Allison V-1710 on eBay...

[Warbirdnerd]

Not mine. It is listed as the LH engine for a P-38.

Item # 180336656027

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... &viewitem=

[Dan K]

Not mine. It is listed as the LH engine for a P-38.

Item # 180336656027

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... &viewitem=

Listed as a -55 which is the F10 motor. Powerplant for the P-38G.

Wish I could stimulate the economy.

[Holedigger]

Wow! Pretty low hours, but sitting for HOW LONG! That can't be good on seals and gaskets! Will that set-up fit under the hood of a Ford Focus?! Probably have to cut a "little" hole to make it fit! And beef up the frame and suspension, and wheels and tires and............

[Matt Gunsch]

I'd like to build a motorcycle frame around it, let's see the harley guy top it for exhaust noise.
Boss Hoss, eat your heart out

[Nathan]

I would like to build a P-38 around it!

Bikes, cars all tis-tis to the power of flight!

[Holedigger]

Just need another engine, a dataplate and 2-3 million and you too can have a NEW P-38! Wish Kermit would get his on the front burner. Would love to see that one flying, but the idiots cut it up for shipment did him NO FAVORS and cost a lot of rebuild hours.

[Jack Cook]

There's a Zero time V-1710-111 here in Salem a fellow I know has that's for sale. He bought it surplus 60 years ago and was planning to make a streamliner for Bonnieville out of it. It's still attached to the base of the crate and has sat in his hot rod shop ever since he bought it. For aircraft use only no tractor pullers or boat racers need apply. I looks so nice it gives the impression that you could blow off the dust and fly it!

[Rajay]

My uncle came to visit 15 months ago from Lake Tahoe because someone in Charlotte, NC had that very same engine - at least, they are the very same photos - up for auction on eBay (Dec. '07). The guy who had it in Charlotte at that time had planned to use it in a hydroplane racing boat and the engine had been in storage for years - after getting it from another guy who once had the same plans. Or something like that.

My uncle was working on maintenance and restoration of the famous wooden Thunderbird yacht on Lake Tahoe and they wanted this engine to have ready for swapping out the old engines already in the boat. I heard later that they didn't get it because their budget didn't allow them to compete with someone able to bid over $20,000.

See http://www.thunderbirdlodge.org/theboat.html

Now, here's the same engine up for sale again, this time in Canada, with a current bid of only about $15K. Mmmmm. I wonder what's up with that.

[51fixer]

With Allisons that sit they could be great or they may not be so good.
I opened up a few box motors while at Chino. Some had white stuff that looked like fungus growing out of the crank and rod bearings and some heads leaked like A garden sprinkler. Often the preservative oil is a dried up grit.
One time we used a box motor that was 0 time O/H condition out of a box. It was L/H P-38, might have been a -55 or earlier, to ferry POF P-38 from Burbank to Chino.
When I pulled rocker covers it was beautiful and preservative oil ran out the drain plug when it was pulled. We installed and ran it some on the ground, flew it home and then pickled it again and put back in the box.
Rich

[jet1]

http://www.thunderbirdlodge.org/theboat.html


that boat is a VERY interesting piece of history, and id be all for that project!

[Rajay]

Hey Rich,
You reminded me - I've always wondered why the props on the P-38 turn outboard. Isn't that backwards from most counter-rotating twin engine installations?

Based on the little bit of multi-engine training that I've had, I thought that the idea was to have both props turning inboard to eliminate the "critical" engine (that the downward blade was more thrust efficient so you want it closest to the fuselage/centerline.) On the P-38, with both props turning outboard, doesn't that make both engines "critical?"

Dave M.

[51fixer]

Hey Rich,
You reminded me - I've always wondered why the props on the P-38 turn outboard. Isn't that backwards from most counter-rotating twin engine installations?

Based on the little bit of multi-engine training that I've had, I thought that the idea was to have both props turning inboard to eliminate the "critical" engine (that the downward blade was more thrust efficient so you want it closest to the fuselage/centerline.) On the P-38, with both props turning outboard, doesn't that make both engines "critical?"

Dave M.

They installed the engines that way after 1st flying it with a normal set up. The airflow over the wing to fus junction created issues when it hit the horizontal. I guess it was better turning outboard rather than inward with the prop.
The improvement came after they installed large fairings that smoother the airflow and then later the electric dive flaps. In the several conversations I had with Tony Levier I don't recall discussing the prop rotation and whether they tried inward direction again after installing the wing to fus fairings.
Rich