Agreed. Maybe they made a mistake?? And it doesn't run? Another gear in the train is a power-waster even if counter-rotating offers some kind of other advantage. It's a mystery.
Interesting reading...https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/cammer-the-real-story-of-the-legendary-ford-427-sohc-v8/
Puzzle solved. From the above macsgarage story: "Note the additional gear on the left bank, allowing a right-hand camshaft to be used on both cylinder heads." Chain driven cams required a unique cam for each bank to be ground beacuse "on one bank the cam rotates toward the intake follower, and away from the follower on the opposite bank. This in turn necessitated a unique camshaft for each bank, one a mirror of the other, so the opening and closing ramps would be properly located."
Prolly woulda been better to eliminate 7 gears and a cam with a set of push rods. Coulda code named it a CKO instead of a Cammer. 8^)
========================================== Hello there!The set of pushrods is lighter and cheaper, but they wanted what was become a modern and unavoidable system for sporting and racing engines - overhead camshafts! Chains, gears, belts or king-axle, maybe horizontal pushrods, or pair of mini crankshafts (levers), or... for transmission between crankshaft and camshaft (s) - a lot of choices... However, maybe I am the only one questioning myself: should one small gear (right from the big central gear) besides turning the direction of camshafts revolutions - at the same time change the ratio of the entire right side of the gears? Making revolution of camshaft twice slower at right than on the left (considering left-right sides as on the photo)... All other gears are installed in a symmetrical position, giving an aspect ratio of 1/2 revolutions of camshaft (s) consider to the revolutions of crankshaft? Probably that I could be wrong about such solo-thinking? Ciao, Zoran(enthusiastic dilettante)
>>>The set of pushrods is lighter and cheaper, but they wanted >>>overhead camshafts! >>> True dat Zoran. But they apparently jerry-rigged a push rod block. Prolly done in haste to try to save money --- to play catch-up --- and of course to avoid also being AKA --- an xler knock off. 8^)
The small gear is simply an idler so it doesn't change the ratio as it reverses the rotation of the camshaft so they can use the same camshaft for both banks.
A Ford FE was the basis for his Top Gas dragster engine. He was a tool maker with a well equipped shop at home.
Interesting tripple. Where is the third exhaust port / pipe? Probably Tee'd into the other two exhausts??
^^^. DKW 2 stroke GP bike. Interesting that drawing does not show true expansion chamber exhaust - the thing that made 2 strokes scream. Know a guy has one heavily modified from racing in the 60
The Jalopy Journal
