My Next Project

[cfellows]

I've begun thinking about my next engine project and I think I've found the one I want to do. The attached link takes you to pictures of a 1/2 scale model of the first Henry Ford Engine. I saw this very engine running at the GEARS show in Portland back in 2006 and kept coming back to it, despite the many, many other fine models at the show. This particular engine, with its slow, steady throb tugged at me and I knew one day I'd have to build one.

I purchased the plans for the full sized engine which has a 1 5/16" bore and 5 stroke. The flywheel is 14" or so in diameter. This seems a bit big for me so I'm also going for something approximating half scale.

I have a 7 1/4" flywheel and I plan to use either 1/2" or 3/4" brass pipe and fittings for the cylinder and head. This will give me a bore of either 5/8" or about 13/16" and a stroke of 2.5". I've begun looking for all the pipe fittings I'll need, including some I've never heard of like a stop/waste valve and a swinging brass check valve. I have found these items along with other things I need on a plumbing supply web site and total cost, in brass, will be about $75. Gonna put the order in shortly.

Has anyone else on the forum built this engine?

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/0903/ghart3/Models/Ford%20first%20engine/?action=view&current=frontview.jpg

 

[Speedy]

is their allot of machining involved in that engine?
I am looking for a beginner gas engine , can the plans be purchased for that size?

 

[lugnut]

Very interesting engine, I looked up some info on good old Google, and found this site that shows the build and parts and pieces and where you can get the plans. I might just have to give it a try also.
http://www.oldengine.org/members/jbailey/frsteng.htm

Thanks
Mel

 

[cfellows]

Speedy,

There's not much machining to this engine. The piston, some mods to the exhaust valve assembly and maybe a few other things. A lot depends on how much you can scrounge or buy. For example, the half scale model in the photos uses timing gears and cam from a briggs & stratton engine.

The "Carb" is a converted oiler which drips fuel onto a screen where it is vaporized by air intake. I may use a regular carburetor on my model since I think the drip fuel method is tricky.

Here are a couple of videos of full size models on youtube:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VKDHWE5owQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VKDHWE5owQ[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYjSDJs0E_8&feature=related]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYjSDJs0E_8&feature=related[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVUmM0r1dNs&feature=related[/ame]

Chuck

 

[cobra428]

cfellows.
What na heck is that thing.....looks like a lot of plumbing :big: Interesting though. Good Luck in your venture
Tony

 

[cfellows]

By the way, you can buy machine tool handwheels from Enco in 6", 8", 10", 12", & 14" sizes to use as flywheels for this engine.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=990-3274&PMPXNO=3012755&PARTPG=INLMK32

Chuck

 

[vlmarshall]

It IS a lot of plumbing, and interesting, too. Neat simple carburetor... even the Wright's Flyer carb was a fuel drip, onto a block of wood. It works, and it's got me interested in building this engine.

 

[Krown Kustoms]

It looks pretty rough but it runs well.
-B-

 

[rake60]

I bought a set of the plans for that engine from
Leon Ridenhour, KNOXVILLE, TN, Telephone 865-584-9759
Leon describes himself as "Urban Amish"
No email or web site available.
He is a very nice guy to talk to on the phone.
The night I called him to order the plans he asked for my mailing
address and gave me his to mail a check to. I told him that I would
have a check in the mail the next day. He told me that he would mail
the plans the next day as well. I told him that it would be OK to wait
for the check to clear, he said: "Na, I trust Ya."
It's people like Leon that make these types of hobby communities
what they are.

Rick

 

[Krown Kustoms]

Those kind of people are far and few between.
-B-

 

[doc1955]

Very interesting thanks for posting. This was the first time I've seen a motor such as these.
I am amazed how well they actually run with such a long rod..

 

[rake60]

I still haven't gotten around to my own build of that engine
but there are several videos on youtube such as this one.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVUmM0r1dNs[/ame]

There is a lot of history in that first engine.
When he built it, Henry Ford was working as a machinist at the
Edison Illuminating Company. That company involved some guy
by the name of Thomas Edison. Anyway, when Ford built his
first engine he didn't have a flywheel. He borrowed a hand wheel
off of the lathe he was operating at work to use as a flywheel.
There was no carburetor. His wife Clara, was dribbling gasoline into a
plumbing elbow to feed the fuel for the engines first run.
Talk about TRUST!

Sorry to have turned this post into a history buffs ramble.... :-\

Rick

 

[cfellows]

I've come up with a first drawing for my engine. I'm deviating quite a bit from the original Ford engine, so far, just in the cylinder and head portion. The original engine had problems with too much head space and it was hard to get enough compression for the engine to run. So, my plan is to machine a head with the valves in the head rather than the separate structures. I'm thinking a compression ratio of 3 or 4 to 1 should be about right.

The pipe tee and nipple used for the cylinder assembly will be 1/2" which means the bore will be in the neighborhood of .65" with a stroke of 2" - 2.5". The pipe fittings are brass and I bored out the tee so the 1/2" nipple is a sliding fit inside the tee. The nipple will extend fully thru the tee and will be soft soldered into place. The head will be held on with socket head cap screws.