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The Vanwall Grand Prix engines
Part 8: Specifications and other facts

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Date

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Who?

Tony Brooks, Stirling Moss, Stuart Lewis-Evans

What?

Vanwall

Where?

Monza

When?

XXVIII Italian GP (September 8, 1957)

Tony Brooks, Stirling Moss, Stuart Lewis-Evans, Vanwall, 1957 Italian GP
Why?

Attachment no.1: Engine specifications - 2-litre and 2.3-litre versions

Make: Vanwall
Type No.: 54
Designers: Eric Richter, Joe Craig & Leo Kuzmicki
Years Raced & Category: 1954 Formula 1
No. Cylinders & Configuration: 4 cylinders inline
Swept Volume: 1995cc (2 litre), 2236cc (2.3 litre)
Bore: 85.93mm (2-litre), 91mm (2.3-litre)
Stroke: 86mm
Stroke/Bore Ratio: 1.0008:1 (2-litre), 0.945:1 (2.3-litre)
Conn. Rod c/c to Stroke Ratio: 1.901:1
Piston Area: 232 sq cm (2-litre), 260.16 sq cm (2.3-litre)
Comp. Ratio: na.
Valve Arrangement: 2 valves per cylinder at 64° included angle
Valve Operation: DOHC, short tappets & hairpin valve springs
Total Inlet Valve Head Area: (total port area) 62.21 sq cm
Total Exhaust Valve Head Area: (total port area) 47.77 sq cm
Inlet Tract Total Angular Deviation to Cyl. Axis: 70°-transverse plane
Induction/Carburation: 4 Amal 3GP carburettors with 2 remote float chambers
Fuel: methanol/benzol/AvGas blend
Inlet Manifold Pressure: Naturally aspirated
Ignition System: 2 spark plugs per cylinder, twin Scintilla magnetos (2-litre), B.T.H. magneto (2.3-litre)
Engine Weight: na.
No. Main Bearings & Type: 4 'Thin Wall' copper/lead bearings
Max. Power: 235bhp at 7,500-7,600rpm (2 litre), estimate of 250bhp @ 7,500rpm (2.3-litre)
Max. Torque: na.
Max. BMEP: na.
Max. Torque rpm % of Max. Power rpm: na.
Power/Litre: 117.5 bhp/litre (2-litre), 111.8 bhp/litre (2.3-litre)
Mean Piston Speed at Max. Power: 21.5m/sec at 7,500rpm

Attachment no.2: Engine specifications - 2.5-litre version

Make: Vanwall
Type No.: V254
Designers: Eric Richter, Joe Craig, Leo Kuzmicki & Harry Weslake
Years Raced & Category: 1954-1960 Formula 1
No. Cylinders & Configuration: 4 cylinders inline
Swept Volume: 2490cc
Bore: 96mm
Stroke: 86mm
Stroke/Bore Ratio: 0.8958:1
Conn. Rod c/c to Stroke Ratio: 1.901:1
Piston Area: 289.53 sq cm
Comp. Ratio: 12.5:1 (1954-57 alcohol fuels), 11.5:1 (1958-60 AvGas fuel)
Valve Arrangement: 2 valves per cylinder at 60° included angle
Valve Operation: DOHC, short tappets & hairpin valve springs
Total Inlet Valve Head Area: 78.54sq cm (1955),88.25sq cm (1956) & 90.26sq cm (1958)
Total Exhaust Valve Head Area: 60sq cm (1955), 63.62sq cm (1956) & 64.75sq cm (1958)
Induction/Carburation System: 1954 4 Amal 3GP carburettors, 1955-60 Bosch port fuel injection
Inlet Tract Total Angular Deviation to Cyl. Axis: 70°-transverse plane
Fuel: 1954-57 methanol/benzol/ethanol/AvGas blends, 1958-60 AvGas
Inlet Manifold Pressure: Naturally aspirated
Ignition System: 2 spark plugs per cylinder, B.T.H. double-bodied magneto
Engine Weight: 163kg. with clutch (fuel injected version)
No. Main Bearings & Type: 5 'Thin Wall' copper/lead bearings
Max. Power: 275bhp at 7,400rpm~ - 285bhp at 7,300rpm (1957), 265bhp at 7,500rpm (1958)
Max. Torque : 215.8 lb ft at 5,840rpm~ (1957), 203.3 lb ft @ 6,200rpm (1958)
Max. BMEP: 214.3psi at 5,840rpm (1957)~, 201.9psi at 6,200rpm (1958)
Max.Torque rpm % of Max.Power rpm: 78.92% (1957), 82.66% (1958)
Power/Litre: 110.44-116.47 bhp/litre (1957), 106.42bhp/litre (1958)
Mean Piston Speed at Max. Power : 21.2m/sec. @ 7,400rpm
~ engine set-up with more mid-range power for tight circuits

Attachment no.3: Engine specifications - 2.6 litre version

Make: Vanwall
Type No.: V264?
Designer: Vandervell Products Racing Team based on 1958 engine
Years Raced & Category: 1961 Intercontinental Formula
No. Cylinders & Configuration: 4 cylinders inline
Swept Volume: 2606cc
Bore: 96mm
Stroke: 90mm
Stroke/Bore Ratio: 0.9375:1
Conn. Rod c/c to Stroke Ratio: na.
Piston Area: 289.53 sq cm
Comp. Ratio: abt. 11.5:1
Valve Arrangement: 2 valves per cylinder at 60° included angle
Valve Operation: DOHC , short tappets & hairpin valve springs
Total Inlet Valve Head Area: 94.69 sq cm (54.9mm dia.)
Total Exhaust Valve Head Area: 64.75 sq cm
Induction/Carburation System: Bosch port fuel injection
Inlet Tract Total Angular Deviation to Cyl. Axis: 70°-transverse plane
Fuel: AvGas
Inlet Manifold Pressure: Naturally aspirated
Ignition System: 2 spark plugs per cylinder, B.T.H.double-bodied magneto
Engine Weight: abt. 163kg with clutch
No. Main Bearings & Type: 5 'Thin Wall' copper/lead bearings
Max. Power: 290bhp at 7,200rpm
Max. Torque: na
Max. BMEP: na
Max.Torque rpm % of Max.Power rpm: na
Power/Litre: 111.28bhp/litre
Mean Piston Speed at Max. Power: 21.6 m/sec at 7,200rpm

Attachment no.4: Vanwall Fuel Blends supplied by Shell Mex & BP

year fuel name composition
1954 na. 33 1/3 - 65% Methanol with a % of Benzol, Acetone & AvGas
1956 BPV/D 36% Methanol, 27% Benzol, 27% AvGas & 10% Nitromethane
1956 BPV/E 36% Ethanol, 27% Benzol, 27% AvGas & 10% Nitromethane
1957 BPV/L 25% Methanol, <50% Benzol, >25% AvGas, a % of Nitromethane & 0.5% Holowax oil
1957 BPV/M 25% Methanol, 50% Benzol & 25% AvGas
1958 BP/F1/VAN 108/135 PN AvGas

Note

Shell-Mex & BP Limited was a company formed in 1932 when Royal Dutch-Shell and BP (then Anglo-Persian Oil Co.) merged their marketing and technical operations in the UK.lt was de-merged in 1976.

Attachment no.5: Vanwall Valve Development - Increases in Head Diameter - 2.5-litre Engine

year inlet valve head diameter exhaust valve head diameter
1955 50 mm 43.7 mm
1956 53 mm 45 mm
1958 53.6 mm 45.4 mm
1958 mid yr. 54.9 mm 45.4 mm

Vanwall Inlet Valve and Throat Mean Gas Velocities at Max. Power RPM - 2.5-litre Engine

year mean gas velocity at inlet valve mean gas velocity at inlet throat rpm
1956 243.86 ft/sec (74.33 m/sec) na. 7,350
1958 241.86 ft/sec (73.72 m/sec) 265.19 ft/sec (80.83 m/sec) 7,500

Attachment no.6: Chronology of Vanwall Engine Design & Development

1950 Vandervell set up a racing team at Acton to race the Thin Wall Specials
1951 Vandervell decided to build his own car with engine based on exp. water-cooled BRM/Norton 500
1952 Design of a 2-litre 4-cylinder F2 engine well in hand and parts ordered - 4 main bearings - VIA 64°
Late 1952 Vandervell made contact with Bosch & Daimler Benz re the use of fuel injection in his engine
1953 Development of 2-litre engine progressed
Late 1953 Design of 2.5-litre engine commenced
Dec 1953 2-litre engine first run on test bed - 4 Amal GP carburettors
Mar 1954 2-litre engine developed 235bhp at 7,500-7,600rpm
May 1954 First race for 2-litre Vanwall
Jul 1954 2.3-litre interim F1 engine completed & raced
Aug 1954 2.5-litre engine completed - new crankcase & cylinder head - VIA 60° - 5 main bearings - 4 Amal GP carbs
Sept 1954 First race for 2.5-litre F1 engine
Late 1954 Leo Kuzmicki joins VP from Norton to head up engine development
Dec 1954 Bosch fuel injection pumps delivered to VP
Apr 1955 Adaptation of fuel injection to 2.5-litre engine completed
1956 Weslake involved in engine development, new cylinder head & modifications - engine gave 276bhp at 7,350rpm
May 1956 First race of new Chapman/Costin-designed Vanwall
Mid 1956 Coopers Mechanical Joints Ltd. ring joints used to fix fire joint seal problems in the cylinder head
Sept 1956 Kuzmicki & Richter left VP
Dec 1956 Engine developed to give 285bhp at 7,300rpm
May 1957 Injection pipe & throttle linkage breakages fixed using Palmer Silvoflex flexible hoses
Jul 1957 Decision to use Hepolite pistons exclusively in favour of Mahle pistons
Aug 1957 Ethanol and nitro-methane fuel blend tested
Late 1957 On test one engine developed 308bhp on nitro fuel - 295bhp available in race trim but only used in practice
Jan 1958 Engine adapted to run on AvGas - power 265bhp at 7,500rpm
Sept 1958 Vanwall won Manufacturers Championship
1959 Vandervell announced teams retirement but limited development and racing continued with 2.5-litre car
1960 2.6-litre version of engine built for rear-engined car - 290bhp at 7,200rpm
1961 Last race by a Vanwall (Intercontinental Formula) with the 2.6-litre rear-engined car

Attachment no.7: Vanwall Major Engine Component Suppliers

Cylinder Head Castings: Aeroplane & Motor Aluminium Casting Ltd., Birmingham
Cylinder Head Sealing Rings: Wills Pressure Filled Joint Ring Ltd - Coopers Mechanical Joints from mid-1956
Cylinder Barrels: Wellworthy Ltd., Lymington
Water Jacket Casting: Aeroplane & Motor Aluminium Casting Ltd.
Crankcase Cores: Leyland Motors Ltd.
Crankcase Castings: Aeroplane & Motor Aluminium Castings Ltd.
Crankshaft Forging: Smith Clayton Forge - Lincoln & Smith's Stamping Works, Coventry
Crankshaft Machining: Laystall Engineering Co .Ltd., Wolverhampton
Connecting Rod Forgings: Smith Clayton Forge, Lincoln
Piston Forging & Machining: High Duty Alloys Ltd., Hepworth & Grandage Ltd., Mahle KG
Valves: Motor Components (Birmingham) Ltd.
Valve Springs: Herbert Terry & Sons Ltd. ,George Salter & Co Ltd., S. Scherdel KG
Carburettors: Amal Ltd., Birmingham
Fuel Injection: Robert Bosch GmdH
Injection Pipes: Palmer Aero Products Ltd. - Silvoflex hoses
Fuel Pump: Chandler Evans Corporation USA - Ceco pump
Exhaust System: V.W. Derrington Ltd. from 1956
Oil Lines: The Power Flexible Tubing Co., Ltd. - Super Metalflex oil pipes
Magneto: British Thomson-Houston Co. Ltd., Coventry (B.T.H.)
Spark Plugs: KLG Sparking Plugs Ltd., London
Fuel: Shell-Mex & BP Ltd.

Attachment no.8: 1957 Vanwall Engine V4 Power Curve

1957 Vanwall Engine V4 Powercurve

The power curve of the 1957 Vanwall V4 Engine

Attachment no.9: 1958 Vanwall Engine V4 Power Curve

1958 Vanwall Engine V4 Powercurve

The power curve of the 1958 Vanwall V4 Engine during the German GP

Attachment no.10: Various Drawings

1958 Vanwall Engine Cross-Section

1958 Vanwall engine cross section

1958 Vanwall Engine Cutaway

1958 Vanwall engine cutaway

Water-cooled experimental BRM/Norton 500cc

Water-cooled experimental BRM/Norton 500cc

Rolls-Royce B series engine cross section

Rolls-Royce B series engine cross section

Rolls-Royce B40 long section

Rolls-Royce B40 long section