How to run two engines side by side on one car

I want to build a two engine roadster. I have seen old pictures of cars with two engines side by side. How would I do this? Maybe two big gears running one center gear, going into a transmission? That would be a lot of power for one clutch or one tranny!

 

check out how its done on multi engine pulling tractors...lots of different method used there...better then how it has been done in drag racing >>>why not build a 4wheel drive one eng for ea drive axle?!?

 

Is this for a race car or a street car? If its for the street, forget it!

 

I vote to go for it. Nothing like different.

 

I have some ideas for a dragster.

 

I am sure you could figure something out using a gear system. Finding something strong enough may be a different story. You just have to remember that two engine running the same direction means the mating gear will be running the opposite directon. I also say go for it because it would rock.

 

ivo used 4..why cant you use 2..darn it!..go for it

 

Now thats a good point, And it just screwed my idea.
There must be some sort of way to make this work, Ive often thought of the same system for a 34 pickup project that I have.
Ill be keeping an eye on this thread for sure.

 

They used to make up beefy ring gears for the flywheels so that they could engage each other, either directly with one engine counter-rotating or through a transfer gear between the two with both having normal rotation. The clutch and trans was side saddle on one engine with matching off-set in the rear axle. The trick was keeping uniform traction with such a lopsided axle and balancing the weight with so much of the drive line that far off center. I'm sure someone has worked out a way to put the clutch on the transfer gear between the engines, but it would rotate opposite the engines...unless it drives another gear with the clutch....

You could chain drive everything, but pretty much the same considerations. The tractor pull guys like hydrostatic drives turning hydraulic motors on the transmission or drive axle. Not very efficient with regards to accelleration.

See what you're getting into yet?

 

I have been asking the same question to alot of people for the past 2 years, no body in they're right mind has an answer. You must be left handed too. If I get an answer I'll post it, but so you have an idea, since Ivo was mentioned, his set-up involved mounting two motors close enough to get 2 flywheels to run the doubled up ring gears together, and getting one of the motors to run backwards, and then doubling the effect with another set of engines running end to end off the cranks, and then there is the articulation and plumbing.........(got a picture somewhere)

 

just an idea
just run 1 motor in front of the other and couple the crankshaft together in line.

now side by side, is a whole other can of worms.
tie both motors together at the crankshafts with a chain, then in the middle of both motors have a shaft say on pillow blocks being driven by the chain to act as 1 crankshaft. I don't know which way motors would have to spin to drive the shaft in the right direction but remember twin screw boat 1 motor spin clockwise and the other spins counter clockwise. it's all in the camshaft, so you can spin them anyway you want like to get the shaft spinning in the right direction.

plus back in the late 60 early 70 there was a funny car with it motor mounted sideway running a chain drive, so it may work

just my 2 cents at 4 in the morning

 

You could investigate how ship gearboxes work, ships often have two engines running side by side and a very complicated gearbox. Twin engine drives enter one gearbox which then can either drive one or two screws because a ship will sometimes have one screw rotating clockwise and simultaneously the other screw will rotate anti-clockwise. Or they can run each screw at different speeds.
You however (unless you want to put on a very interesting display) would be unlikely to need such a complex gearbox.
Once you have your motors coupled together another gear set applied on top of the primary coupling should allow you to get your drive line centred within the vehicle. Once you have that secondary gear arrangement in place you will be able to add a flywheel and gearbox to suit your application.
To find out what products are available to you have a look at Industrial Power Transmissions parts books, there are some amazing gizmos out there, you could even install a variable speed drive and forget about your old trannie and whether it will last the distance.

Keep us posted, this is a very interesting project.

 

I know Ed Roth looked at how Tommy Ivo was hitching up multiple motors,
and then went for two complete drive lines, which allowed him to run the car in ether one or two engine mode, but the wieght of two engines plus two transmissions, and every thing else times two gets quite extreme.
I would kind of hope that two motors should give you enough grunt to not need a trans,
In which case maybe the problem is just how to hook two motors direct to an axle,
which might be easier to solve.
Years ago when chains were nothing like as reliable, plenty of 'Sidewinders' were built using chains to hook the motor to the axle, now chains are far stronger and reliable hooking two motors together with a chain is not so crazy.
Let alone GM used a morse chain in it's TH325 and 425 boxes to take the drive from the motor to the trans, you could do worse that starting with a pair of those boxes and using the morse chain to link the two engines, I think every thing after the converter is pretty well the same as a normal TH350 so you can swop the tail section where the diff bolts for the RWD tail section and run a drive shaft back to a normal axle, you would still end up with two transmissions, but one would be a near enough empty case just a shaft and a pump, possibly not even that if you use pump in the one box to feed oil to both converters.

 

Like the guy says, check with the tractor pullin' crowd. If they can hook up 5 of them it should be a piece of cake to hook up 2.

 

I've seen some with one engine facing forward and one backward-but not sure how they hooked them us. Maybe this photo was just in RJ?

 

I ask'd this same question a few years ago.
do a serch and I'm sure the old posts will come up.
you'll have to dig 'cause it was a long time ago
FRITZ

 

If I remember correctly, Mickey Thompson did 4 pontiac 389's in the 60's with Challanger I. Move ahead 45 or so years, somebody might have a kit for 2.

 

this guy was in Austin Tx last yr at the Round Up...

 

Why???? Tried in drag racing back in the 50's & 60's, weight killed 'em. Some things deserve to stay dead........this is one of them! If you need further proof, look @ the picture posted above, that is a steaming p.o.s.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Didn't the Mysterion have two pumpkins in the rear? Double splined center axle stub and stock axles on the outer sides. Two spools. No?

 

A guy here in town has an early 50's F100 Ford pick up with 2 small block Chevys mounted side by side ( one is slightly ahead of the other) They are connected via a 4 wheel drive transfer case. He can run on both engines or completly dissconnect one from the drivetrain.

 

yep

 

Yep, Roths Mysterion had 2 Trannies, and 2 pumpkins linked together...It explains how he did it in a book I have.

I would check out tractor pullers too, you could run the whole thing off hydraulics, that would be cool...And then run dual blowers on each one to make up for your small pecker even more J/K

 

I cant find the picture of assembly that I have on my other computer, but here is a link to some good ivo brain stimulation as well as others from drag history.

http://twotogo.homestead.com/index.html

 

Rubbe bands? Seriously, like 3" toothed drive belt. Just a thought.

 

only one of those motors ran. I asked.

 

Yeah...I only asked to be polite. it helped me swallow the vomit in my mouth.

 

holy crap, simply genius, I'll bet its a simple as he's using a t-case and has one driving the front output, thats so simple and nifty as hell being able to shift between one and two, very easily. one of those , "sum bitch!" ideas