For those of you who don't frequent the main board much I'm currently build a Twin Engine Modified Roadster and some "Do It Yourself" HA/GR input would be apprteciated http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=533613
The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a very cold winter. It must be true because the squirrels are gathering NUTS. Three of my friends have disappeared already. Are you O.K.? I love the concept Rocky and as a full track smoker you just may give Stormy Byrd a run for the show.
Yer gonna need sixteen tiny plastic pistons ........... OK, you'll need to do your homework on the drive connection. I'll ***ume you've decided on a single punkin set-up, as that's what you were leaning toward at last posting. I doubt the interlocking ring gears'll work out very well, the teeth aren't cut for that. Nor do I recall any set-ups like that having much reliability. I take it you've already decided to link'em up before the clutch? If you're going for one gear (ala smoke run period cars) either a chain connection with like rotation or a multi gear connection with counter rotation. For the latter, something might be cobbled using truck gearbox gears. My own predilection'd be toward a double clutch and double punkin on a big, fat, solid axle. That'd keep each function seperate and one engine could be used to start the other as well. Slight mismatches in clutch adjustments shouldn't be a problem, but if it worries you a simple balancing linkage could easily be cobbled.
Yep I'm good Tom just a little nutty so I figured I better do this before I'm alot nutty It's how Ivo did it and hell it will only run seconds at a time
Rocky, yer KILLING me here! I'm starting to think I have a raging case of A.D.D. or something....I am in posession of a pair of four cylinder engines, and considered this twin thing myself. I had it just about under control, untill you started THIS nonsense. I have enough steel for two ch***is, and was intending on doing two cars anyway, but now I got the twin fever all over again, and may have to put that project up front. It doesn't help that my partner in crime is egging me on, too! Arghhh....it's time to do a mock up of the parts, and see if the feeling moves me!
A cog belt would be one way. Some of the Bonneville guys are using cog belts to carry power to the diff/s. Just a thought.
I watched that car run many times...don't recall it ever having any problems. Smoking the hides, front wheels in the air!!
I know how ya feel 'Banger and when I found a Marine Cam on the Bay I felt it was a message from God and all I needed to get on with it. Money is really tight and there are many ways to accomplish this but Flywheel to Flywheel is the most economical and easiest way for my simple mind
Yep, I have that money issue myself. And that's just the thing.....I have 95 percent of the stuff to do the twin thing (or a single four), but need some expensive parts to do my Stovebolt. Since I have all the material to do two ch***is anyway, it makes sense to do what I can, versus sitting on a parts pile till I get enough cash to build my engine, etc. Plus, the inline twin can be swithed over to other power easily any time, should I get bored, or dissatisfied with it later on. SO, I'm thinking the baby twin slingshot is on the FRONT burner!
Toymaker: Really cool project. Reminds me of one of Tony Nancy's "22jr" cars (except with twin engines). A couple of years ago at Christmas, I ordered a model of Ivo's twin nailhead dragster for my son. Time p***ed and the model didn't come so I wrote a "nasty-gram" to the web site. The next evening, I got a phone call from Ivo himself, apologizing for the mix up. He not only sent out the model via overnight UPS but he also included a bunch of promotional stuff and signed everything - he really made things right. When he called, we spoke for nearly an hour and he talked specifically about the twin- and four-engine dragsters. Here's a couple of interesting tidbits: Continued ...
Toymaker (continued): The ch***is was built by Fuller and was similar to the Ch***is Research configuration. The ch***is was made of chromoly and the main rails were 2" OD (don't know the wall thickness). The secondary rails and other tubing (including the roll bars) was 1-3/4" OD. You'll note the front "engine plate" that joins the two engines together (as well as the rear plate you showed in your photos) was joined to the front upper rails and made the engine package a stressed part of the overall ch***is. The engine package could be moved up to 6 inches front to back to "balance" the car. After several test runs, Ivo found that setting forward to 4 inches was about right. Continued ...
Toymaker (continued): The twin Buick nailheads required some modification to the oil pans due to the "splayed" arrangement and two of the short zoomie headers on the inboard banks of each engine had to be directed downward due to space constraints. The interesting part was the joining of the two engines via the flywheel ring gear(s). Each aluminum flywheel had two ring gears that had six tabs welded to each so they could be bolted to the flywheel face (the normal press fit obviously wouldn't stand the torque). Continued
Toymaker (continued): One problem that developed had to do with the clutch heat causing the one flywheel to expand and cause the ring gears to bind, which in turn caused loading on the rear main bearings. Heat had to be watched very closely or bad things would happen. Regards, Russ PS: sorry for doing this in pieces - problem with my email support that limits text size. Can't seem to get the tech folks to give me any help ...
This won't help your build but...I took this pic in the mid-60's at MInnesota Dragways. Tommy is crouched behind the roll cage. Just some more inspiration for ya.
Aw heck, another pic from the same place, same time period. Howard's Twin. If I remember correctly, one engine is mounted backward so it didn't need to be reverse rotated. There is a feature on this car on some drag race website that shows the fabrication necessary to run it that way.
What's the deal on the blower drive covers? I don't see a need for them unless it's chain or gear drive.
No problem Russ, enjoyed your posts! Yep the flywheel clearence will be critical and I'm gonna have to take a WAG at it. I did call Ivo and leave a message but haven't heard from him.
A couple of 'KIWI" guys back in the sixties coupled two six bangers together , they drove thru a single clutch and coupled the other engine by using Lathe gears , simple and a perfect matchup teeth wise.
If you haven't checked the thread on the main board...Rocky has video of the fire up of the engines...this man don't rest once he gets an idea in his head!!
Thanks Tom, here's the footage, don't try this at home, I 'm a professinal (IDIOT), standing over the flywheels was on my mind and this video being on a "They Survived" reality show was a thought
Maybe it's just the short exhaust stacks (on one side and non existent on the other), but I expected those straight cut teeth on the flywheels to whistle rather loudly! Good show Rocky! Like Don Dulmage said, while the rest of us are out here mentaly playing with ourselves, you've been WORKING!!! You never cease to inspire me.... Alan
dAnGeR, dAnGeR... Oil pickup, and sump mods, are you aiming to modify these to ***ist with the long-term future of the engines? love the fact you're jumping in with both feet on a challenge that is rarely seen these days, hats off to you. Cheers, and watching your thread with a smile ear to ear, Drewfus
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