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Repco Brahbam Engines


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#1 Spider

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Posted 23 February 2019 - 08:01 AM

Inspired by a recent thread (When does a Car Company become Foreign and where that has gone) I've dug up this jem.

 

Repco (short for Replacement Parts Company) is an Australian company, been on the go now for close on 100 years and have been a back bone to the Car Industry we had here. They started in grinding of Brake Drums and Flywheels, right from the company's earliest days, it was involved in Motor racing.

 

When Car Manufacturing got in to high gear, they geared up to be a component supplier as well as a spare parts supplier. Their parts were used OEM by all local manufacturers, including BMC. In very late years, the company went through a few transitions and while some of it's groups were closed down, some were sold off and others 'hived off' in to their own entity,

 

Repco Pistons and Engine Bearings was one part that was hived off and today, trades as ACL Bearings, with their Pistons, sadly no longer in production. They have since been bought out by Mahle, though they have been left alone to do what they do best.

 

Repco also established Retail and Trade Stores across our country and in to a few off shore. They were highly orgainised and very efficient in their operation, and would have sown up better than 98% of the Trade Aftermarket. There was very little they couldn't supply 'same day' (even with afternoon orders) and with small machine shops dotted in between these stores, they could also offer same day 'routine' machining to the trade for items like Cylinder Heads, Flywheels and Brakes.

 

Repco stores are still in operation today, but in terms of what they offer, I feel are a shadow of their former self.

 

I worked for Repco for a short time,and gained most of my most intimate knowledge of engines while there, along with an insight of how a big company, that was spread far and wide, could be run successfully. I have very fond memories of my stint there.

 

Now, down to where this is all leading !!

 

I think many of us have heard of the F1 owner / driver Jack Brabham. He was the only person to win a world championship in a car of his own manufacture, though, he did have a small but highly dedicated team working for him. Jack leaned the F1 ropes under the careful eye of John Cooper and was in fact employed by John when John was tinkering with that Mini that was modified and shown to George Harriman, the rest there is well known history.

 

Jack left Coopers (on best of terms) and set up his own F1 team. Initially Jack was using and doing well with Coventry Climax Engines and after a short time, entered in to an arrangement with Repco to do his engine overhauls and testing. Repco in turn had an arrangement to carry out this work, under license from Coventry Climax. Repco set up a separate division to do this work  and that was based in Melbourne, Victoria. Late in 1963, Jack had a meeting with the Repco board (likely after learning these corporate ropes from John Cooper) to convince them that they should design, develop and build Australia's own F1 engine, and the Repco Brabham series of engines were born. It was with one of these engines that Jack won the world championship.

 

The history, ingenuity and 'can do' of these engines was amazing. Even today, they are highly sort after. The operation was very very small, especially when compared to all others in this particular field. Sadly, by the late 60's, Ford had their DFV on the scene and no one could compete with them. At the same time, Repco Brabham F1 engines underwent a major technological transformation to double overhead cam heads and a new block (?) which need time to refine and make reliable, though, it was time they didn't have. Sadly, for the most part, that was pretty much the end of the road for these fantastic engines, though they were supported for many years after as there was many teams, mostly outside of F1, who were using them.

 

A very proud time in Australian Racing history. It does make me feel quite sad when I see all this magnificent talent, gone.

 

" The noise in the dyno room was unbelievable and frightened most everybody. You can see with the 4.2 Indy engine percolating very well (at Maidstone above), everybody had left the room except the photographer and me. Then i would work the engine as you can see, my photo says it was around 7000 rpm. I have the Db reading somewhere."

 

" I have seen a flywheel ring gear split and spear the wall separating Merv’s office from the Dyno Room at Waggott Engineering (in Greenacre, Sydney). It had the effect of wanting to hitch your pants up! "

 

(for a while, Waggotts did my engine machining and cam grinding)

 

more here;-

 

https://primotipo.co...iLm62TmeemdyENk

 

koQB2Vc.jpg



#2 Wiggy

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Posted 23 February 2019 - 11:54 AM

An interesting read. Thanks!

#3 Spider

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Posted 01 March 2019 - 08:33 AM

a Short video on these wonderful engines

 



#4 CMXCVIII

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Posted 02 March 2019 - 01:56 PM

How can you not fall in love with a racing car called a "Mildren Waggott"?

 

When I was a kid, i did!

 

And it was very pretty as well as very quick!! 

 

Jon



#5 Spider

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Posted 02 July 2019 - 09:05 AM

I was chatting to a former colleague a few days ago about Life & Piston Rings and the subject turned around to the Repco-Braham glory days.

 

While discussions between Brabham & Repco started late in 63 in regards to an Engine, these did go on for some months before the project at a board level was given approval for costings and time frames, but the time they'd gotten a Green Light to go ahead with the project, secure somewhere to under take it and suitable staff, it was around March 1965. From that time up to late October, this division could only carry out some preliminary designs & drawings then later, placing orders for parts to be cast.

 

It wasn't until around November 1965 that they actually had parts they could start to machine and assemble this 'theoretical' engine. Keep in mind, that while some divisions of Repco were component manufacturers, they were not at that time engine designers nor engine manufacturers, though they did work with many other established manufacturers to do research, testing and resolve problems.

 

They built their first F1 Engine, dubbed the 620, in 9 weeks from castings. They not only built it in this time frame, but tested it, sorted the issues they could find with it, had it freighted to the UK where Ron Tauranac fitted it to Jack's car. It was only when in the UK that they were able to get a Fuel Injection system from Lucas to fit to it (prior testing was done with Webers), Then some further testing and setting up done only once in practice and then that was the start of the 1966 F1 Season. The engine, while down some 30 HP on the opposition, set the pace from the start and had the pits all talking and watching.

 

After a couple of rounds, Lotus and another team approached Repco with firm orders for engines, but sadly, Repco weren't set up to mass produce them and had to turn down these orders. Later in the season, a 2nd Engine was made and fitted to Denny Hume's Car (Jack's no, 2 driver).

 

Jack of course went on to win the 1966 F1 season as a driver and a manufacturer. This will never be repeated ever in F1. The same team also won the 1967 round, though it was Denny who took that chequred flag.

 

While it was kept very tight lipped in the day, there was no plans what so ever to continue with these engines, in use or 'manufacturer' beyond 1 year initially, however, on the back of it's totally unexpected 1st year's success, it was agreed by the Repco board to continue with it for another year. It was intended only to get the Repco name out on a world stage, an advertising exersise and no more.

 

Repco design, built, tested and maintained the engines of 1966 on a total budget of $20 000.00 AUD (in 1966 values) and in a practical way, in only 9 weeks. Very cheeky!  It took Ford and Cosworth 3 years and $20 million dollars to beat it with the DFV, which didn't come on without problems.

 

I only found out much of these numbers and details over the last few days and it's left me rather gob-smacked to say the least.

 

 

Coming back to our initial chat on Piston Rings, Repco were supplying Ring sets to BMC (in the UK and around the world) from around early 1965 at first to resolve warranty issues and then soon there after, for normal production as their Ring design, in particular, their Oil Control Rings, were the best available. I understand they continued to supply Rings up to the late 70's and possibly beyond.



#6 whistler

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Posted 02 July 2019 - 11:37 AM

Very interesting Chris. I do remember that the Repco Brabham engines had a lot of respect during the 60's amongst the race fraternity. I also remember the Brabham tuning bits marketed for the HA/HB Viva in about '67.



#7 CMXCVIII

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Posted 04 July 2019 - 09:27 AM

 

They built their first F1 Engine, dubbed the 620, in 9 weeks from castings. They not only built it in this time frame, but tested it, sorted the issues they could find with it, had it freighted to the UK where Ron Tauranac fitted it to Jack's car. It was only when in the UK that they were able to get a Fuel Injection system from Lucas to fit to it (prior testing was done with Webers), Then some further testing and setting up done only once in practice and then that was the start of the 1966 F1 Season. The engine, while down some 30 HP on the opposition, set the pace from the start and had the pits all talking and watching.

 

 

 

Repco design, built, tested and maintained the engines of 1966 on a total budget of $20 000.00 AUD (in 1966 values) and in a practical way, in only 9 weeks. Very cheeky!  It took Ford and Cosworth 3 years and $20 million dollars to beat it with the DFV, which didn't come on without problems.

 

Thanks for that fascinating insight!

 

The first DFVs famously had huge problems with vibration and oil scavenging. Somehow the Repco just got bolted together and worked!

 

That Phil Irving bloke is very under-appreciated!

 

Admittedly Repco then went power-hungry with twin cam, four valve heads - and I believe they found all sorts of interesting different things in the valve train kept breaking!

 

Jon



#8 DeadSquare

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Posted 08 July 2019 - 09:03 AM

I think that they must have made a run of several engines, because sometime in the 70's, I had the crazy idea of sitting a Rover V8 on an 1800 'landcrab' automatic gearbox and putting it in the back of a Mini derivative, when I got the chance of an 'as new' F1 Repco engine that was "knocking around in the used racing world for not a lot of money", until someone inquired about the price, when 'not a lot' kept becoming 'a bit more'.

 

It would have been interesting to have as a coffee table now.



#9 Spider

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Posted 22 July 2019 - 09:24 PM

 

 

They built their first F1 Engine, dubbed the 620, in 9 weeks from castings. They not only built it in this time frame, but tested it, sorted the issues they could find with it, had it freighted to the UK where Ron Tauranac fitted it to Jack's car. It was only when in the UK that they were able to get a Fuel Injection system from Lucas to fit to it (prior testing was done with Webers), Then some further testing and setting up done only once in practice and then that was the start of the 1966 F1 Season. The engine, while down some 30 HP on the opposition, set the pace from the start and had the pits all talking and watching.

 

 

 

Repco design, built, tested and maintained the engines of 1966 on a total budget of $20 000.00 AUD (in 1966 values) and in a practical way, in only 9 weeks. Very cheeky!  It took Ford and Cosworth 3 years and $20 million dollars to beat it with the DFV, which didn't come on without problems.

 

Thanks for that fascinating insight!

 

The first DFVs famously had huge problems with vibration and oil scavenging. Somehow the Repco just got bolted together and worked!

 

That Phil Irving bloke is very under-appreciated!

 

Admittedly Repco then went power-hungry with twin cam, four valve heads - and I believe they found all sorts of interesting different things in the valve train kept breaking!

 

Jon

 

 

Phil Irving - that seems to be someone who's either loved or loathed. I only know of him and from what I know, he came from a Motor Cycle Racing Background. His contribution to the RB Engines I understand was just about zero. He did start some design work but none of it was completed before he was given his marching orders (though, he was only ever there on contract). He never turned up at work until after lunch and so many of the team wasted much of the morning before seeing him and sorting details. He was replaced with John Judd who did the work that Phil was contracted for. He did a stirling job especially in the time frame that he had.

 

I understand in later years, after some controversial management changes Phil did come back to the team.

 

I think that they must have made a run of several engines, because sometime in the 70's, I had the crazy idea of sitting a Rover V8 on an 1800 'landcrab' automatic gearbox and putting it in the back of a Mini derivative, when I got the chance of an 'as new' F1 Repco engine that was "knocking around in the used racing world for not a lot of money", until someone inquired about the price, when 'not a lot' kept becoming 'a bit more'.

 

It would have been interesting to have as a coffee table now.

 

They did go on to make around 20 or 30 engines, but they were all essentially one off hand made engines. They only had the one running, racing engine when Lotus approached them asking for something of the order of 6 engines and they would have wanted them that season, there was just no way they could deliver on that. They did continue to make these engine in to the 70's and in various capacities from 3.0 litre to 4.7 litre to suit various classes, including Indy.






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