ThomasBorchers Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Hello !Who knows how much cam shafts a Riley March ( Special ) of the 30s has ? One or two ?Thanks for your help.Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Thomas, Are you asking about an English Riley,or an American Riley conversion for a four cylinder Ford block? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasBorchers Posted April 5, 2004 Author Share Posted April 5, 2004 Hello !Oh yes, it is an English Riley with a 6 cylinder engine !!RegardsTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Not sure if this is the one you mean, but Riley had a small bore six with twin camshafts high on the sides of the block. They drove overhead valves through short pushrods and rockers. The valves were in hemispherical combustion chambers. This engine was the basis for the 1488cc supercharged White Riley special, prototype to the ERA cars. The White Riley was built by Raymond Mays and Peter Berthon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Bill, The White Riley was at the Vintage races at Lime Rock Park here in Connecticut 4-5 years ago. Sure was nice to see it racing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 I've been a fan of ERAs for about as long as I can remember. Barrie Gillies restored and returned the White Riley to its original spec in the '90s. His son, Mark, the auto journalist, continues the tradition and drove a later, black ERA at the Laguna historics a few years ago and absolutely flew, coming first in class by a wide margin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Who wouldn't fall in love with an ERA? There were two at the Fall Festival last year! Total production was 12 or less I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasBorchers Posted April 6, 2004 Author Share Posted April 6, 2004 Hi Bill,I need the answer for a classic car quiz here in Germany. I found out that they have 4 cylinders with two cam shafts and that the 6 cylinder is a ohv engine. But how much cam shafts. I think that "2" should be correct.Thank youTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Hi Tom,Yes, the six cylinder Riley of which we here speak has 2 camshafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Thomas,Do a Google search, click on "IMAGES" then type in Riley Imp engine. You will get some great photos and the email address of a fellow in Australia that restored an Imp. Looks like two cams to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 45, similarly, see http://members.madasafish.com/~d_hodgkinson/ERAcars.htm for a bunch of info on ERA cars. Note exotic fuel blend. I read somewhere the WR made 170HP @ 8grand. Don't know why the link didn't light up or become hot, I guess they had this problem on another thread; didn't pay attention to the fix if there was one.Oops! happens automatically! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 I think that Imp is the four pot motor. Outwardly, the WR six looks like an iron block, alloy head DOHC engine with canted cam cases with flattish covers which are actually the rocker access plates. The original Riley engine had an iron head.Now the original question that I am guilty of ignoring in all this is the reference to March. Aside from Formula 1 racing late in the last century, I don't know of March auto, or their association with Riley. Please tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Bill, Thank you for the ERA site link, GREAT STUFF! Brouht back memories of reading Raymond Mays book 30 year ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 Automobile magazine May '04 in the mail box this morning has the same ERA R4D as I saw at Monterey up against Lotus 16, Brabham BT11A and new Porsche 911 GT3 doing laps at Donington Park. The elderly (1934) ERA average speed on the 2 mile road course: 82.3 mph, the 2004 Porsche: 85.6 mph. Mark Gillies drove all four cars, great photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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