Packard Merlin 33

As I’m rapidly dsicovering. Good job I didn’t buy the one at the acution in Stafordshire!

If you dont have a Spitfire to put it in, then the engine is the least of your worries!

Any Merlin is worth Money – it may be a question of what you are prepared to spend…

Bruce

Many thanks for all this help. I’m afarid I’m a bit of novice in all this so its great to be able to be intouch with such experienced people.

W

From our experience, if you are looking at buying a Merlin that you will work and will be used in an aircraft the best place to go is to a reputable source eg Retro Track and Air or Maurice Hammond for the complete engine or get a wreck (within reason) and send it to them for overhaul.
If you are looking at prices (depends which you go to really) for a taxiable engine (not licensed for airworthiness but a good runner) you could pay something in the region of £30-£50K, for a flyer it could be something like £100-£120K and for a restoration of a runner to a flying it could be something like £75K.
Griffins are cheaper, spares are more accesible and they obviously fit the later marks of Spit; but then its just not a Merlin!
Packards are very similar to Rolls Royce, there are subtle differneces in some of the castings, the mags are different, coolant pumps etc are slightly different too, Strongburg carbs too. Why? i dont know, i guess its for the americans to have their stamp.

I was there and tried to buy it but pulled out at £22k the telephone bidder came in at £25 so I let him have it.

Apparently it won’t fit a Spitfire I have subsequently discoverd and it was rather gold in colour!

I’ve now found a Merlin 33 see above, it or looks brand new and is in its box. I’m told it is either new or reconditiond. I’m tempted but any idea what these engines are worth?

Walter

I was offered a Packard Merlin (type unknown) , “still in the crate” for £15k (about 7 years ago); thing is, they put them back in a crate when they sent them off for overhaul; “you pays yer money, and you takes yer chance”.

There was one that sold local to me, a year or so ago, (part of a large collection of vehicles dating back to 1900) this one was unused; it sold before the auction, for a rumoured £50k; lets hope there wasn’t a mouseys nest in it….

I was there and tried to buy it but pulled out at £22k the telephone bidder came in at £25 so I let him have it.

Apparently it won’t fit a Spitfire I have subsequently discoverd and it was rather gold in colour!

I’ve now found a Merlin 33 see above, it or looks brand new and is in its box. I’m told it is either new or reconditiond. I’m tempted but any idea what these engines are worth?

Walter

Hi Stuart and all, I had a good look at the “Machin” Merlin, it seemed fairly untouched as regard’s to being rebuilt but good and relatively easy to run up.
I understand it went for a lot more than £5k, I am sure that more learned people on here will know exactly what it went for.

Of the 5 engine’s in the auction the best engine in my opinion was a Bristol Hercules that was in a very clean and complete condition.

Andy

Not a Packard 33

OK, just trying to keep this thread alive; did anyone see the Merlin 724-c that came up for auction (in Stafford) about a month ago?

Merlin 724-c engine no. 310595, was rebuilt (apparently) by Francis Machin, and was running a year ago, it was in an agricultural auction, at Garmelow manor.

Unfortunately although made aware of the sale in plenty of time, I forgot all about it; it was reserved at about £5k.

I’d be more concerned as to how long the engine is, and what mk you are going to fit it to.

The reverse-flow cooling is not an issue. It is a common conversion involving fitment of the two “horn pipes” that connect the coolant pump to the blocks. Merlin 25s have been used in Spitfires in this way. It is not a true reverse-flow system, it only involves placing the Mosquito radiators in a different position in the circuit, between the coolant pump and blocks, instead of between the header tank and coolant pump.

I know that these two speed single stage Merlins (ie the Merlin 33) can be used in Mk VIII-on aircraft which originally had two stage blowers, but I think if it is a baby Spit then you have to go for the single speed job, nowadays often a Merlin 35. Stuart, you probably know more about that than I do!

Pete

Well I’m not going flying just yet but if I bought an engine I’d want to know that it was a model worth having that could be used in a spitfire. Is the Packad Merlin 33 (merlin 23) any good? will the reverse cooling be a problem?

I’d be more concerned as to how long the engine is, and what mk you are going to fit it to.

Well I’m not going flying just yet but if I bought an engine I’d want to know that it was a model worth having that could be used in a spitfire. Is the Packad Merlin 33 (merlin 23) any good? will the reverse cooling be a problem?

Merlin 33, the Packard version of the Merlin 23 and originally fitted in the Mosquito XX, incorporating reverse flow coolant.

Will it fit a Spitfire? Depends on what mark of Spitfire you have in mind…and if you want to go flying. 🙂

Mark

Thanks, v helpful. If anyone knows of one I’d be intersted to hear, I’m not looking for a ready to fly engine but one that could be made that way.

Pricing?A wreck you could get for a couple of thousand up to about a hundred thousand for a ready to bolt in job ready to fly.Yes they are still available.A few guys here could point you in the right direction.

Thanks. I don’t suppose you happen to kmow how much a Merlin engine would cost, or in fact it it is possible to buy them now?

Welcome,the answer is no and yes.Merlins were pretty much interchangeable with only various ancilleries being different.