I bid on via internet, and won, this cutaway engine at an RM auction in Texas. Shipping took a while, and now its in my shop. It’s a classic training-aid type cutaway with fuel, exhaust and cooling pathways tinted in appropriate colors and most of the inner workings of our engines exposed. I’m old enough that I remember these kinds of displays in shop classes and at Purdue University.
I’ve already threatened my collector friends around here with inviting them to a lecture…
The engine is early/mid 1950’s. I found an article from the Jaguar Journal from 10 years ago implying that this cutaway display was done in the US 40 or 50 years ago.
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Very cool.
Do your lecture as a video so we can all get in on the fun. 
That’s slick. Do the moving parts move?
Yes, the parts move correctly. I had to do some cleanup and lube to make it move freely since the workings were suffering from sitting idle in a display for probably years.
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I, and I’d bet others, would love to see a video of the parts in motion.
That’s likely a two person job. I’ll bribe my chief assistant/wife Lori to help.
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That is very cool piece of history! I swear to God I was gonna do that… And never got a round tuit.
PS: the cam sprocket bolts are missing safety wire. Tsk tsk.
And thats a problem why? 
So that’s what the inside of an exhaust manifold looks like.
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So cool…Well done!
My dream was to have a complete XK, without the body, in my large garage. Some support device for the steering column and wheel, and perhaps a wooden stool, to show that it was possible to drive the exhibit. None of my friends fully understand how cars were constructed prior to today’s monocoque structures.
Very cool Dave,
I bought that engine from Tillman Steckner, the maker, about 7 years ago.
I also submitted the Jag Journal article about it, that Peter Crespin kindly printed.
I sold it to Gene Ponder. I was watching the auction and wondered where it went.
Mr. Steckner was an amazing man, with so many huge talents: machinist, violin and harpsichord maker, glider plane designer, draftsman and educator.
He lived in Canada by the way, and yes, built the cutaway 40 or 50 years ago.
I’m glad you have it, and will share it with others. I’m sure you will get many interested people over to appreciate it.
I’d planned to put a small electric reduction motor on it, to turn it slowly.
Thanks for posting Dave, I was wondering about this.
Rob
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Soooo, mister, where are the other 3 cylinders?
Talk about a small world!
Dave’s post has me reminissing about meeting Tillman Steckner.
My brother and I spent a couple of hours in awe of his achievements when we visited.
I asked about a set of brake drum drawings on his wall, and he said they were for improving his sail plane brakes. He is one of only a few who has glided over 1000 Km. I’ve since found this article:
When we viewed several wooden instuments he’d made, told us about how, if you hold thin wood up to the light, variations on density could be seen, and this knowledge could be used. I found this article today:
What a talent! I remember he had made a clear plastic fully working carburator, to show students how they work.
It took a long looking through old photos, but I found these, taken at his house the day I bought the half-engine. This has brought back good memories!
Thanks,
Rob
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It definitely makes me sad that I didn’t get to meet him…