I've been playing around with the idea of some race projects using primarily parts that I already have laying around. Got one in mind (something involving a Stude and a big boom), when another struck me - a single seat 20's era trackster using some of my T stuff and the four banger out of my A. Which lead on to think what about running two Ford flat fours in tandem. Anybody have any thoughts or experience on that idea?
I've got a couple of designs that I came up with, the most complicated is a geardrive setup with both engines faceing forward, a ton of fabrication and money that no one will ever posesses. The second involves meshing the two flywheels and makeing one of the motors run backwards, also not a low budget build. And the third and one that a friend and I are planning to put to use in the next year or so is real simple. Turn one of the motors around backwards. Run a spocket on the crank snout of one motor and one the tail of the other crank and tie 'em together with a primary chain from a HAWG or impliment drive chain. You only run one clutch and you have to offset your rearend but that is by far the easiest solution and more than doable.
why not build a union and tie the dranks together-like a direct drive on a f.e.d? what do these little guys make for power? should be a pretty easy set up. (Hell, if they can tie 8 blown Hemis together for a tractor pull, you'd think 2 4 bangers would be pretty easy...)
Interesting thread here. How do you deal with the oiling of the rods if you make one of the A motors run backwards? Can you turn the rods 180 so the little scoopers get the oil to the rods or do you just run a pressurized oiling system? I really like the idea of 2 A motors, running side by side, but like you said, $$$$$ to get it done. Has anyone ever seen a 2 A motor setup? Anyone got any pics or even drawings? Thanks, Mike
I was thinking more of tandem inline. Since I'd be putting the cockpit towards the back, more than enough real estate to fit both. And I always loved the look of the racers with elongated fronts. Connect the cranks then. Just not sure the best way to do that yet. BUT the side-by-side idea intrigues the tinkerer part of me. I can see how the cost would exponential though.
interesting idea- though you'd need some $$$$ machine work to make it doable. Doubt you could run the stuff you have lying around now- you need new counterweighted cranks and insert bearings at least. The stockers are like twigs and snap easy. Though it would sure look tits.
didn't the A truck from the cover of hot rod in 49? have 2 V8's hooked with a dog clutch in the middle? what if you just rigged a stock clutch and flywheel on the front motor then rig up the front shaft of a transmission to hooks to the front of the crank on the rear motor...this way you could have a lever to actuate the clutch and help in starting both motors seperately im not sure how they would react till the RPM's equalized? build that roadster first! good luck zach
Machining doesn't scare me. I can do most stuff myself. But what about the tractor cranks - they were of tougher stuff. But I'm not familiar with the tractor set-ups that much, so please bear with me if that is a stupid suggestion. I was thinking of possibly a clutching system between the two engines also? Maybe I'm not going to seriously race it or anything, just simply for my own satisfaction.
Oh the roadster is first and foremost. Actually the RPU is first and foremost, but thats only because I need a pick-up to drag bikes around. Besides I start a new job the 21st, and taper time is giving me way too much time to think of stuff.
You can flop the rods over on about anything. it changes the rod angle on some motors (V-8s for sure) but that's a good thing in a race car. Scratch sorry bro I read tandem and my brain saw side by side. Inline is easy, just couple the crank snout to the rear motor to the crank tail of the front motor and fly. If you don't want to make your starter spin two mills put a clutch of some sort between 'em, fire off one motor and when its lit engauge the clutch to lite the other motor.
"Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?" That was their sales jingle when I was a kid and they had the straight 8 till I was five...
Pre-war Buick? - HELL YEAH. As for post war. I'm still trying to subtly sweet talk to lady I rent my Barn off of into selling a 55 Buick Super 88 that was abandoned in another barn of hers. Well her brother put it there to swith engines 20 years ago, and she hasn't heard hide nor hair of him in 10. I consider that abandonement But still she is a lady with a very good heart and still feels bad offloading it, guess can't blame her. But that is a whole other story.
I was actually just thinking of an old electro clutch like found on old heavy farm and construction equipment. Usually PTO drives. Those things could handle any power two flat fours would throw at them. And still technology found in the 20's. Hook it up to the ignition switch for the second engine, and when you through the switch to fire it up, it would engage the clutch at the same time. I think I might even have one laying around if memory serves. (Don't ask,I tinker with stuff, ask me about argon lasers sometime)
Gilmer belts are availble in different widths and lengths. Same thing as they use for the wide belt primary drives on choppers, or blower drives. Any decent industrial supplier can order what you need from the Browning catalog.
The love-joy coupling that Metalshapes showed will handle two four bangers. Jamie Franklin tied two 292 sixes together with one of those and it worked fine. The only problem he had was the frame that the motors were in was not stout enough to handle the two motors. Years ago, we tied two Kawasaki 1000cc motors together in a motorcycle frame that we built. They were hooked together off the cranks with a chain drive in an enclosed cover with oil in it and we never had a problem. I have seen several tractors with side by side motors tied together with a chain drive. These were the old Farmall six cylinder jobs.
Not exactly the kind of thing you're talking about building, but this dragster was at the Antique Nationals this year. I did mean to go back for a closer look later in the day but the heat got the better of me!
Back home a guy hooked Mopar 440s nose to tail with one of those couplers and they'd run for years on an irrigation well. My thought is to mount a truck differential ring gear on each flywheel, then mount the engines across the frame (like a "T") with the ring gears engaging a pinion mounted to a flywheel with a standard tranny behind it. (or would it work better with pinions mounted on engines . . . ) Yep, thinkin' outside da box. . .
One of the engines would have to run backwards, and the output shaft would have 3.5 times the RPM that the Engines would be turning ( or what ever the final drive of the Ring & Pinion would be...) Putting the pinions on the Engines would lower the RPM, but raise the Torque, so you'd have to use a extra set of gears to get the RPM in a useble range either way...
In 1955, Buick made a model called the Super. It had a slightly hopped-up engine and a few other minor details. From the exterior, it's identifiable because it was the only Buick in 55 with four portholes on both sides. I have heard a couple Buick guys refer to the two door version (which it is) as the Super 88, and have found a few sources that folowed suit. And no I wasn't mixing it up with the Oldsmobile model Super 88.
Yea no reason why it wouldn't, you'd need to keep some extra bisquits around. Those coupleings take a lot of torque in the real world.
Which honestly in retro-spect, makes more sense, because I never could figure what the 88 necessarily referred to. At least the just Super 8 would reference to the hopped-up V-8. But I have heard Super 88 for a Buick. At least we're on the same page with what the car is though. But back to tandem fours - problem occured to me - fuel supply..... Duel fuel lines or single with a branch off? Also how would you time in two engines jointly, using a clutching system?
G'day steve, The Mancillas brothers are legends......I visited them last year just prior to Speedweek, this is where the car say for many a year, prior to being displayed at the A.Nats....(note: under all that stuff, and underneath the rail sat a complete 28 rpu........I kid you not) Legends, and pioneers. Cheers, Drewfus
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