The seven-bearing crank-shaft is finished all over in a beautiful manner, and the shaft out of the particular motor we have shows no signs of wear whatever. The crank-pins are 55 mm. in diameter and 69 mm. long. Through both the crank-pin and main bearings there is drilled a 28 mm. hole, and the crank cheeks are plugged with solder. The crank cheeks are also built to convey the lubricant to the crank-pins. At the fore end of the crank cheek there is pressed on a spur driving gear. There is screwed on to the front end of the shaft a piece which forms a bevel water pump driving gear and the starting dog. At the rear end of the shaft very close to the propeller hub mounting there is a double thrust bearing to take the propeller thrust.

Long, shouldered studs are screwed into the top half of the crank-case portion of the case and pass clean through the bottom half of the case. The case is very stiff and well ribbed. The three center bearing diaphragms have double walls. The center one serves as a duct through which water pipe passes, and those on either side of the center form the carburetor intake air passages and are enlarged in section at one side to take the carburetor barrel throttle.

The pistons are of cast iron and carry three concentric rings 14 inch wide on their upper end, which are pinned at the joint. The top of the piston forms the frustum of the cone and the pistons are 110 mm. in length. The lower portion of the skirt is machined inside and has a wall thickness of 1 mm. Riveted to the piston head is a conical diaphragm which contacts with the piston pin when in place and serves to carry the heat off the center of the piston.

The oil pump assembly comprises a pair of plunger pumps which draw oil from a separate outside pump, and constructed integrally with it is a gear pump which delivers the oil under about 60 pound pressure through a set of copper pipes in the base to the main bearings. The plunger oil pump shows great refinement of detail. A worm wheel and two eccentrics are machined up out of one piece and serve to operate the plungers.

Fig. 246.—Part Sectional Side View and Sectional End View of Benz 160 Horse-Power Aviation Engine.

Some interesting details of the 160 horse-power Benz motor, which is shown at [Fig. 246], are reproduced from the “Aerial Age Weekly,” and show how carefully the design has been considered.

AUSTRO-DAIMLER ENGINE