question Ideas to identify my engine

[modelT-James]

Hi there, I was wondering if any one in the forum had an idea of how I could identify this old engine that I picked up sitting in an early model-t chassis. I know it's not an original Ford engine. I'm told it's an Austin Healey but I can't for the life of me actually ID it so I can get a few parts for it. I am in need of a distributor cap as the only thing I see missing. I have a few small caps that have the right diameter that I was considering modifying into a fitting part, but would rather find the right one for the engine if possible. Plus I'd love to see what engine this really is. it's so small and basic I know it's old I'm just not sure how old and where it would have come from. I have cleaned it up thoroughly and found a lot of numbers stamped into almost everything, but so far searches with those numbers have turned up nothing of use. Any ideas? I've posted a few pictures of the block in case that helps, I have photos of each and every number and marking if anyone has any ideas and wanted to see the numbers to look at. I have seen one main number that seems to be stamped into almost every part of the engine that I can see both inside and outside parts ( 10 II and H).

[Richard Farrant]

It looks like a Standard engine, could be out of a Triumph TR2 or 3 maybe.

[Nick Johns]

You have a Triumph car engine, alas it is not a Healey or the larger Triumph TR engine its from the 1960'/ 70's the spin on oil filter dates it, first fitted to the Standard 8&10 of the 50's then it became Triumph and fitted to the Herald and the Triumph Spitfire sports car 1300cc with twin carburetters and later the engine went to 1500cc and was fitted to the later MG Midgets. Tuned versions were fitted to some Lotus 7's also the original Herald engine was used in the German Amphicar amphibious car

 

Excellent Time lapse film of stripping & rebuilding a Triumph Spitfire engine

 

Edited December 30, 2013 by Nick Johns

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Nick,

I was thinking of the Vanguard type engine, but noted sump was wrong, difficult to guage the size of it from the photo. Best place for parts I suspect would be Rimmer Bros. who deal in Triumph car parts.

 

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Category--Triumph-Car-Parts--m-602

[modelT-James]

Nick and Richard,

 

Thanks to both of you for your identifications and help with this engine. Now i'm off to find the Distributor Cap for this engine and a Model-t engine for my roadster. Thanks again for your help, I'll take a look at the sites you recommended and hopefully get just what I need to make this motor run again.

[101 Ron]

The motor is a Vangard and widely used in many different vehicles.

Mazda made it too and called it a Mazda VA.

The last production of it was for Yale/Hyster forklifts........Model GPO50RC./H2 50XL

Look for forklift suppliers if the distributor is Japanese........the Mazda forklift version still has parts widely and cheaply advailible.

Ron

[andym]

Should be pretty easy to differentiate between Triumph or Mazda - are the threads metric or imperial?

 

Andy

[mtskull]

Nick and Richard,

 

Thanks to both of you for your identifications and help with this engine. Now i'm off to find the Distributor Cap for this engine and a Model-t engine for my roadster. Thanks again for your help, I'll take a look at the sites you recommended and hopefully get just what I need to make this motor run again.

Parts for this engine are relatively easy and cheap to obtain but depending on what you want to use it for, I would recommend that you find out which version it is in terms of cubic capacity before you expend money and effort upon it. The 948cc version is gutless, the 803cc even more so. The 1147cc is OK, the 1296cc is a sweet little engine and in my opinion the by far best of the lot. The 1500cc is utterly awful; stretched beyond the limits of reliability, it is rougher than the 1296 whilst developing no more power and with a penchant for eating its crankshaft bearings.

Enjoy!

[Nick Johns]

The motor is a Vangard and widely used in many different vehicles.

Mazda made it too and called it a Mazd

The Vanguard /Triumph TR/Fergusson tractor series of engines were rather different, they had the distributor further forward not central as the engine in the pic has and had a large element type oil filter bolted to the block, they never had the spin on type oil filter as shown in the pic which confirms this is a later engine as described in my post at the start of this thread

Edited January 9, 2014 by Nick Johns

[101 Ron]

Should be pretty easy to differentiate between Triumph or Mazda - are the threads metric or imperial?

 

Andy

 

Mazda versions are imperial and had the distributor central ???????and usually had VA cast in side of block and are 2 litre capacity.

A smaller version was the UA and is of about 1500cc capacity..........they are direct knock offs of the British engines but with better distributors, carbys and better built.

Edited January 13, 2014 by 101 Ron

[Richard Farrant]

As the engine has the word STANPART cast in the block, I would feel very certain it is a Triumph built engine (Standard Triumph)