Berkeley engine photos

[coldplugs]

I posted some photos of this engine in progress a few months ago & now that it's finished I figured I'd post a couple to show what a Berkeley 492 engine and powertrain looks like. That's the whole shebang, engine, transmission (4 spd + rev), differential, starter, and generator. The starter & generator are a combined "Dynastart" unit and are on the right under the rag in the top picture.

These engines are modular and could theoretically be expanded to more cylinders. The small inset photo shows it from the front and you can probably see that the crankcase is split into multiple segments and the cylinders are all independent. The crankshaft is a built-up unit with roller bearing big ends and ball bearing mains. Each segment is a separate engine. The crank sections would need some work, though.

The "modular engine" idea was patented by (British) Excelsior after being developed for this engine.

Next project is to improve the shop itself a little, then maybe I'll tackle the car itself.

 

[drooartz]

Looks good, John. A bit lighter to push around the shop than many motors, that's for sure.

 

[Camshaft]

Very cool! I'd like to restore a Berkeley myself one of these days. Until then I can do it vicariously through people like you!

 

[coldplugs]

Looks good, John. A bit lighter to push around the shop than many motors, that's for sure.

True, Andrew. One man can lift the 2 cylinder version out of a car - no hoist needed. The 3 is heavier but it's still just a bike engine.

Very cool! I'd like to restore a Berkeley myself one of these days. Until then I can do it vicariously through people like you!

Camshaft, I think you've been bitten by the LBC bug for sure. If you're interested in Berkeleys, you live in the right place. Ohio has more Berks than any state except for California. The informal Berkeley "national meet" is usually held there. This year it's on July 15th near Cincinnati at an excellent car show put on by the British Car Club of Greater Cincinnati. Take a look at their web site ( https://www.bccgc.com ) and look under "Show Flyers". This has info and a link to a movie covering the 2006 show. The movie's pretty good (it's on youtube) although I've had trouble getting it to play all 7 minutes.

The show is pretty big so it's worth the trip even for "non-Berk" folk.

 

[Camshaft]

Looks good, John. A bit lighter to push around the shop than many motors, that's for sure.

True, Andrew. One man can lift the 2 cylinder version out of a car - no hoist needed. The 3 is heavier but it's still just a bike engine.

Very cool! I'd like to restore a Berkeley myself one of these days. Until then I can do it vicariously through people like you!

Camshaft, I think you've been bitten by the LBC bug for sure. If you're interested in Berkeleys, you live in the right place. Ohio has more Berks than any state except for California. The informal Berkeley "national meet" is usually held there. This year it's on July 15th near Cincinnati at an excellent car show put on by the British Car Club of Greater Cincinnati. Take a look at their web site ( https://www.bccgc.com ) and look under "Show Flyers". This has info and a link to a movie covering the 2006 show. The movie's pretty good (it's on youtube) although I've had trouble getting it to play all 7 minutes.

The show is pretty big so it's worth the trip even for "non-Berk" folk.

I'll definitely have to make it to that show! Thanks for the tip! And remember, you've always got a place to "store" old Berkeley parts in the midwest... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[YankeeTR]

Geez...Isn't that a motorcycle engine? pretty cool....

 

[PAUL161]

John, I thought the Berkeley had a 750 Royal Enfield,(spelling?) engine? Is that what your showing? Just curious. PJ

Also, here's a couple of pics. Just in case you don't have them.

I almost bought one in 1958.

 

[Roger]

Later ones did - the first were 328cc(?) 2-cly Excelsior, then 3-cyl as above, then Enfields. There were 3-and 4-wheelers as I remember.

 

[PAUL161]

Thanks Roger. It was just a curiosity on my part. As I remember from way back when, it was a very, very small car. PJ

 

[Twosheds]

There were 3-and 4-wheelers as I remember.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but
I think this is a Berkeley:

 

[coldplugs]

Roger is correct. The first 50 or so cars had 322cc Anzani engines but they quickly switched to the 328cc Excelsior. I don't know if any Anzanis were ever exported. Then came the 3 cyl Excelsior and then the Royal Enfields (aka Royal Oilfields for their tendency to fling oil everywhere).

Very few of the RE powered cars came to the US, probably about a dozen. Currently in the US there are about 10 RE cars known to exist.

I don't think any three wheelers were imported here, although a few were brought in privately. They were popular in the UK, though.

Paul's photos show Ed K's beautiful white 328 and then 2 Royal Enfield powered cars. The yellow car is actively raced in west coast vintage events and the red one is a California car also. The Royal Enfield powered cars have that large square grille because of the tall engine.

And yes - they sure are small.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but
I think this is a Berkeley:

Yep. Three wheeler model "T60".

 

[Roger]

Darn - I'd forgotten about Anzani engines. Still, after 50 years or so, I guess that's o.k.

I well remember a Berkeley incident while I was still at boarding school. A chap who had left the year before had been given a 2-cyl Berkeley by his parents, and drove it down to the school, where he was pretty proud of it. Why not? Very, very few kids had cars in 1950s England.
Anyway, he succeeded in irritating enough people to pick it up bodily and place it in a narrow alley between two buildings whence he could not possibly extract it. That obliged him to seek overnight accommodation until a group helped him liberate it.

Bobby Stephens was his name. Long time ago . . .

 

[Banjo]

Cool stuff. I love Berkeleys. There was a little write-up on Berkeleys in autoweek a while back. the one they pictured(and based the article on ) was a 3 wheeler.
I'll stick with the 4 wheelers, but I love the 2 stroke bike engine. It reminds me of the Kawasaki H1 my brother had. 500cc 3 cyl 2 stroke. that thing was mean.

 

[Twosheds]

There was a little write-up on Berkeleys in autoweek a while back. the one they pictured(and based the article on ) was a 3 wheeler.

Yes, that was the three-wheeler in the photo I posted. I took that photo at British Car Day near Frederick, Maryland last year. The writer from Autoweek was there.

He got at least two other articles from BCD that day; Pat & Marty Jones' Triumph Roadster (The Beast) and What's-His-Name's Jensen CV-8. Quite a prolific day for Autoweek.