History Auto racing 1894-1942

In the early 20's Ed Winfield and Art Sparks created cranks for their Model T engines that had the 1 & 2 pistons up (at the same time); and 3 & 4 down. As Sparks explained that alleviated having two intake valves open at the same time. This then created more power!

 

Wow, I'm going to have to think about that to wrap my head around the concept.
The only thing that comes to mind right now is boneshaker!.

What was the firing order again?

 

A "Flat Plane" crank with a firing order of 1243 gives each cylinder an equal charge (the Fords are "Two-Port" intakes). Makes for a more powerful engine. Winfield "Sucked the Goggles Off" many a fellow dirt track oval driver. The original race car, like many or perhaps most race cars of the 20's and 30's is no more. Rick Rawlins acquired the original engine. Pete Eastwood made a recreation of the car for the engine.

 

Trying to get my head around it as well. So far my diagrams don't do that firing order order. Im getting 1 3 2 4 or 1 4 2 3 but I'm sleepy.

 

I hope I can clear up the Winfield " 2 up / 2 down " deal , as there is incorrect info on here .
On a stock T engine the firing order is 1 2 4 3 .
Cylinders 1&2 share an intake port and 3 & 4 share an take port .
So the fuel flow goes 1 - 2 and then a lag for 1 & 2 .
Next the fuel flow goes 4-3 and then a lag for 4 & 3 .
This results in an uneven fuel distribution .
with me so far ?
With the Winfield crank & cam , things are different .
The new firing order is 1 3 2 4 .
1 & 2 still share the same intake port and 3 & 4 share their port .
The advantage is , with the new firing order , the fuel flow is even at each port ,
#1 gets a shot from the 1-2 port . Then #3 gets a shot from the 3-4 port .
Then #2 gets a shot from the 1-2 port . Them #4 gets a shot from the 3-4 port .
Still with me ?
The fuel delivery are spaced evenly , no " lag " so no " rich - lean " on the shared port .
Fuel delivery is improved & the performance goes up !
Any questions ?

 

I'm thankful for everyone involved, starting with Crazy Chris for finding and storing the engine for years, right up to Pete building a car for it. I'd rather listen to a "tribute", running the original hart than look at a pile of parts. Bob

 

With the first two rod throws ganged together and the last two throws ganged together aren't there additional vibration issues introduced? It seems like it would shake the bejeebers out of the chassis. That could be OK for a race car with a billet crank but I could see why no manufacturers embraced that concept for a street driven vehicle. The crank pictured sure has a ton of couterweight on it.
How are the vibrations in the replica car?

Thanks for the explanation Pete. I see now that the issue is similar to a stock headed inline Chevy six with siamesed intake ports.

 

BTW, the ball bearing roller lifters are intriguing.

 

amen

 

Ed Winfield is someone I would have loved to have met/gotten to know/worked for- what an incredible mind!

Don't know about vibration, but the story goes (and hopefully I'm not over-embellishing), the overhead guys (Chevrolet brothers/Frontenac, Roof, etc) laughed at Winfield on the day he rolled up with this sprinter, and cursed him after he left, because he beat everyone by at least a lap every heat that day.

 

Yes , you are right , vibration was / is a problem with this set up .
When Rick had the engine rebuilt , is was run on a dyno .
It was disassembled & rebalanced a few times before they were satisfied .
Story I heard was , when they were chasing the balance problem , someone at the shop ,
pointed out it was like 2 Triumph motorcycle engines stuck together , so they applied
some Triumph balancing methods . Don't know if this is true , but I liked the story !
I've watched & heard the car run , Rick says it's fairly smooth .
When he ran it at Monterey he told me it was fast . He also races a Bugatti & an Alpha , so I asked " is it fast for a model T " & he said , no " it's fast for a race car " !

 

Thanks for the explanation and pictures guys. Now I can see it. I also see that my 153 Chevy with 1-4 & 2-3 up down and 1-3-4-2 firing order does 2 consecutive shots to each siamesed port. I can see how the second cylinder in the port cycle could benefit from the velocity created by the first cylinder but the first cylinder has no such advantage because there is no velocity as it begins it's intake stroke. This could cause a fuel imbalance with the first cylinder being leaner than the second. A blower could help this.

 

Thanks, Pete
I stand corrected on the firing order of the Winfield "2 Up/2 Down"! For the rest of you guys here's a YouTube link of Rick Rawlins' Winfield car running on the streets of East Los Angeles where once the 5/8 Mile Legion Ascot once stood:

BTW I don't think Pete makes "replicas" of Classic Cars; they're more like "recreations"!

 

My understanding of the distribution phenomena - and I could be wrong on this, I've never raced a siamesed port engine - is that the first cylinder's intake to open draws down the most fuel, leaving the second cylinder in a fuel-starved condition, too lean.

I like my inliner heads with two ports (or more LOL) per cylinder.

 

Now you've got me wondering how Triumph motorcycle engines get balanced.

Of course nowadays builders would just add a counter-rotating balance shaft, a bulky complex, cumbersome band aid..

 

Flyer, You are probably right.

 

Baron Pierre de Caters
Itala

 

Ez on a 4….tough on a shared intake port 6 like a Chevrolet/GMC.

 

We just do the best we can. There is a 12 port GMC head for sale on the Inlines International site.

 

Got 2 new ones now…..probably never use them

 

Hoarder! Are they in your man cave? I'd actually feel better about some of the parts I have buried in my shop it I could just see them.

 

That's a Sparks & Weirick car! Can't tell if it's a Class A or Class B car. The Class A had either a DOHC Miller-Schofield (which Art Sparks said was No Good) or a 220 Miller. The Class B Cars were either Flatheads or OHV!

 

The body and chassis I believe were banged out by Clyde Adams. Sparks later (1935) came out with his own version of a Miller/Goossen come Offenhauser engine. Only the Sparks motor was 269 Cubic Inches; and the crankcase, block and gearset were beefyer! It took 3 to 4 years for Sparks to complete the project!

 

It's the Class A car, Al Gordon up, 1933. By this time, it had a 220 Miller, although they tried a 255 for a couple of races - the Miller-Schofield (Cragar) engine was good enough for Stubby Stubblefield to win two races and finish second six times, but once the Miller went in he won four in a row! That was a different car, though, this is "Poison Lil" built in 1932. Fifteen years after this picture was taken, it even ran at Indy!

 

This may be asking for too much info. Is the Offy that is now in the restored #33 Gilmore INDY car, (at one stamped up by Joe Gemsa) the same engine?

Bob

 

I've not seen the 1935 Sparks-Weirick #33 in its current rendition; but according to Sparks' it was the first car to run the Sparks engine. Rex Mays in that car was in a good position to win that years Indy 500. Mays pulled in for his final pit stop. He told Weirick that the car was handling different. Checking around the car, Paul saw that one of the right front spring shackle lugs had broken. When Weirick told Mays of the situation; Rex told him that it would be O.K. He could handle it. However a AAA Official also saw the problem; and halted the car from continuing the race. Kelly Petillo who was leading at the time went on to the win. The #33 car, however, being much faster and having led the race much of the time; was thought to be the probable winner. Petillo had put all his money; and that of a bunch of the Los Angeles Italian community into his car. It was the first win of an Offenhauser engined car at Indianapolis.

 

No there on a shelf. The Skinner I bought from Joe Fontana; complete and assembled by Shaver the sprint car engine guru. The Arias has been assembled ported and flowed by MiTech. It has both roller and flat tappet springs. All the rocker shaft stand holes have inserts. It also has a rear water port to aid in cooling. 14-1 pistons if you have 8” rods. I’m ready to assemble it.
All the external part of the Arias are polished including the injectors. The Fontana has only the cover and side polished. It has the 2 extra holes for additional head bolts. Helps in eliminating head gasket failure for blown and high nitro use.

 

Very serious stuff! That is very cool. Several steps up from any GMC that will get built here. I have a couple of sets of Hudson rods. (8")