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?
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. 👍
Im a 98 year old car mechanic, I remember taking these into the garage we had in the Cotswolds back in the day, a beautiful village station. You bring back memories that even my late wife cant bring back into my frankly dementia riddled mind. Thank you for your service. God Speed.
@@johnbevelagua what a disrespectful personality you have. My Grandmother is 96, and her mind is racer sharp, and she is on Facebook for a few hours a day. I guess you would think she is lying about her age if she told left a comment mentioning her age.
@@all.day.day-dreamer dont believe everything you read on youtube. 95% of these shit posts are made up by a losers that are likehunters. They will write anything just to get some attention in their miserable lifes.
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 !!!!!!!
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
I'm a 34,000 year old rock mechanic that used to work on Fred Flintstone's car. I watched every second of your video, great stuff! Really digging the little scope cam work you did, fishing it into the motor.
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’m just a few years younger than you. We grew up in such simple times of automotive technology and manufacturing. Most jobs required a screwdriver and adjustable wrench. I suppose my wife’s Mercedes suv is what the modern public buys, but I prefer the simplistic sixties any day.
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.
I love how people say "nobody has an attention span these days", meanwhile some of the most viewed stuff on RUclips 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 can't decide which I enjoyed more-the video itself or the comments from people who had firsthand experience with this motor and the vehicles it powered. Social media can be frustrating and full of nonsense at times, but videos like this remind me of its potential for good. Here’s someone in the Northwest making a video that resonates with people worldwide, sparking memories of earlier times. It’s amazing how it gives them a platform to share those memories with strangers they’ll never meet, and we get the privilege of reading and enjoying them. I imagine their families appreciate Grandad having an outlet to tell another ‘back in the day’ story!
@@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!!!!
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 RUclips, and I watch a LOT of RUclips.
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'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.
@@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.
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.
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
Btw, one thing we wrestled with no end was getting the huge regulator for the generator (situated under the front left seat) to work reliably and consistently. Very clunky & complicated. This was around 40 years ago. Had a some clever old school auto electricians wrestle with it. Could get it working nicely, but never for very long. I ended up retro fitting a 24v alternator with internal regulator. That fixed it! Would have preferred to keep it original, but had no choice.
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!
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.
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
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?
I am Italian and I've always hated British cars , engines , Rolls - Royce's 🤨 but now? You made me fall in love with that little engine ❤🎉..... Good Job mate!
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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.
Love it. It’s incredibly helpful for younger folks to watch real-time problem solving in action. I rebuilt a 52 mgtd from frame up by myself…took 3.5 years including complete engine rebuild. This video makes me want another project! Also, I discovered early 50’s there was a shortage of fasteners in Europe post WW2, so many British cars had a vast mix of SAE, WHITWORTH and METRIC. Adds to the discovery… lol! Great video!
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. 😮😂
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.
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.
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
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'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! 😂
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!
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) ?
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
That is one of the best 90+ minute RUclips 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.
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'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. :)
This is one of the most satisfying videos I've ever watched, thanks for sharing! It's so heartwarming to see a 70 year old machine finally achieving its one goal in life!
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'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 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 can't belive that fired up right away...cudos... Nice work... You got ur self a piece of history and one hell of solid reliable engine... And I did not regret watching entire vdo...Thanks
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
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!
Ran B series engines Both 40s and 60s for 25 years. No 1 is nearest the fan, overhead inlet side valve exhaust, platinum tipped plugs (aircraft type) , half chromed bores, watertight and interference suppressed. Used 24v electrics, single speed dynamo or 2 speed on radio vehicles. I converted one to use an SU carb, but it still used about 14 miles to the Imp Gallon. Fan has a slipping clutch for deep water use. The oil filler cap is bronze. and so it goes on.
From a 70 year old engine exposed to the elements, it is very clean. You can't ask for anything better. And as a lover of old Jeeps, this type of engine is worth gold.
The brother of an Old Boy I used to work with, bought six ex-army trucks at auction for his new haulage business after the war. When he went to collect them he found them loaded with crates. He asked about them and was told 'they come with the trucks'. He told me 'six Merlin engines comes as quite a boon to a fledgling business'.
Aussie buisinessman & race car owner, Paul Stoddart started an aircraft spare parts business when he bought a couple of ex government Boeing 727s for his business. Upon taking delivery he discovered that they came with a warehouse full of spare parts! He then kicked off an aircraft spare parts business!
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!
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!
As soon as that box opened I recognised the engine. I was around the age of 14 when my Dad had an Austin Champ in for body repairs. This engine left a mark on me as it was the most silent and smooth running engine I had ever seen or heard. And the Champ was an incredibly robust looking beauty too. This was my second time watching this real interesting video. Nice job. Thank you.
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.
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. 😊
I discovered your channel today. Your subject line pulled me in. Getting the same satisfaction watching you work as I do with Vice Grip Garage. Thanks for posting and congrats on your effort.
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 👏👏👏
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...
At one time in the 70's, I bought (traded for) a near mint running Austin Champ, a not running one for parts, a new crate engine like yours, a set of NOS side panels and hood. Also included was several crates of spare parts like carburetors, distributors, spark plugs and NOS gasket sets all wrapped in wax paper and coated with cosmoline. I had a gun shop in Santa Cruz, California and I traded for several guns. I drove my Champ on a few hunting trips to northern California and never had one problem with that vehicle except one time it overheated climbing a steep hill. I'm still kicking myself for letting all that stuff go. Only bad thing was the transmission was in two parts. The part with the clutch is attached to the engine, the forward/reverse part was part of the rear differential. Yes, it was 5 speeds forward AND reverse. Good luck with that engine. You will never find a more reliable one.
Congratulations, I am a 45 year retired mechanic. I was VERY impressed with the way you adapted that carburetor to fit. I have never had to do that . I hope you sell or have sold that engine for around 5-7 grand , maybe more.
See if there is a group, most likely in the UK that uses those engines in their restoration projects. It'd be a real shame for that engine to go to waste. Imagine if someone here in the US was restoring a WW2 Jeep and found a perfect original crate engine to go in it. From the car restorers I've met, they'd probably break down in tears.
I'm from the UK and have to say 44 years ago I was looking for my first car. I liked classics then and went crazy for them.. I saw the odd Champ in adverts then and half considered one.. But I never saw one then, I still haven't seen one. Not one as far as I remember in 44 years! I've seen dozens of Jeeps, original WW2 ones, but no Champs (If the engine is an indicator, it will be a wonderful thing). It is a lovely engine, but even here it is a bit ignored/rare/non- existent.
Not sure if you still have it but I think this engine deserves to be put in a car. If you don't have the time maybe you can sell it to someone who does. I'd hate to see such a nice old engine get scrapped. Just too bad I don't have the means to take it off your hands or I'd offer.
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.
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.
Thanks for posting this. My dad was a mechanic in the RASC during WW2 and watching you reminded me so much of him bent over engines most weekends often taking a complete car apart and then reassembling it. I now have a step son who does the same thing.
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.
Hi I'm from GB, in the late sixties I worked for a firm that was affiliated with Rolls Royce and most engines were given anti rust treatment to the cylinders and air and waterproof plugs installed then a wax coat sprayed over the whole engine. Your engine must have been left outside for at least ten or fifteen years. Plus the carten must have been open and the wax paper covering removed. I hope this is of some help.
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
Great video and a wonderful find. I live about 7 miles from the old Austin factory in Birmingham and I remember a friend of mine buying an ex military Champ back in 1972. He used it to learn how to drive and in fact took his driving test in it, much to the amusement of the driving examiner. The engine never missed a beat even when submerged. We had great fun in it over the years.🍺
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!
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 .
You might also notice the speed limiter on the distributor rotor arm. At the rotor spins, centrifugal force makes the limiter earth out The 24V screened ignition system is, as you said, to prevent radio interference, but also to support the radio charging system, which is 90Amp.
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!
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. 👍
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.
Enjoyed the journey here. Surprised how quite this engine is considering no muffler and how easy it started up a testament to good old engineering and workmanship. Great sleuth work bringing this engine back from the mort.
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. 👍🏻😎👍🏻
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.
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.
Now seen the whole video. Wonderful, you've made an old man very happy, so many memories of these engines. Small threads BA ( British Association )distributor Etc. clutch plate not fitted to avoid compressing the springs during storage. No vacuum brakes but had vacuum wipers. You made no comment on the rotor arm shown at 59:57 it has a centrifugal governor built in - tape it up and the champ was good for 90MPH. It has value as there are a few Champs in the USA. Thank you and God bless.
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 .
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
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 RUclips 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.
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
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
Im a 98 year old car mechanic, I remember taking these into the garage we had in the Cotswolds back in the day, a beautiful village station. You bring back memories that even my late wife cant bring back into my frankly dementia riddled mind. Thank you for your service. God Speed.
I am 140 years old mechanic.
Thank you both for your service.
@@johnbevelagua what a disrespectful personality you have. My Grandmother is 96, and her mind is racer sharp, and she is on Facebook for a few hours a day. I guess you would think she is lying about her age if she told left a comment mentioning her age.
@@all.day.day-dreamer dont believe everything you read on youtube. 95% of these shit posts are made up by a losers that are likehunters. They will write anything just to get some attention in their miserable lifes.
@@all.day.day-dreamer I'm a 200 year old mechanic and you cannot prove that I'm not. Whats ur grandmas @?
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
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.
I'm a 34,000 year old rock mechanic that used to work on Fred Flintstone's car. I watched every second of your video, great stuff! Really digging the little scope cam work you did, fishing it into the motor.
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’m just a few years younger than you. We grew up in such simple times of automotive technology and manufacturing. Most jobs required a screwdriver and adjustable wrench. I suppose my wife’s Mercedes suv is what the modern public buys, but I prefer the simplistic sixties any day.
I am an older lady, and much prefer a simple engine I can work on myself to these modern mysteries.
I like to add timing in with those 3 things.
@@marine4lyfe85 Don't forget air! Fuel, air, spark, compression, and timing.
Is who cares how old you are. I don't need to know you.
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.
I love how people say "nobody has an attention span these days", meanwhile some of the most viewed stuff on RUclips 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."
I can't decide which I enjoyed more-the video itself or the comments from people who had firsthand experience with this motor and the vehicles it powered. Social media can be frustrating and full of nonsense at times, but videos like this remind me of its potential for good. Here’s someone in the Northwest making a video that resonates with people worldwide, sparking memories of earlier times. It’s amazing how it gives them a platform to share those memories with strangers they’ll never meet, and we get the privilege of reading and enjoying them. I imagine their families appreciate Grandad having an outlet to tell another ‘back in the day’ story!
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 😂
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 RUclips, and I watch a LOT of RUclips.
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
Wow a video that I enjoyed from start to finish. No insane laughter, no crazy music, just the guy figuring things out I love it!
are you referring to Colin Furze here?
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 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.
One of the coolest will it run videos I've ever seen on RUclips.
Yes indeed!
*37.00 was a good price for an engine.*
Amen to that !!
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.
You could do some wild J-turns I bet!
Going backwards as fast as going forwards? I'm surprised that this engine isn't in the car of every politician.
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.
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.
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/RUclips 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
Thanks for the great knowledge.
Btw, one thing we wrestled with no end was getting the huge regulator for the generator (situated under the front left seat) to work reliably and consistently. Very clunky & complicated. This was around 40 years ago. Had a some clever old school auto electricians wrestle with it. Could get it working nicely, but never for very long. I ended up retro fitting a 24v alternator with internal regulator. That fixed it! Would have preferred to keep it original, but had no choice.
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!
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
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
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 am Italian and I've always hated British cars , engines , Rolls - Royce's 🤨 but now? You made me fall in love with that little engine ❤🎉..... Good Job mate!
I'm British and I hate modern Italian cars especially Alfa Romeo's
i love italian cars bro really asome
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 .
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
"Doggo", pure CRINGE!
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.
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 !
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.
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!
Love it. It’s incredibly helpful for younger folks to watch real-time problem solving in action. I rebuilt a 52 mgtd from frame up by myself…took 3.5 years including complete engine rebuild. This video makes me want another project! Also, I discovered early 50’s there was a shortage of fasteners in Europe post WW2, so many British cars had a vast mix of SAE, WHITWORTH and METRIC. Adds to the discovery… lol! Great video!
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. 😮😂
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
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.
Thanks! Wonderful video. F😊un to watch you playing with your dog too. PS: Loved your custom carb adapter!
Thank you! Very much appreciated! Glad the video was entertaining
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 😄
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.
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
I love how this video went viral for you. It just popped up in my feed and I had to watch it. Very relaxing watching you putting it all together.
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'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! 😂
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’m a 136 year old mechanic and I just watched the whole video for the dog. That’s a really cool dog.
🤣
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) ?
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
That is one of the best 90+ minute RUclips 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.
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 🙂
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
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..😂 ❤
This is one of the most satisfying videos I've ever watched, thanks for sharing! It's so heartwarming to see a 70 year old machine finally achieving its one goal in life!
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'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 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.
I can't belive that fired up right away...cudos... Nice work... You got ur self a piece of history and one hell of solid reliable engine... And I did not regret watching entire vdo...Thanks
Wife: "You can have the scrap metal inside; I just want the box!!" 🤣😉
And the dog says "screw your boxes and engines, just through the damn ball"
@@geodun ...Throw...
Wife is a cat
Crate for bar front servers
Crate more value than engine
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.
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 RUclips. Fabulous channel. You will enjoy it.
Ran B series engines Both 40s and 60s for 25 years. No 1 is nearest the fan, overhead inlet side valve exhaust, platinum tipped plugs (aircraft type) , half chromed bores, watertight and interference suppressed. Used 24v electrics, single speed dynamo or 2 speed on radio vehicles. I converted one to use an SU carb, but it still used about 14 miles to the Imp Gallon. Fan has a slipping clutch for deep water use. The oil filler cap is bronze. and so it goes on.
From a 70 year old engine exposed to the elements, it is very clean. You can't ask for anything better. And as a lover of old Jeeps, this type of engine is worth gold.
The brother of an Old Boy I used to work with, bought six ex-army trucks at auction for his new haulage business after the war. When he went to collect them he found them loaded with crates. He asked about them and was told 'they come with the trucks'. He told me 'six Merlin engines comes as quite a boon to a fledgling business'.
Merlin's, as in what made the P51s go faster? 👍
@@loyalUSguy yes, as in Spitfires too.
Aussie buisinessman & race car owner, Paul Stoddart started an aircraft spare parts business when he bought a couple of ex government Boeing 727s for his business. Upon taking delivery he discovered that they came with a warehouse full of spare parts! He then kicked off an aircraft spare parts business!
@tonyurquhart8278 that's awesome haha
@@loyalUSguy And Hurricanes, and Lancaster bombers. There was a sense in mass producing huge numbers of the same engine during war time.
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!
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!
As soon as that box opened I recognised the engine. I was around the age of 14 when my Dad had an Austin Champ in for body repairs. This engine left a mark on me as it was the most silent and smooth running engine I had ever seen or heard. And the Champ was an incredibly robust looking beauty too. This was my second time watching this real interesting video. Nice job. Thank you.
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.
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. 😊
I discovered your channel today. Your subject line pulled me in. Getting the same satisfaction watching you work as I do with Vice Grip Garage. Thanks for posting and congrats on your effort.
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 👏👏👏
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...
At one time in the 70's, I bought (traded for) a near mint running Austin Champ, a not running one for parts, a new crate engine like yours, a set of NOS side panels and hood. Also included was several crates of spare parts like carburetors, distributors, spark plugs and NOS gasket sets all wrapped in wax paper and coated with cosmoline. I had a gun shop in Santa Cruz, California and I traded for several guns. I drove my Champ on a few hunting trips to northern California and never had one problem with that vehicle except one time it overheated climbing a steep hill. I'm still kicking myself for letting all that stuff go. Only bad thing was the transmission was in two parts. The part with the clutch is attached to the engine, the forward/reverse part was part of the rear differential. Yes, it was 5 speeds forward AND reverse. Good luck with that engine. You will never find a more reliable one.
"The part with the clutch is attached to the engine"
You mean the bellhousing lol
A gun shop in Santa Cruz ?! California used to be so much cooler .
Congratulations, I am a 45 year retired mechanic. I was VERY impressed with the way you adapted that carburetor to fit. I have never had to do that . I hope you sell or have sold that engine for around 5-7 grand , maybe more.
Over 1.7 million views in less than 10 days! Dude! You struck RUclips gold with this bad boy!! Great work!!
This is why i like old engines, you can put them and wire them up in anything. No computers and sensors to fight with ❤
See if there is a group, most likely in the UK that uses those engines in their restoration projects. It'd be a real shame for that engine to go to waste. Imagine if someone here in the US was restoring a WW2 Jeep and found a perfect original crate engine to go in it. From the car restorers I've met, they'd probably break down in tears.
I agree that is a special engine, it would be so wrong to scrap it 😢
I'm from the UK and have to say 44 years ago I was looking for my first car. I liked classics then and went crazy for them.. I saw the odd Champ in adverts then and half considered one.. But I never saw one then, I still haven't seen one. Not one as far as I remember in 44 years! I've seen dozens of Jeeps, original WW2 ones, but no Champs (If the engine is an indicator, it will be a wonderful thing). It is a lovely engine, but even here it is a bit ignored/rare/non- existent.
www.youtube.com/@MrHewes
Great effort RR lives up to its name .... silencer you'd hardly hear it lol
I feel there may also be a market in the Australia or New Zealand for it, as others have said it’s far too rare to be broken for parts.
Not sure if you still have it but I think this engine deserves to be put in a car. If you don't have the time maybe you can sell it to someone who does. I'd hate to see such a nice old engine get scrapped. Just too bad I don't have the means to take it off your hands or I'd offer.
Seeing it becoming alive immediately brought tears to my eyes, this engine was waiting for sooooo long to come alive
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 !
@@tenakoe Hahaha yes I live in the Bay of Plenty now. Kiwi 🥝 fruit country ehoa!
Come to the Pacific Northwest. There's a lot of folks like that here.
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
Thanks for posting this. My dad was a mechanic in the RASC during WW2 and watching you reminded me so much of him bent over engines most weekends often taking a complete car apart and then reassembling it. I now have a step son who does the same thing.
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.
Hi I'm from GB, in the late sixties I worked for a firm that was affiliated with Rolls Royce and most engines were given anti rust treatment to the cylinders and air and waterproof plugs installed then a wax coat sprayed over the whole engine. Your engine must have been left outside for at least ten or fifteen years. Plus the carten must have been open and the wax paper covering removed. I hope this is of some help.
Yes the wax paper should have covered the whole engine from the factory.
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
Great video and a wonderful find. I live about 7 miles from the old Austin factory in Birmingham and I remember a friend of mine buying an ex military Champ back in 1972. He used it to learn how to drive and in fact took his driving test in it, much to the amusement of the driving examiner. The engine never missed a beat even when submerged. We had great fun in it over the years.🍺
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!
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 .
This would be one of my "I absolutely don't need this but man I want this" purchases.
You might also notice the speed limiter on the distributor rotor arm. At the rotor spins, centrifugal force makes the limiter earth out The 24V screened ignition system is, as you said, to prevent radio interference, but also to support the radio charging system, which is 90Amp.
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!
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. 👍
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.
Enjoyed the journey here. Surprised how quite this engine is considering no muffler and how easy it started up a testament to good old engineering and workmanship. Great sleuth work bringing this engine back from the mort.
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. 👍🏻😎👍🏻
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.
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.
actually you can see some minor pitting in the bores from when it froze up. but its probably fine to run.
Now seen the whole video. Wonderful, you've made an old man very happy, so many memories of these engines. Small threads BA ( British Association )distributor Etc. clutch plate not fitted to avoid compressing the springs during storage. No vacuum brakes but had vacuum wipers. You made no comment on the rotor arm shown at 59:57 it has a centrifugal governor built in - tape it up and the champ was good for 90MPH. It has value as there are a few Champs in the USA. Thank you and God bless.
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 ?