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Dual engines in an S30?


4.6StangRage

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Not to mention the fact that you just doubled your weight mechanically. You'd need a way to cool both engines, get power to the ground (dual transmissions..?) etc. I can't imagine how much it'd suck to have the problem of mounting 2 engines *simply* to make it AWD. Even heat from the rear engine would be unbearable....

 

It's probably easier to completely re-design the front suspension than *attempt* to swap in dual engines...

 

Weight ≠ better

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Not to mention the fact that you just doubled your weight mechanically. You'd need a way to cool both engines, get power to the ground (dual transmissions..?) etc. I can't imagine how much it'd suck to have the problem of mounting 2 engines *simply* to make it AWD. Even heat from the rear engine would be unbearable....

 

It's probably easier to completely re-design the front suspension than *attempt* to swap in dual engines...

 

Weight ≠ better

 

It's actually been done quite a few times.

 

I have a video of a twin engine tiburon that has turbos on each engine, runs a 10.something. Both engines are stock, except for the turbos. At the end of the vidoe the owner puts one engine in a forward gear, and teh other in reverse, that was a cool smoke show!

 

Cooling is not that much of a problem.

 

I used to think that the weight would be a factor too, while yes there will be more overall weight, each engine only needs to move half the chassis weight instead of all of it.

So if the car ended up weighing an extra 750 lbs (approximate weight of a transvers engine and tranny), add that to an exsiting 2500 lbs chassis, that's 3250 lbs total weight, so instead of that engine pulling 2500 lbs it now only needs to pull 1725 lbs, each, with twice the power, overall as well. ;)

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It's actually been done quite a few times.

 

I have a video of a twin engine tiburon that has turbos on each engine, runs a 10.something. Both engines are stock, except for the turbos. At the end of the vidoe the owner puts one engine in a forward gear, and teh other in reverse, that was a cool smoke show!

 

Cooling is not that much of a problem.

 

I used to think that the weight would be a factor too, while yes there will be more overall weight, each engine only needs to move half the chassis weight instead of all of it.

So if the car ended up weighing an extra 750 lbs (approximate weight of a transvers engine and tranny), add that to an exsiting 2500 lbs chassis, that's 3250 lbs total weight, so instead of that engine pulling 2500 lbs it now only needs to pull 1725 lbs, each, with twice the power, overall as well. ;)

 

Thats where I got the Idea from and that tib is sweet!

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I've seen that tib too! pretty sweet little thing.

 

the hard part is mounting the engine, though, if you had a 2+2 that can be easily solved. all you need to do is find the right setup (twin SR20DET's anyone?) and then you'd have one killer AWD setup. even if it DOES weigh a bit more, the fact that you've doubled your power output means each engine does indeed do less work. as long as you have the traction!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Citroen did it with the 'sahara' 2cv

 

2cv-safari.jpg

 

I read an article on the Mercedes-Benz A190 Twin the other day, it is fitted with two 125 hp 1.9 engines, one in the front and one in the back. It was built by Mercedes in 1999 as a one-off for Mika Häkkinen.

 

Because of this, I started to think about what other car factories has made twin-engine cars, either as one-offs, prototypes, race cars or simply production models. I could only think of three, which I'll post here. What other cars were out there?

 

Mercedes-Benz A190 Twin

5335.jpg

 

5337.jpg

 

Citroen 2CV Sahara, it featured another engine and transmission in the trunk, for 4wd traction.

 

Citroen_2CV_Sahara_rear_engine.jpg

 

Gear changes for the front and rear transmissions were operated by a common central shift lever, simultaneously moving the two sets of selector rods; the rear rods could also be disengaged, thereby enabling the Citroen to be driven by only the front engine as a two wheel drive car. Sahara production started in December 1960 and ended in 1971 after 694 vehicles had been built,

 

The Golf Pikes Peak, a true rally car made for the famous hill climb.

 

Golf2pikespeak10.jpg

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Should anybody forget the wonderful SHO powered Festiva? Not dual engined, but right along the spirit here at HybridZ.

 

I always thought, since I'm more of a GM guy myself, that a Supercharged Buick 3.8 V6 powertrain would work exceedingly well in a Geo Metro...same concept Renault R5 on steroids.

 

Gives you Hemmorohids...

 

From eating Altoids...

 

Made from the hooves of cows!

 

"I digress"---blame it on Frank. The French have warped my mind here...

 

But back on topic (kind of) anybody that was at MSA this past year saw the mid-engined 240Z with the V6 Maxima Engine in the back. From there it's not that much more work to add another... And that was not on any 2+2 platform!

 

A 2+2 I figure would accomodate Olds Toronado Drivelines. I know they fit in the back of a VW Bug...

 

Two would work nicely and the cable shifter for the Autoboxes would not be that difficult to work out at all.

 

And like the Hyundais with two engines, you can always disengage the linkages and put one tranny in "L" and one in "R" and see what kind of zer-radius smoke show you can produce!!!:D

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I'll hand it to the guy... he knows mechanical... but he needs to have somebody else do the body work.

 

Don't know about that, as a former winner of 'best paint' as well as a three-time 'Overall Best of Show' winner I think he has all the bases covered.

 

You are commenting on a car in primer...which may have won 'best in-work' this year. (I don't remember, anybody?)

 

The bodywork looks fine to me, even in primer. If you have a problem with the styling, that's one thing...but the bodywork from my firsthand inspection was pretty sound, same as on all his other cars.

 

Last year he brought a 240 with a complete 350Z powertrain in it, as well as most of the 350Z interior in it...seems he comes up with stuff different every year.

 

Speaking as someone who's projects take...er..."Forever" (and I'm talking now going on their second decade in some cases!) seeing a guy that turns out a completed, or almost completed car---to a very high standard of finish and functionality every year, year after year will not get me chucking stones at his work...that's for sure! The guy is an electrician, he does not have a 'shop' he is not 'in the business' these are his cars, or stuff he does for his family members!!!

 

Styling of the body aside, the car worked and drove, and he ran it at the autocross the day before the show. Considering the car had it's own hydraulic jack/rotisserie to make it pivot on it's own axis for the show display...that says something when it was all done in less than a year!:icon14:

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