American LaFrance V-12

Good information!
I guess another problem might be adapting the engine to an Auburn transmission.
My engine has a distributor in the normal location and another attached to the rear end of the generator. This latter could be removed, and the two-spark plug heads replaced with single sparkplug heads. This might make the engine more practical to maintain.
John

Yes, the 1938-59 V-12 LaFrance engine appears the same as the Auburn V-12 to teh average person. You realize that they range from 491.2 to 526 cubic inches. You cannot completely disguise one to be identical to the smaller 391.2 Auburn V-12. They won't run as good when fitted with the small venturi Auburn carburetors and the restrictive Auburn exhaust. They do have inserted rod bearings. Some have protrusions on the block casting that cannot be removed. If you just want to build a fun Auburn that's a real runner, these LaFrance engines are the ticket. Most fire apparatus sales companies have a complete LaFrance truck or two sitting out in the weeds. You can get them very reasonable. None had marine use but Lycoming did build a much larger 12 cylinder marine engine around 1,000 cid.

Stan

Glen Pray in Broken Arrow, Ok (918-251-3161) can likely help quite a bit. He has had several and used one to power the "Duesenberg" Phaeton that he built some years ago. The big 12 looks quite at home in the Duesy engine compartment by the way, as it resembles the twin cam J engine. Believe that the heads are the primary difference between ALF and Auburn V12.

Eighteen months ago I acquired an American LaFrance V-12 engine which is identical in most details to the Lycoming V-12 made for Auburn.
The visible differences are the dual ignition and the carburation, but there may be other, less visible, differences.
Does anyone have any literature on this engine? Is it potentially convertible to an Auburn V-12?
Were any of these converted for Marine use?
Thanks,
John Sands