Life is all about perspective, right? When we talk about a 300ci V8 engine we’re talking about a little small block but when you apply that size to something with only two cylinders you are talking about an entirely different kettle of fish. This V-twin engine was built by a guy named Allen Millyard and it uses two Pratt and Whitney R1340 cylinders which are mounted to a completely custom built crank case. In fact, everything else outside of the cylinders including the crank and connecting rods were made by Millyard. This engine was actually built with the intention of installing into a custom motorcycle and we’ll have video of that motorcycle actually going down the road with this power plant making the noise tomorrow. The engine is a thing of beauty for sure and it runs like a Swiss watch. At idle is sounds like the meanest thumping Harley you have ever heard but when the throttles are cracked open…look out!
One of the things that caught our eye was the shape of the tubes that the pushrods live in. With the gentle bends they have in them, the pushrods themselves must be oddly shaped to work in their confines. The whole thing is a piece of literal mechanical art and we’re kind of geeking out over it.
The one funny part of the video is when the engine is hauled outside and literally kick started. The kicker winds up and gives it a good one , firing the engine on the first hit but the crank that he kicked (which is as robustly and nicely made as the rest of the engine) rotates around and wails the guy in the shin. OUCH.
This engine is a marvel and you’ll love seeing it working tomorrow for sure.
Really neat….but they should figure a way to start it without breaking limbs or worse tearing them free… ” Excuse us governor…can we climb your roof to retrieve our buds severed arm”…?
I remember over a decade ago ( that I remember is a wonder in itself), some Ozzie built a motorcycle and then a custom made V-twin out of two cylinders from a Rolls-Royce Merlin. It got some ink in Motorcyclist or Cycle magazine, and later that year the guy brought it to Stugis. Where he proceeded to get wasted, into a fight, and was shot to death, by the police, if I’m not mistaken…
An australian named Lucky Keizer built a Merlin-powered back in the early 80’s. There are pretty recent videos of the bike and the (I believe) owner, so I think he’s alive. Google Lucky Keizer and a bunch of photos, articles and videos shows up.
Is it just me or is one of the exhausts pointed directly at that green tank, which I believe is the fuel tank?? when he revs it you can see the flames come out of the pipes, looks nuts if that were to ignite that tank??
Apparently the Lucky Keizer story is true except for the part about him being killed by American police. I remember his Merlin powered bike from the old magazines
You need to look him up, he has that in a cool bike, make so many insane engines by himself and not a whole machine shop
The worrying thing is that Alan Millyard will install this motor in a vintage motorcycle frame that is basically no more than a large push bike frame with minimal brakes or suspension when a Norton featherbed frame as used by Lucky Keizer would be more suitable.