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Reversing engine rotation?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Wild Turkey, Mar 1, 2007.

  1. cleverlever
    Joined: Sep 16, 2005
    Posts: 65

    cleverlever
    Member

    That upside down reverse flow reverse rotate flathead has to be one of the wildest things I have ever seen. Does anybody have more info or possibly know what happened to it.?

    Now there are some things that need to be cleared up here. Alternators do care which way they turn cause the fans are backwards . No big deal, just use a Corvair Fan.

    So many people don't understand the difference between reverse flow and reverse rotate. Reverse rotate has absolutely no advantage in a vehicle to be driven on the street. Does have value in the second engine of a twin screw boat.

    Reverse Flow induction is equally worthless unless you really enjoy messing up minds at Car shows. Conversely it could be argued that Reverse flow does have some value in an engine designed for E85 cause you put the air fuel mixture in the hot side of the head which helps combustion/mileage at light loads. You can increase the size of the exhaust valve for better high rpm breathing if you use heads with small intake valves.

    Sure would be neat to see a rod with a reverse fow flathead.

    Clever lever http://cleverlever99.blogspot.com/
     
  2. Um, if you reverse the intake and exhaust flow....the opposite side is gong to be the hot side then.....right?
    Or are you just thinking reverse coolant flow?
     
  3. cleverlever
    Joined: Sep 16, 2005
    Posts: 65

    cleverlever
    Member

    When we built reverse flow all the doubting thomases said it wouldn't work cause we would burn up the intake valves cause they couldn't handle the heat.

    Hasn't been any problems so far.
     
  4. mtkawboy
    Joined: Feb 12, 2007
    Posts: 1,213

    mtkawboy
    Member

    Running one in a stock car with reverse rotation is one thing. Most use low gears and either direct drive or run in high without going thru the cluster gear in the trans. Im not sure how running the wrong way on the angle cut of the cluster gears would effect the strength. Just thinking to myself here, I may well be full of crap, In the odl days they turned the quick change rears upside down, dont know how Smokey did it in the Hudson but Id suspect he had special rear end gears made for it
     
  5. I found a very low hour Buick 401 from a boat that is reverse rotation, -- want to take it back to normal. Seems I need to change the cam, starter, distributor and while I am at it the crank seals - tell me if I am on track?
     
  6. Olympic Class.
     
  7. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,213

    sunbeam
    Member

    All that would be required cam change a distributor gear change to match the new cam gear to keep the distributor and oil pump turning the right direction, and a reverse rotation starter. Water pump could be taken care of by using a serpentine pump with a v belt.
     
  8. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,263

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I am willing to wager it will be one standard engine, and one with:

    Helical timing gears instead of a chain (so, despite the crank going the other way, the cam, and everything attached to it goes the standard way).
    A cam profile that matches in lift and duration, but is sequenced to the compression order of a reversed rotating assembly.
    A starter that turns the other way.
    Reverse rotation water pump.
    Everything else the same.

    The one we all know:
    [​IMG]
    The less known marine reverse rotation version:
    [​IMG]
     
  9. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,263

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    One of my current builds has a combination of parts that results in a transmission output that turns the opposite of conventional.

    To avoid the 3-reverse-gears, 1-forward issue, I am running a Winters non-quickchange center-section, turned upside-down.

    It can't, nor can any quickchange with a third supporting pinion bearing, have the ring gear put in from the other side. The casting web would disallow it.
     
  10. Poteet had one, for Bonneville.
    $$$$$$$$$
     
  11. Anyone have a pic of a "knurled" crankshaft ?
     
  12. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,263

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    The knurl pushes oil back into the engine. Turn it the other way, and it pushes oil out of the engine.
     
  13. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,798

    Marty Strode
    Member

    Anybody want a set ? IMG_1423.JPG
     
    66 Shorty and gimpyshotrods like this.
  14. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    One assumes that you are referring to Ron Main's, Dick Landy built, flathead. That was in his "Flat Fire" stremliner. First 300 mph flathead ever. Later George came on board and brought along Kenny Duttweiler built Engines in the renamed "EcoFire" streamliner. Which was replaced with the Speed Demon car. We don't want to forget Ron and his very fast flat motor.
     
    lurker mick and gimpyshotrods like this.
  15. Model A Vette
    Joined: Mar 8, 2002
    Posts: 1,075

    Model A Vette
    Member

    I have built two reverse rotation chevy engines. One was a 350 and the other is a 4.3 V6.
    They both use boat cams.
    You use two timing gears to replace the two gears/timing chain setup.
    The only thing that turns "backwards" is the crank. The cam, oil pump and distributor turn in the stock direction.
    There are front and rear seals for the crank that have the spirals cast to force the oil into the engine.
    On the V6 I'm running an '84 vette water pump to get the correct rotation with v-belts. I run a standard alt with a Corvair fan.
    Both of these engine were in Corvairs. The V8 was built in 1971.
    The V6 was built in 1993. In the V8 I did not know about reversing the pistons. The shop that machined the V6 told me about reversing them.
    Reverse starters are available from boat part suppliers.
     
  16. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 12,286

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    krow thgim ti.
     
    scotts52 likes this.
  17. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    This works with any piston port 2 stroke motor. I have seen a guy drive a dirt bike slowly into an obstruction, bounce off and motor away backwards. There were English and European bubble cars that got a reverse this way, with no reverse gear in the transmission. Just a reversable starter.
     
    zzford likes this.

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