Ford's Quadricycle Engine

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Joined
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While I was waiting on the helical gears to arrive for another project I came across this on the net.
01ish-Ford-Quadricycle_DV-09-MBC_e0010.jpg

Having already built Ford's Kitchen Sink engine I recognized several similarities in this design. He used plumbing fittings for the intake valves but now he had proper exhaust valves.
The water cooling was new and was thought to have been borrowed from the Carl Benz engine.
He had a buzz coil ignition system that was fired off a brass strip that was attached to the one and only rocker arm. He also had a trip lever that was said to be actuated when the piston was at top dead center but there is no information on this devise that sticks out the side of each cylinder.
It is a two cylinder design with the pistons attached to the flywheel in such a way that both pistons move together similar to a single throw crankshaft.
Since there were no counter weights on the rod throws the engine would have had a large amount of vibration.
A single rocker arm operated both exhaust valves with a single push-pull rod from the timing gear.
Bore was reported at 2.56 and the stroke was 5.98 inches.
There are several variations of the engine but none are the original through out as seen from old videos of Ford himself driving. I ma sure Ford made improvements to the engine also.
There is a lot more to be said and I won't be reproducing the engine but rather building a version of the engine of my own design.

I started with a 2" aluminum bar for the cylinders.
IMG_4239.JPG

Over to the lathe for the first end.
IMG_4240.JPG

Flip it around for the other end.
IMG_4243.JPG

The two cylinders before cutting them apart. Doing it this way I only wasted 3/4" of material.
IMG_4247.JPG

Thanks for looking
Ray
 
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