Een Meadows-Dorman Motor Mysterie?

HI, Dorman made a 4cylinder OHV engine in 1919. All Aluminium one piece crankcase and cylinder block. Also twin high camshafts which gave a cross flow head made of cast-iron. The four exposed push rods were either side of the cylinder block. All Dorman engines have a brass plate around 3×2 inches somewhere on the case with the engine number on it . They can be traced in the Stafford Records Office. Engine type was the 4KNO. Check the Woiverhampton Records Office to see if they hold a nyinfo on casting marks. Hope this helps. I worked at Dorman 45 years.

Hello
On closer inspection the obliterated no is the top of a 7 or a 5
, it is in a script font , also found another number 12715 on the front cover , they are all numerically close .
Yes ,the up stand is a drive of sorts , from the crank.
I have an old advertisement for Meadows from the 20's , and the engine looks similar in a lot of ways, were the marine engines not named after birds ? Kestrel ?

I'll post some better photos with the top cover off .
Thanks
Peter

Hello Peter,

I was trying to be helpful. So, to enlarge my comments and, in the light of the info. that you have given it is most likely that the numbers on the block and head represent the casting part number/reference, with the letters 'CV', 'CY', representing the Foundry that made the castings. Therefor probably not 'Coventry Victor'. In any case I do not think that they ever made an OHC, 4-Cyl, engine. I believe that this is also the case for Dorman and Meadows.
This still leaves the 'number' on the aluminium cover. This is a little different. During all my time with 1920 - 1930 cars I have often seen this kind of cast 'number' and it is always a date! Usually month - year, the year being represented by just two digits, 1938 (or 1928) being just 38! The centre 'number' would just be a '-' bar. Hence it was unimportant if it was machined 'out' and was not totally visible. This I have often come across. As fittings on this engine look to be more 30's than 20's, I still stand by my manufacturing date of 1938.
This still leaves the mystery of who made it. On further examination of the photos I wonder if the 'bulge' visible on the off-side of the engine and running up into the cam-box casing may be that for a vertical drive for the camshaft, driving it by a centrally mounted bevel gear.
So, I am still at a loss as to suggest a manufacturer.
Just noticed, there is a 'number' on the casting for the rear engine mount/bell housing on the near-side next to the crankcase. Is this decipherable?

Regards, Peter.

The alloy rocker cover number is a number , not a dash or dot .
The block numbers are 12766 CV or CY
Manifold has 12570
Head has a similar no to block
CV----coventry victor ??
Thanks
Peter R.

Firstly, I do not think that the engine is 1920's. There is a reference number cast into the top of the aluminium rocker/cam box which appears to be 12*38. Though the machining for the stud has obliterated part of the centre digit I believe that it is only a 'space', usually a 'dot' (still visible), in which case it would indicate a manufacturing date of December 1938!
Equally important is the 'stand' cast into the side of the cover the top of which appears to have been designed to take a distributor clamp bolt. There is also what appears to be a retaining bolt hole in the side of this post. Possibly this engine was designed to be either Mag or coil ignition.
Some other details, like the fan, appear to be more mid-late thirties than 1920's practice.
I would also be interested to know what the numbers are that can be seen in the photos adjacent to the rear spark plugs.
Could this be an engine for a military application?

Regards, Peter.