Tony,
Do you have Wally's autobiography, "Climax in Coventry"? Some rather
interesting tests on the dyno considering it was just a "utility" motor.
Roger
>From: "Elton Clark" <lotus.tony@airmail.net>
>Reply-To: "Elton Clark" <lotus.tony@airmail.net>
>To: "Vintage Race List" <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
>Subject: Fw: Engine Trivia
>Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 21:34:25 -0500
>
> Simon Favre adds:
>
> > According to the article in Vintage Motorsport a few years back, the
> > Climax FWA engine was actually designed to Interior Ministry specs as
> > a fire pump. It had to be light enough to be carried by 2 soldiers in
> > full battle gear and run unattended for 24 hrs at some specified
> > pumping rate. It got put into race cars only a little later, but it
> > WAS a fire pump. The effort to put it into race cars was only accepted
> > "as long as it did not interfere with fire pump production" according
> > to the article.
>
> Yes, I think that WAS the official Coventry-Climax story line. Consider
>however:
>
> The chief engineer of Coventry-Climax, Walter Hassan had a resume that
>included working with Bentley on their victorious LeMans cars and later
>work for Bristol and Jaguar. Hassan added to the racing background at
>Climax by also hiring Harry Mundy from BRM. It's doubtful Hassan and
>Mundy
>forgot all they ever knew about racing engines and never let the subject
>enter their minds as they set out to design a PUMP MOTOR!
>
>Unlikely scenario: An innocent bystander points out: "CRICKIES! you've
>built a pump motor that might just be a RACING MOTOR!!!! Hassan and
>Mundy
>smite themselves on the forehead in disbelief at what they'd done!!!!
>
>Tony_______________________@Sherman.Texas
> (I don't just make up ALL this stuff!) (-:
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