Series 3 Engines

[David Morris]

Hi All,

A bit of advice please. Is there a way of identifying a Series 3 engine when its in the car, and there are no identifying marks, like an 'S3' on the crankcase? The number on the plinth is E3/PE/32071, but that's so high that it may be meaningless?

I cannot think of a solution?

All the best,

David

[Keith Clements]

I have engine number e3pe23966 so not far away.
I have compared this morning both types of crankcase and could not see a way of identifying from the outside.
You could drain oil and look with an endoscope for the webs through the oil drain hole.

[Nick Webster]

When did they change the shape of the clutch arm cut out? Always assuming the block has original bellhousing.

Nick

[David Morris]

Hi Nick,

I think it was quite an early change, from the rectangular hole to the 'pear drop' hole. Not sure of the engine number though.

The bell housings should carry the engine number, as they were line bored to suit the crankcase. Fitting a different belhousing risks the rear main crankshaft seal being out of alignment with the crankshaft oil seal seating. When this seating gets worn, as many are, you can fit a 0.025" sleeve over the seating, to restore a good seal. I wonder if JCS keep these? I know these can be bought separetly. John Airey has fitted several of these sleeves and I am sure he could advise on a source?

All the best,

David

[David Morris]

Hi Keith,

Many thanks for the email. I wonder just how many crankcases were made by Jowett's and subsequently Jowett Engineering?

That's a good idea to use an endoscope, but I wounder if the baffle plate secured to the bottom of the engine would hide the view? We should try it out?

Many thanks,

David

[Keith Clements]

https://jowett.org/jowettnet/dt/tech/jti/jav.pdf
Page 11 has the Javelin engineering changes. I cannot see a mention of the clutch hole change. It is a shame they did not number all the timing and clutch covers with crankcase numbers.

All service bulletins are in tech notes.
download/file.php?id=7839&mode=view

Bulletin 138.

[Keith Clements]

I have just found out that there are errors and omissions in the technical bulletins.
Tech bulletin 107 for instance should be about engine identification. This is wrong in Mike Allfrey's compilation and missing in Robert Baines compilation.
Some work ahead!

[David Morris]

Hi All,

My memory was asleep yesterday. The sleeves that can be fitted over the rear bearing seal surface on the crankshaft are called Speedi- Sleeves, made by SKF. The internet will give you a source, if JCS don't stock them. They are easy to fit, as I seem to remember that the suppliers provide a mandrel that your first slide the sleeve over and then just slip it onto the crankshaft rear seal surface, with some locking gel.

They should be used on all crankshaft rear seal surfaces, as these are usually worn, with a groove cut into the crankshaft metal from the lip seal rubbing over the years. They slightly increase the diameter of the crankshaft diameter here and provide a smooth polished surface for the new lip seal, that would otherwise just get chewed up by the groove, cut by the old seal.

The slight increase in the diameter here of the crankshaft lip seal surface only helps to make a tight seal, as any oil leak here just spells trouble for the clutch and can be a real task to correct. ( I nearly used another word than 'task', but I leave that to your imagination! )

All the best,

David

[Keith Clements]

David did you read the tech bulletin? There should be PE or 3 stamped on the case.

[David Morris]

Hi Keith,

We searched, but found nothing. Jowett's were not known for consistency.

Thanks anyway,

Best regards,

David

[Mike Allfrey]

Hi David and Keith,

Re Service Bulletin 107, I will have a look at it. I only copied what I had been given.

I have always understood that a Series III crankcase can be identified by the raised longitudinal oil galleries.

There is a Javelin here with '284' stamped into the front plinth, nothing else, but it is definitely Series III, even to nipping the main bearings at correct tie bolt torque, I set the torque wrench about 3 lb. below specification and the shaft freed up. Another point, with the PA camshaft installed, the timing chain was tighter! How to resolve a slack chain, fit a Series III crankcase.

All the best,

Mike A.

[David Morris]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your post. When you mentioned 'raised' longitudinal oil galleries, did you mean the casting area was raised on the surface of the top of the block? If so, I didn't know this and it looks like it is the only identifying external feature on the different blocks?

I know the Series 3 blocks had the oil galleries bored out to give a greater oil flow, and that they had larger brass plugs to cap off the ends of the galleries. We have been boring out the oil ways on earlier blocks, with no problems. We made up the correct brass plugs. Also, I think the Series 3 engine had the later oil pump, with a much larger oil delivery pipe.

Talking about tightening the tie bolts, we had a block that we were assembling and the crankshaft was locked solid, right up to the point where we reached the correct torque on the tie bolts, when it suddenly became free.

On your point about camshafts, I wonder if your PA camshaft was for the hydraulic cam followers? There are big differences in the camshafts for the hydraulic and solid follower camshafts.

All the best,

David