BMC B-Series Engine

The BMC B-series was a straight-4 internal combustion engine family, mostly used in motor cars, created by British company Austin Motor Company. The pre-cursor of the "B" series engine was a 1200 cc OHV engine which was used in the 1947 Austin A40 Devon. This A40 Devon engine was based on a pre-war Side-valve design. Austin realised that eventually they would need an engine that could power many of its forthcoming medium-sized cars, and this would require an engine of at least 1500 cc capacity. Since the A40 Devon engine could not have its capacity enlarged, a new engine was designed, which, although superficially similar, was longer and heavier than the A40 Devon engine. The design of this new engine commenced around January 1952, and was designated as the "B" series. Displacements ranged widely from 1.2 L to 2.4 L, the latter being an Australia only production six-cylinder variant. 1.5 L and 1.8 L displacements were most common. Petrol versions were produced in the greatest numbers, but diesel versions exist for both cars and marine applications.

The engine was of conventional construction with a one-piece crankcase and cylinder block in cast iron with the crankcase extending down to the lowest level of the main bearing caps, and with cylinder head also usually in cast iron. The sump was made from pressed steel. Early engines used a three-bearing crankshaft, but later engines used five bearings. On all except the rare twin overhead camshaft variant, the camshaft — which was chain driven and mounted low in the block — operated the overhead valves via pushrods and rocker arms. The two inlet ports in the non-crossflow cylinder head were shared between cylinders 1 + 2 and 3 + 4 and the three exhaust ports between cylinder 1, 2 + 3 and 4. Valve clearance was adjustable by screws on the rocker arms with access to the tappets by two side covers on the engine block, this feature being a hang over from side valve engine design, but it provides easy access to the camshaft tappets.