'Unique' engines.

DeltaRed

Well-known Member
The internal combustion engine comes in many forms.Yet they all share the same principles.These are just a few of my 'favorites'. Ford flathead V8;any 2 stroke detriot diesel; (1960s)GMG V6; the IH gas start diesels. What are your 'favorites'?
 
My brother had a tandem grain truck with a GMC V6 engine that worked well. However, he couldn't find new pistons when one broke so had to get a used piston from a truck salvage place.

He was told that he could put a 350 Chevy engine in that truck, but that the 350 wouldn't be as powerful as that V6 was.
 
Fairbanks Morse 9 cylinder opposed crankshaft marine diesel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yclPGOGDGFU
 
Napier DeItic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier_Deltic
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Nothing beats the sound of a screaming Detroit.What about the old JD 2 Cyls and the old Hit and Miss.Nothing is as smooth as a 6 cylinder Waukshea or a 6 Cyl Hercules Diesel
 
Agreed, Bison.

The British Napier engines, though complex and expensive, produced a great deal of power in a small size.

Dean
 
Guys, Here are mine, no particular order.
#1..Any Pratt & Whitney, Or Wright Cyclone Radial There is No Substitute for or mistaking a Radial!
#2.. Rolls Royce Merlin V12 Again there is No sound like it at all!
#3..460 & 534 Ford Big Block
#4..Ford Flat Head V8
#5..GM 366/427 Big Block
#6..GMs 265/283/327/350/400 Rat Motors
#7..GMs 250/292 I6
#8..Cummins 855 cu in Series 290-through-435
#9..Detroit Diesel Series 60
#10.V92 & V71 Series
#11.Most any IH Dsl
Later,
John A.
 
Fairbanks Morse also produced opposed piston engines for the locomotive market.

Though capable of high output vis a vis package size, service expense eventually killed these designs in both marine and locomotive markets.

Dean
 
I too have soft spots for both (any) 2 cycle GMC/Detroit and small block Chevys but 265, 267, 283, 302, 307, 327, 350, 400, and derivitive Chevys were small blocks. Rat motors are big blocks.

Dean
 
Though I've already stated my fondness for 2 cycle Detroits and small block Chevys, I also want to vote for Chevy's first big block, the W block.

The unusual combustion chamber in the block (no, not unique for you AC fans), achieved by machining the block deck at an angle different than 90 degrees from that of the bore (not the same as the WC/WD AC engines) and flush valves/cylinder head surface remains unusual in modern internal combustion engines.

I also vote for the 60 degree GMC V6/12 gasoline engines of the 60s/70s. These engines packaged well and no contemporary gasoline engines of the era produced competitive torque vis a vis cubic inches.

FWIW, GMC also produced 60 degree Toro Flow 4 cycle diesel engines in the 60s and 70s.

Dean
 
Every engine sounds great in it's own way, however one of my favorites is a Cat 3408B.

That, in a Kenworth T800 with partially muffled straight stacks has a rumble that can be hear from miles away... Amazing..

A John Deere G converted to Diesel is pretty slick too!!!!
 
Have a V-twin Farymann air cooled diesel that sounds sort of like a Harley. Also have a single cylinder Americ-Jenbach diesel air compressor that I don't have running yet. The diesel cylinder is horizontal, and the compressor cylinder is vertical and the compressor rod is pinned to the top side of the diesel rod so just one crankpin is needed. Would like to know more about it, anyone ever see one work?
 
We had a huge 2 cylinder air compressor where I worked in the 1980's. Each piston had a 24" bore. The shop foreman said we only had to put a block a wood in the one cylinder to protect our hands when working on either cylinder. I told him and the rest of the maintenance workers. Better take a look where the piston is on the one you block and look where the other piston is at. The one piston we blocked was in the middle of its cylinder. This made the other piston bottom out at the top or bottom out at the bottom leaving it capable of crushing some one's hand if it were in there and some compressed air back flowed and moving it.
 
Hudson Hornet 308 cubic inch 6 cylinder flathead with dual carbs ("Twin H Power"), 1951-1954. More torque than you can believe, and powered Hudson to the most Nascar wins in '51-'53. Most sixes of the day were in the low 200's displacement, and as the old hotrodders always say, "There's no substitute for cubic inches."

I would also nominate Bison's picture down below- I have no idea what it is, but I love the picture.
 
In the 60s/early 70s, Sears/Allstate sold motorcycles made by Puch of Austria.

The largest was a 250 cc version with two 125 cc cylinders connected to the same crankshaft throw with a Y connecting rod. Sears marketed the design as a "Twingle."

Yes, this design was less expensive to manufacture but sometimes you just have to scratch your head and wonder....

Dean
 
903 cummins in a Massey 4900 with a chrome pipe sure rumbles.

Like the sound of my srt10 truck with the 8.3 v10 it has exhaust and sounds like a v6 idleing and a then gets a really deep tone under acceleration more you get on it better it sounds, sounds better than most v8s
 
I feel there is nothing runs as nice as a V8 flathead Ford, but I also had a flathead 4 cyl Continental in a Lincoln Pipeliner welder that also ran really smooth. And X2 on the Rolls Royce Merlins, especially in one of the old conventional hydroplanes like Miss Thriftway.
 
I just saw a video for those new Duke engines.
They are very interesting.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/c19kn3drdFU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Great nomination, Mike.

The Twin H Power Hudsons ruled the early years of Nascar, even after the introduction of the OHV V8 by Oldsmobile and Cadillac.

Hudson's revolutionary "Step-Down" design, later adopted by all manufactures, allowed the big Hudson flat-headed 6s to compete with the early OHV V8 powered cars for another two or three years.

Wish I had one.

Dean
 
My '48 coupe is also lowered, and no matter how fast I throw that sucker into a corner, I can't even make the tires squeal, much less get loose. It really is a blast to drive.

But I really need to get the overdrive working again- I'm limited to about 65 mph without it, and there's even a pucker factor regarding RPM's at that speed. The guys with overdrive can loaf at 75, and that's where I want to be. Got a couple of projects in the shop that need to get done first.
 
Agreed, with the Merlin and Griffon powered hydroplanes.

Looking through a 300 mm lens as the Pay and Pack driver hit the nitro pulling out of a tight turn half a mile away was fascinating.

The stacks would turn jet black but the sound would not hit for a couple of seconds (superchargers only on the Merlins).

I lost all interest when the hydroplanes went to turbines and have not been back.

Dean
 
The old late 70's Yamaha YZ 250 was one of the best air cooled 2-strokes bike engines ever built. The 1987 Honda CR 250 was one of the best liguid cooled 2 stroke bike engines ever built.


Took Honda a LONG time to figure out how to build a decent 2 stroke, but in 1987 they got it right.
 
My neighbor has a 1917 Ruggles engine made right here in MI, that was a Ruggles truck engine. Im pretty sure its a 6 cylinder, cant recall.... He was going to put it in one of his doodlebugs, dont know if he has yet, but its a very interesting and unique engine. Ross
 
Loved the sound of the Offy's and Novi's coming out of the 4th turn and across the bricks at Indy. A long gone memory.

Also, hard to beat the old Chevy small blocks, so versatile and expandable.
 

Suzuki 700 cc in the Arctic Cat that I just sold. During testing when in development it produced about 7% more horsepower than planned on. Hopefully though the Suzuki 1100cc turbo in the Arctic Cat that I just got will replace it.
 
Another great nomination for the Novis.

In the early 60s the Novi V8 powered Indy cars had about twice the HP of anythng else on the track.

I fondly remember the Novi accelerating out of turn 4 at 150 MPH or so, blue smoke rolling off of the front tires, blasting past anything on the track down the front straight, only to be passed by the lighter and more nimble Offys in turns one and and two.

The scenario would be repeated on the back straight, lap after lap until the Novi driver stayed on the throttle a bit too long and hit the wall.

Imdy racing, like (and especially) NASCAR has morphed into little more than slot car racing. I have no interest in either anymore.

Dean
 
Rolls Royce Merlins were also build under license by Packard for use in WWII PT boats, etc.

The 50+' PT boats powered by 3 Packard Merlins could aciieve 50+ MPH (while consuming enormous quantities of aviation gasoline).

Dean
 
I love the Allison aircraft engines, I believe they are v-12's, might be v-16's. They only time I really get a look at them is at tractor pulls on a modified tractor. Always lots of flames coming out of the stacks, and sweet music along with the flames! cool engines!!
 
I like the sound of any INTERNAL combustion engine with an under square piston stroke ratio. I own a 1927 HART-PARR, 15-30 McCormick, several JD D's. JD 520,three TEA-20's two 1958 Deutz 4 cylinder air cooled. After 39 + years as a POWER PLANT Mechanic I still hang out at my brothers test cell.....hard to explain the adrenalin rush. Please see the below u-tube flicks. My favorite is the J79...General electric!
Testing a GE J79 with afterburner – YouTube
Fighter Jet Engine Afterburner Test – YouTube
Spey Gas Turbine testing - YouTube
American Eagle II....J79 Power plant
When a Rolls Royce SPEY is in the TEST CELL I have been honored to whiteness the test Runs. Once a Gas Generator is in your blood it's hard to shake.
 

You should here the FlatHead V-12 in a Street Cruiser, here in Delaware, Ohio..!!
I think it is from a Lincoln..SMOOTH as an Electric Motor..!!
ALL polished, with what looks like Aluminum Heads or maybe Chromed...
Nice to see the Old Iron..!!
Ron.
 

Remember the earliest engines that had an External combustion chamber along-side the Cylinder...
Guess they were still considered "Internal Combustion" engines..!!

Ron
 
I was at a car show a year or so ago and a guy had a Rolls Royce from the 1920's that engine ran as smooth as any motor I have ever heard run.You could have sat a cup of coffee on it and it would have never moved.
 
The John Deere pony motor

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and the big two cylinder diesels.
<a href="http://s614.photobucket.com/user/DaninOhio/media/March2014010.jpg.html" target="_blank">
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Here is my 1912 Fairbanks Morse 1 HP headless engine that runs well. Ads of the day said that it would pump 475 gallons of water 100 feet high on 1 pint of petrol. Don't think we can do much better today.
Richard in NW SC
a177134.jpg
 
PIenty interesting engines on this site.
http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/POWER/unusualICeng/unusualICeng.htm
 
my unique's would be the sound of the WD40 IH tractor.
sound of the ford flathead going through the gears.
john deere D and G.
ihc type M stationary engine.
the old pup start cat engines.
 
I have a soft spot in my heart for the JD 2cylinder diesel's. A Case 30-60 or an Oil pull have a great sound. A Lima steam locomotive is amazing at just starting to move a line of freight. I think any engine under heavy load (working the snot out of it but getting the job done) is a great thing to watch and listen to! Great topic DeltaRed, like all of the responses.
 
(quoted from post at 12:33:42 12/20/14) The internal combustion engine comes in many forms.Yet they all share the same principles.These are just a few of my 'favorites'. Ford flathead V8;any 2 stroke detriot diesel; (1960s)GMG V6; the IH gas start diesels. What are your 'favorites'?

IaLeo you beat me to it. Wasn't the Wankel called a rotor engine? As I understand from my old college buddy who lives in Waterloo Deere tested it just to see what it would do in a tractor. Must Not have worked out well.
 
Also add the Porsche type 912 flat 12 air cooled, as used in the 917. Around 500 hp naturally aspirated, 1100 with twin turbos in Can AM trim.
Think about it: 1100 HP and air cooled! How de do dat? Love how they took power from the center of the crank.

For the win: This massive, ancient Snow running on natural gas. Insane! Supposedly ran for 50 years non-stop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eq6fMAkYZE
 
I don't think it was mentioned yet, so I'll add a 1968-1971 Mopar 383 or 440 with the Road Runner/Magnum camshaft. I had a '69 Road Runner that had a great idle. The glass-pack mufflers sounded great on short trips, but they got real-old real-fast on the first 500 mile trip and were replaced soon after that.
 
Steam locomotives are in a world of their own.

Fascinating.

All of the moving parts on the outside in plain view.

Maximum torque at stall.

Mesmerizing.

A lost art.

Dean
 
Some of my favorites are the following...

4-53 or 8V-71 Detroit.
All flathead Chrysler 6 cylinders.
230 Buda in a 40 Cockshutt.
298 IH in a WK-40 McCormick.
302 GMC 6 cylinder with 12 port head..
Twin H Hudson 6 cylinder.
High revving small block Chevy..
Brent Long built IH 6 cylinder alky pulling motors.
Any Buick V-6 powered drag car.


Heres a link to the best sounding Buick V-6 ever...It was owned by John Gallina from Henderson,Nevada...Its a twin turboed 231 destroked to 207 cubic inches..It leaves the line at 9300 rpms and shifts at 8800...It got in to the high 7's at nearly 180 mph and was a SS/DD record holder..
Buick V 6
 
lots of motors listed here
best sounding motor to me would be a 426 hemi supercharged
but no one mentioned thewilly's knight sliding valve motor with it's own distinct sound
 
I like to listen to any kind of engine running but my favorite is any straight 6 gas or diesel with a split exhaust manifold.
 
One of my favorites is a M-M U or G series when working at 95% load , hour after hour.
Another is any 71 series Detroit 2 cycle, working or not.
Finally ,a 1940 s Hercules flat head 6 cyl with a 30" tall strait pipe running a John Deere 55 combine cutting beans. BTDT, clint
 
Dean, I was on my first cup of coffee, still getting the wooggies out of my eyes this am, I did mean "Mouse Motors"
 
WWII aircraft powerplants are some of the best sounding the v12's and radials are awesome! at tha EAA show the sound of the war birds literally had given me goose bumps . Another successfull but kind of wierd engine is the Harley Davidson Big Twin with its offset timing,and single connecting rod
 
American LaFrance V12. Lycoming design. Also Cord used the same design. Dual Ignition. Have seen them being pump tested, the UL test required them to do 10% above the nameplate GPM/PSI rating for a period of hour(s). Some of the 1000GPM rated, they took the fan blades off, (there was a built in intercooler connected to the pump circuit) run the fluids a little low to get rating. Test room had a stack thru the ceiling 30 feet into the air and you could hear them all over the factory.
The exh manifolds would get white hot, almost transparent. Yet, when let back down to an idle, we stood a nickel on edge on the center head.
 
(quoted from post at 05:52:18 12/21/14) American LaFrance V12. Lycoming design. Also Cord used the same design. Dual Ignition. Have seen them being pump tested, the UL test required them to do 10% above the nameplate GPM/PSI rating for a period of hour(s). Some of the 1000GPM rated, they took the fan blades off, (there was a built in intercooler connected to the pump circuit) run the fluids a little low to get rating. Test room had a stack thru the ceiling 30 feet into the air and you could hear them all over the factory.
The exh manifolds would get white hot, almost transparent. Yet, when let back down to an idle, we stood a nickel on edge on the center head.

How about an engine that is notable for being bad?
The International "Maxxforce", aka the Lacksforce.
If you have ever owned one or driven one, you know what I'm talking about.
 
I saw a unique engine at a car show .It was a 6 cylinder Alfa-Romeo that looked like a cut down Chrysler Hemi. But it had all aluminum components.
 
picassomcp, I like those old Allison's too.
I remember EJ Potter having a V12 and a W24 version on pulling
tractors. There was a time around here when it seemed like
almost all of them on pulling tractors either said "Potter Powered"
or "Powered by EJ" on the valve covers.

But he didn't just stop at pulling tractors. He put one in the rear
end of a station wagon too. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried
to put one on his motorcycle to replace the SBC!

May he RIP.

mvphoto14212.jpg


mvphoto14213.jpg
 
I've always liked the V6 and V12 GMC gassers. Not much power, but gobs of low speed torque.

I also have a fond spot for the Ford 272/292/312 "Y-block" engines. Almost silent at idle, except for the gentle tapping of their mechanical lifters.
 
Hello DeltaRed,

Formula 1 engine.......Hands down! Do A search for F1 engine break in. That is a short but revealing U tube video, May be some one can post a link?

Guido.
 
(quoted from post at 14:43:00 12/20/14) Curtiss-Wright R-3350 32WA, 18 Cylinder Radial Engine (Sternmotor), first start in 32 years
Wow! - I SAID WOW!!! [size=18:bffcf12eda][b:bffcf12eda]SAID WOW![/b:bffcf12eda][/size:bffcf12eda][size=24:bffcf12eda][color=red:bffcf12eda][b:bffcf12eda] WOW![/b:bffcf12eda][/size:bffcf12eda][/color:bffcf12eda] Never mind. I'll wait until the teeth rattling engine shuts down! Thumbs up. :lol:


My favorite engine is the 69 Ford 427ci. SCJ side oilier w/427 Hp. stock.
Then there is the Ford 312ci. V8 T-Bird, and the Ford V8 221ci and I love the 260ci. first used in the 63 1/2 Sprint Falcon. Precursor to the 64 1/2 Ford Mustang 298ci. and later 302ci. Windsor.
 
Never even seen their bigger ones. Their 15 liter is
a c15 bottom end with navistar heads.
How about the Mercedes heavy truck engines? Engine
brake had its own valve the size of a bic pen and
put out about 2/3 rated power.
 

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