The magnificent Duesenbergs...check out Dave Greelee's site at www.roadinosaur.com he restored, maintains and drives Joe Friedman's walking beam Duesenberg racer that scored 2nd at Indy in 1916. The walking beam 4 (bottom pic) is a bizarre design, but few things were faster in it's day. Check out those rocker arms!
Thanks for the pics- always loved the early Duesenberg! My dad tells a story about a guy he went to school with just outside of Philly, PA who drove a green Duesenberg racer to school (Lower Merion HS) back in the late 40's/early 50's.
In the summer of 1970 I started a job in a local restoration shop and that car sat in pieces in the far corner. The engine was wrapped in plastic, had some terrable valve seat problem, and the owner just lost interest in it. We climbed over the chassis stored stuff on it and wondered if it would ever go back together. David had it at the Fall Festival at Lime Rock 3-4 years ago, after making the patterns and casting a new block, he is real good at his craft. After seeing that car apart for all those years getting a ride it it was very special.
Just want to say Hello. I am another board track era fanatic. Millers and Duesenbergs are my favorites. What is the story on the unlettered French GP type Duesy? Replica or? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=664627&d=1242787977
That unlettered car is in the Simeone Foundation collection in Philadelphia, and I'm sure it is real, having raced in that area in the 1920's. That is one collection I have to visit, there is a website.
David's not 45 minutes from me and is an incredible machinist and mechanic. We featured him in HCC a couple years ago (http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2007/04/01/hmn_feature20.html). He's promised me a ride in No. 25, and I'm hopping at the chance. dan
I don't know anything about these engines, enlighten us a bit please. Is this a 4 cyl we are looking at? The other engine showing the intake side, is that a 4cyl with 2 plugs per or an 8 cyl with common intake runners? You got us started, the juices are flowing and we have a need to know. Thanks, oj
The walking beam engine is a 4. The engine in the 1921 car is a straight 8 183 Cu in. The walking beam 4 is from the mid-teens IIRC. Here is the other side of the walking beam engine! http://cll.hemmings.com/story_image/76540-500-0.jpg
OK, here goes. First check Dave's site at this page; http://www.roadinosaur.com/Site/duesy.html The Duesenbergs developed the engine for the Mason car line. Four cylinder with overhead horizontal valves (4 valves per cylinder) actuated by long, webbed steel rocker arms driven off of cams rotating near the crankshaft baseline. the valves opened into a pocket combustion chamber over the piston crown. Twin plugs sparked the mixture in the racing versions. Has oil pressure, tubular rods and only two main roller bearings on the flat plane crank. That's all I know!
Eventhough the covers say Dusenberg it is a shame that has to be covered up! Someone from the Bay Area Model engine club looking for a show stopping project? A miniature version would look like a fine watch...
Bob, I'll be in Philly during the first week of June if you want to come down- maybe we can get noboD to pop over too (He's been talking about seeing the Simeone collection as well)?
BTW,dave greenlee had to perform a minor miracle with the walking beam engine. he had the iron block recast (!) and had to deal with a porous casting by sleeving an already smallish bore, longish stroke motor. I just saw it run up at the Loudon NH, oval meet and it ran just fine. He was very friendly and answered all of my eager questions.
So would I, from our perspective it's strange, but it is a surprisingly compact design and was used by many racing teams successfully for years. We are so used to the Peugeot/Ballot DOHC layout which has dominated since. Aircraft engines of that period have some wild features as they tried to find solutions as well.
One thing's for sure, and that is there would be minimal side-loading on the valve stems with rocker arms that long.
Couldn't find that enge but found this while looking... http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprints/cars/racingclassic/846/view/miller_1929/
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