Most of the people who designed and built this engine are dead now, but we marvel at their workmanship that has stood the test of time and neglect. LEGACY!
As you saw the great sealed spark plugs you got an idea what real engineers in the past figured and thought out .. BE CAREFUL .. it is all BSW NUTS AND THREADS !!!!!!!
I am a 73 year old motor mechanic who did my apprenticeship on Austin cars and trucks and frequently worked on and rebuilt these engines. It did not surprise me when it fired up on the first crank. These were such reliable and well engineered engines plus it would have been test run in the factory before shipping. You did a great job on your pre start up inspection, and as they used to say, if you have fuel, spark and compression, it must run. Great video, thanks for the memories.
I am a 70 year old retired mechanic and get so annoyed when I see people start up an engine that has not run or years without even changing the oil. But you my friend went through and checked most everything you could before trying to start the old girl. well done mate.
@@hokehinson5987 maybe you should have read the blokes whole comment before being a dick with your comment... He actually congratulated him for doing everything he could... Why are you looking at being so aggressive?
I'm in England and anyone over here would have thought we'd hit the jackpot to find that motor... So much better chance of finding good bits in America. Interesting video and the German shepherd is a beautiful dog. 👍
I'm 79 now and I did my apprenticeship with Rolls Royce Crew, these engines were not only installed in Champs, but various versions went in cars, tow wagons. Whilst I was employed at crew Austin had a contract to make these engines which went in various lorrys, but Rolls Royce were still supplying engines to the UK Army, Australian armed forces and the new zealand army, some of the 8 cylinder engines were installed in the M113 armored personnel carriers and FV101 Scorpions. The goop and marks inside the engine is a spray protective compound to keep the engine protected whilst in storage, you should run a flushing oil through the system before starting it. The 4, 6 and 8 cylinder engines are extremely quiet and reliable engines which were built to the highest of standards. The slight carbon above the engine is from where they run, test and tune the engines before boxing them up for delivery.
I would like to ask if the paper found at the bottom of the oil pan @ 41:53, was a wrapper/cover for the oil sump head. Maybe for engines slated for the crate?
funny thing is modern engines can be way smoother with all our crazy cnc tech. I'd say a typical engine would be on par with an old engine like this, but a modern RR engine is probably crazy with the new tech and money they can pour into focusing on that
No music. Not BS. Just a guy with his dog working on an engine. Why can’t all YT just be this? This is the best video I’ve ever seen on UA-cam, and I watch a LOT of UA-cam.
I am an old fart who used to tinker in the ancient past when I was about your age. First off...it's so good to see a young man who knows his way around tools and engines and has commonsense and is inquisitive enough to fix things he hasn't encountered at all. If God had gifted me a son I would have loved for him to have this sort of patience and mechanical ability. I watched this video just by chance. I was checking on another video before settling down for the night watching a documentary before hitting the sack when I happened upon your video and I started watching. I was hooked after the first minute or two. I also fell in love with your dog. He looks like such a sweet soul...so kind to those ducklings and always bringing you something to play catch with. They are the signs of a once-in-a-lifetime dog...love him as much as you can. Now, me being an Aussie (and Australians being closer to the "mother country" than our US cousins) means I am a little familiar with this engine. You lucked out big time if you only paid scrap value for this proud old hunk of RR iron. These engines are as tough as nails and will easily do hundreds of thousands of miles. Unlike other British engines they are not prone to needing valve grinds around the thirty thousand mile mark. These are honest, hardworking engines designed not to fail but they are thirsty. Beware using any Lucas parts for any of the electrics. Lucas made crap back in the day. If you can substitute Delco or any other US or Japanese parts then do so. I wouldn't scrap the engine for parts. You could attempt to use it in a kit car or some sort of Jeep but the power output is not that great (although torque is very good). A lot of folks used these engines to create their own AC generators. Yes, I know diesel is more popular for power generators but this old baby will work forever given good fuel and a quality oil (20w/30 or even 20w/50 but make sure it is suitable for older engines). So if I were you I'd use this old engine to create an emergency generator which will be reliable, cost effective and last longer than me and your combined. My best wishes to you and please hug your dog for me. 😀
I love how people say "nobody has an attention span these days", meanwhile some of the most viewed stuff on UA-cam is over an hour. We have attention for interesting and unique things.
Which is based on what? The view count, that only requires a person watching briefly to count, or do you have access to video analytics saying the vast majority didn't fuck off at some point?
I stumbled on this before going to bed and watched every minute of this video from midnight onwards. I am from NZ and I thought this guy was actually a kiwi for quite a while. Even his accent. The german shepherd playing fetch 24/7 brought back memories, his laid back attitude and I even thought by the scenery it was NZ! This guy looks just like my brother who loves working on cars every minute possible and my father was a mechanic also. I am no mechanic but I loved every minute of this. I grew up around old Chevys and Fords and everything you can think of and worked with my dad in his garage and pumped gas on the weekends and holidays when I was still at school. This guy is a classic type of real man that I can respect for his troubleshooting ability and cool attitude and just loving engines. My dad was a great mechanic who could fix anything and I mean any machine that came his way. Great memories watching this. Reminds me of dad who is 80 yrs old now.
@@AmongUs-mb4qxwho gives af it don't make a dam no how u hear probably don't speak good English like a spelin b champ like yourself that gets all the arse cause he won the spelin b made him & it made all the gals jus fall on they knees 4u & beggin which 1 gonna give u some 🧠 1st save some 4tha rest of us now u hear now get on.... GET!!!!
Hi it’s bitter not bitters Lola d these RR engines are two a penny over here in the uk………….. joking that’s as rare as hens teeth and worth a fortune to the right guy 👍
The Champ was superior to the LandRover in my opinion. Probably too good, they were very solidly built. They also use unleaded fuel without a problem being designed to run on sketchy m.o.d fuel. Lovely smooth understressed unit, mostly built by Austin.
1:29:17 and Grinning from ear to ear as she splutters to life in a cloud of grey smoke and settles into a steady purr.. ❤ just magnificent!! Sat in neglect and ruin for a lifetime until called upon to do its job an fires right up first time.. that's a testament to quality engineering right there.. this was the best and most well spent hour and a half of my day.. thank you
We have them in Australia too. A friend's uncle was a car hoarder and had a 4wd army truck with the 6 cylinder version. Truck was really straight clean and rust free sitting undercover.
Are you crazy? This is gold! Did you notice - that this engine has 0 vibration - none at all. That is what I learned even as a kid - that Rolls engines are absolutely superbly balanced crankshafts and everything else which results in no vibration at all
so did my Chevy 8 cylinder Malibu engine. You would not knw it was running without looking at the fan belt. It was that well balanced. That car cost me less than $1000 in April 1974. It was all i could afford at the time.
Does any one else see the irony in the fact that a brand new fuel filter from 21 century is buggered ,but a 70 plus year old engine fires straight up.... 🤔😂😎🇦🇺👌
@joehirschegger7723 I think its more in line with this engine being a specific military variant. But maybe I'm wrong. I'd also think the consumer has willingly played a role in allowing inferior products to persist. People will complain about the item as they're buying it. Says a lot about where consumer standards really are too.
@@IHWKR This wasnt a specific military variant. It is simply that at the time, these motors were built to a quality and standard that isnt seen today. Each one was ran, tested, and tuned before delivery and was goated on the inside with a gel to protect them in storage. They were hand built to be quiet and reliable and of the utmost quality. People are not to blame for the standards set in manufacturing, modern companies lower quality and raise prices but it doesnt change the fact that people still need a car, still need to get to work, so youll pay.
@@TheGranty1739 His reference was vacuum. RPM's up equals more vacuum. I'm just thinking of the two varieties Bosch used, Vacuum Advance , and then centrifugal advance. I've not come to it in the video, just reading through the comments.
@@TheGranty1739 Sure, on vacuum advance diaphragms it depends on throttle position because more throttle increases vacuum in the engines intake manifold, and that in turn pulls more vacuum through the small hose between the intake manifold and the vacuum advance diaphragm.
Hi Matt. I'm in Australia and excitedly recognized this motor straight away. A friend of mine has an Austin Champ with one of these engines, though now in storage. His father bought the Champ 40 or so years ago. I did some repairs and servicing, and we took it on some 4x4 trips with the local Land Rover Club. The Champ was built the same as the engine.... over engineered, but that's another story. I thought you may be interested to know what some of the spare pipes were for. Just in front of your oil pressure gauge you will notice a couple of large clamps. These held on the generator. This was an impressive piece of engineering. It served as both a generator and air pump. The air pump was at the back of the generator. It pumped air which was drawn from the air filter (also in a sealed brass housing) through the electrics and breather pipes to and from the coil, distributor and junction box. It had a 2 speed (planetary I assume) gear set behind the pulley which actuated centrifugally. At idle, it was geared up to ensure it spun fast enough to do its job, and when the revs were increased changed gear to slow the generator down so it didn't explode from spinning too fast. It sounded really tough listening to that genny changing gear as we revved it and backed off lol. This air pump (along with the unique spark plugs) when coupled with an air snorkel allowed the Champ to literally be driven under water! On close inspection, you should also see that the engine fan has a clutch incorporated to allow it to slip when under water and minimize drag on the crankshaft. As for the engine's performance, being red lined at 3700rpm or there abouts it had very poor highway speed, if I recall correctly, it struggled to do much more than 50mph (80kph). But in the bush it was unstoppable. These engines run sweet as a nut thanks to the long stroke and enormously heavy flywheel. The way yours started didn't surprise me a bit. Also, did you notice the distributor rotor has a rev limiter incorporated in it?
I am super happy I read your comment after watching this and wondering about what the tubes were for I never would have imagined the generator also being an air pump that's amazing! Thank you so much! Sounds like the Austin's this motor was made for would be a beast of a 4x4
I have a Champ as well. it was my father's he bought it when i was maybe 8 years old and we spent so many years tearing it down to the frame, sandblasting every bit of rust and puting it all back together, when he passed away I was able to secure the Champ and she's sitting in my garage now. been having issues getting her running again since it was sitting in storage for so long. I think it's a spark issue though, this video gave me new idea's to troubleshoot
I was amazed when that engine burst into life so easily. A testament to Rolls Royce, whoever prepared it for storage and to you for your careful preparatory work. Really impressive.
Not really, this is pretty poorly stored. A friend of mine is a ww2 reenactor and his group won at auction a whole shipping container full of jeeps an original ww2 container that was apparently abandoned or forgotten on the dock not sure. The container was almost all rust, and starting to fall apart. But inside the jeeps where perfect engines and all. They used to be flat packed for transport to Europe with the tires and stuff taken off. This was 2015 or so this thing had been next to salt water for however many decades and the jeeps inside where perfect.
@@Pow3llMorgan the basic engine hasn’t really changed for industrial applications like this. But yes modern engines are more complicated than engines from the 1950s
Who else smiled like a little kid when they saw that first puff of smoke coming out the exhaust port? I didn't knew your channel, and i've been sitting here for the past hour and a half enjoying your work. Great job. subscribed.
I cracked out a huge grin when it settled into a soft idle, with no vibration and quiet as hell, which was especially inpressive considering it has no exhaust fitted.
Now that is impressive! A testament both to the engineers who designed, built and mothballed it and to the very skilled mechanic who took it out of a crate 70 years later and got it to start first time. Amazing
It's English. They are designed to leak any liquid that they need to run on. I worked for Jaguar in the 90's. They leaked everywhere. Normal. Great job. What are you going to put it in?
A true testament to the build quality of those times, but moreover to a relatively young man patiently and carefully reviving an old foreign engine while playing with his dog! I hope that whoever designed this engine was looking down on you beaming with pride! It was a pleasure to watch…thank you!
Showed this to my 88yr old father, he drove the Champ while in the Transport Corps in Cyprus during the Suez Crisis, he remembered it well. Says it was great to drive, much better than the Land Rovers they had there at the time. He joked that the four reverse gears were so you could get away from the enemy as fast as possible if need be. :)
Thank you to youre 88 yearold father . i also lernt to drive in one when i was a 10 yearold kid in a small airfeild in Northern Ireland , just goes to show you , even a kid can drive one .
I was not surprised it would start... c'mon... it's a Rolls Royce. These guys have been involved in super luxury, military, and aviation forever...they know their craft. Thank-you for filming this...I couldn't stop watching
Absolutely first class . I didn't expect you to go the whole hog and finish the project in one video but I'm very glad that you did . Thank you from yet another silver surfer.
That is one of the best 90+ minute UA-cam videos of its kind that I have seen. I see that you currently have over 1.2 million views, which is not surprising. I think many people like to watch old engines being brought back to life, but then you added Rolls-Royce to the title, well that adds a lot more expectation as everyone wants to know if the RR reputation on quality means that it could still run, despite the ravages of 70 years spent in a crate. Your meticulous manner mixed with "make do and mend" was great entertainment. Oh, and your German Shepherd was also a star. Well done and I hope you find a future for the engine, especially one where it is put into use.
I just love how there are no plastic parts in sight - with the exception of the bakelite parts used for electrical insulation in the distributor etc. Can you imagine putting a modern engine - built up like this one, into a crate and leaving it 70 years? Every plastic pipe and fitting would crumble just by sneezing on them. Really like the engineering that went into building this engine, along with the great care they went to when packing it up. The engineering of just the starter motor was so interesting to see. And such a smooth running engine, even without an exhaust it was not that noisy. After 70 years sitting, most certainly a testament to the people that built and packed it. Really hope it finds a good home.
True, but, really, apart from for fun, why would you even want an engine from 70 years ago? 80hp from 3 litre? Not to mention the lead you need to put in the fuel! It's exhaust gases are pure poison. There are genuine good reasons why we don't make things last 70 years any more. We love these things because they were _first,_ over there commodity, well, nobody wants the engines we have today in 70 years, no more than you'd like a collection of 1980s AA batteries.
@@MostlyPennyCat Is 100% Correct. It's Heavy. It Needs Leaded Fuel And Uses A Ton Of It. Rolls-Royce Has Had Terrible Engineering, Manufacturing, And Reliability Issues From It's Inception. Read A Book Learn Some History And Stop Jerk✋ing Each Other Off Bragging About History That Is Completely Incorrect. 😮😂
I have watched so many revival videos on UA-cam where old vehicles are pulled out of forests and restored to a new life, and this one rates right up there with the best. Good job! I love it when the first start is anticipated and seeing the smoke belch out made this a great moment for you and your admirers.
What amazed me was that the dog was totally fine with the ducks,if not a little bit afraid of them. The look on its face was like ( ok now what do I do) ?
@@Muddy.Teabagger That was a big part of RRs problem at least in the consumer market, their stuff was too good and too expensive. They had (and still have) far more success in the industrial and military markets.
I'm 63... We lived half a mile from the Longbridge Austin works from 1961 to 1965. Great to see this beautiful engine firing up. So quiet with no silencer fitted! By the way, that engine in the Champ did about 12 miles per gallon.
I'm blown away by how smoothly it ran and how quiet it was with no muffler or exhaust Well done Rolls Royce and bravo good sir for bringing life to this old engine 👏
I am 74 so I was about two years old when this motor was put in a crate and it has stayed in that box for everyday and everything I have done in my whole life. Until today! That's a long time.
Might have been an Austin man,Austin built them under licence as far as we were told by vets in the early seventies when we had our beast. First saw them at Barry Butlins( Barry Buddon) with The Manchester Yeomanry in 1965. Was twelve years old !
It’s an absolute miracle that this 70 yr old ‘Brummy’ baby burst into life. It must give a lot of former retired engineers a great deal of joy to hear this old girl purr away and all credit to Hillbilly to make it happen.
I'm 79, used to drive Austin Champs when I was in the British Army serving in Germany, 1963 to 1967, amazing vehicle. The transfer box meant you had the same gearing for reverse, it'd go backwards just as fast as it'd go forwards, quite scary at ties.
As an old Army mechanic who has a bit of experience with older gas military vehicles and multifuel engines. I can attest that RR engine is a very fine example of a bulletproof engine built to run underwater is need be. Those were spark plug connectors that seal to the specific military spark plugs. Very similar to what the older Military series Jeep engines, from the earliest flatheads, to the vaunted Fhead engines, right up to the M151 Ford manufactured AWD/4x4, 4 wheel independent suspension Jeep type vehicles used in the Vietnam war era, like when I served from 73-76, that we had water fording kits, that would help seal the clutch assembly, add long intake tube and exhaust pipes to be a snorkel and exhaust stack out of the water. I personally drove underwater with a SCUBA tank and dive mask! Kinda weird the sounds you can hear the engine makes under water, like a sewing machine! I’m willing to bet if you can find all the needed accessories, you’ll be able to run that engine. That would make a great outdoor field irrigation engine. Or needed to restore one of those British 4x4 vehicles.
My Dad, god rest his soul who would be 111 years now, would have loved this, he built Ford engines in his time. I liked your patience, no whinging or bitching and your tolerance with your mate (the dog) was impressive. Enjoyed every minute.
I'd like to thank the youtube algorithm for bringing me here today. This was excessively relaxing to watch come back to life after been neglected for so long
My Dad Alex was a turbofan aero-engineer in Rolls-Royce, working on and inspecting the RB211 engine fan blades in Hillington, Glasgow after his National Service in the RFA. Thanks for sharing this revival of a brand new Rolls Royce/Austin engine and how well it was designed and made in those days. It made me think of my Dad and how he helped all those people to fly around the world. A fantastic company with an incredible history.
A testament to English engineering, when things were specced by engineers and designers, not hamstrung by bean counters. Nice to see there are still young people who can actually fix things and not just throw new parts on machinery.
It's a Rolls Royce Mr. People are not joking when they say" of course it's all right."! You have there, one of the finest engines in the World. I doubt you have any arguments regarding that now? You can now ask remium prices for it complete. Talk of dismantling it deserves a boot up your jaxie. The time and care that went into making that tells me you are just the right man to own it. Whatever you do with putting it to work will certainly reward you with years of dutiful service. Thank you very much for buying and sharing with all to see the quality of old world, top tier, tradesmanship!
I watch a lot of UA-cam videos and don't usually comment but your exploit of tackling the 70-year old Rolls-Royce crated engine was undoubtedly the best, and most enjoyable video I have ever seen. Thank you so much.
I'm just a couple years younger than that engine. I don't look that good and I don't start that easy. That is probably the smoothest 4-banger that I've ever seen. That is a real find!
I was 3 years old when that engine was assembled. I wish I was in as good shape, not bad but not "New Old Stock" shape, and I have been running since '51, so I can't honestly complain! I used to wish my cat ChiliDog would play fetch with me, but seeing what a chore that turns into, I've changed my mind and am glad all he wants is food, pets, and a warm lap! 😂
75 y/o Ex Brit here living in Canada. That’s a nice piece of post-war engineering and sounded amazing and so smooth and quiet even without any silencer hooked up to the manifold. I agree with many on here, there must be some folks in the UK who would sell there soul for this engine. Unfortunately I’m some disconnected from the UK now that I can’t suggest where to advertise it. Perhaps there is a military enthusiast publication that would for the bill. Even though shipping would be expensive, I’m sure you could find a buyer. This video is all the evidence needed to convince anyone interested of its value. No idea how you might price it either - but good luck. Please try and find a home for it. Thanks for entertaining me for the last hour and a half!
I have zero mechanical ability (maybe 0.5% of yours on a good day), so I was mesmerized by your mechanical knowledge and skill! Call me impressed to say the least. It would be ultra-cool if you could find a use for the engine rather than sell it as is or part it out. A new video on that project, should it ever come to fruition, would likely net you a few more million views and be well worth the effort!
Hello, I am in the UK and can well remember the Champs being sold off from the military auctions. A friend of mine bought one back in the 80's and to the best of my knowledge he still uses it. He often talked about the engines in crates that were sold off by military dealers, in fact he said that there were so many of the engines around at this dealer that no one knew what to do with them so customers were buying the engines for scrap just to get the crates which were more useful to them. I was told that the crates had everything supplied inside including platinum tipped sparking plugs. Back in the that time I had a small part time print business and I was given a job to reprint the Champ workshop manual. Because it was a military vehicle the document was "restricted" and I had to get permission from the M.O.D (Ministry of Defence) sorry that is the way we spell defence.. There is still a lot of enthusiasts owning and running Champs and although they worship the vehicles they were just too complicated for the military and in truth not a very good off road vehicle (although opinions do vary on that. The vehicle was heavy compared to the WW" Jeep (MB) and the Land Rover and even the Austin Gypsy. But I go on too long,, thanks for the video, really enjoyed seeing of bit of British machinery coming back too life.
Great story, but why are you apologising for the way we spell? We are after all the home of the English language. Despite my phone wanting to spell apologise the US way . .
If you've got more to add, please do. And never apologise (from now on I will use the s) for you beautiful language, I never even noticed these differences between original English and American
Without MOD permission, would you have been in violation of the Official Secrets Act? "Nice engine. Can I buy it?" "Yes." "Can I run it?" "Yes." "Can I repair it?" "Probably." "Can I get the repair manual?" "No, but I can get you some handcuffs."
I’m British now in the US. I’m 70 years old, when at college in my teens champs were available for so little money because they weren’t jeeps, lol. Wonderful engineering, contact the motor museum on Gaydon in the uk, they may just want it…. For display or use.
I was very impressed when it started. I hope it finds a home with someone who is looking for it. Run an add in the UK or try to contact a related car club. Thank you for taking me along for the ride.
Whatever you do, don’t break it down and sell it for parts. Either appreciate it for the jewel of an engine it is and that you were lucky enough to get it for next to nothing and sell to someone who can use it in an original vehicle. Truly amazing how it burst into life immediately and ran smoothly after all those years.
He's got a fully function B40 engine... why would he break it down for parts? Reproduction parts are all over the web for cheap and even though someone might pine for original parts, it's gonna be harder to find someone trying to fully restore the engine to original than just sell a whole functioning B40. B40's aren't for sale anywhere online right now, have a look yourself. He can easily ask an exorbitant amount and probably get it from someone. This guy is a hustler, respect to him.
I totally agree... would be a total shame to sell a completly working engine for just parts... Find a use for it! Evben if u have to maintain it for a few months before you come up with the ideal project ^.^
Quite literally the best engine resto video on UA-cam. So great that you got this thing running. This is actually a fairly valuable engine. It would be BRILLIANT swapped into an older Land Rover series 2 or something like that. I hope you put it in something. It deserves to live a long happy life. Those are built to go the distance. Great work man!!
Hi, I spent 22 years in the British Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (REME) from 1974 to 1996. I worked on those engines a lot and the other Rolls Royce B Series engines too, particularly those fitted to the Alvis Stalwart and the Mk 1 430 Series Family of Vehicles (FoV). Enjoyed your video and I could have answered a lot of your questions and helped too had I been there. Hope you fully refurbished it and kept it. Great piece of (my) history👍🏻 Martin😉
The MoD spec'ed things well including "preservation", the ROAC did their best to look after thier stores. This could be a brand new never fitted or overhauled by a base workshop, any thoughts? On one of those many labels there would have been packing dates. All crated up and ready to be shipped to anywhere the British Army was deployed at the time to be fitted by you or one of your fellow REME collegues. I've seen vehicles, declared BER, loaded with unissued spares towed out of Bordon for use as target practice, whilst units elsewhere were crying out for these spares. Good job this survived.
I was REME too from 1976 - 1984 and worked on the same stuff along with the CVR-T series which were Jag engined. Whilst training at SEME the instructors confidently said they wouldn’t bother with the 430 series petrol engines because they’d been phased out.. my first posting had a ton of them, all petrol! 😄
@@GazzaBoo Same here! My first Germany posting in 1978 was to 1 RWF LAD in Lemgo. The whole fleet (apart from the 434s) were Mk 1 432s, obviously all B81 petrol🥴 Cheers, Martin😉
@@TheTaymount Hello, I plodded past your place many times when doing BFTs on my Tiffy course but never actually went inside to look at 9 Fd🤔 We were also part of the line up out of the TTA to wave 9 Fd off to the Falklands War, such a long time ago now. Hope you’re well whatever you’re doing now🤞🏼 Cheers, Martin😉
This definitely was some of the best 1 hr and 38 mins I've spent on YT in years. Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Time well spent I'd say. Enjoy your treasure. 😊
Usually I break up hour+ long content over a couple days, but this video was so interesting that I sat through it in one sitting, seeing how the starter worked was cool and then I didn't know distributor adjustment was that easy, really makes me want to pick up a 70s Maverick to learn more about these older engines
I am English so was proud the engine still starts and runs after 70 years. What an enjoyable video done with patience and respect to the engine 🏴🏴🏴🏴. And what a lovely dog you have 👏👏👏
I am 73 and you brought back a lot of memories. So simple and easy to work on. I wish you luck and continue to share with us like this. Ths sound of the old engine is so sweet. Subscribed and one like for you.
I’ve never in my life been interested in cars (beyond the way they drive or look) nor how they work, but for some reason it came up on my feed. I watched the entire time and was fully engaged. I’m super impressed with your skills and with the quality of the vintage RR engine. Great work!
If you haven't found someone who wants it for a restoration project, there is a farmer somewhere who has a pumping system with a worn out engine who would love this as a replacement. They run forever in an industrial application. BTW, this valve arrangement is called an "F-head". A regular flathead is called an "L-head". Great job.
I've been tempted to count how many times she hopefully drops that ball in front of Matt during each episode and post that number as a comment in each video. :)
@@redlight3932 AAAARGH -Its NOT A ROLLS its a Rolls Desighn, The engine was built in Cofton Hacket at a specificaly built plant by AUSTIN. I had one in 1972 and it stated that in the handbook for Truck 4x4 Austin Fitted FFW/CARGO.
There was a Canadian who maintained Rolls-Royce cars in Cornwall, England in the late 1940's, working for the company that had the repair franchise. He would tune and balance until he could stand a two-shilling piece on its edge on the engine block, and it would not fall over when the throttle was blipped.
I'm 72 and I also watched this with great anticipation and finally satisfaction. This engine looks and sounds to be a lot better than it had to be. A lot of engineering went into making this engine smooth with hardly any vibration.
Dude, I really do not know how I tripped onto your channel. I am a 35 year HVAC mechanic and really enjoyed watching you go through the troubleshooting process. You absolutely nailed it! It has been a challenge to teach my new pups " the art of troubleshooting " The techniques you used can be applied to ANY mechanical/electrical system or device. Bravo!! You gotta keep that engine and put it in an old military jeep someday. It is an effing Rolls Royce! Peace!
Heeeeeee, this is the RR engine of the Austin Champ. It was original a RR 4x4 but way to expensive to build. They agreed that Austin in the UK would build these 4x4 cars with independant McPerson suspension, 4 + low gear forward-backward transmission, so also 5 speed transmission backwards. These engines idle lower than a diesel and have a good torque (very long stroke). Max RPM is 3800 rpm. The ignition is FFR (Fit for Radio) and water resistant, but the ingnition cables are prone to dry out. They can be replaced with copper wire High Voltage sparkplug wires in the metal "jackets" A few of these Austin Champ models are running in de US. A friend has one one the road ant two others "to-be-fixed" and I maintain this car. This engine is a real RR design and you can see it in every detail. Have fun with it.
In 1974 I had a Champ in for service, two hours to do the dizzy and plugs which were OK but owner insisted they were changed. Great fun to drive and better than the Landy at that time. With snorkel the engine would tun underwater, it was used in the Alvis Saracen and Stalwart. That engine looks to be a RR return. Don't sell the Champ, that will out live the crap about today.
Hi. I'm an electrical engineer, not a mechanic. Not sure why this was suggested to me, but I watched the entire thing. Excellent video. Very fascinating. Cool dog too! I wish I had the intuition for engines you do. I can relate to you comfort level though, because I could open ancient electronics and find my way around the same way you do with engines. I always think it's a good idea to watch and learn from experts in other domains. I helps me gain confidence when I work on my old 1970 Ford 1000 tractor. I have to remember, don't fear the mechanical stuff! I can do the same thing with electronics, I just need more confidence in tearing mechanical systems apart. In any case, this was great with my Sunday morning coffee. Thanks!
That engine was very happy to fire right up even after all these years. "They don't make 'em like they used to." I would love to see it put in some sort of project vehicle like you suggested. I watched the whole 90 minutes and was entertained the entire time. Subscribed.
Great video I was in the British Army in the 1957 and our company used Champs and they were a lovely all terrain vehicle they could go just as fast in reverse as forward brought back old memories love your videos MATT Best Wishes Southampton England
Not surprised it ran at all. Bores looked fantastic, and the inside of the block looked great. Big deep skirt block, overbuilt distributor and manifolding, great overbuilt engineering. "A Rolls in the desert is greater than rubies." Absolutely love the adapter you made. Great ingenuity! Put that in an old Landy or Jeep, and you'd have a great rig.
Wow! The quality of each and every component in that engine speaks volumes for how Rolls Royce built their engines in that era. For example, that distributor looks like a work of mechanical art! I was smiling ear to ear when that old beauty lit off for the first time. Great job bringing her to life, Matt! Thank you for bringing us along for the ride.
@@andrewwmacfadyen6958 Is correct, but you'd not find one now, with the order quantity of Champs RR couldn't cope at the outset so Austin made them all. Matt has an easy way to find out I have remembered, 5 digit engine serial number is Austin.
Fantastic! That brought back a few memories. My dad bought an ex MOD Champ at a military auction. He owned it for many years. The motor was a peach, beautifully smooth, and almost unkillable! I seem to remember he struggled to get 15mpg. Happy days!
That’s insane!! 1940’s engine that fires up instantly for the first time in over 70 years and is so smooth running that the alligator clip wires hanging off the side of the engine don’t swing or vibrate at all with an adjusted idle. Just awesome my friend. 👍🏻😎👍🏻
Stumbled upon this video due to the "algorithm". As an old "engine oil lover" I found this video to be a real gem! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! The unwrapping, walkthrough, inspection, troubleshooting, explaination and so on. The startup was sublime! 70 yrs in cold storage and WHAM, it sprung to life just like that! Great stuff, thank you so much for making this video! It would be a pity to see it turned into a pile of spare parts. No museums etc. interested in taking this rarity off your hands? Cheers!
Absolutely completely unbelievable! I'm speechless! Beautiful! THANK YOU! After almost 2 hours I'll return to my family in case they are still around...
I'm 70 years old and this engine has been sitting longer than I've been alive. I'm so impressed at how easy it started and how quiet it was unbelievable. I'm so impressed keep up the good work
Exactly ! I’ve never heard an engine run quieter with an open exhaust with zero pipe or exhaust on it !!! STEALTH EXISTS FOR THIS BAD BOY! I live in the Midwest but I imagine the rock crawler crowd would love this one!
Well that was interesting watching a 70 year old RR engine that fired up first try after 70 years! I like the no nonsense practicality of this episode. Glad to see that you saved this motor from the scrap heap! Oh and your Shep is an awesome dog having the patience to teach you how to fetch! Enjoyed the episode.
This is one of the best UA-cam videos I have seen in a very long time. As an old motorhead, I was captivated. Thanks you brought back many motor memories.
The dog, Charlie. The star of the show 😂 And the show was totally engrossing, relaxing and very entertaining. Great job all round. Incredible that it fired up first time. What great engineering back in the day Surely it can’t be scrapped ? There must be RR engine collectors who would want a complete working engine ?
Some poor farmer in Manitoba, Canada, ordered an Austin Champ in 1954 and the engine, packaged separately, got left on the docks in Seattle. The farmer is still waiting for his engine 😢😢😢 Thanks Matt, great video 😊 Best I’ve seen in a while. 👍
facts, its literally magic, so many details to achieve the outcome... so many brillant people with so many ideas that eventually led us to this technology ... its healthy to be amazed by it all
Wow, I watched every minute of this type of video for the first time in years! It reminded me of my childhood in the garage renovating the W123 2.4 diesel, Mercedes 616 engine with my grandfather... such warm memories... and we also had a dog that was looking at us the same way. My best wishes to you and please hug your dog for me.
What ever you do with the engine keep all of us informed on it , i see alot of people saying a generator set up or welder also see a post for military museum in Australia all good options . Just don't part it out it's to good for that and as a running engine its worth alot of money .
I came here looking for a V12 merlin in a crate for 90 minutes, and stayed all the way for this one. Great to watch, and to see how well preserved. thinking it there would not be an outcome and you had no Carb...you adapted and made one ! excellent workshop skills.
Matt, that has to be one of the nicest saves ever, one thing being a rolls Royce you can be assured it was made with great detail and care and I’m not at all surprised it fired first time after all the precautionary maintenance you did first. Credit to you mate and I can’t wait for the appropriate time and project to come along that it will be the perfect donor motor for. Top job sir
My father was a mechanical engineer I have pictures of him working on similar engines as a young student in early 60s. Felt kind of sad and nostalgic while watching this
That "breather" on the distributor is to vent ozone that is created do to the spark at the points. Ozone is highly reactive and can cause electronic points an materials to break down. Many enclose relays and contactors have tiny vent holds for this purpose. These holes can get clogged causing the contacts to wear early.
This was a most enjoyable video, It took me back a few years(60) to when I was serving in the artillery in BAOR , the Regiment used Champs at the time and they could go as fast in reverse as forward gears, this proved useful for a pal of mine who drove one of them, "chauffeuring" one of the Officers. We were on a live firing exercise on Lunenberg/Hohne ranges and they somehow "strayed" into the impact area, just as the eight inch guns fired a salvo. The first round exploded about 100 yards ahead of them on the track, he stopped the champ dead and stuck it in reverse and hit the loud peddle, he must have been doing 65/70 mph as the rest of the 8" salvo chased them down the track. Interesting times.
i lernt to drive in one in the late 60s , i was just a kid 10 years old , in a local airfeild it was being used as a fire truck hauling a small pump . it was as sweet as a nut even then , what he has there is a bit of british history , he sould contact Rolls Royce and send this video , i did sujest to him as such , that engine is something else , fired first time too in 70 years . sheeesh .
Excellent Video. You are to be commended for your step by step restoration of this engine. The fact it started so immediately is a demonstration of RR's engineering. DO NOT strip down for parts. If you don't find a use for it I am sure there are many people who would give their eye teeth for this magnificent example of this working engine with ZERO h\Hours/Miles on it. If properly serviced and maintained the engine will last you decades. My suggestion for future use is: 1. Install in a 4wd vehicle. 2. Use to drive a Generator or Pump (water). 3. Use to drive a water Pump (for fire or irrigation). I am 73 from Australia and have been around engines of all types all my life and this a Gem. (John)
I just spend 98 minutes watching a guy revive a 70 year old NOS engine and felt superbly entertained the entire time.
No short attention span here.
me too! 🙂
me too
One of the coolest videos I've seen in a while! Very enjoyable for an old gearhead like me.
likewise , but I did use the playback speed of 1.5 to rush it a little
Me too! Extremely impressed by your ability to figure things out
Let’s all be honest…seeing the dog continually dropping the fetch toy was funny as hell!!
Dogged determination at work here on both man and beast.
I love dogs, but that dog thinks he's number one and that constant fetch does my head in...
I have a female German Shepherd - aways bothering me with the ball and won't take no for an answer.
Charlie is persistent! And it pays off some of the time…
@@gregculverwell mine just wants to be petted, she'll reach up and put her claws on my arm and bark a little if I stop too soon.
Most of the people who designed and built this engine are dead now, but we marvel at their workmanship that has stood the test of time and neglect. LEGACY!
And putting the spark gap on the head cover! GENIUS! Why ain't that a thing now?
@@lazygamerz Rolls Royce should still have all the records for ex military engines.
As you saw the great sealed spark plugs you got an idea what real engineers in the past figured and thought out ..
BE CAREFUL .. it is all BSW NUTS AND THREADS !!!!!!!
@@lazygamerz All they do now is plug to a computer, find the faulty module and tell you how many thousands of dollars to replace it.
All of the people
I am a 73 year old motor mechanic who did my apprenticeship on Austin cars and trucks and frequently worked on and rebuilt these engines. It did not surprise me when it fired up on the first crank. These were such reliable and well engineered engines plus it would have been test run in the factory before shipping. You did a great job on your pre start up inspection, and as they used to say, if you have fuel, spark and compression, it must run. Great video, thanks for the memories.
I am a 70 year old retired mechanic and get so annoyed when I see people start up an engine that has not run or years without even changing the oil. But you my friend went through and checked most everything you could before trying to start the old girl. well done mate.
Super glad that Rolls was lucky to avoid scrappig. Its a beautiful and thoughtful bit of engineering seldom seen today.
Hey maybe he changed oil off camera...or if not it's his engines ....no worries...😂
@@hokehinson5987 maybe you should have read the blokes whole comment before being a dick with your comment... He actually congratulated him for doing everything he could...
Why are you looking at being so aggressive?
I'm in England and anyone over here would have thought we'd hit the jackpot to find that motor... So much better chance of finding good bits in America.
Interesting video and the German shepherd is a beautiful dog. 👍
@@brookcampbell6838 He wasn't being aggressive, just didn't read it correctly, probably not a native English speaker.. especially considering the name
I'm 79 now and I did my apprenticeship with Rolls Royce Crew, these engines were not only installed in Champs, but various versions went in cars, tow wagons.
Whilst I was employed at crew Austin had a contract to make these engines which went in various lorrys, but Rolls Royce were still supplying engines to the UK Army, Australian armed forces and the new zealand army, some of the 8 cylinder engines were installed in the M113 armored personnel carriers and FV101 Scorpions.
The goop and marks inside the engine is a spray protective compound to keep the engine protected whilst in storage, you should run a flushing oil through the system before starting it.
The 4, 6 and 8 cylinder engines are extremely quiet and reliable engines which were built to the highest of standards.
The slight carbon above the engine is from where they run, test and tune the engines before boxing them up for delivery.
Amazing information, and we can clearly see that the protective compound has worked!
There's a chap in UK got UA-cam channel he might be able to tell you where you can get parts from he rebuilds old tanks channel is Mr Hewes
I would like to ask if the paper found at the bottom of the oil pan @ 41:53, was a wrapper/cover for the oil sump head. Maybe for engines slated for the crate?
Awesome to hear from someone with firsthand experience of these engines.
But why are all cylinder walls covered with many small caverns or holes? And scratches also. Afaik, cylinder walls should be smooth like a glass.
Honestly, building the smoothest running Jeep with water proof Rolls Royce engine parts sounds pretty neat!
*Plot twist: It's a Merlin, and it's going in the Corolla!*
@@1nvisible1
🤣🤣🤣
funny thing is modern engines can be way smoother with all our crazy cnc tech. I'd say a typical engine would be on par with an old engine like this, but a modern RR engine is probably crazy with the new tech and money they can pour into focusing on that
@@partickstar1135 RR don't make car engines any more, they use BMW engines.
I wonder if this out of an Austin Champ? I know that they had Rolls Royce engines.
No music. Not BS. Just a guy with his dog working on an engine. Why can’t all YT just be this?
This is the best video I’ve ever seen on UA-cam, and I watch a LOT of UA-cam.
and no cam shaking , the whole time and run around with it !!!!
Me, too.
Me, too!
You bet MATE!
*Put a **_"Hemi"_** in that crate!*
yup, the dog was the icing on the cake with his pinecone lol
I am an old fart who used to tinker in the ancient past when I was about your age. First off...it's so good to see a young man who knows his way around tools and engines and has commonsense and is inquisitive enough to fix things he hasn't encountered at all. If God had gifted me a son I would have loved for him to have this sort of patience and mechanical ability.
I watched this video just by chance. I was checking on another video before settling down for the night watching a documentary before hitting the sack when I happened upon your video and I started watching. I was hooked after the first minute or two. I also fell in love with your dog. He looks like such a sweet soul...so kind to those ducklings and always bringing you something to play catch with. They are the signs of a once-in-a-lifetime dog...love him as much as you can.
Now, me being an Aussie (and Australians being closer to the "mother country" than our US cousins) means I am a little familiar with this engine. You lucked out big time if you only paid scrap value for this proud old hunk of RR iron. These engines are as tough as nails and will easily do hundreds of thousands of miles. Unlike other British engines they are not prone to needing valve grinds around the thirty thousand mile mark. These are honest, hardworking engines designed not to fail but they are thirsty. Beware using any Lucas parts for any of the electrics. Lucas made crap back in the day. If you can substitute Delco or any other US or Japanese parts then do so.
I wouldn't scrap the engine for parts. You could attempt to use it in a kit car or some sort of Jeep but the power output is not that great (although torque is very good). A lot of folks used these engines to create their own AC generators. Yes, I know diesel is more popular for power generators but this old baby will work forever given good fuel and a quality oil (20w/30 or even 20w/50 but make sure it is suitable for older engines). So if I were you I'd use this old engine to create an emergency generator which will be reliable, cost effective and last longer than me and your combined. My best wishes to you and please hug your dog for me. 😀
I was wondering when he was going to realise there was no cooling system
Very well said ,,, love it,,,,,,,,
I upvoted because it feels you are the person I could listen to, talking about old times.
AMEN TO TRUTH !!!!!
Top comment. Gen Z wouldn't have the patience to watch this vlog nevermind read this comment.
I love how people say "nobody has an attention span these days", meanwhile some of the most viewed stuff on UA-cam is over an hour. We have attention for interesting and unique things.
Interest is always the main factor, if you're interested you can stay attentive for a long time no matter who you are.
It also helps to watch the video on 2x speed!
Which is based on what? The view count, that only requires a person watching briefly to count, or do you have access to video analytics saying the vast majority didn't fuck off at some point?
Because gen z are a minority compared to other generations at the moment.
These engines were used in vehicles like the "Austin Champ (FV1801)," "Land Rover Series I," and even the "Alvis Saracen."
This channel is an easy sub: no nonsense, no stupid music, just technique, tools, and tech talk.
Exactly! Also no 12 part series, everything from start to finish in one video
@@frederic604
he literally just did a 12 part series
@@realist7239I almost never subscribe, but got sucked in
Respect.
@@buddhabeach9666
i thought about it
I stumbled on this before going to bed and watched every minute of this video from midnight onwards. I am from NZ and I thought this guy was actually a kiwi for quite a while. Even his accent. The german shepherd playing fetch 24/7 brought back memories, his laid back attitude and I even thought by the scenery it was NZ! This guy looks just like my brother who loves working on cars every minute possible and my father was a mechanic also. I am no mechanic but I loved every minute of this. I grew up around old Chevys and Fords and everything you can think of and worked with my dad in his garage and pumped gas on the weekends and holidays when I was still at school. This guy is a classic type of real man that I can respect for his troubleshooting ability and cool attitude and just loving engines. My dad was a great mechanic who could fix anything and I mean any machine that came his way. Great memories watching this. Reminds me of dad who is 80 yrs old now.
Kia Ora - he kiwi kanata ahua !
Holy crap! The way that fired up first try after sitting 70 years was nothing short of amazing!!!
2 words - "Rolls" and "Royce"
This comment popped up midway through the video... Im still watching through the end😂
I really enjoyed that ..great work!!
Beautiful engine.
Not really,not for a B series Rolls desighned military engine,built by competant craftsmen,as was the norm then
You just made a British man really proud. Thankyou for bringing her back to life.
TO BAD THE YOUNGER GENERATION DOESNT HAVE THIS KNOLAGE.
@@Knape-vz5ml or the ability to spell, am I right?
@@AmongUs-mb4qxwho gives af it don't make a dam no how u hear probably don't speak good English like a spelin b champ like yourself that gets all the arse cause he won the spelin b made him & it made all the gals jus fall on they knees 4u & beggin which 1 gonna give u some 🧠 1st save some 4tha rest of us now u hear now get on.... GET!!!!
😊😊⁰@@Knape-vz5ml
@@Knape-vz5mlThe younger generations had the "Knowledge" to invent Wi-fi... and spell check 😂
There's an old vintage restorer in Great Britain crying in his many pints of bitter over this, because, this engine is just what he's looking for.
A. Bitters. . .yuck. Tried it, hated it.
B. Awesome idea. Put the two of them in contact with each other. 🙂
Hi it’s bitter not bitters Lola d these RR engines are two a penny over here in the uk………….. joking that’s as rare as hens teeth and worth a fortune to the right guy 👍
@@dord1954 Multiples.
British men cry so easily, because they are British.
They need to be standing infront of their buddies and or drunk to act tough.
The Champ was superior to the LandRover in my opinion.
Probably too good, they were very solidly built.
They also use unleaded fuel without a problem being designed to run on sketchy m.o.d fuel.
Lovely smooth understressed unit, mostly built by Austin.
1:29:17 and Grinning from ear to ear as she splutters to life in a cloud of grey smoke and settles into a steady purr.. ❤ just magnificent!! Sat in neglect and ruin for a lifetime until called upon to do its job an fires right up first time.. that's a testament to quality engineering right there.. this was the best and most well spent hour and a half of my day.. thank you
Someone in England with an Austin champ with a bad engine, is probably drooling over this video 😁 what a find, thanks for rescuing it
this
We have them in Australia too. A friend's uncle was a car hoarder and had a 4wd army truck with the 6 cylinder version. Truck was really straight clean and rust free sitting undercover.
Nice one Matt. Rolls Royce lives up to it’s reputation for class engineering. Thank you for the video
@@johnjordan4647 The actual engineering was done by Austin though.
@@uncletiggermclaren7592 but would never have been built unless Mr Rolls and Mr Royce rubber stamped it , and they had to be perfect .
Are you crazy? This is gold! Did you notice - that this engine has 0 vibration - none at all. That is what I learned even as a kid - that Rolls engines are absolutely superbly balanced crankshafts and everything else which results in no vibration at all
Just like a rolls Royce auto. Sadly every cost to the dealer is 5-10k, so, it’s junk
Rolls Royce..best engine in the world man..never heard of the famous "merlin engine"..by the way they're English not British
@@LowEnd31st And how many times have you brought YOURS to the dealer?
@@bradhiggins4813 18x
so did my Chevy 8 cylinder Malibu engine. You would not knw it was running without looking at the fan belt. It was that well balanced. That car cost me less than $1000 in April 1974. It was all i could afford at the time.
Does any one else see the irony in the fact that a brand new fuel filter from 21 century is buggered ,but a 70 plus year old engine fires straight up.... 🤔😂😎🇦🇺👌
Filter from China, engine from UK.
@joehirschegger7723 I think its more in line with this engine being a specific military variant. But maybe I'm wrong. I'd also think the consumer has willingly played a role in allowing inferior products to persist. People will complain about the item as they're buying it. Says a lot about where consumer standards really are too.
@@joehirschegger7723model anything from UK will be a disaster 😂
@@IHWKR This wasnt a specific military variant. It is simply that at the time, these motors were built to a quality and standard that isnt seen today. Each one was ran, tested, and tuned before delivery and was goated on the inside with a gel to protect them in storage. They were hand built to be quiet and reliable and of the utmost quality. People are not to blame for the standards set in manufacturing, modern companies lower quality and raise prices but it doesnt change the fact that people still need a car, still need to get to work, so youll pay.
@@joehirschegger7723 everything you use is made in china lmfao bro take the L
Vacuum tube to the distributor is for "vacuum advance." It shifts firing timing up proportional to RPMs.
Vacuum advance is load dependent not rpm controlled thats controlled by the bob weights .
@@TheGranty1739 His reference was vacuum. RPM's up equals more vacuum. I'm just thinking of the two varieties Bosch used, Vacuum Advance , and then centrifugal advance. I've not come to it in the video, just reading through the comments.
@@paulj0557tonehead The vacuum seen by the vac advance unit depends on throttle position .
@@TheGranty1739 Sure, on vacuum advance diaphragms it depends on throttle position because more throttle increases vacuum in the engines intake manifold, and that in turn pulls more vacuum through the small hose between the intake manifold and the vacuum advance diaphragm.
Hi Matt. I'm in Australia and excitedly recognized this motor straight away. A friend of mine has an Austin Champ with one of these engines, though now in storage. His father bought the Champ 40 or so years ago. I did some repairs and servicing, and we took it on some 4x4 trips with the local Land Rover Club. The Champ was built the same as the engine.... over engineered, but that's another story. I thought you may be interested to know what some of the spare pipes were for. Just in front of your oil pressure gauge you will notice a couple of large clamps. These held on the generator. This was an impressive piece of engineering. It served as both a generator and air pump. The air pump was at the back of the generator. It pumped air which was drawn from the air filter (also in a sealed brass housing) through the electrics and breather pipes to and from the coil, distributor and junction box. It had a 2 speed (planetary I assume) gear set behind the pulley which actuated centrifugally. At idle, it was geared up to ensure it spun fast enough to do its job, and when the revs were increased changed gear to slow the generator down so it didn't explode from spinning too fast. It sounded really tough listening to that genny changing gear as we revved it and backed off lol. This air pump (along with the unique spark plugs) when coupled with an air snorkel allowed the Champ to literally be driven under water! On close inspection, you should also see that the engine fan has a clutch incorporated to allow it to slip when under water and minimize drag on the crankshaft. As for the engine's performance, being red lined at 3700rpm or there abouts it had very poor highway speed, if I recall correctly, it struggled to do much more than 50mph (80kph). But in the bush it was unstoppable. These engines run sweet as a nut thanks to the long stroke and enormously heavy flywheel. The way yours started didn't surprise me a bit. Also, did you notice the distributor rotor has a rev limiter incorporated in it?
I am super happy I read your comment after watching this and wondering about what the tubes were for I never would have imagined the generator also being an air pump that's amazing! Thank you so much! Sounds like the Austin's this motor was made for would be a beast of a 4x4
@@boothby18 Glad I could be helpful. Indeed, a quick Google/UA-cam should bring you videos of the Austin being driven underwater!
I have a Champ as well. it was my father's he bought it when i was maybe 8 years old and we spent so many years tearing it down to the frame, sandblasting every bit of rust and puting it all back together, when he passed away I was able to secure the Champ and she's sitting in my garage now. been having issues getting her running again since it was sitting in storage for so long. I think it's a spark issue though, this video gave me new idea's to troubleshoot
I was amazed when that engine burst into life so easily. A testament to Rolls Royce, whoever prepared it for storage and to you for your careful preparatory work. Really impressive.
Not really, this is pretty poorly stored. A friend of mine is a ww2 reenactor and his group won at auction a whole shipping container full of jeeps an original ww2 container that was apparently abandoned or forgotten on the dock not sure. The container was almost all rust, and starting to fall apart. But inside the jeeps where perfect engines and all. They used to be flat packed for transport to Europe with the tires and stuff taken off. This was 2015 or so this thing had been next to salt water for however many decades and the jeeps inside where perfect.
Nice find.
Engines are really simple not sure why it’s a surprise
@@TheMainLead They were 70 years ago. Now a days there's too tight tolerances, perishable materials and electronic gremlins.
@@Pow3llMorgan the basic engine hasn’t really changed for industrial applications like this. But yes modern engines are more complicated than engines from the 1950s
Who else smiled like a little kid when they saw that first puff of smoke coming out the exhaust port? I didn't knew your channel, and i've been sitting here for the past hour and a half enjoying your work. Great job. subscribed.
Same here
Yessir! I’m sure someone here in the states desperately needs that engine for their project, and would love to have it….
Yep… though I read this before that part, so guess I was kinda primed 😋
I cracked out a huge grin when it settled into a soft idle, with no vibration and quiet as hell, which was especially inpressive considering it has no exhaust fitted.
@@simondgie1exact same here! So cool.
Loving the dog not giving a single F about your engine. He just wants to bring back that filter mesh to you to fetch again
love your dog
One of the coolest will it run videos I've ever seen on UA-cam.
Yes indeed!
*37.00 was a good price for an engine.*
Amen to that !!
Now that is impressive! A testament both to the engineers who designed, built and mothballed it and to the very skilled mechanic who took it out of a crate 70 years later and got it to start first time.
Amazing
I second that!
It’s a Rolls Royce engine it is quality.
@@gerrard4215 i will 3rd it
It's English. They are designed to leak any liquid that they need to run on.
I worked for Jaguar in the 90's. They leaked everywhere. Normal.
Great job.
What are you going to put it in?
I love the Doggo, constantly showing up in frame and expectantly dropping his toy to be thrown
These engines were used in vehicles like the "Austin Champ (FV1801)," "Land Rover Series I," and even the "Alvis Saracen."
I agree, the guy working on the engine is still taking time to play with his dog. So cool!
The dog should take priority. Throwing the ball is part of his contract !
He just wanna have fun
A true testament to the build quality of those times, but moreover to a relatively young man patiently and carefully reviving an old foreign engine while playing with his dog!
I hope that whoever designed this engine was looking down on you beaming with pride!
It was a pleasure to watch…thank you!
Showed this to my 88yr old father, he drove the Champ while in the Transport Corps in Cyprus during the Suez Crisis, he remembered it well. Says it was great to drive, much better than the Land Rovers they had there at the time. He joked that the four reverse gears were so you could get away from the enemy as fast as possible if need be. :)
Thank you to youre 88 yearold father . i also lernt to drive in one when i was a 10 yearold kid in a small airfeild in Northern Ireland , just goes to show you , even a kid can drive one .
My Dad used to drive the Champ on the gunnery ranges when he was in the Royal Artillery.
He loved them👍
Brilliant on so many levels. I bestow you the title of full Redneck.
That was not a joke !
I was not surprised it would start... c'mon... it's a Rolls Royce. These guys have been involved in super luxury, military, and aviation forever...they know their craft. Thank-you for filming this...I couldn't stop watching
Thank you for your no nonsense approach, no annoying music, gimmicky effects or forced humour. You got a subscriber!
Yes, but unforced humour is pretty good... cue the dog coming in with another doggy toy for the Master to throw!
Ditto
Absolutely first class . I didn't expect you to go the whole hog and finish the project in one video but I'm very glad that you did .
Thank you from yet another silver surfer.
That is one of the best 90+ minute UA-cam videos of its kind that I have seen. I see that you currently have over 1.2 million views, which is not surprising. I think many people like to watch old engines being brought back to life, but then you added Rolls-Royce to the title, well that adds a lot more expectation as everyone wants to know if the RR reputation on quality means that it could still run, despite the ravages of 70 years spent in a crate. Your meticulous manner mixed with "make do and mend" was great entertainment. Oh, and your German Shepherd was also a star. Well done and I hope you find a future for the engine, especially one where it is put into use.
I just love how there are no plastic parts in sight - with the exception of the bakelite parts used for electrical insulation in the distributor etc. Can you imagine putting a modern engine - built up like this one, into a crate and leaving it 70 years? Every plastic pipe and fitting would crumble just by sneezing on them. Really like the engineering that went into building this engine, along with the great care they went to when packing it up. The engineering of just the starter motor was so interesting to see. And such a smooth running engine, even without an exhaust it was not that noisy. After 70 years sitting, most certainly a testament to the people that built and packed it. Really hope it finds a good home.
Yup, true blue old school.
British engineering at its finest.
True, but, really, apart from for fun, why would you even want an engine from 70 years ago?
80hp from 3 litre?
Not to mention the lead you need to put in the fuel!
It's exhaust gases are pure poison.
There are genuine good reasons why we don't make things last 70 years any more.
We love these things because they were _first,_ over there commodity, well, nobody wants the engines we have today in 70 years, no more than you'd like a collection of 1980s AA batteries.
@@MostlyPennyCat I would think it's rightful home would be in a vehicle from that era that is being restored. That is the future I hope it sees.
@@MostlyPennyCat Is 100% Correct. It's Heavy. It Needs Leaded Fuel And Uses A Ton Of It. Rolls-Royce Has Had Terrible Engineering, Manufacturing, And Reliability Issues From It's Inception. Read A Book Learn Some History And Stop Jerk✋ing Each Other Off Bragging About History That Is Completely Incorrect. 😮😂
No man has ever spent a more relaxed and content hour and 37 minutes than I just have. Thank you very much. Salute from Ireland 🇮🇪
Agreed. My only problem were the constant "vote for awesome Joe" commercials. Ohh the torture of American election years.
Dog: ball?
@@CharlesYuditsky don’t worry, your friends will write in Hunter Biden…
These engines were used in vehicles like the "Austin Champ (FV1801)," "Land Rover Series I," and even the "Alvis Saracen."
@@CharlesYuditsky What commercials? I have paid for no commercials 😄
I have watched so many revival videos on UA-cam where old vehicles are pulled out of forests and restored to a new life, and this one rates right up there with the best. Good job! I love it when the first start is anticipated and seeing the smoke belch out made this a great moment for you and your admirers.
I love how the dog keeps bring the ball over as all it cares about is play time. What a cute pup
same, it's adorable 🙂
The way the dog is friendly with the ducklings is also adorable.
Yep, and does everything to drop that ball thing in the most dangerous and/or inconvenient place possible
PLAY with me!!!🐶
What amazed me was that the dog was totally fine with the ducks,if not a little bit afraid of them. The look on its face was like ( ok now what do I do) ?
It's strange how no one in the UK is surprised it started 'right up' - It's a Rolls-Royce engine!
True. I was also not surprised by the lack of rust.
My thought exactly when in started up first time
🏴
well over 80% off all the Rolls-Royce cars made are still on the road so nope not at all. they seem to make some good cars back in the day.
@@Muddy.Teabagger That was a big part of RRs problem at least in the consumer market, their stuff was too good and too expensive. They had (and still have) far more success in the industrial and military markets.
This is why i like old engines, you can put them and wire them up in anything. No computers and sensors to fight with ❤
I'm 63... We lived half a mile from the Longbridge Austin works from 1961 to 1965. Great to see this beautiful engine firing up. So quiet with no silencer fitted!
By the way, that engine in the Champ did about 12 miles per gallon.
I'm blown away by how smoothly it ran and how quiet it was with no muffler or exhaust
Well done Rolls Royce and bravo good sir for bringing life to this old engine 👏
I am 74 so I was about two years old when this motor was put in a crate and it has stayed in that box for everyday and everything I have done in my whole life. Until today! That's a long time.
She was frozen in time and finally living her best life.
@@The_Gallowglass Runs like a Champ!
The RR man who built this engine has likely passed, but his family should be proud of his work.
Might have been an Austin man,Austin built them under licence as far as we were told by vets in the early seventies when we had our beast. First saw them at Barry Butlins( Barry Buddon) with The Manchester Yeomanry in 1965. Was twelve years old !
Dumb thought
It’s an absolute miracle that this 70 yr old ‘Brummy’ baby burst into life. It must give a lot of former retired engineers a great deal of joy to hear this old girl purr away and all credit to Hillbilly to make it happen.
Might actually be possible to trace the fitter who assembled it, if the Austin records were archived.
This engine was built by Austin.
I'm 79, used to drive Austin Champs when I was in the British Army serving in Germany, 1963 to 1967, amazing vehicle. The transfer box meant you had the same gearing for reverse, it'd go backwards just as fast as it'd go forwards, quite scary at ties.
As an old Army mechanic who has a bit of experience with older gas military vehicles and multifuel engines. I can attest that RR engine is a very fine example of a bulletproof engine built to run underwater is need be. Those were spark plug connectors that seal to the specific military spark plugs. Very similar to what the older Military series Jeep engines, from the earliest flatheads, to the vaunted Fhead engines, right up to the M151 Ford manufactured AWD/4x4, 4 wheel independent suspension Jeep type vehicles used in the Vietnam war era, like when I served from 73-76, that we had water fording kits, that would help seal the clutch assembly, add long intake tube and exhaust pipes to be a snorkel and exhaust stack out of the water. I personally drove underwater with a SCUBA tank and dive mask! Kinda weird the sounds you can hear the engine makes under water, like a sewing machine! I’m willing to bet if you can find all the needed accessories, you’ll be able to run that engine. That would make a great outdoor field irrigation engine. Or needed to restore one of those British 4x4 vehicles.
My Dad, god rest his soul who would be 111 years now, would have loved this, he built Ford engines in his time. I liked your patience, no whinging or bitching and your tolerance with your mate (the dog) was impressive. Enjoyed every minute.
I'd like to thank the youtube algorithm for bringing me here today.
This was excessively relaxing to watch come back to life after been neglected for so long
every now and then the shitty yt algorithm gets it right!
And now you are bumping up the algorithm for this channel with your comment. And now, so am I.
I agree, great job
My Dad Alex was a turbofan aero-engineer in Rolls-Royce, working on and inspecting the RB211 engine fan blades in Hillington, Glasgow after his National Service in the RFA. Thanks for sharing this revival of a brand new Rolls Royce/Austin engine and how well it was designed and made in those days. It made me think of my Dad and how he helped all those people to fly around the world. A fantastic company with an incredible history.
This was a fine example of precision engine building and an experienced mechanic with years of wisdom. Very good video to watch for Father’s Day
Fathers Day is technically Motherfuckers Day
A testament to English engineering, when things were specced by engineers and designers, not hamstrung by bean counters. Nice to see there are still young people who can actually fix things and not just throw new parts on machinery.
It's a Rolls Royce Mr. People are not joking when they say" of course it's all right."! You have there, one of the finest engines in the World. I doubt you have any arguments regarding that now? You can now ask remium prices for it complete. Talk of dismantling it deserves a boot up your jaxie. The time and care that went into making that tells me you are just the right man to own it. Whatever you do with putting it to work will certainly reward you with years of dutiful service. Thank you very much for buying and sharing with all to see the quality of old world, top tier, tradesmanship!
I watch a lot of UA-cam videos and don't usually comment but your exploit of tackling the 70-year old Rolls-Royce crated engine was undoubtedly the best, and most enjoyable video I have ever seen. Thank you so much.
I'm just a couple years younger than that engine. I don't look that good and I don't start that easy. That is probably the smoothest 4-banger that I've ever seen. That is a real find!
I’m a couple of years older and it runs a lot better than me 😬
Me too. That engine was three years old then I was born; I don't look that good, start that easy or run that smoothly!
And I'm the same age of that motor.
Getting older is more likely being a two stroke. I can't remember the cycles - is it fart and sneeze or sneeze and fart..?
I was 3 years old when that engine was assembled. I wish I was in as good shape, not bad but not "New Old Stock" shape, and I have been running since '51, so I can't honestly complain! I used to wish my cat ChiliDog would play fetch with me, but seeing what a chore that turns into, I've changed my mind and am glad all he wants is food, pets, and a warm lap! 😂
75 y/o Ex Brit here living in Canada. That’s a nice piece of post-war engineering and sounded amazing and so smooth and quiet even without any silencer hooked up to the manifold. I agree with many on here, there must be some folks in the UK who would sell there soul for this engine. Unfortunately I’m some disconnected from the UK now that I can’t suggest where to advertise it. Perhaps there is a military enthusiast publication that would for the bill. Even though shipping would be expensive, I’m sure you could find a buyer. This video is all the evidence needed to convince anyone interested of its value. No idea how you might price it either - but good luck. Please try and find a home for it. Thanks for entertaining me for the last hour and a half!
Seeing it becoming alive immediately brought tears to my eyes, this engine was waiting for sooooo long to come alive
I have zero mechanical ability (maybe 0.5% of yours on a good day), so I was mesmerized by your mechanical knowledge and skill! Call me impressed to say the least. It would be ultra-cool if you could find a use for the engine rather than sell it as is or part it out. A new video on that project, should it ever come to fruition, would likely net you a few more million views and be well worth the effort!
Hello, I am in the UK and can well remember the Champs being sold off from the military auctions. A friend of mine bought one back in the 80's and to the best of my knowledge he still uses it. He often talked about the engines in crates that were sold off by military dealers, in fact he said that there were so many of the engines around at this dealer that no one knew what to do with them so customers were buying the engines for scrap just to get the crates which were more useful to them. I was told that the crates had everything supplied inside including platinum tipped sparking plugs. Back in the that time I had a small part time print business and I was given a job to reprint the Champ workshop manual. Because it was a military vehicle the document was "restricted" and I had to get permission from the M.O.D (Ministry of Defence) sorry that is the way we spell defence.. There is still a lot of enthusiasts owning and running Champs and although they worship the vehicles they were just too complicated for the military and in truth not a very good off road vehicle (although opinions do vary on that. The vehicle was heavy compared to the WW" Jeep (MB) and the Land Rover and even the Austin Gypsy. But I go on too long,, thanks for the video, really enjoyed seeing of bit of British machinery coming back too life.
Great story, but why are you apologising for the way we spell? We are after all the home of the English language. Despite my phone wanting to spell apologise the US way . .
If you've got more to add, please do. And never apologise (from now on I will use the s) for you beautiful language, I never even noticed these differences between original English and American
@@Iaintwoke hahahahahahah
Without MOD permission, would you have been in violation of the Official Secrets Act?
"Nice engine. Can I buy it?"
"Yes."
"Can I run it?"
"Yes."
"Can I repair it?"
"Probably."
"Can I get the repair manual?"
"No, but I can get you some handcuffs."
I’m British now in the US. I’m 70 years old, when at college in my teens champs were available for so little money because they weren’t jeeps, lol. Wonderful engineering, contact the motor museum on Gaydon in the uk, they may just want it…. For display or use.
I was very impressed when it started. I hope it finds a home with someone who is looking for it. Run an add in the UK or try to contact a related car club. Thank you for taking me along for the ride.
I didn't expect it to start, let alone on the first crank! What an impressive motor, they don't make them like that anymore.
Whatever you do, don’t break it down and sell it for parts. Either appreciate it for the jewel of an engine it is and that you were lucky enough to get it for next to nothing and sell to someone who can use it in an original vehicle. Truly amazing how it burst into life immediately and ran smoothly after all those years.
He's got a fully function B40 engine... why would he break it down for parts?
Reproduction parts are all over the web for cheap and even though someone might pine for original parts, it's gonna be harder to find someone trying to fully restore the engine to original than just sell a whole functioning B40.
B40's aren't for sale anywhere online right now, have a look yourself. He can easily ask an exorbitant amount and probably get it from someone. This guy is a hustler, respect to him.
I totally agree... would be a total shame to sell a completly working engine for just parts... Find a use for it! Evben if u have to maintain it for a few months before you come up with the ideal project ^.^
I said it before you did.
Best thing is for you to resale to knowledgeable military people
I 110% agree with this statement 🙂
Quite literally the best engine resto video on UA-cam. So great that you got this thing running. This is actually a fairly valuable engine. It would be BRILLIANT swapped into an older Land Rover series 2 or something like that. I hope you put it in something. It deserves to live a long happy life. Those are built to go the distance. Great work man!!
I’m so glad you saved this piece of history. It would have been almost criminal to have it scrapped. Nice work.
Hi, I spent 22 years in the British Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (REME) from 1974 to 1996. I worked on those engines a lot and the other Rolls Royce B Series engines too, particularly those fitted to the Alvis Stalwart and the Mk 1 430 Series Family of Vehicles (FoV). Enjoyed your video and I could have answered a lot of your questions and helped too had I been there. Hope you fully refurbished it and kept it. Great piece of (my) history👍🏻 Martin😉
The MoD spec'ed things well including "preservation", the ROAC did their best to look after thier stores. This could be a brand new never fitted or overhauled by a base workshop, any thoughts? On one of those many labels there would have been packing dates. All crated up and ready to be shipped to anywhere the British Army was deployed at the time to be fitted by you or one of your fellow REME collegues. I've seen vehicles, declared BER, loaded with unissued spares towed out of Bordon for use as target practice, whilst units elsewhere were crying out for these spares. Good job this survived.
I was REME too from 1976 - 1984 and worked on the same stuff along with the CVR-T series which were Jag engined. Whilst training at SEME the instructors confidently said they wouldn’t bother with the 430 series petrol engines because they’d been phased out.. my first posting had a ton of them, all petrol! 😄
@@GazzaBoo Same here! My first Germany posting in 1978 was to 1 RWF LAD in Lemgo. The whole fleet (apart from the 434s) were Mk 1 432s, obviously all B81 petrol🥴 Cheers, Martin😉
I was 9 Fd Wkshps located in F Shed inside the TTA at Bordon. We had a couple of these cast units used for reclaiming as spares.
@@TheTaymount Hello, I plodded past your place many times when doing BFTs on my Tiffy course but never actually went inside to look at 9 Fd🤔 We were also part of the line up out of the TTA to wave 9 Fd off to the Falklands War, such a long time ago now. Hope you’re well whatever you’re doing now🤞🏼 Cheers, Martin😉
This definitely was some of the best 1 hr and 38 mins I've spent on YT in years. Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Time well spent I'd say. Enjoy your treasure. 😊
Usually I break up hour+ long content over a couple days, but this video was so interesting that I sat through it in one sitting, seeing how the starter worked was cool and then I didn't know distributor adjustment was that easy, really makes me want to pick up a 70s Maverick to learn more about these older engines
I am English so was proud the engine still starts and runs after 70 years. What an enjoyable video done with patience and respect to the engine 🏴🏴🏴🏴. And what a lovely dog you have 👏👏👏
I am 73 and you brought back a lot of memories. So simple and easy to work on. I wish you luck and continue to share with us like this. Ths sound of the old engine is so sweet. Subscribed and one like for you.
I’ve never in my life been interested in cars (beyond the way they drive or look) nor how they work, but for some reason it came up on my feed. I watched the entire time and was fully engaged. I’m super impressed with your skills and with the quality of the vintage RR engine. Great work!
If you haven't found someone who wants it for a restoration project, there is a farmer somewhere who has a pumping system with a worn out engine who would love this as a replacement. They run forever in an industrial application.
BTW, this valve arrangement is called an "F-head". A regular flathead is called an "L-head".
Great job.
Over 1.7 million views in less than 10 days! Dude! You struck UA-cam gold with this bad boy!! Great work!!
Man, that Charlie sure loves you. Warms my heart.
What a lovely doggo
Not as much as he loves that ball! That I assure you 😂
And we love Charlie!
I've been tempted to count how many times she hopefully drops that ball in front of Matt during each episode and post that number as a comment in each video. :)
You have a comedian named Charlie, who has made you his straight man..😂 ❤
to get a 4 cyl engine running THAT smooth is just down right impressive
my mind was blown the counter balance and timing has got to be perfect, cant expect that from anyone else besides rolls
it was even missing and it still sounded smooth
It did basically weigh a ton..
@@redlight3932 AAAARGH -Its NOT A ROLLS its a Rolls Desighn, The engine was built in Cofton Hacket at a specificaly built plant by AUSTIN. I had one in 1972 and it stated that in the handbook for Truck 4x4 Austin Fitted FFW/CARGO.
There was a Canadian who maintained Rolls-Royce cars in Cornwall, England in the late 1940's, working for the company that had the repair franchise. He would tune and balance until he could stand a two-shilling piece on its edge on the engine block, and it would not fall over when the throttle was blipped.
I'm 72 and I also watched this with great anticipation and finally satisfaction. This engine looks and sounds to be a lot better than it had to be. A lot of engineering went into making this engine smooth with hardly any vibration.
Dude, I really do not know how I tripped onto your channel. I am a 35 year HVAC mechanic and really enjoyed watching you go through the troubleshooting process. You absolutely nailed it! It has been a challenge to teach my new pups " the art of troubleshooting " The techniques you used can be applied to ANY mechanical/electrical system or device. Bravo!! You gotta keep that engine and put it in an old military jeep someday. It is an effing Rolls Royce! Peace!
Heeeeeee, this is the RR engine of the Austin Champ. It was original a RR 4x4 but way to expensive to build. They agreed that Austin in the UK would build these 4x4 cars with independant McPerson suspension, 4 + low gear forward-backward transmission, so also 5 speed transmission backwards.
These engines idle lower than a diesel and have a good torque (very long stroke). Max RPM is 3800 rpm.
The ignition is FFR (Fit for Radio) and water resistant, but the ingnition cables are prone to dry out. They can be replaced with copper wire High Voltage sparkplug wires in the metal "jackets"
A few of these Austin Champ models are running in de US.
A friend has one one the road ant two others "to-be-fixed" and I maintain this car. This engine is a real RR design and you can see it in every detail. Have fun with it.
In 1974 I had a Champ in for service, two hours to do the dizzy and plugs which were OK but owner insisted they were changed. Great fun to drive and better than the Landy at that time. With snorkel the engine would tun underwater, it was used in the Alvis Saracen and Stalwart. That engine looks to be a RR return. Don't sell the Champ, that will out live the crap about today.
"Heeee"?
Yeah what's with the Heeeeee bit 🤣
thank you very much for the badly needed information
Thanks mate! I was wondering what this engine was originally intended for! my Ex-boss has an Austin Champ
Hi. I'm an electrical engineer, not a mechanic. Not sure why this was suggested to me, but I watched the entire thing. Excellent video. Very fascinating. Cool dog too!
I wish I had the intuition for engines you do. I can relate to you comfort level though, because I could open ancient electronics and find my way around the same way you do with engines.
I always think it's a good idea to watch and learn from experts in other domains. I helps me gain confidence when I work on my old 1970 Ford 1000 tractor.
I have to remember, don't fear the mechanical stuff! I can do the same thing with electronics, I just need more confidence in tearing mechanical systems apart.
In any case, this was great with my Sunday morning coffee. Thanks!
Me too. Same issue. Than I found "Mr Carlson's Lab" on UA-cam. Fabulous channel. You will enjoy it.
That engine was very happy to fire right up even after all these years. "They don't make 'em like they used to." I would love to see it put in some sort of project vehicle like you suggested. I watched the whole 90 minutes and was entertained the entire time. Subscribed.
Great video I was in the British Army in the 1957 and our company used Champs and they were a lovely all terrain vehicle they could go just as fast in reverse as forward brought back old memories love your videos MATT Best Wishes Southampton England
Hey why don't you look around in England there and see if there's any groups that would want that engine and tell Matt about it
Ok, I have 1 question....... Why?!
5 speeds in reverse, "were not retreating lads, were advancing to the rear." 😂
@@darylhudson777 i would contact like Jay Leno's garage to see if they want a new engine for one of their cars
@@danhard8440
Mr Hewes sent one of his lads over to the US to fix a 🇬🇧 Chieftain tank .. they also used these in light armoured cards.
Not surprised it ran at all. Bores looked fantastic, and the inside of the block looked great. Big deep skirt block, overbuilt distributor and manifolding, great overbuilt engineering. "A Rolls in the desert is greater than rubies."
Absolutely love the adapter you made. Great ingenuity! Put that in an old Landy or Jeep, and you'd have a great rig.
Wow! The quality of each and every component in that engine speaks volumes for how Rolls Royce built their engines in that era. For example, that distributor looks like a work of mechanical art! I was smiling ear to ear when that old beauty lit off for the first time. Great job bringing her to life, Matt! Thank you for bringing us along for the ride.
RR did not make any B40's, all made by Austin to RR specs.
Rolls Royce still makes quality stuff even to this day, they're just super expensive, same as back then.
@@572Btriode Very early B40 were made by RR. The light alloy version of B40 cylinder block was the basis for the 2.5 litre Vanwall Grand Prix engine
There must be a RR engineer spinning in his grave when Matt put a Ford carburetor on :-)
@@andrewwmacfadyen6958 Is correct, but you'd not find one now, with the order quantity of Champs RR couldn't cope at the outset so Austin made them all.
Matt has an easy way to find out I have remembered, 5 digit engine serial number is Austin.
Fantastic! That brought back a few memories. My dad bought an ex MOD Champ at a military auction. He owned it for many years. The motor was a peach, beautifully smooth, and almost unkillable! I seem to remember he struggled to get 15mpg. Happy days!
That’s insane!! 1940’s engine that fires up instantly for the first time in over 70 years and is so smooth running that the alligator clip wires hanging off the side of the engine don’t swing or vibrate at all with an adjusted idle. Just awesome my friend. 👍🏻😎👍🏻
Stumbled upon this video due to the "algorithm". As an old "engine oil lover" I found this video to be a real gem! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! The unwrapping, walkthrough, inspection, troubleshooting, explaination and so on. The startup was sublime! 70 yrs in cold storage and WHAM, it sprung to life just like that! Great stuff, thank you so much for making this video! It would be a pity to see it turned into a pile of spare parts. No museums etc. interested in taking this rarity off your hands? Cheers!
Absolutely completely unbelievable! I'm speechless! Beautiful! THANK YOU! After almost 2 hours I'll return to my family in case they are still around...
I'm just a car enthusiast. Your entire video made me be glued to the screen and brought so much joy at the very end of it! thank you!
I'm 70 years old and this engine has been sitting longer than I've been alive. I'm so impressed at how easy it started and how quiet it was unbelievable. I'm so impressed keep up the good work
Exactly ! I’ve never heard an engine run quieter with an open exhaust with zero pipe or exhaust on it !!! STEALTH EXISTS FOR THIS BAD BOY! I live in the Midwest but I imagine the rock crawler crowd would love this one!
Well that was interesting watching a 70 year old RR engine that fired up first try after 70 years! I like the no nonsense practicality of this episode. Glad to see that you saved this motor from the scrap heap! Oh and your Shep is an awesome dog having the patience to teach you how to fetch! Enjoyed the episode.
This is one of the best UA-cam videos I have seen in a very long time. As an old motorhead, I was captivated. Thanks you brought back many motor memories.
The dog, Charlie. The star of the show 😂
And the show was totally engrossing, relaxing and very entertaining. Great job all round. Incredible that it fired up first time. What great engineering back in the day
Surely it can’t be scrapped ? There must be RR engine collectors who would want a complete working engine ?
This is one of the best videos on UA-cam. Hour plus and I was completely riveted. Nice find thanks for sharing.
Some poor farmer in Manitoba, Canada, ordered an Austin Champ in 1954 and the engine, packaged separately, got left on the docks in Seattle. The farmer is still waiting for his engine 😢😢😢
Thanks Matt, great video 😊 Best I’ve seen in a while. 👍
I'm on this planet for 57 years and I'm still amazed with engines. It's like magic to me.
facts, its literally magic, so many details to achieve the outcome... so many brillant people with so many ideas that eventually led us to this technology ... its healthy to be amazed by it all
Wow, I watched every minute of this type of video for the first time in years! It reminded me of my childhood in the garage renovating the W123 2.4 diesel, Mercedes 616 engine with my grandfather... such warm memories... and we also had a dog that was looking at us the same way. My best wishes to you and please hug your dog for me.
What ever you do with the engine keep all of us informed on it , i see alot of people saying a generator set up or welder also see a post for military museum in Australia all good options . Just don't part it out it's to good for that and as a running engine its worth alot of money .
I came here looking for a V12 merlin in a crate for 90 minutes, and stayed all the way for this one.
Great to watch, and to see how well preserved.
thinking it there would not be an outcome and you had no Carb...you adapted and made one !
excellent workshop skills.
Matt, that has to be one of the nicest saves ever, one thing being a rolls Royce you can be assured it was made with great detail and care and I’m not at all surprised it fired first time after all the precautionary maintenance you did first. Credit to you mate and I can’t wait for the appropriate time and project to come along that it will be the perfect donor motor for. Top job sir
i would contact like Jay Leno's garage to see if they want a new engine for one of their cars
My father was a mechanical engineer I have pictures of him working on similar engines as a young student in early 60s. Felt kind of sad and nostalgic while watching this
That "breather" on the distributor is to vent ozone that is created do to the spark at the points. Ozone is highly reactive and can cause electronic points an materials to break down. Many enclose relays and contactors have tiny vent holds for this purpose. These holes can get clogged causing the contacts to wear early.
Right you are early U.S. distributor caps had a little vent cap on them just for that purpose!
Otson breaks rubber.
This would be one of my "I absolutely don't need this but man I want this" purchases.
This was a most enjoyable video, It took me back a few years(60) to when I was serving in the artillery in BAOR , the Regiment used Champs at the time and they could go as fast in reverse as forward gears, this proved useful for a pal of mine who drove one of them, "chauffeuring" one of the Officers. We were on a live firing exercise on Lunenberg/Hohne ranges and they somehow "strayed" into the impact area, just as the eight inch guns fired a salvo. The first round exploded about 100 yards ahead of them on the track, he stopped the champ dead and stuck it in reverse and hit the loud peddle, he must have been doing 65/70 mph as the rest of the 8" salvo chased them down the track. Interesting times.
i lernt to drive in one in the late 60s , i was just a kid 10 years old , in a local airfeild it was being used as a fire truck hauling a small pump . it was as sweet as a nut even then , what he has there is a bit of british history , he sould contact Rolls Royce and send this video , i did sujest to him as such , that engine is something else , fired first time too in 70 years . sheeesh .
@chris 5633, maybe 50th Missile Reggie, ex Dundonald Camp , Troon ?
Excellent Video. You are to be commended for your step by step restoration of this engine. The fact it started so immediately is a demonstration of RR's engineering.
DO NOT strip down for parts. If you don't find a use for it I am sure there are many people who would give their eye teeth for this magnificent example of this working engine with ZERO h\Hours/Miles on it. If properly serviced and maintained the engine will last you decades.
My suggestion for future use is:
1. Install in a 4wd vehicle.
2. Use to drive a Generator or Pump (water).
3. Use to drive a water Pump (for fire or irrigation).
I am 73 from Australia and have been around engines of all types all my life and this a Gem. (John)