Help identifying this engine
 

I have come across a military 4 cylinder engine on two rails with a radiator mounted on the front, The bottom of the radiator has a hole at the bottom for a hand crank. It appears to be very military. (painted OD Green) The only markings that are seen is “BMC” stamped on the valve covers. Anyone got any ideas? Will try to post a picture.

It has a side draft Solex carb on it with a Luas Distribator.

Found a plate that says:

Made in Belguim
patient in France, Great Britain, England (? says both)
numberous patient numbers

Bob,

A picture would be welcome, or more details might help. Is it side or overhead valve? Assume its petrol? Is "BMC" in large letters? Are valve covers separate for each cylinder?

Take your pick..
 

Bob..May be an Austin or Morris..Pictures would help but this is from Wikipedia..

BMC was the largest British car company of its day, with (in 1952) 39 percent of British output, producing a wide range of cars under brand names including Austin, Morris, MG, Austin-Healey, Wolseley as well as commercial vehicles and agricultural tractors. The first chairman was Lord Nuffield (William Morris) but he was replaced in August 1952 by Austin's Leonard Lord who continued in that role until his 65th birthday in 1961 but handing over, in theory at least, the managing director responsibilities to his deputy George Harriman in 1956.

BMC's headquarters were at the Austin plant at Longbridge, near Birmingham and Austin was the dominant partner in the group mainly because of the chairman. The use of Morris engine designs was dropped within 3 years and all new car designs were coded ADO from "Austin Drawing Office". The Longbridge plant was up to date, having been thoroughly modernised in 1951, and compared very favourably with Nuffield's 16 different and often old fashioned factories scattered over the English Midlands. Austin's management systems however, especially cost control and marketing were not as good as Nuffield's and as the market changed from a shortage of cars to competition this was to tell. The biggest selling car, the Mini, was famously analysed by Ford Motor Company who concluded that BMC must be losing £30 on every one sold. The result was that although volumes held up well throughout the BMC era, market share fell as did profitability and hence investment in new models, triggering the 1966 government sponsored merger with Jaguar to form British Motor Holdings (BMH), and three years later leading to the merger of BMH with Leyland Motor Corporation.

At the time of the mergers, there was a well established dealership network for each of the marques. Among the car-buying British public there was a tendency of loyalty to a particular marque and marques appealed to different market segments. This meant that marques competed against each other in some areas, though some marques had a larger range than others. The Riley and Wolseley models were selling in very small numbers. Styling was also getting distinctly old fashioned and this caused Leonard Lord, in an unusual move for him, to call upon the services of an external stylist.

Bob,

BMC (British Motor Corporation) engines were generally from the parentage of Austin or Morris. If this engine has a crank handle facility, then that dates it back a bit. From what you say it is on a frame with radiator, so sounds like a power unit for something other than a vehicle. You also said that it had "BMC" on the valve covers (plural), was that a slip, or does it have separate valve covers? If so then doubtful it is BMC as above, also being "made in Belgium" does not sound like the above. A picture will speak a thousand words, so awaiting it eagerly!

Richard

Here one set of Photo's
 

Attachment 42451 Attachment 42452 Attachment 42453 Attachment 42454 Attachment 42455

Last photo of engine
 

Attachment 42456

Was mounted on two narrow chassis rails.

Most of the plates are unreadable.

It is a BMC A series engine. Most commonly used in the Austin Mini.
This one is likly from a rear drive application such as an Austin Healy as it does not have the sump mounted gear box.
BMC owned a plant in Belgium that made cars and engines.
The OD green is a factory painted colour on these engines.

More info on the A series here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMC_A-Series_engine

and here

http://www.aronline.co.uk/index.htm?engineaseriesf.htm

Hope this helps

Matthew

THANKS You Guys are great!
 

We were right out to lunch with the military green paint on the engine.

Thanks for all the research guys. VERY good job!

Now I got it have to do something with it.

Thanks again

Bob

Solex
 

Isn't it an Austin engine as it has a Solex carb? Not a Morris with SU? Not an A-H twin-carb, so ... A35/A40? Or an industrial engine?

I would lean to an Industrial Engine that came over on some piece of equipment. I have my doubts that it came from a car being in a Belgium produced engine it it would have been in a Belgian produced vehicle and would have not qualified for the Commonweath Import Tariff exemptions.
That was the only reason we got a flood of those less than suitable (for Canadian conditions) Brit made vehicles here in the 50's 60's and early 70's.
For the most part they were never designed for use in the likes of Canada and it showed.


Matthew

It looks to be a 1500 cc B series engine from a bmc j2 van!
The oil pan & inlet manifold are different to that used on
other bmc's
Ant.