Most of the descriptions of the new model published at the time it was
introduced concentrate on the addition of the two carburetors and the
mechanical operation of the inlet valves, but these were only two of
many major changes. The cylinder was completely revised, the intake
being moved to the camshaft side of the engine from its position
adjacent to the exhaust, so that the two ports were now on opposite
sides of the cylinder. By proper positioning of the rocker-arm
supports and choice of their length and angles, all valves were made
operable from a single camshaft. The shrunk-on steel water jacket
cylinder was retained, but the water connections were repositioned so
that the water entered at the bottom and came out at the top of the
cylinder. Over the life of the 6-cylinder engine several different
valve types were used but the published specifications for the model
6-60 called for "cast iron heads"--the old two-piece construction. The
piston pins were case hardened and ground and the crankshaft pins and
journals were heat treated and ground.
The fuel and oil pumps were removed from the side of the crankcase and
a different ignition system was applied, although still of the
high-tension spark-plug type which by this time had become general
practice on all so-called high-speed internal-combustion engines. A
second threaded spark-plug hole was provided in the cylinder head and
despite its more common use for other purposes, it is evident that the
intention was to provide two-plug ignition. It is doubtful that at the
specific output of this engine any power difference would be found
between one-and two-plug operation, so that the objective was clearly
to provide a reserve unit in case of plug failure. However, it was
also used for the installation of a priming cock for starting and
because of the prevalence of single-wire ignition systems on existing
and illustrated engines, it seems to have been used mostly in this
manner, even though dual-ignition systems later became an unvarying
standard for aircraft engines.
Viewed externally, the only part of the engine that appears the same
as the original 6 is the small lower portion of the crankcase; but
what is more visually striking is the beauty of the new lines and
extreme cleanness of the exterior design (see Figures 14 and 15). Many
of their individual parts had shown the beauty of the sparse design of
pure utility but it was now in evidence in the whole. Despite the
proven practical value of their other models, this is the only one
that can be called a good-looking engine, instantly appealing to the
aesthetic sense, even though the vertical 4 is not an ugly engine. The
appearance of their final effort, in a field they were originally
reluctant to enter and concerning which they always deprecated the
results of their own work, was a thing of which a technically trained
professional engine designer could be proud.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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