looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine

aXe · 3/10/12, 6:32 PM

Any one ever seen this engine in action? Ever knew who owned it? Was told it ran out west and then went to the midwest, Then was used in Vintage races maybe. one of these engines now reside in the Speedy Bill Smith collection in Nebraska
Thanks aXe

TQ29m · 3/10/12, 7:04 PM

I think what you have there, is a picture of a twin cam, 4 cylinder Offy, I don't recall seeing or hearing of a 2 cylinder, have/had pictures of the 2 cam Offy, very few of those were built. The one in your picture looks like one of those. Woops, shoulda looked first, they did build a couple of "2 cylinder Offy's", by using the front half of a 255cu in engine, the "odd" one I was thinking of, was a "single OHC" 4 cylinder, of which very few were made also. They refered to the 2 cyl, as the "Backdoor Offy". Bob!

aXe · 3/11/12, 8:56 AM

Well Bob You got it right it is FOR sure a 2 cyl offy, Back door offy seems to fit it for sure as it was built by Harry Meyer brother of Louie, maybe in the down times of the Meyer Drake shop?
it has a very secretive carrear it seems ..
Trying to find out as much as possible on it.
THANKS
aXe

TQ29m · 3/11/12, 11:55 AM

aXe, google "single cam offy", there's about an hr's worth of reading there, same with "2 cylinder Offy". A friend sent me a picture this week, of a V8-60 midget engine, that had the exhaust ports not all on the same plane, the end ones were higher up on the side of the block, and the middle one was lower, plus, the block seemed awfully smooth to me. Old feller from Madison, In owned it, Heath was his last name. Bob!

aXe · 3/11/12, 3:36 PM

Go to My site www.openwheelracers3.com
Then go to Vintage pg (not vintage2) Then to down April 13 2010 You will find a couple of Jiggler V8 60 photos there. it is the one owned by Bill Jones of San Antonio Tx There a lots of Ford Flathead configurations out there. The one that ran Bonneville at over 300mph is that farthest out there doesn't even resemble a ford Flathead any more.
Den

TQ29m · 3/11/12, 5:22 PM

aXe, I believe the #19, Red 2 seater, on may 18-2010, belongs to Dickie Cecil, he was asking me about some heating issues he was having with the flathead, I hung around there a bit, back when Watson was just finishing up the repop of the Pat Clancy Spl, have some pic's of it, and a couple other cars he had out at the shop in Pittsboro, his dyno shop. The Jiggler's were good. as long as you could keep the valve seats in, the few guys that ran them locally, kept the machine shops busy, replacing them, and whatever else broke, when they came loose. There are about 3 midgets on ebay right now, for sale, and in one picture, you can catch a glimpse of the side of a 60, and it looks similar to the one in the picture I have, and it also looks like it has holes for water, just above the pan flange, and the block is smooth also, not a tin side, or cast either, doesn't look like. Good web site, lots of memories there. Many years ago, I was at a junk yard, and watched a V8-60 going to scrap, with what looked like either BSA, or Triumph cylinders, and heads on it, then that many years later, I read an article about the guy that built it, after hrs, in the machine shop he worked at. Bob!

TQ29m · 3/13/12, 3:29 PM

aXe, I guess it's impossible to keep up with, I was under the impression, that ELTO was only available in a 2 cylinder, someone has a 4 cylinder on ebay for sale, right now, guess it wouldn't be an ELTO, it's be an ELFO, or something, man, that thing ought to drive the noise level up, let alone the smoke issue, the Government would bury that thing in a heartbeat! Anyone ever see/hear a 4cyl run? The 2 cyl made 60hp, think how much a 4 cyl would make! Bob!

---------- Post added at 3:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 2:25 PM ----------

aXe, maybe I just answered my own question, they were all 4 cylinder, that would explain why the exhaust was so large, they simply made it fit two ports, instead of two ea on each end, makes sense, but the mystery remains, ELTO was always defined as Evinrude Light Twin Outboard. Oh well, maybe someone will answer it. Bob

aXe · 3/14/12, 10:16 PM

check out our story on the 2 cyl Offy engines.yes it seems there may have been 3 or more of them but we
only have pics of the one at the Speedy Bill Smiths museum www.openwheelracers3.com

3/10/12, 6:32 PM	#1 looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine
aXe Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 177	Any one ever seen this engine in action? Ever knew who owned it? Was told it ran out west and then went to the midwest, Then was used in Vintage races maybe. one of these engines now reside in the Speedy Bill Smith collection in Nebraska Thanks aXe _________________________________________________ Last edited by aXe; 3/10/12 at 6:35 PM. Reason: changes

3/10/12, 7:04 PM	#2 Re: looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,241	I think what you have there, is a picture of a twin cam, 4 cylinder Offy, I don't recall seeing or hearing of a 2 cylinder, have/had pictures of the 2 cam Offy, very few of those were built. The one in your picture looks like one of those. Woops, shoulda looked first, they did build a couple of "2 cylinder Offy's", by using the front half of a 255cu in engine, the "odd" one I was thinking of, was a "single OHC" 4 cylinder, of which very few were made also. They refered to the 2 cyl, as the "Backdoor Offy". Bob! __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I! _________________________________________________ Last edited by TQ29m; 3/10/12 at 7:19 PM.

3/11/12, 8:56 AM	#3 Re: looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine
aXe Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 177	Well Bob You got it right it is FOR sure a 2 cyl offy, Back door offy seems to fit it for sure as it was built by Harry Meyer brother of Louie, maybe in the down times of the Meyer Drake shop? it has a very secretive carrear it seems .. Trying to find out as much as possible on it. THANKS aXe _________________________________________________ Last edited by aXe; 3/11/12 at 8:57 AM. Reason: correction

3/11/12, 11:55 AM	#4 Re: looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,241	aXe, google "single cam offy", there's about an hr's worth of reading there, same with "2 cylinder Offy". A friend sent me a picture this week, of a V8-60 midget engine, that had the exhaust ports not all on the same plane, the end ones were higher up on the side of the block, and the middle one was lower, plus, the block seemed awfully smooth to me. Old feller from Madison, In owned it, Heath was his last name. Bob! __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I!

3/11/12, 5:22 PM	#6 Re: looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,241	aXe, I believe the #19, Red 2 seater, on may 18-2010, belongs to Dickie Cecil, he was asking me about some heating issues he was having with the flathead, I hung around there a bit, back when Watson was just finishing up the repop of the Pat Clancy Spl, have some pic's of it, and a couple other cars he had out at the shop in Pittsboro, his dyno shop. The Jiggler's were good. as long as you could keep the valve seats in, the few guys that ran them locally, kept the machine shops busy, replacing them, and whatever else broke, when they came loose. There are about 3 midgets on ebay right now, for sale, and in one picture, you can catch a glimpse of the side of a 60, and it looks similar to the one in the picture I have, and it also looks like it has holes for water, just above the pan flange, and the block is smooth also, not a tin side, or cast either, doesn't look like. Good web site, lots of memories there. Many years ago, I was at a junk yard, and watched a V8-60 going to scrap, with what looked like either BSA, or Triumph cylinders, and heads on it, then that many years later, I read an article about the guy that built it, after hrs, in the machine shop he worked at. Bob! __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I! _________________________________________________ Last edited by TQ29m; 3/11/12 at 5:26 PM.

3/11/12, 3:36 PM	#5 Re: looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine
aXe Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 177	Go to My site www.openwheelracers3.com Then go to Vintage pg (not vintage2) Then to down April 13 2010 You will find a couple of Jiggler V8 60 photos there. it is the one owned by Bill Jones of San Antonio Tx There a lots of Ford Flathead configurations out there. The one that ran Bonneville at over 300mph is that farthest out there doesn't even resemble a ford Flathead any more. Den

3/13/12, 3:29 PM	#7 Re: looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,241	aXe, I guess it's impossible to keep up with, I was under the impression, that ELTO was only available in a 2 cylinder, someone has a 4 cylinder on ebay for sale, right now, guess it wouldn't be an ELTO, it's be an ELFO, or something, man, that thing ought to drive the noise level up, let alone the smoke issue, the Government would bury that thing in a heartbeat! Anyone ever see/hear a 4cyl run? The 2 cyl made 60hp, think how much a 4 cyl would make! Bob! ---------- Post added at 3:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 2:25 PM ---------- aXe, maybe I just answered my own question, they were all 4 cylinder, that would explain why the exhaust was so large, they simply made it fit two ports, instead of two ea on each end, makes sense, but the mystery remains, ELTO was always defined as Evinrude Light Twin Outboard. Oh well, maybe someone will answer it. Bob __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I! _________________________________________________ Last edited by TQ29m; 3/13/12 at 3:31 PM.

3/14/12, 10:16 PM	#8 Re: looking for informatio0n on 2 cyl offy engine
aXe Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 177	check out our story on the 2 cyl Offy engines.yes it seems there may have been 3 or more of them but we only have pics of the one at the Speedy Bill Smiths museum www.openwheelracers3.com _________________________________________________ Last edited by aXe; 3/15/12 at 10:28 PM.