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to the opening page of "The Austin Seven Motoring Pages"From: Barry Lovelock
Date: 27 Oct 2001
Time: 09:40:06
Remote Name: 213.122.147.151
This is a more radical version of my own Ulster special engine which I built several years ago with advice, parts and machining by Tim Myall; it goes like a dingbat as the link on the Association site shows! I cannot repeat this same run in the "Real" blown Ulster, as the road is now subject to speed limits, cameras and a little more common sense! Suffice it to say it is almost faster in second gear (76mph)... My Myall engine differs in not having the pressure-fed crank and waterway mods. It also uses standard (file-marked) Austin rods which have been ruthlessly thrashed to 6500 rpm on the Phoenix crank for several thousand (road) miles. The cam is Myall "fast road" (still has similar bent-wire profile); it has the Rawson gears; same valves and springs; standard flywheel with double springs everywhere; no fan fitted and is (only!) 790 cc. I use a late-Ruby head which is slightly more original than the Supaloy one I fitted originally. Both have similar ratios, about 7.6:1, but due to persistent head gasket blowing due to stupidly using the top water gasket, I now use a thick, solid-copper gasket. The wheels are standard Austin 17" with 4x17 repro tyres from Vintage tyres. It is safer with the 4.50x17 tyres on the back, but spoilt by over gearing with same and they should never be used really on any A7, especially on the front - it destroys the steering response. Also MOT testers are starting to fail cars which drag the tyres on the brake cables; the 450 tyre don't help here and the only answer anyway is to build up the (worn) steering stops and reduce the abysmal lock even more.
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Last Modified: Saturday, 29 December 2001