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Technical 1100 cubic inch projects

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by DWBlietz, Dec 6, 2017.

  1. DWBlietz
    Joined: Jun 27, 2010
    Posts: 428

    DWBlietz
    Member
    from California

    MODEL GAA-V-8 these engines were built on late 30's-45 they are a all aluminum dohc I guess they were made by ford for the war effort and installed in tanks and other equipment I would like to contact any one that knows any thing about them the books show the front of the engine to have the flywheel what we would like to find out is that we could run it rh or lh rotation any help would appreciated thanks Dennis
     
    Donuts & Peelouts likes this.
  2. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

  3. Ned Ludd
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 5,026

    Ned Ludd
    Member

    Hey Dennis, haven't heard from you in an age!
     
  4. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    I had three of those. Still have the manual. Might part with it. Tank two.JPG img93.JPG
     
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  5. sliceddeuce
    Joined: Aug 15, 2017
    Posts: 2,981

    sliceddeuce
    Member

    Those main bearing caps are...interesting.
     
    30dodgeboy likes this.
  6. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    The studs went into barrel nuts located in holes in the bearing webs. Two straight down and two at an angle that met centered under the bearing bore. Very well built I thought.
     
  7. sliceddeuce
    Joined: Aug 15, 2017
    Posts: 2,981

    sliceddeuce
    Member

    That crankshaft appears to be a multi - part assembly...Ala` Bugatti.
     
  8. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Didn't look multi part to me. And I looked at it pretty close.
     
  9. sliceddeuce
    Joined: Aug 15, 2017
    Posts: 2,981

    sliceddeuce
    Member

    aah...I`m seeing the open ends of the hollow rod/main journals.
     
  10. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Yeah. My 56 Packard V8 was the same way. Don't know why Packard thought that was the place to lose weight. The big Ford started out to be an aircraft engine. So weight would be an issue. But by the time it became a tank engine, it seems kind of a waste of effort.
     
  11. DWBlietz
    Joined: Jun 27, 2010
    Posts: 428

    DWBlietz
    Member
    from California

    Thanks for all your replys still haven't figured out that if your srarter turns ccw the engines turns cw if you turn the engine around will it turn ccw or cw or can you turn the engine backwards as apposed to the original rotation thanks for any help Dennis
     
  12. The reasoning behind using de-rated aircraft engines, was to save weight so they could add more armour. The Brits and the Germans all used the same philosophy. The Brits used the de-rated Merlin engine, and the Germans used a purpose built engine ( for the Tiger and Panther, a Maybach V12, producing 700hp) that was extremely light.
    The early Shermans used the P&W radials, because the Packard-Merlins were needed for the aircraft industry. Later Shermans used the GAA, and it was a sweet sounding engine. We had them for about 6 months in my reserve unit, just before they were retired.
    Bob
     
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  13. You can run any engine backwards/ opposite rotation but You need to correct valve timing and sequence.
     
  14. i'm curious.....what flywheel/clutch/bell housing /transmission would bolt to that engine? what did they use in a tank?
     
  15. bundoc bob
    Joined: Dec 31, 2015
    Posts: 130

    bundoc bob

    WW2 tanks were a concoction of stuff, with the big 3 from Detroit fully involved. The GA
    was 2/3 of a V-12 Henry had developed for similar duty as the Merlin and Allison. There was
    a war on, and time was tight and America had no 500HP engine suitable for tank duty, beyond the
    Continental radial aircraft engine. One of the Green Books Technical Service books has a good
    review of the way Ordnance and Detroit solved the problem in one hell of a hurry. Chrysler threw
    together the 30 cylinder engine based on 5 Chrysler flathead sixes, GM came up with the 2 screaming
    6-71 Jimmies [AKA F'ing Hondas] and Ford took the stillborn V-12 and whacked 4 cylinders off it and
    in the end, for a variety of reasons it became the main Sherman engine. The transmission was a Chrysler
    5 speed as was the hull and a lot of other stuff. Chrysler designed, built and ran the Detroit Tank Arsenal
    and built more tanks there than all of Germany did in 6 years of war.
     
    banjeaux bob and loudbang like this.
  16. drtrcrV-8
    Joined: Jan 6, 2013
    Posts: 1,707

    drtrcrV-8
    Member

  17. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,798

    Marty Strode
    Member

    I have a friend who has one, along with a V-8 60, he says, "I have the biggest and Smallest V-8's that Ford built" !
     
  18. A 2-stroke can run backwards. It can happen accidentally on old dirt bikes.
     
  19. rusty valley
    Joined: Oct 25, 2014
    Posts: 3,883

    rusty valley
    Member

    those fairmont railroad maintenance cars ran backwards to get reverse. 2cycle, put puts we called them
     
  20. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    Rusty Valley, My Dad collected old gas engines and had a Fairmont on trucks. He had a spark lever with a toggle switch to kill the spark on the end of the lever. We would idle it down and kill the spark till it almost stopped then throw the lever the other way and it would reverse direction. We would also wind it up fast then kill the spark, let it slow down and throw the switch, POW! That sucker would bark. LOL. lippy
     
  21. Pete1
    Joined: Aug 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,253

    Pete1
    Member
    from Wa.

    In the early 50's, Boeing Seattle plant had quite a few GAA's lined up in a room behind the engineering facility and driving 28 volt DC generators. This was the typical voltage used in aircraft then and was used extensively in the engineering department for prototype work.
    When came time to rebuild the engines, we got some of the work because we had the only cam grinder and balancer in town at the time. I reground the cams and we balanced the crank assemblies. The insides of the engines were typical aircraft quality. Everything machined on all surfaces. Hollow crank journals with minimum counterweight. etc etc.
    One piece forged crank.

    To reverse rotation of the engine, you will need a different set of camshafts. You will need to reverse the pistons and rods. I forgot if the crankshaft is offset in the block but you will just have to live with that if it is. You will have to modify the ignition. The stock setup could probably be reversed by using a set of reverse pitch bevel gears in the drive box.
    You will need to either modify a starter to rotate reverse or maybe mount the starter on the back side of the bell housing. You could also use a gear drive crank nose mounted starter like race cars use.
     

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