I knew a little about the famous Offenhausers, hearing about their conquests at the Indianapolis Speedway while growing up. I didn't get interested in building a copy of one until approached by Bob Washburn after doing my Cirrus article for SIC magazine. At the time Bob was looking for someone to develop the model, do the basic drawings, write machining instructions, and build two copies of the finished engine, in a one year time frame. He sent me all the data he had aquired at the time. I looked it all over, but had to send it all back. I was busy on other projects and it seemed a daunting task that I was sure I couldn't accomplish. I didn't forget the engine though, and some years later, a gift of Gordon White's book on the Offenhausers from my eldest son, put me in the frame of mind to give Bob's proposal a try, but on easier terms. It took me two years to do it all and I only built a single copy of the engine. I put my drawings and machining instructions in book form and published it myself. It has been a successful venture, but I was right about it being a daunting task. I'll most likely never try doing anything like that again. The engine has been, and is being built in many parts of the world. My copy has been running for eight years now and is a fine performer with the throaty roar of it's full sized counterpart.
Build your own legendary Offenhauser racing engine. (No castings needed) This is a 16 valve double overhead cam powerhouse, with pressure oil feeds and dry sump lubrication. It is faithful to the prototype and uses the famous cup type followers. Eleven inches long and seven inches high. 1.032" Bore x 1.094" Stroke. 60 cc Displacement. (3.66 cubic in.) Compression ratio is 9.5:1. Uses solid state spark ignition. (Hall Effect with dual magnets)
The manual contains all drawings, photos, and machining instructions needed to complete your engine. Photos of special setups and drawings for several special tools are included. Source lists for all required materials. Comb bound, with 130, 8 1/2 x 11 inch pages.
