornets and also undertook special tuning for these vehicles.
Might explain your cam!

Regards,

Philip
Toby
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Toby »

would explain my ally backplates too! I was browsing service sheets last night and noticed the sv cams in print look pointy too...
if it's got wheels or chips - it'll cost you dear
Ian Grace
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Ian Grace »

Started cleaning up the engine block today, and pleased to report that under the 54 years of grime, it is in remarkably sound condition, as is the rest of the engine. There are a couple of bent studs that need sorting, but that's about all - other than the usual machining. The threads in the bridge pieces holding the water outlet on are in very sound condition. One core plug is popped, but I will be replacing all four in the block as a matter of course. I got the camshaft out and a couple of the tappets out, but the locknuts on the rest are too tight to unlock with adjustables - must sort out a pair of proper tappet spanners before I round off the flats on the tappet lifters. :o

Does anyone know where I can send the tappet screws to be ground and re case-hardened?

Fortunately, whoever dismantled the engine back in the fifties had the forethought to replace all of the nuts, bolts, washers, so that there only one or two missing.

I also cleaned up the DJ4 which is in really good condition, and I found the starter motor which I thought was missing! So a promising first session. Now enjoying a Talisker before putting the block back in the garage for the night and clearing up the kitchen counter. :D
Highlander
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Highlander »

On a McEvoy the job of tappet screws will have to be properly done. On bog standard s/v enginges I put the tappet swcrew into my pillar drill and pull it down onto an oil stone (well loil;ed) makes a very good job and I have never case hardened them and they have lasted long enough for me (10,000 miles.) Try one just to see what it looks like. Highlander.
Ian Grace
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Ian Grace »

Spent today working on the engine - cleaning, paint stripping and generally sorting.

Then I came to the head, which is the original polished McEvoy item which has also been skimmed to raise the compression ratio - but I don't know by how much. It looks like just about as much metal has been removed as possible, but this has caused the core plugs to become dangerously close to the gasket surface, and indeed one has broken through - see the images below. You can also see in these images the polished combustion chambers that I have just started to clean up.

The other problem I found is that there is some pitting on the gasket surface that might cause problems down the road.

So I think I have two choices - either try to recover this head - perhaps by a little cast iron welding, liquid steel or such to repair tor core plug hole - or I could source another head and skim it to the same compression ratio. I'm leaning towards the latter - if anyone has a sound head? I'd be interested to see a photo like the one below, of a standard head, so I can judge just how much metal has been removed.

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ian judd
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by ian judd »

Ian,
The first thing I would do is get hold of a burette and measure the chambers. You will be able to work out the compression ratio but more importantly find out how equal they are. If they are a lot different ( and probably are ) you might as well do another. If they are pretty equal then you might as well use it and tap a thread in the core hole to use a screw-in plug ( like posh motors!)

Ian
Ian Grace
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Ian Grace »

Ian two great ideas. But I'm most concerned with that pitting - you can see in the photo the worst patch is right on the edge of the gasket inner edge. I might be able to skim it a bit more - then it will be a McEvoy Model 90. :o
Simon
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Re: NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

Post by Simon »

Ian,
Could you please measure the stroke of the crank in the McEvoy and report back. When I get the answer I may put forward a theory to you. In the meantime have a good Christmas.
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