gingerfold:
I believe that there is a display sectioned AEC V8 engine in a Birmingham museum if anyone wants to go and investigate its coolant passages.
The sectioned display engine you are referring to is one of the four known to have been done in preparation for the 1968 launch, and is currently in the Aldridge Transport Museum. I’m told it is an AV740, but I know it is missing it’s original camshaft and followers, as these were removed back around 2000 to restore the engine in the RTITB Mandator V8. As the sectioned display engines were all ex R&D test units, the parts removed still had signs of wear, but were apparently much better than the originals.
Just out of interest, a second sectioned AEC V8 engine was once in Mick Hayton’s Albion museum in Dumfries. It was sold at the dispersal sale, and it’s current whereabouts are unknown.
A third, and the AEC V8 engine which was from the Radford BL training centre, is an AV800. It turned up in a scrap metal skip in 2016 along with a sectioned 500 series training engine and several sectioned training gearboxes. All eventually found homes, the V8 ending up in Lincolnshire.
The fourth sectioned engine’s whereabouts are unknown, but it is belived it went out to Australia or New Zealand in preparation for the launch of the Mandator V8 there.