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Title: Blue Streak Six?? Post by: peterwmh on September 21, 2004, 11:30:24 PM Hi All,
A bit O/T, but while gathering some FJ parts over the weekend I found a tappet cover with a blue badge claiming it to be a "Blue Streak Six'. It also had a symbol that looks a bit like the one on Star Trek (curvy triangle??). The cover was around the same size as a grey, but the filler cap was at the front. It mounted the same way, ie bolts through the top of the cover. Anyone have any idea what that tappet cover was from? Thanks Peter Title: Re: Blue Streak Six?? Post by: RET on September 22, 2004, 12:36:44 AM Pete,
Google is your friend. A quick search for "blue streak six" reveals the following nuggets of information: It was an Australian only variant of the BMC "B" engine, converted from 4 to 6 cylinders. (http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B24054.jpg) And from http://www.mgcars.org.uk I learnt: Quote the Blue Streak. 1959, the year that BMC introduced the Mini, saw the engine design department produce an updated 'B' of 1622cc. It was built by the Australian BMC Company, as they thought the 1489cc too small for their needs. The engine was thoroughly tested down under, but they went one stage further, by adding two cylinders to the block and calling it the 2433cc Blue Streak Six, keeping the same 1622cc bore centres, cylinder bore, and stroke. This unit was what they needed to fit the the Farina A60 Austin and Wolseley's they assembled there. Moving the engine back a bit, and the front suspension cross member forward 1", to improve weight distribution, the six cylinder sold against the big American 'economy' sixes, and vee eights, as the Austin Freeway and Wolseley 12/80. BMC in the UK did not want to know, having tried the same idea with a six from 1489cc earlier. So it became a small six peculiar to Australia, producing 80bhp at 4800rpm on a single SU HS2 carburetter. A 'B' that never officially got into an M.G. This six cylinder is not a 'C' series, but one was borrowed and used in the MGC in the prototype for measurements, and road testing the new torsion bar ifs. M.G. called this 2433cc the 'light-six' 'B' series. I've learnt something today ;D cheers RET Title: Re: Blue Streak Six?? Post by: peterwmh on September 22, 2004, 02:01:24 AM Thanks for that, well it seems we're all a little enlightened now!!
Ta Peter ;D |