Emery Engines - II

I found the article in the March issue about Paul Emery quite fascinating, in particular as you mention the 1 1/2-litre F2 twin-cam heads which I once owned.

The heads were made to be utilised on the Jowett Javelin / Jupiter engine and only required longer cylinder head studs to fit them. To the best of my knowledge an engine was completed and did run (the combustion chambers showed traces of carbon). The “story” I was told when I acquired them was that the engine was run three times on the bench and three times it broke and was then abandoned.

I think the heads passed from Paul Emery to Alf Thomas, a Jowett agent in the Bedford area who used to race successfully the R4 Jupiters in the late ’50’s. Eventually they were acquired by Ian Dean,e a Jowett enthusiast from Marple near Stockport whom I subsequently persuaded to part with them. Although the heads were almost complete the important timing wheels were missing.

After several years of dreaming about using them in my Jupiter for competition, I accepted the reality that with my limited resources and without considerable expense I was unlikely to ever get them running. Temptation stepped in and I took the money and the heads are now in Australia where the plan is to use them in a Jupiter for historic racing!

Mike Smailes

Stockton-on-Tees