The Holy Grail of internal combustion engines. A job for Myth Busters!!!

[vdubnut62]

George Breckenridge has already beat you to it Bob, I think it was in a Chevette.
Ron

[mobile_bob]

actually it was Joel, and it was a geo metro powered by a changfa 10hp aircooled via a comet clutch
from what i understand it would do about 45mph on the flat with two large men aboard.

knowing Joel, i would have loved to have seen a youtube clip of the two of them jambed into the little car
and put,putting down the road,, would have been hillarious

bob g

[EBI-WPO]

I think I read every "Say Smokey" in Popular Science. In 1980, I went to Daytona with a Camaro I built for an Oil guy in Michigan. We raced in the Sportsman 300, the week before the 500 race. I met quite a few drivers, such as Petty. But the most memorable person met was Smokey. We had a few steering parts that wouldn't pass magnaflux. We went to Smokeys shop to get what we needed, and I met "THE MAN". Heady stuff for a 22 year old from a small town in upstate New York. I still have the NASCAR mechanics license and other stuff from the trip.

We need more like him today.

Terry

[rcavictim]

Bob,

With that small 175 diesel you could consider a diesel/electric hybrid car project.  Maybe start with a shopping cart as a chassis to keep the weight down.    OK maybe three shopping carts.  One as a trunk for groceries, after all what good is a grocery getter without room for groceries right?!  Then one for the pilot to sit in and the last to hold the power plant.  Make it a 3 wheeler to make it insurable as a motorcycle. The use of shopping carts would tackle the wind resistance which always hurts fuel economy in a novel way, the wind could be free to blow through the vehicle. Some ideas can be dangerous.

Just sayin'.  

[mobile_bob]

i'm not talkin a small block changfa 175

i am talking about a big block 185!



bob g

maybe that would propel 4 shopping carts!, maybe fit it with a nitrous bottle to provide a boost for climbing the one hill in town?

[rcavictim]

i'm not talkin a small block changfa 175

i am talking about a big block 185!



bob g

maybe that would propel 4 shopping carts!, maybe fit it with a nitrous bottle to provide a boost for climbing the one hill in town?

A stretch limo. Now you're talkin'!!!!  

I have my SB 175 running right now making heat in the shop on 100% used xfmer oil.  uses ~1/2 liter per hour at 1 kW electrical output to a resistance heater and 100 watt light bulb.  Running it at about 1400 RPM.  EGT is about 600 F.  This plant will be used to maintain charge on my batteries in the house when the wind is not blowing while taking the chill off (keep from freezing damage) in the workshop from captured cogen engine and exhaust heat.  I have a new 6 HP air cooled Launtop engine and alternator ready to be built into a backup for the 175A for this same purpose.

Edit:  There may be error in my above claim for fuel consumption.  More testing and measurements are required.

[Henry W]

An electric hybred was in my thoughts a few years back and I think finding a small pickup to convert would work well.
Find a DC Motor and deep cycle batteries for the front engine compartment and back bed.
Make a DC Genset with an R185 engine and mount in the back of the bed. This will extend the range of driving and when parked the Genset will recharge batteries. The engine will also provide heat for the cab. The truck can also be plugged in at nights at home to charge batteries also.
There are issues and huge costs making a hybred and I never gave it much thought after I found out what it will cost. But some might be intrested in this so here are some sites.

http://www.e-volks.com/index.html
http://www.electric-cars-are-for-girls.com/electric-car-conversion.html
http://www.hybridcars.com/decision-process/top-7-issues-electric-car-conversion-25839.html
http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/electricvehicle1/a/conversioncos.htm

[Henry W]

actually it was Joel, and it was a geo metro powered by a changfa 10hp aircooled via a comet clutch
from what i understand it would do about 45mph on the flat with two large men aboard.

knowing Joel, i would have loved to have seen a youtube clip of the two of them jambed into the little car
and put,putting down the road,, would have been hillarious

bob g

Bob I remember Joels Geo Metro. I thought it was pretty cool. The only thing I did not like about it was the air cooled Changfa sticking out of the hood. If one can design on with the engine under the hood that would be cool. How about a Subrau. I think it would be a much easier conversion Weight might be an issue though.

Henry

[AdeV]

I think if you're going to Changfa-ise some kind of motor, then it needs to be loud & proud out the front, like that Chinese chap on the video that appeared on one of these threads somewhere...

Don't bother with a radiator, just hook up a roof tank & a tap to top up the hopper as needed...

[rcavictim]

I think if you're going to Changfa-ise some kind of motor, then it needs to be loud & proud out the front, like that Chinese chap on the video that appeared on one of these threads somewhere...

Don't bother with a radiator, just hook up a roof tank & a tap to top up the hopper as needed...

Perhaps, but it is against the law to drive while you are sloshed. 

[TimSR2]

IIRC , as  the story went Smokey had built a VW Rabbit with the engine sawed in half, to make a two cylinder. He had a heater core out front for a rad, and it still put 120 hp to the ground. Ran on gasoline and had insanely high inlet mixture  and cylinder wall temperatures (produced by forced inter heating  IIRC 280f intake mix)  that would not have been possible without pressurized intake system.

He had devised a system of homogenized superheated air fuel mixture. He basically believed that he could use the latent heat of vaporization of the gasoline to replace most of the cooling system of the vehicle, thus increasing the efficiency of an ICE past 50%. 

He was selling convert kits for Fieros when they first came out, in the back pages of Hot Rod. $ 2500 Not sure if they worked. Those 2.5  GM Iron Dukes were gutless, but indestructible. I wonder if he sold any.

For the record I was a skeptic even then

[vdubnut62]

actually it was Joel, and it was a geo metro powered by a changfa 10hp aircooled via a comet clutch
from what i understand it would do about 45mph on the flat with two large men aboard.

knowing Joel, i would have loved to have seen a youtube clip of the two of them jambed into the little car
and put,putting down the road,, would have been hillarious

bob g

Yes Bob you are correct, I told everyone I am getting forgetful! At least I remembered a GM product. Ditto on the Youtube clip,
I would pay to see that one.
Ron