Twin Engines...

I've had the idea of installing two engines in a side by side configuration. I know this has been done before, and was wondering if any of you knew exactly how this was done, or if you have any ideas on how it could be done.?

I was thinking of having the two engines seperatly attached to the same box/flywheel (in a kind of pallerel connection). the other way of doing this would be by having one engine crank attached to the 2nd engine crank and then this engine attached to the gearbox in the normal way ( series type connection).
I was thinking of doing it the pallerel way as the series way, although easier, would mean that i would twice the amout of power going through one crank shaft.

What do all you experienced guys think out there?

Is it doable without spending a fortune?

Cheers, Marcus

Marcus, you need to talk to some of the Hot rod tractor pullers. They run up to 6 engines in one machine. If anyone has multiple engine configurations figured out, they do.

Marcus
I think the old twin engine cars had a chain connecting the two engines at the flywheels similar to a timing chain. you would still need a ring gear on at least one engine for the starter. Then you would have to manufacture a bell housing that would connect the two engines to one transmission. You need your own machine shop to do it without spending a fortune.
AL

Marcus
If you run a side by side I think you will have to run a type of devorced transfer case. For spacifics Weeg is putting you on the best track with tracktor pullers...Manochevy

The Al Show is right some used to use the same type of chain
used in early GM front wheel drive cars ie: Toranado for the paralell configuration. Early twin engine fuel cars used a "greek coupler" double row chain with a sprocket on the front of the rear
motor and the back of the front motor. Pretty strong actually, but plagued with problems. No flywheel was required on the front motor (hard to balance) timming was a pain, lots of choices. Fire both engines every 45 degrees or 22.5? Weeg had the best idea
talk to the tractor people they have it figured out

Tommy Ivo was on TV a few days ago. He's a drag racing old-timer, who drove a number of cars having side-by-side engines oriented with the crankshafts parallel to the longitudinal (roll) axis of the car. He said that they were actually geared together, with one of the engines having a camshaft ground for reverse rotation (pretty standard with marine designs).

Is this something that you want to do just because you think that it is cool (I'm not saying that it isn't), or is this an effort to improve powered acceleration? I guess a better way of asking my questions could be, "what is the end result that you are trying to achieve?"

Well for me, I belive it would double your groundpounders but double your headache. The Hotwheels Twin mill car ( It's the first Hotwheels produced as REAL car ), Some famouse car builder made it but, he ran twin 502's side by side but, I think he used some kind of transmission that accepts 2 bell housings ( one for each motor ) and converts it into one output that way.

I found a few links of Tommy Ivo's stuff on the web. Here are some of the urls that you might want to try:

http://www.dragracingonline.com/spec...nengine_1.html
http://www.carcraft.com/thehistoryof/65502/
http://www.hotrod.com/thehistoryof/52858/
www.tommyivo.com

not sure about this one, but it’s worth a look:
http://www.theautoindex.com/makes002...ods/auto/index

Most of those are just photos (some include photos of the 4-engined, 4WD dragster/funny car), but several of the shots could give you some ideas about the engineering of such a combination.