Re: [MV] RE Ford tank engine
Rob Root (root99@earthlink.net)
Wed, 17 Jun 1998 22:24:38 -0700
Richard Notton wrote:
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dr Deuce 264-0909 <keith@apache.ENET.dec.com>
> To: @sky <"mail11:;;;;@us2rmc.zko.dec.com"@us2rmc.zko.dec.com;;;>
> Cc: keith@apache.ENET.dec.com <keith@apache.ENET.dec.com>
> Date: 16 June 1998 12:28
> Subject: [MV] RE Ford tank engine
>
> >. . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Ford was a hemi-head, 4 valve/cyl with dual
> overhead
> >cams. So far, so good. It had the feature that the cams were driven by a
> shaft
> >from the crank to the cams. One shaft ran up the front of each bank. There
> was
> >a bevel gear on each end. No belts to break or replace, no chain to adjust
> etc.
> >The way an OHC engine SHOULD be built!
> >
>
> Henry knew what a Merlin looked like inside then, and recognised a good
> thing when he saw it. . . . . . . .
>
> Richard
> (Southampton UK)
>
Your comment combined with Dr. Duece's struck me as somewhat ironic,
since I have an acquaintance
who once owned a P-51 Mustang. It seems he was out flying over Northern
Arizona when the Rolls Royce Merlin chose to shear a "quill shaft" which
was part of the drive mechanism for the camshaft. In a matter of a
split second, the Merlin became a rather heavy, extremely expensive boat
anchor. He managed a relatively successful off-airport flaps up gear up
landing (translate to FAST in a P-51 Flaps up). Shafts and gears don't
guarantee perfection either...
-Rob Root
1942 GPW
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