Thread for alternative engines

GoldenMotor.com

Mr.B.

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2008
1,329
559
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Upper Mississippi River valley
Very cool! I had an antique car reference book that had a rear engine car built in the Midwest around the turn of the 19th century. It had a 5cyl rotary that as I remember turned a large disc that drove an opposing disc via friction similar to the old Snapper lawn mower. It had basically infinite speeds plus reverse. It was started by spinning the cylinders. A asbestos glove was used for hot starts. Heaven help you if the motor mount broke!
I keep thinking of a rotating Maytag. The crank is already drilled for fuel delivery, the ignition would work as is as the flywheel will act as a stator. The crank is pretty beefy being 7/8" so I don't think drilling the rest of the way through for the carb passage would harm it. Don't know about balance. Seems too simple have to be missing something.
Here you go, built just a few blocks away from my house...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZmd7k33JWE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams-Farwell

-Kirk
 

silvaire

New Member
Jan 25, 2009
36
1
0
North of the Golden Gate
Mr. B,

Thanks for posting the link to the 1906 Adams-Farwell with the rotary engine in the rear. I remember seeing this car around 1980 when it was in Bill Harrah's museum in Reno. People will say how innovative and radical the Tucker of 1948 was, but don't seem to remember the truly unusual concepts from the early days of the automobile.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
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northeastern Minnesota
Thank you Mr.B and Silvaire for sharing these interesting engines and their host vehicles. So many innovative minds were at work in the early days and so many options for consumers. Things seem pretty bland by comparison today with more of the same and diminishing choices.
SB
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Ludwig,
A solution today would be to have a regenerative electric wheel in back engaged just for starting purposes. It wouldn't have to be any more powerful than a 12 volt motorcycle starter motor and could even be friction drive.
SB
 

cannonball2

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2010
3,682
221
63
Colonial Coast USA.
Here you go, built just a few blocks away from my house...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZmd7k33JWE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams-Farwell

-Kirk
Thanks for the links!

Some where along lifes highway I lost the book and couldn't remember the name of the car. People I had told about it looked at me with raised eyebrows of doubt. I can set em straight now!
The one in my book was a smaller roadster model, and I think a 3cylinder. There was a pic of the glove laying on the engine for the hot starts, so it must have been hand started. I guess it came to an end somewhere as the one in the links is the only one. Perhaps the pictures in the book were much older.
 
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Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
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UK
A reasonable solution to the problem, after all, there are cars now that stop running if they stop in one place too long, in order to reduce pollution.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
CB2,
How is it that I can hear the gears engaging in your brain... thinking about old Maytags and rotary engines and trying to make the two images mesh into one. I have no idea what I'm talking about, but have a sense that you do. I've love to see you do something along these lines and I think maybe you're just the guy to do it. Voodooit...
SB
 

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
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UK
I'm pondering the centrifugal forces acting on elderly cast iron cylinders at 2,500 rpm. Granted, they'd be getting lots of cooling air, but how long would it be before one broke free?
 

Mr.B.

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2008
1,329
559
113
Upper Mississippi River valley
Hopefully not too off topic-

Attached a little photo play I did a few years ago of an turn of the century pic of what is could very well be one of the pre-production Adam-Farwell prototypes.

My house is just out of frame atop this steep hill (btw, taken at a intersection that’s just half way up).

Your mission, should you choose to accept it...
Ludwig, I like the idea of having a good replica locally, and have thought about it before. Perhaps if I win the lottery I could buy this amazing survivor to help with the project. It’s actually located quite near of what remains of the Adams company-

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18753252/898-Jackson-Dubuque-IA/

It’s been a family run business since 1868 until the premature heart attack death of the last in line, summer 2013.

Other than the fluorescent lights added in the 1950’s it is pretty much is as was from a large 1904 retooling. Machines are leather belt powered from central overhead shafts engaged by wooden levers.

A few of the machines are older including a perfectly functioning c1878 keyway maker. There’s also a older huge drill press with massive counterweights that lower into a pit. And a large rack of antique drill bits, some of which are just giant. The big c1904 lathe can turn stock 36” x 12’!

Pretty much nothing old school you couldn’t make with a shop like this! Unfortunately it’s in a trendy area and I fear it will be turned into a restaurant or pub.

-Kirk
 

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cannonball2

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2010
3,682
221
63
Colonial Coast USA.
WOW! That place is too cool! I can imagine making just about anything one wanted on the lathe. Its really fine to live in a place where every thing doesn't get dozed for fast food and box stores. They couldn't doze metro Atlanta fast enough. Theres a different mind set here on the SE Ga. coast. There are plenty of remains from the early 1700s that probably look like eyesores to some folks, but the people here regard them as their past and are very protective. I have a thing for finding or visiting abandoned air fields. That pic is wonderful in that a lot still exists to bring back the past first hand. I have not been so lucky to do the same with my air field hobby.
 

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
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UK
Abandoned/closed airfields. Right, this is in Norfolk; see if you can tell me what it is:

 

cannonball2

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2010
3,682
221
63
Colonial Coast USA.
Havent a clue. The obvious Im sure is wrong answer is a radome. Hanger? cant get a pespective on the vehicle to determine how big th door may be. I live and work near the old NAS Glynco. It was primarily a blimp base.You should see th pictures of the board built hangers for them. The tethering circles for themstill exist as th driving ranges for the Federal Lawenforcement Trainng Center(FLETC). I have seen pics of th blimp hanger filled with the SNJ(same as an AT-6) trainers standing on their noses with the wings removed. Hunderds! Sadly but necessairly its all gone. Using a new tablet having a bit of trouble typing with it, sorry!