1950 WR engine on eBay

[Chris Haynes]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Harle...1%7C240%3A1318

[exeric]

I rode a WR that a friend had put in a standard road going chassis. It was quite a few years ago and I remember it being a lot more potent than your usual 45 but it was at a national meet and I was afraid of doing something stupid (or deadly) around so many people. What are your impressions of that motor Chris ? What kind of horsepower do they have and are they delicate motors ?

[Chris Haynes]

I rode a WR that a friend had put in a standard road going chassis. It was quite a few years ago and I remember it being a lot more potent than your usual 45 but it was at a national meet and I was afraid of doing something stupid (or deadly) around so many people. What are your impressions of that motor Chris ? What kind of horsepower do they have and are they delicate motors ?

HP rating would be a guess. H-D never was one to publish HP ratings. Hardly delicate. But you have to remember that a true WR has ball bearings in it. Ball bearings = less bearing resistance = more power and speed. The bad thing is that ball bearing life is much shorter than the roller bearings used on street motors.

[cdndewey]

Aside from the roller bearings they also have the valves canted in towards the cylinders and use a flat tappet instead of a roller. The heads have been reshaped/ported for improved flow. There's also some other mods done to them but those are the main ones.

[Rubone]

Stock 45s were in the 23-25 HP range. A strong WR is in the upper 30s with the max about 38HP. A few tuners claimed more but Tom Siftons motors were about the best with around 40HP. Those engines were basically torn down after every race! If you want street performance you are much better off with a stroker using stock shafts and bearings. Truett and Osborne sell flywheels and stroker pistons. A little port work, hotter cams, a bigger and better carb and you will have a great running 45 for the street that will last much better than a race motor. And you can build it for much less than the cost of a true WR motor!
Robbie