The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Jim Feuling

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Feuling W3 engineWith all of this talk of the Hayabusa V8, I neglected to mention the Feuling W3. Jim Feuling, who passed away in 2002, was a prolific inventor and engineer. I first noticed him back around 1990 or so when he developed 4 valve heads for the Harley Davidson Evo engine. I thought of him again the other day when I saw the rerun of a Biker Build Off episode where Cory Ness built his chopper using a Feuling W3 engine. It’s impressive to say the least and is one indicator of the kind of work Jim Feuling did. Jim was pretty amazing. He built an Oldsmobile 4 cylinder engine that developed over 1,270 hp from 121 cubic inches! Not bad, I’d say. The East Coast Timing Association has a reprint of his memorial from the now closed Feuling website. A few of Jim’s developments are:

the engine for the American Honda high-mileage streamliner, capable of 500 MPG @ 55 mph, and developed the engine for the 2-place Q-2 aircraft, rated the world’s most efficient. His internationally-recognized products include the 4-Valve cylinder head conversion for Harley-Davidson® Evolution motorcycles, his patented aluminum CENTERFIRE® cylinder heads for Chevrolet 454 and Ford 460 truck engines, the all new ‘Fast-Burn’ MAXFLOW® cylinder head kits, SuperPump and HP+ lifters for the Harley-Davidson Twin Cam engines and the awesome W3 Motorcycle

Read the whole thing. There’s also a review of his prototype W3 from Motorcycle Cruiser magazine.

When you see what he did over the years, you can only wonder what he would have done had he lived a little longer and had access to the ever improving computer software and machine tools.

His company was up for sale last year. I’m not sure what happened to it, it seems some parts were sold separately instead of as a complete operation. I wonder if anyone is making the W3 these days. I’ll have to look into it. If anyone has details of the fate of his company, let us know.

Comments

  1. If you know where someone can purchase a Feuling W-3 engine please reply witgh that info. If not, please add my name and address to any list of interested parties that you may be keeping.

    Thank you

  2. Spoke with allon mc bee this summer, came up for a visit to the woods- still making oil pumps, hopes to resume building w3’s someday but the outfit is wrapped up in court related ******** the last I heard, congrats to Allon for the nice job on the jeep hurricaine concept truck.

  6. Our firm is handling the James Feuling Estate. Anyone intersted in purchasing assets of his estate are welcome to direct inquiries to us at 1230 Columbia Street, ste. 680, San Diego CA 92101

  7. History Channel….if you need material for the “man and machine” history chapters, there are a lot of people that would be intrigued to see documentaries on Jim Feuling.

    I’ll check bookstores as well.

  9. Jim Feuling was involved heavily in projects ‘other than internal combustion’.
    He was a part of the CARAT (civilian applications of Reverse-engineered alien technology) group at Groom Lake/Dreamland/Area 51.
    he obtained tessla research not confiscated by uncle sam and was actively pursuing a practical application of the Townsend-Brown field generator.
    he had a working prototype when he was ‘involunatarily retired’ with a scalar-wave-induced ‘heart attack’.
    Scoff if you will but that’s the real scoop

  10. I’d like to get some more information in regards jim fueling.
    beleive it or not I bought a center-mount fan shroud for volkswagen in the early 70 s from jim.,didn’t hear much about him until the quad 4 at texas
    If there is any info about him Iwould be interested to know

    thanks bruce

  11. I am trying to find out if his 3 valve heads are still available anywhere for the 454 chevy.