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Thread: Double engine cars?

  1. #76
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    Quote Originally Posted by emperor View Post
    So I had this idea about cars with two engines. First of all I have no idea is this old, so don't flame me if it is.
    I'm talking about concepts or modified cars which have 2 engines, preferably one in the front and one in the back. The idea is:
    What if we make one engine drive rear wheels and the other will drive front wheels? (there would be 2 separate and independant units) Is this a good idea or bad? Could it boost preformance? I thought that we could take this a little further and install 2 pedals, each for every engine (similiar to separate brake pedals for rear and front wheels in race cars). Maybe it could give the driver more control. Tell me what you think.
    Yaa, I think it is a fabulous thought...and it will really help the drivers to get more control over their vehciles...
    austin auto repair
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  2. #77
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gracysmith View Post
    Yaa, I think it is a fabulous thought...and it will really help the drivers to get more control over their vehciles...
    and implemented a long time ago already..

    1958 - 1966 Citron 2CV Sahara - Images, Specifications and Information
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

  3. #78
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    The control is a major problem with two separate engines.

    Keeping their torque output to the wheels in balance is difficult and invariably one engine is hunting the other at various times. Which means lost power

    The 2CV was about a cheap 4WD solution for farmers, Austin/Morris did similar with a prototype twin engine Moke for off road/winter.

    Many since were for performance like John Coopers "Twini" and a version ran in the 63 Targa Floria



    There was a VW in the 90s with a VR6 front and back ! Never saw it run.

    If you google twin engine and on YouTube you'll find plenty of examples official and otherwise
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    Last edited by Matra et Alpine; 02-08-2013 at 03:39 PM.
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  4. #79
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    Quote Originally Posted by emperor View Post
    So I had this idea about cars with two engines. First of all I have no idea is this old, so don't flame me if it is.
    I'm talking about concepts or modified cars which have 2 engines, preferably one in the front and one in the back. The idea is:
    What if we make one engine drive rear wheels and the other will drive front wheels? (there would be 2 separate and independant units) Is this a good idea or bad? Could it boost preformance? I thought that we could take this a little further and install 2 pedals, each for every engine (similiar to separate brake pedals for rear and front wheels in race cars). Maybe it could give the driver more control. Tell me what you think.
    Why not use a conventional single engine car and add a second engine that compresses air (driving a supercharger) to be used for the main engine?

    You'll get:
    1. Extreme power increase even at low revs. No turbo lag, yet no supercharger parasitic drag for the main engine.
    2. Better weight distribution. You'll have 1 engine in the front, other in the rear.
    3. Relatively simple conversion. For the main engine you'll need just a stronger crank, maybe a better head gasket and valve seals. For the second engine supercharger, intercooler and tubing

  5. #80
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    I am thinking of doing this for my ride but I don't know how much would it cost now. Any ideas?

  6. #81
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    Big time, interesting but why carry around an extra engine to drive the supercharger when you can more effectively increase the performance by traditional supercharger drive. Co-locating the supercharger drive to optimise the air flow a big issue with separate engine for sure
    If you're worried about parasitic power loss by the supercharger then you make the base engine more powerful. The supercharger is a multiplier on the engine output, so it's a win win. AND if you are serious about this because you want a big supercharger and want massive amounts of boost then the main engine mod isnt' then "just a stronger crank, maybe a better head gasket and valve seals"

    petchyT, when looking at costs, then you are best googling for your car/engine and see what's in the market. If it's the engine to drive a supercharger idea then first find out what it takes to build a main engine capable of the boost and power you aim. You'll be scared by the work/price never mind then looking at a second engine and supercharger.
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  7. #82
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine View Post
    Big time, interesting but why carry around an extra engine to drive the supercharger when you can more effectively increase the performance by traditional supercharger drive. Co-locating the supercharger drive to optimise the air flow a big issue with separate engine for sure
    If you're worried about parasitic power loss by the supercharger then you make the base engine more powerful. The supercharger is a multiplier on the engine output, so it's a win win. AND if you are serious about this because you want a big supercharger and want massive amounts of boost then the main engine mod isnt' then "just a stronger crank, maybe a better head gasket and valve seals"

    petchyT, when looking at costs, then you are best googling for your car/engine and see what's in the market. If it's the engine to drive a supercharger idea then first find out what it takes to build a main engine capable of the boost and power you aim. You'll be scared by the work/price never mind then looking at a second engine and supercharger.
    Why?
    Simple. Because you want to make it extreme.
    What happens when you already have an engine that's as big as it can fit? You want it to make more power.
    What happens after you tuned your engine to make more power, you want even MORE power.

    Sort of greed, you want, more, more, MORE!

    What happens when you finally have an as big-as-it-can-fit engine? It weights a lot. Usually too much. That's when the other engine at the other end of the car comes to balance weight distribution.

    Of course this isn't conventional thinking.
    This is extreme, maybe even insane thinking. The kind of thinking that makes supercars possible.

  8. #83
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    The kind of thinking that makes '61 Corvairs more like

    See the problem you have once you get in to talking about "extreme" is the basic physics of the pressure in the piping for that compressed air from front to back ( or other way depending on where you want to drive ) and because air is readily compressible ( unlike fluids ) you also generate contrl problems with the lag in the pressure front of the compressed air caused by the length of the pipework.

    It's NEVER a great idea to think that putting extra weight is good just because it let you have 50:50. A behemoth doesn't handle well no matter what it's weight distribution

    If you have reached the limit in terms of engine space then again the chassis has more than likely got many more issues to contend with without adding MORE power

    Unless you are building a drag car or a tractor puller THen the rules are different
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  9. #84
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    Nice selfbuild. 487 HP in an Alfa GTV (916).

    Curb mass: 1680 kg (with half full fuel tank)

    Dutch Man Builds Alfa Romeo GTV Bi-Motore with Two V6 Engines and 487HP [with Videos] - Carscoops

  10. #85
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    very good information about double engine cars...

  11. #86
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    Jay Leno featured a double engined Mini Cooper once on his channel.

    2002 Twin Engine Mini Cooper - Jay Lenos Garage - YouTube

  12. #87
    AdamJensen Guest
    A twin engine is cool if you know why you need it. This gives balance, reduces parasitic resistance for example. Read carid reviews, more about how to maintain such a car (very difficult, but cool!)

  13. #88
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    Sometimes two engines are better than one. Twin combustion engined cars are one of the real oddballs of the motoring world. It makes no sense as a drivetrain for a production car just on the basis of mechanical complexity alone, but there have been specific applications suited to the twin-engine approach.

  14. #89
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    The other day I was asked for some technical advice on this interesting vehicle and learned that our company is supporting De Rooij Transport in preparing their historic two-engined Dakar truck to take part again in the 2022 Dakar Classic. They pulled it from our company museum and are in a complete rebuild now. Hopefully I will be laying under this truck somewhere next week and be able to snap some pictures of the technologies used


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