Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[RogerB]

Does any one remember this device?

It was sold in the early 1950's and advertised in The Motor magazine.
Basically it was a water injection unit with its own water container that pumped a metered amount of water vapour into the petrol mixture.

If any one has information/pictures etc of the H20 bomb, please let me know.
RogerB

[Penman]

Hi
The topic of Water injection came up sometime ago, I think it was mainly regarding modern hydrogen extracted from water but did touch on H2O injection;
I tried searching "Water AND Injection" on the forum's search button, it comes up with 19 matches.
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

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[roverdriver]

I certainly remember water injectors being bought and fitted as accessory units to cars in the '50's. I also remember that there was quite a lot of debate over their effectiveness.

I believe the concept arose from the fact that on a cool damp night, engines of the period seemed to run much better, and the water injector was a way of trying to duplicate those conditions.

I would certainly like to know more about them.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[JohnDale]

In '59 a few of us got together with an Austin A90 Atlantic & rigged up a water injection kit. Don't think we did it very well as it seemed to improve performance over about half of a measured mile but couldn't get it to go the full mile as it was impossible to carry enough water. Probably would have needed a bag on the roof like the gas fueled cars during the war,cheers,JD.
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1958 Ford Zephyr Mk2 Convertible
1976 Ford Granada Ghia.

[Minxy]

I think in general water injection is most effective on forced fed intake engines ( turbo's etc) to cool the intake/charged air. We trialed it on numerous Quattro rally cars with varying success, the main issue was as posted above -carrying the vast amounts of water needed. Ideally the need for water is when the engine is at full chatter but with a rally car this is literally all the time.

If you google water injection you will find there are kits available for modern cars.

I have a vague recollection reading once that water injection was in use on WW2 fighter planes at the time.
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Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10

[RogerB]

The H2O Bomb was sold by Ridley Industrial Ltd of 28 Clemens Street,
Leamington Spa.(Telephone number- Leamington Spa 2187).
That information is according to my 1957 Trader Handbook.

If you go to Google earth and look at 28 Clemens Street it would appear to be just a shop; maybe in 1957 it was motor accessory dealer with a workshop in the mews producing the device OR it could be something brought into the UK from the US.

I shall continue to look for a picture of it but I know there was a small photo in the Motor magazine sometime in 1957; anyone out there have a 'run' of 1957 Motor magazines?

Water injection was used in WW2; that is something I'm researching as a variation of the WW2 device may have finished up as a 1950's car accessory

[Rick]

SAAB offered water injection as a dealer-fit option on the 99 turbo.

RJ
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[RogerB]

I have just found a small picture of the 'The New Mark 111 H2O Bomb' in a copy of the September 1955 'Practical Motorist'.

The text with the ad. says-
Economises on fuel.
Increases performance.
Disperses carbon.
Eliminates pinking.
Reduces engine wear.

'Introduces water vapour to the mixture in minute quantities automatically controlled by the demands of the engine'

Price-£5 10s 0 Delivered free in the UK.
Easily fitted to any make of car.

Initially I had the tyhe feeling that it was a US product but having trawled thro' copies of 1955/56 Practical Mechanics I'm still unsure where the device came from...
RogerB

[ka]

On/off the subject, but has anybody tried the water spray decoke method. (referring back to a post where an owner commented that when a head gasket blows, the combustion chamber always looks the cleanest)
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KA

Better three than four.

[Minxy]

[Minxy]

Back to the original thread I have a friend who lives in Leamington and I asked him if he could find out anything about the company or the product.

That address is now a print shop ( T- shirts, business cards etc). In that general area back in the day there were dozens and dozens of small engineering businesses most employing a few people in a shed working fly presses making small parts for the multitude of car factories in the area. There is a record of that business but not its connection with that product. I'm going to take a wild guess and suggest that as the call for work at these small firms started to dry up they may have attempted to diversify as stockists/middle men/ distributors/ importers of the H2O bomb and likely it never took off.

Sorry it's not more positive

Martyn
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Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10

[RogerB]

Martyn,

Many thanks for the information and many thanks to your friend for visiting Clement Street....
Can I ask what the record of the business is please?

RogerB

[Minxy]

They were registered as light engineering. As above I think it was normal in them days for the likes of Rootes to outsource the manufacture of small parts, parts I would imagine are today shipped in from the East. My friends uncle used to work for one of the many small companies making lock tabs/ lock washers.
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Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10

[RogerB]

Thank you....

RogerB

[badhuis]

http://www.ebay.com/motors/blog/bmw-water-injection/
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment